To be able to plan your value travel itinerary in the Philippines, you must know the overall transportation situation in the destination. I am happy to share some facts that can help you "value travel hunt" effectively.
A. Air Transportation
There are at least 52 airlines flying to the Philippines. The international airport gateways are Manila, Cebu, Davao & Clark. You can try to look for charter flights operating to certain airports in the Country. There are 5 commercial domestic airlines (Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines, Asian Spirit and Sea Air). There are also some domestic charter flights available to certain parts of the country.
B. Land Transportation
The Philippine archipelago has a lot of land transportation options that you can enjoy. Let me enumerate some of them.
Bus - There are air-conditioned and non air-conditioned buses in the cities and provinces in the Philippines. The quality of the bus varies as you go farther away from the city center. There are bus companies that go through inter-island travel through ferries as well.
Jeepneys are a popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II and are well known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating. They have also become a symbol of Philippine culture.
Air-conditioned Vans / AUVs – There are special trips that use AUVs. The trip is a lot more comfortable compared to the jeepneys.
Tricycle – This is our very own version of Bangkok's Tuk Tuk. A side car is attached to the motorcycle and is used as public transportation.
Taxi – Air-conditioned metered sedans and AUVs mostly in main city centers (Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao).
Pedicab – This is a tricycle manually operated by a driver. A sidecar attached to a bike.
Kalesa – There are still some cities and municipalities in the Philippines that use Kalesa as public transportation.
Habal Habal – Mostly used in Mindanao… motorcycle using board extensions to carry more passengers.
C. Rail
Philippines is not too endowed with very efficient inter region rail system. There are however MRTs and LRTs in Metro Manila. In the provinces, there are some make shift 5-10 seater short trip rail transportation used by the locals.
D. Water
As an archipelagic destination, sea transport is very important in the Philippines and developments are on the way to strengthen this mode of transportation.
Commercial Ships – WG&A, Superferry, Negros Navigation, Sulpicio lines are some of the major players in the Philippines.
Banca or Pump Boats – A boat with two "katigs" powered by a diesel engine. Size varies from 6 to 60 passenger boats. This is used for inter island travel not covered by the commercial ferries.
Be a value travel hunter.
Mabuhay!
