Route Cebu To Iloilo (Without Flying)

[Tukaram (Tim)]

I have not done Cebu to Iloilo but I did Iloilo to Palawan.  We took 21 hours on a ferry to get there and 1 hour to fly back.  Even my Filipina did not want to ride the ferry back ha ha    So I am sure there are ferries you can take but they are long, boring, and not very scenic.

 

Everyone has their preferred mode of transportation - mine is air!    :tiphat:

[sandwichmaker]

Let's not get too excited about who's opinion on what is better ;) 

 

I don't have any special or urgent need to get to Iloilo, hence the preference to see things along the way. One will have way more memorable experiences on a sea+land trip, so that's my reason.

 

 

Here is a suggestion for the OP. When we travel to different parts of the country, I just go to the closest travel agent. The girl there shows us the different routes and methods of travel to get to our destination and worked out great. They can book your tickets on ferries, airlines, busses and arrange rooms,

 

I doubt that is the way for me. I have no trouble paying a bus conductor, neither any trouble sticking some money in a booth at the port....  But what do these travel agents look like? Are you sure the service isn't slow and lacking in knowledge? Would they really know the cheap places to stay (under 600 per night?) I feel skeptical :)

[the_whipster]

going to a travel agent to do this kind of totally straightforward itinerary is the silliest idea ever. The best itinerary is probably the most obvious one, in the OP, crossing over into Negros by the Toledo-San Carlos ferry. But there are many ways you can cross over to Negros island from Cebu island by ferry.

 

these are the ones I know of

 

Bantayan - Cadiz

Tabuelan - Escalante

Toledo - San Carlos

Dumanjug - Guihulgan

Bato - Dumaguete

Santander - Dumaguete

 

I think there may be another port too south of Dumanjug, but north of Bato, where you can get a ferry over to Negros as well.

[the_whipster]

the only times I ever go to any travel agent in the Philippines, is just occasionally when I am in a bigger city like Cebu or Cagayan de Oro and I want to get a ferry ticket in advance, especially at busier times like Christmas when they could be booked out if you just turn up at the port shortly before the boat leaves. Even at less busy times, I sometimes get a ticket in advance regardless, even though I have to pay a commission of maybe 150-200. It means you do not have to wait in a semi-chaotic line.

[sandwichmaker]

 

Tabuelan - Escalante

 

is that a decent route? it would be nice to stay out of cebu city.

I mean in terms of bus connections, for my purpose. ?

I can deal with Cebu city if need be.

Edited May 13, 2014 by sandwichmaker

[Thomas]

I have not done Cebu to Iloilo but I did Iloilo to Palawan.  We took 21 hours on a ferry to get there and 1 hour to fly back.  Even my Filipina did not want to ride the ferry back ha ha    So I am sure there are ferries you can take but they are long, boring, and not very scenic.

 

Everyone has their preferred mode of transportation - mine is air!    :tiphat:

Oh it was someone else writing about alternatives earlier (?)

Or have you changed oppinion to air since then?

 

Well. Ferry to Palawan is much different  = see only water almost   :)

while Cebu - Iloilo have land between mostly, so much more to see.

I don't have any special or urgent need to get to Iloilo, hence the preference to see things along the way. One will have way more memorable experiences on a sea+land trip, so that's my reason.

Yes. That's why I prefer to go as you by land/sea  - except to get out of MetroManila region   :mocking:

[Jake]

going to a travel agent to do this kind of totally straightforward itinerary is the silliest idea ever. The best itinerary is probably the most obvious one, in the OP, crossing over into Negros by the Toledo-San Carlos ferry. But there are many ways you can cross over to Negros island from Cebu island by ferry.

 

these are the ones I know of

 

Bantayan - Cadiz

Tabuelan - Escalante

Toledo - San Carlos

Dumanjug - Guihulgan

Bato - Dumaguete

Santander - Dumaguete

 

I think there may be another port too south of Dumanjug, but north of Bato, where you can get a ferry over to Negros as well.

Hey Whippy,

 

Since Sandwichmaker revised his preference: I don't have any special or urgent need to get to Iloilo, hence the

preference to see things along the way. One will have way more memorable experiences on a sea+land trip, so

that's my reason.  

 

I would like to show my gratitude to you for this valuable boots on the ground report about ferry departures and

connections from the west coast of Cebu.  Thank you for sharing your travel experiences.

 

Respectfully -- Jake

[davewe]

going to a travel agent to do this kind of totally straightforward itinerary is the silliest idea ever. The best itinerary is probably the most obvious one, in the OP, crossing over into Negros by the Toledo-San Carlos ferry. But there are many ways you can cross over to Negros island from Cebu island by ferry.

 

 

I would have normally assumed this is true but had a recent example of just the opposite. I was in Bohol and we were going to go from Tagbilaran to Dumaguete. I went to the website of the ferry company and it was hopelessly out of date. Doing other searches for the schedule gave me conflicting information. I asked the German owner of the small resort we were staying at. He told me what he thought was the schedule but admitted it changed often enough he was not sure. Recommended I go to one of the travel agents in Alona. We stopped in, got the schedule and they didn't even try to sell us anything. So in this case, ferry schedules change often enough that using a travel agent helped save us some hassle.

Edited May 13, 2014 by davewe

[the_whipster]

 

going to a travel agent to do this kind of totally straightforward itinerary is the silliest idea ever.

 

I would have normally assumed this is true but had a recent example of just the opposite. I was in Bohol and we were going to go from Tagbilaran to Dumaguete. I went to the website of the ferry company and it was hopelessly out of date.

the only thing you need for ferry information is the ferry advertisement page, of the Cebu Daily News - I rip it out and carry it around with me when I travel, it is much more up to date and reliable than any travel guide, or website. You cannot and never have been able to rely on ferry companies websites. Not to even an elementary level. Of course you can use travel agents to get up to date info on ferry routes too, and as I said, I do use them sometimes myself. But 9 times out of 10, you can just turn up at the port to get any ferry.

 

 

 

Tabuelan - Escalante

 

is that a decent route? it would be nice to stay out of cebu city.

I mean in terms of bus connections, for my purpose. ?

I can deal with Cebu city if need be.

 

 

the best surface route is the one you outlined yourself in the OP. Tabuelan is well to the north, maybe 70km north of Toledo. But you could bus to Toledo, stay there, then up the west side, 18km to Balamban, stay there, and then 50km to Tuburan where you could stay at the marvellous province 600 peso Viar Family Resort. When you get over to Negros, to Escalante, it is maybe 2 or 3 hours, to Bacolod by bus. From where you are now, Camotes, you could do directly to Tabuelan by going over the northern Sogod-Tabuelan pass - IF YOU HAD YOUR OWN BIKE. That is not so far from Danao, only about 55km and drops you right down in Tabuelan. This would be an awkward way to go by public transport though. Best way even to bus it to Tuburan, which is quite far north, is go to the south bus station,

[MikeB]

I wouldn't rely 100% on any of these ferry schedules, regardless of where it's published. A couple months ago I tried to go from Taloot, Argao to Bohol - Lite Shipping. The route had been temporarily changed to "vehicle only" (no individual passengers) so, ok, I had to take the vehicle - over p2000. Then delayed for 4 hours while we sat on a crappy cargo ship. They were waiting for some tanker truck. I gave up and went home, as did everyone else. Missed seeing my friend from the US and lost a prepaid night at a resort in Panglao because of those clowns.