Possible to cross Philippines from Manila to south Philippines by boat & bus only and then boat to Indonesia/Malaysia?
You're Missing the Rest of the Conversation
This community has even more stories, questions, tips, and plans being shared. Join Couchsurfing to read every thread and be part of the conversation.
From what I know, it's not possible to travel via land and sea directly from manila to indonesia. There is a large pier in manila but it mainly serves as a commercial port for shipment and for customs. :)
I agree with Sealtiel. The only way to travel from Manila to Indonesia is by air. I suggest you wait for the Cebu pacific promo flight. I gathered that there's sale on Jan 28 and 29. :-)
Hi, do you mean by yacht? Maybe you could check some boat travels on youtube. I've seen posts before but I am not so sure if they've crossed Malaysia or Indonesia to get here (or vice versa). If you mean by cruise, there are some lines that travel across southeast including the Philippines. But there's no way you could get here (or go to Indonesia) if you mean by regular passenger boat. There are no commercial trips other than by air. Have a safe trip.
Thanks for your answers. But the real question was : Is it possible to cross Philippines from Manila to south Philippines by boat and bus only. And then go to Indonesia or Malaysia by boat (from somewhere in south Philippines)
Hey Alan, yes, you could cross the Philippines via bus. There are also large ships traveling across the country but you will consume a lot of time on your travel. Anyway, I've never heard of any commercial trips to Malaysia or Indonesia from south of Philippines via sea. And it could be dangerous for you to travel to the southernmost region; but if you insist on traveling down there, just choose the cities that are under the government control and are known safe.
That's the kind of information I gathered too. Thank you Carlo! I'll do it by airplane, much safer.
Oh, okay. :) It is possible to travel across the Philippines from Manila to the South of the Philippines. I have a few suggestions for routes. (1)From Manila, travel by bus to San Jose, Mindoro. This bus passes by the provinces of Batangas and Mindoro. From San Jose Mindoro, there is an occasional boat to Coron or El Nido, Palawan. Near San Jose, Occidental Mindoro is the town of Roxas, Oriental Mindoro. The town of Roxas serves as the port for boats to and from Boracay. There is a route for buses from Boracay to iloilo city. From iloilo city, there are boats going to Cebu City. From there, you can travel to Bohol. Message me for more information about this if you're interested. :) (2) You can travel southbound from Manila to the Bicol Region. Then, travel by boat to Samar Region. Travel by bus to Leyte region. From the southmost part of Leyte region, you can travel by ferry boat to Surigao City of Mindanao. From there, you can travel by ferry to Siargao, the surfing capital of the Philippines. Also, from Surigao City, you can travel the whole of Mindanao by bus. There are bus terminals there. :) I'll gladly answer any more question you have.
Lastly, it is still most likely impossible and not recommended to travel by boat to Malaysia or Indonesia. I am positive that there will be immigration issues that will surface if you pursue this country-to-country route via boat.
Thank you!
Update [11:05PM GMT+8]: I think I finally found it: you need to go through Malaysia first.
There's a Zamboanga to Sandakan ferry via Aleson Shipping Lines: http://www.ferrylines.com/en/ferries/search-results/operator/WASL/?no_cache=1 If the link doesn't work, look it up online.
WARNING: This is very uncomfortable. My dad says you'll sleep on top of copra (dried coconut husks). Someone on the Internet said you need to bring a flashlight. I don't know if the conditions have improved since then, I suggest you call them to make sure.
From Malaysia, you have far more options to get to Indonesia.
[It's funny, there are places in the Philippines like Turtle Island where you need to go through Sandakan first].
Hi Alan! It MIGHT be possible, but information is sparse and we can't guarantee your safety.
I've been looking up boat services from Davao City (a metropolitan city in Mindanao Island) to North Sulawesi. It looks like they've been starting and cancelling the civilian boat services due to low demand. If you're lucky/observant, it might run when you get there.
This is the latest attempt I found at (re)opening the sea route:, but it's focused on commercial shipping: https://globalnation.inquirer.net/103312/mindanao-north-sulawesi-sea-route-opens-this-month You could try to hitch a ride???
Here's another article dated 12 December 2016 http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/business/2016/12/12/davao-gsc-bitung-ferry-service-be-launched-514629
Here is an old blog post on several people who recounted their experience of boating from the Philippines to Indonesia: http://www.dutchpickle.com/philippines/mindanao/philippines-to-indonesia-by-boat.html
These people on the Lonely Planet forum discuss several possible options: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/asia-south-east-asia-islands-peninsula/philippines/philippines-and-indonesia-ferry-or-boat-travel-options
Basically, your best shot of a SURE transportation is a flight from Manila to Indonesia.
IF AND ONLY IF you're an experienced traveler (with negotiation skills and know how NOT to be scammed) or don't mind uncertainty/adventure: you can travel to Davao City or General Santos City and ask the locals there if they know any options. It's hard to find out on the internet what exactly the schedules are. On the ground, you'll have a better chance of finding informal options.
(Depending on when you're going) there may or may not be flights or boat rides from Davao to an Indonesian City (like Manado or Bitung). Apparently, some fishermen even take informal boat rides going there. BUT, fair warning, it MIGHT be illegal. I'm not sure because I haven't been there. (Though I've heard rumors of distant clansmen taking a very short possibly illegal(?) boat ride from the southern tip of the Philippines to Sandakan or Malaysia).
On going through Mindanao Also, I'm saying this as a Muslim from Mindanao, if you do go through that route, make sure you know which areas are safe. Generally, the northern Christianized/Bisaya areas of Mindanao (ex. Cagayan de Oro) or secure areas like Davao City are safe enough.
Very underdeveloped areas can have rebels, terrorists, freedom fighters, or criminals hiding. (Now that the government is cracking down on criminality and drugs, many of the criminals have left the urban areas to hide in the mountains). For a few rebel/criminal hotspot areas, even my relatives are escorted by the mayor's armed guard. It's easier if you get a trusted local to guide you. Or just know which areas to steer clear of.
I believe the Zamboanga City to Sandakan ferry is the only official immigration point out of the Philippines other than by air.
I'm planning to do this later in the year. Last time I was in Zamboanga I checked the local newspapers and found the Aleson Shipping Lines ferry runs twice a week (Monday and Thursdays) and costs between 6,300 and 7,100 Pesos one-way. The trip takes about 20 hours.
You can travel all the way to Mindanao from Manila via bus and ferry. Two options: Eastern seaboard Manila-Matnog, Sorsogon-Allen, Northern Samar-San Ricardo, Leyte-Lipata, Surigao City. Western seaboard Manila-Batangas port-Caticlan port, Aklan-Iloilo-Bacolod City-Dumaguete-Dapitan, Zamboanga Del Norte.
Off the top of my head is a non-direct route: Manila - Puerto Princesa City - Kota Kinabalu (Sabah, Malaysia) - Kalimantan (Indonesian side of Borneo).
I met a French cyclist who tried the ferry from Sandakan to Zamboanga and he does not recommend it unless you really know what you are doing.
From Manila you need to go to Mindanao, I think around Zamboanga. But traveling by boat to Indonesia is not advisable since you'll be passing thru Sulu and some other islands where rebels are at large.
As far as I found information at present the sea route between PH (south) and MY (sabah) is closed by militairy due to piracy control etc. The ferry route from palawan never got started.
Flying is best option. GL