Splitting days between Anilao and PG

[bill22]

... also on the transport. $290 is quite reasonable for a roundtrip from the airport. Would be hard to negotiate a better rate than that yourself. Some dive ops if you are arriving on the same day as other guests may also give you the opportunity to split the costs with others.

The other option to consider is to take a van to and from the airport and use the ferry for the crossing. That will save a significant amount.

 

[GirlonFire]

... also on the transport. $290 is quite reasonable for a roundtrip from the airport. Would be hard to negotiate a better rate than that yourself. Some dive ops if you are arriving on the same day as other guests may also give you the opportunity to split the costs with others.

The other option to consider is to take a van to and from the airport and use the ferry for the crossing. That will save a significant amount.

Do you use a specific company or driver for the land transfer?

 

[ReefHound]

On our trip, we had a private ferry take us directly from Sabang to our Anilao resort, saving us a shuttle from Batangas. It was faster, cheaper, and a heckuva lot more convenient. It was really nice to pull up to the beach in a boat and have the staff tell us it's their job to get the bags and our job to go up and get a cold drink.

 

[bill22]

Do you use a specific company or driver for the land transfer?

No, I've just let Frontier set it up the two times I took a van from the airport and we paid the driver direct. Whatever dive op you use can set you up with a driver. Most of the drivers are independents. Other than those two trips I've always taken the bus from Manila which is normally around 175 pesos and takes you to Batangas Pier. ([edit]-I did negotiate a taxi direct on one trip a few years ago now that I think about it a bit more) I've both taken the ferry and negotiated for a private boat myself from the pier. There are lots of variations on getting there. The easiest way is also the most expensive. I will say that the dive ops seem to want to help travelers reach Puerto Galera as cheaply as possible as the rate they will tell you is right in line with the cheapest rate I've been able to negotiate myself. When I'm traveling with someone and so am able to split costs sometimes I will splurge. When I'm traveling by myself I usually go the cheapest.

 

[GirlonFire]

On our trip, we had a private ferry take us directly from Sabang to our Anilao resort, saving us a shuttle from Batangas. It was faster, cheaper, and a heckuva lot more convenient. It was really nice to pull up to the beach in a boat and have the staff tell us it's their job to get the bags and our job to go up and get a cold drink.

Was this set up by your resort?

 

[Trailboss123]

@GirlonFire -- A couple other things to keep in mind and we have not discussed them here in this thread of yours.

1. With regards to a public ferry/transport from Batangas to Puerto Galera there have been considerable changes over the last year with regards to availability, routes, timeables, etc-- to be honest, I have not kept up with it, because I will always choose the private route through my Hotel/dive op. But if you are leaning toward public transport, do your due diligence and check into it very well and you can be sure that you will not arrive the same day at El Galleon with your 2pm arrival into Manila. Which means you will be incurring the cost of an additional nights stay somewhere and will need to sort that out.

2. If you do take a public ferry, they are going to drop you in Puerto Galera. Puerto Galera itself is still a ways from Sabang and/or El Galleon and is going to require additional transportation over rough roads and some toting of your luggage. If you go with El Galleon's transport, you are going door to door. Airport directly to their private pier.

You may want to read this thread that started back in February: Transfers to Puerto Galera about to become even more difficult?

EDIT ADDITION:
You may want to check with Bluewater and see if your private ferry to El Galleon is on this: Mindoro Sprinter Private Transfer - Asia Divers & El Galleon Beach Resort, Puerto Galera

After reading the most recent posts on the transportation thread I linked above- I am now confused some more. If you contact Bluewater, let us know what you learn. If your transport is on the Mindoro Sprinter, it appears there are set times for departure. When I went with them, my private transport was based on my arrival - not on a set schedule.

Another Edit:
Looks like only $17 US each way if you are a single passenger going on the established schedule. It is $210 for PRIVATE and that is one-way and not RT, for up to 13 passengers. Again- double check with Bluewater Travel, if this is the situation and cost, then I would definitely be opting for $17 per person and work it out to be there in time for the established schedule.

 

[ReefHound]

Was this set up by your resort?

Set up by Frontier Scuba. They also set up the hotel in one big package.

 

[Trailboss123]

Given your arrival at 2pm in the afternoon into Manila and the Mindoro Sprinter schedule to El Galleon, I would be inclined to go to Anilao on the front end of your trip. You will be able to easily get there the day of arrival and be diving the next day and then take advantage of the Mindoro Sprinter schedule and $17 rate each way.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Having dived at Asia Divers and staying/eating at El Galleon and reading @Trailboss123 ’s post, I have gathered the following:

I am a heifer. I eat a lot between dives. Diving makes me ravenous. We had the meal plan and Boy. Did. I. Eat. I loved it. The food was great. I have hollow legs.

Also, I religiously dived 5 dives a day. 4 day and 1 night. There was no time or energy left to go out and sort my own food in town if that is the schedule you want to go with. By eating there, not only was the food really good and super convenient (like a liveaboard!) it was a short walk (About 60-80 yards) to your room for a change, nap/rest, camera tinkering in the camera room, etc. I also avoided seedy Sabang and I am okay with that.

 

[Trailboss123]

Having dived at Asia Divers and staying/eating at El Galleon and reading @Trailboss123 ’s post, I have gathered the following:

I am a heifer. I eat a lot between dives. Diving makes me ravenous. We had the meal plan and Boy. Did. I. Eat. I loved it. The food was great. I have hollow legs.

Also, I religiously dived 5 dives a day. 4 day and 1 night. There was no time or energy left to go out and sort my own food in town if that is the schedule you want to go with. By eating there, not only was the food really good and super convenient (like a liveaboard!) it was a short walk (About 60-80 yards) to your room for a change, nap/rest, camera tinkering in the camera room, etc. I also avoided seedy Sabang and I am okay with that.

Couldn't agree with @outofofficebrb more. I had every intention of going into town and trying various restaurants. Thus the reason we didn't opt for the all inclusive meal plan. At the end of the day, the food was so varied, so good and reasonably priced that I was happy to stay there and order a la carte. It was also nice to stay around and dine with other divers that we were getting to know while out on the boats during the day. We walked into Sabang to check things out a number of evenings, but with one exception, we were happy to walk back and eat on site.