Si-kat from Manila to Puerta Galera or Anilao

[Smit]

Thanks everyone for all the great info. This is a great thread for us folks unfamiliar with traveling the Philippines, both for traveling and the details on what to expect when you get there. I feel a lot more confident and comfortable trying to make my own travel plans at a more reasonable price. Still, until you make the trip the first time it's a little unnerving. As Centrals says, we don't know what we don't know!

I have no problem spending a little more to make travel more pleasant. The Si-Kat sounds good, I'll happily pay $27 for "luxury." But I'll check out the Mi Corazon option as well. Reliability is the most important thing to me. I really don't want to find myself somewhere with a cancelled ride and nowhere to stay with luggage.

I prefer to fly United from San Francisco, and that flight gets in around 6:00 AM but I'd be inclined to spend the day in Manila to acclimate to the new time zone, then start the trip fresh the next morning. The Citystate tower hotel would be alright for one night to catch the bus to Batangas. I stayed at the Belmont last time, and it was nice, but kinda far away from the bus terminal for a 9:30 take off.

@Centrals , I've seen your posts on Southern Leyte and I find it very intriguing. I thought PG was absolutely great but if Southern Leyte is even better I'll want to experience it at some point. I've seen some information on how to travel to Southern Leyte and it looked a little more complex. And traveling to other places from Southern Leyte sound a little more time complex.

Malapascua is also a place I'd love to visit. I understand the Thresher sharks are the main thing but I've heard the diving in general is also very good there.

 

[Centrals]

@Smit
One step at a time.
Southern Leyte is NOT that straight forward to get there. However, I had just returned from there and the resort was quite busy(same as last yr). I have no idea if it was the whaleshark tour or the combination of the tour and diving. The slightly complexity on getting there probably discouraged certain peoples but not those with determination. I have been there on six occasions.
The area, Ermita, where City State Tower located is quite lively all day long. So you have to be very careful at night. Trust no one. Change the money at T3(United arrives there).

 

[bvbellomo]

I put more in my trip report, however I found the bus portion of the si-kat pleasant, and the ferry portion unpleasant. It did get me where I was going, and much cheaper than a private transfer. The ferry portion may also have been better if the weather was better.

 

[Smit]

I do have one further question on the transfer. When we met the ferry last year going to Atlantis there was no real port terminal. We just unloaded our gear from the vans and loaded it onto boats at a dock.

Is there a port terminal with "gates" similar to the ferry port in Dumaguete, where there were 3 "gates" going to different places?

 

[Centrals]

I do have one further question on the transfer. When we met the ferry last year going to Atlantis there was no real port terminal. We just unloaded our gear from the vans and loaded it onto boats at a dock.

Is there a port terminal with "gates" similar to the ferry port in Dumaguete, where there were 3 "gates" going to different places?

Please read #6.
Public ferry departs from Bantagas Ferry Terminal. The one that you used to PG is NOT a proper ferry terminal.
Dumaguete Ferry Port is a proper one ie. with a sizable building. This terminal is for the big ferry like Ocean Jet coming eg. Tagbilaran. However, there is at least one smaller one for the crossing from Sibulan(outside Dumaguete) to Liloan in Cebu Province