St Nicholas Shipping makes the run between El Nido Palawan to Manila twice a week. It takes two nights and a day.
Passage was 1000 pesos per person and 650 pesos for my motorcycle. The ship leaves at 12 pm midnight and arrives at pier 2 in Manila around 5 am after the second night. 3 meals are served and they had free coffee in the morning on the first day.
Be forewarned – this option is not going to work for everyone! There is not a whole lot of room to move around and the entire boat has a peculiar odor from all the fish we transport.
I thought the whole trip was groovy and found the entire program to be amusing – however my girl was not very impressed. I got a good tongue thrashing, becauseĀ I was the one responsible for ordering the extra large waves. In all fairness the trip was canceled the first day because of a typhoon and being seasick really is no fun.
Most of the passengers slept the whole way over. It is a rather bland trip but I really enjoy being out at sea.
A lot of fish bound for restaurants in Manila come from the rich waters around Palawan. Fish on ice, dried fish, and 5 live tanks full of lapu lapu were on board.
The live fish were the first to be unloaded. They are packed in plastic bags with a little water and then filled with pure oxygen from a cylinder and then stacked in styrofoam boxes.
Manila is a trip!
…only 1000 k to go to my place in Leyte by bike. I will admit that breaking out of Manila was a bit of a chore, but we made it and stopped in Donsol on the way and saw 7 whale sharks.
Palawan to Manila
Giday dp
Nice post, I admire your love of sea travel. For me that’s gonna be too long in a boat. Airplanes yes…. boats no….
Last trip Bruce and I did was from Pilar to Masbate on pumpboat then Cebu by overnight ferry. We got on the pumpboat, loaded the bikes and about 20 passengers got on. “Good” we thought, “not too many”.
Then a large truck pulled up and they proceeded to load bagged rice into the unused passenger seating area until there was almost no freeboard left…. Off we went, choppy sea, they lowered the spray curtains, engine fumes built up inside, hull creaking loudly, seasick….
Be back in May. Manila could be on our agenda, but not via Palawan!
Bruce here in a few days, gonna take him out in the 4wd.
Merry Christmas!
Lindsay
Hi dp,
i came on after u left to have a read of your most recent posts and as i said it was not on here. I refreshed the page and shazam it appeared. Great havin a chat mate and i hope the rice was ok ahahahah
BW Dave
Hi Lindsay,
Sounds great – hope to see you whem you get back here!
I just repaced my rear tire today here in Samar with an off road Malaysian made beauty and I put in one of those tubes you got for me there in NZ. I am riding in style now :)
many many thanks!
Only got one flat in Palawan and haven’t had a blow out since they paved the road in Samar – in fact the road is so good I drove down to Ormoc and back last night (450 k)
Bruce will enjoy getting out in the country with you and your rig – pass along my regards.
take care
dp
Hi Dave,
Thanks mate for the rice – I took a break near the San Juanico bridge and it hit the spot.
It rained for about an hour and I got to Catbalogan a little after midnight.
Should be back home tomorow.
Beth is eager to see you again.
cheers
dp
Bought a Yamaha YBR G 125CC 9 months ago in Dumaguete, have 8000 kms and no flat on the tubeless tires. The front end started to vibrate a few weeks ago and was told the rear tire needed to be replaced due to wear. Ordered new tires. They arrived yesterday. The tread was different and was told it is a new design mountain bike tubeless tire.
Wanted to travel Monday and bought the tires. The tires flinch at every pebble. Wondering when the flat will come. Cant understand why the motorcycle parts guys cannot order the correct tires.
I rather be on the road..most guys have an explorer gene and I’m one of them. Enjoy your website, it gives me wonderful ideas.
Sometimes it is better not to have a back ride, but they have fits if they cannot go. One never knows what God will provide on the next adventure.
Hello DraggingCanoe,
Good luck on the trail! Thanks for your comment.
cheers
dp
does St. Nicholas Shipping still have the Coron to San Jos Mindoro route?
…i don’t think so
dp
Hello Lindsay,
Super late reply – but what’s 11 years anyway ? ha ha (year 2020)
Good to see that you Kiwis went through this coronavirus thing with such style and grace.
Bravo !
I am in the USA at this time still trying to see how this pandemic pans out.
Maybe global travel will become a thing of the past. Makes me sad.
I miss my people in the Philippines and Indonesia.
Hello to brother Bruce.
update – I have been out in the Aleutians recently and that is an entirely new frontier altogether. Deep water fisheries out of Dutch Harbor. This frontier fascinates me mate! Keep in touch.
dp