Checking the town of Pio Duran, Albay

A few months ago, I was planning on a trip to Masbate, and Pio Duran port was one of my options as my jump-off point to Masbate. However, I was having difficulty searching for the RORO schedule and that’s when I decided na pumunta na lang sa Pilar port in Sorsogon, sya ang pinakacommon port na madalas maging jumpoff point ng mga passengers who are bound for Masbate City.

Ligao City jeepney terminal

the crossing in Ligao City going to Pio Duran

Few months had passed after my Masbate trip and I am still curious on what Pio Duran port looks like, or what the town of Pio Duran has to offer. So I ventured for another adventure and travelled all the way to Pio Duran. My original plan was to travel to Pio Duran via Libon town and then passing the Pantao road. However, since it was a weekend, there are only few jeepneys and passengers going to Libon. I arrived at Libon crossing in Barangay Matacon, Polangui town at around 11am and the tricycle going to the town of Libon doesn’t leave the terminal unless it is on its full capacity, and renting the tricycle would cost me extra amount of cash. I was the first passenger of the tricycle and kailangan pang maghintay ng ibang pasahero.  After 15 minutes na wala pa din dumadating na ibang pasahero, I then decided na sumakay na lang ng bus bound for Legazpi City.

My plan B was to go to Ligao City and take the jeepneys bound for Pio Duran. Ligao City to Pio Duran is the fastest route going to the town of Pio Duran. So I proceeded to the Pio Duran-bound jeepney terminal in Ligao City and lucky for me, the jeepney is already full of passengers and is about to leave the terminal. At dahil lahat babae ang nasa loob ng jeepney, nahiya naman ako na pumasok sa loob kaya sumabit na lang ako sa jeep even though it was high noon and the sun is shining so brightly. Nakakahiya naman na yung ibang babae nga nasa bubong na ng jeep tapos ako uupo sa loob ng jeep.hehehe!

Pio Duran-bound jeepneys

Anyway, the travel time from Ligao City to Pio Duran is almost an hour and a half and the fare is 55 pesos. Pio Duran is only 38 kilometers away from Ligao City but it is a long and winding road and there are a lot of stops because the jeepney is picking up and dropping off passengers. I arrived at around past lunch time and I immediately proceeded to its port to start asking for RORO schedule. I do managed to get the information that I needed but I wasn’t been able to get the shipping companies contact number.

Pio Duran Port

Pio Duran is also the nearest point going to Burias Island, Masbate.  There are daily trips from Pio Duran going to Claveria town of Burias Island, Masbate. The travel time is only 1 hour and most of the trips depart at Pio Duran every morning.  The boat MB Aleth 3 leaves Pio Duran for Claveria at around 7:30am, and the other boat, MB Maribel 3, leaves at around 8:30am. These boats have a capacity of 50 to 70 passengers only. The fare for Pio Duran to Claveria is 100 pesos. The port for the motorized boats going to Burias Island is just beside the port for RORO vessel going to Masbate City. There are also several motorized boats bound for the other barangays in Claveria. These boats are docked at Barangay 2. This is also near the RORO port. There are boats bound for Bukingganyo, Tagilid and Buyo. These are all located at Claveria town, however, these 3 routes doesn’t have a fix schedule. They depart depending on the number of passengers on the boat. Most of the time, these boats are docked and waiting for passengers early in the morning.

Pio Duran port for Burias bound boats

Barangay 2, pio duran

For the RORO or ferry, there are only two shipping companies plying the Pio Duran-Masbate City route. One is Sta.Clara Shipping Line and the other one is Medallion Shipping Line. The RORO operation in Pio Duran started last June 2011 and there is not much passenger in Pio Duran port compared to Pilar port in Sorsogon.  Pilar port is still considered as the most used port for passengers going to Masbate province. Medallion Shipping Line ferry leaves Pio Duran port for Masbate at around 3 am and then it leaves Masbate City port for Pio Duran at around 12noon. For Sta. Clara Shipping ferry, two ferries leave Pio Duran port at around 2am and 5am. And then it leaves Masbate City port at 11am and 2pm. The fare for Sta. Clara ferry and Medallion is 250 for air-conditioned cabin, and 200 for economy. The travel time is 4 hours.

Sta. Clara Shipping Line schedule

Pio Duran port ticketing office

PPA Pio Duran

So after checking the schedule and doing some research and also eating a late lunch, I then walked around the town. Pio Duran downtown is small that you can walk the entire downtown in an hour. I took some photos around the downtown of Pio Duran and proceeded to their municipal hall. Their municipal hall is kinda bit far from downtown, it’s about 15 minutes tricycle ride and the fare is 8 pesos. After taking some pictures, I then decided to go back to the jeepney terminal to catch the last trip for jeepney bound for Ligao City. The last trip for jeepney bound for Ligao City is 3pm. However, I wasn’t able to catch the last ride for Ligao because the jeepney left the terminal only a few minutes before I arrived.

Marine sanctuary in Pio Duran

Municipal Hall of Pio Duran

Pio Duran Church

Pio Duran Public Park

Republic Colleges Pio Duran

I didn’t panic because I still have an option to go to Ligao City. There are buses in Pio Duran bound for Pasay and Cubao and they leave the town late in the afternoon or early evening depending on the number of passengers. There is also another option to go out of Pio Duran town. The ferry from Masbate City arrives at Pio Duran port at around 5 or 6pm, and this ferry also has buses bound for Pasay and Cubao. These are the buses that are waiting for passengers at the Masbate Port and they ride the RORO for Pio Duran to pick up more passengers.  So even though the last trip for jeepney bound for Ligao City is 3pm, you can still be able to go to Ligao City because of those buses bound for Pasay and Cubao. From Ligao City, marami ka ng option ng sasakyan, so you can either go to Legazpi City or to Naga City.

So I boarded the bus bound for Pasay and Cubao because the bus leaves the terminal a little bit early on that weekend. The bus left the terminal at around 4pm on that day even though it only has 4 passengers. Since I am bound for the town of Nabua, which is about 2.5 hours away from Pio Duran, naging mas mabuti pa tuloy na hindi na ko sumakay ng jeep kasi naging direderetso na yung byahe ko. Hindi ko na kailangan bumaba pa ng Ligao City para magabang ulet ng bus na dadaan ng Nabua town.

After 2.5hours, nakarating na din ako ng Nabua and from that town, I then boarded a multicab bound for Iriga City. It was a tiring day, lalo na dahil sa sobrang init ng panahon but still it was a day full of excitement because it was my first time to go to that town and it satisfies my curiosity for Pio Duran. So iiwan ko kayo ng makabagong quotes. Curiosity is the best policy. Haha!



How to get to Pio Duran:

By Plane:

Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines and Zest Airways have several daily flights to Legazpi Airport. From Legazpi Airport, you can ride a taxi or a tricycle to the central terminal. From the central terminal, you can ride a jeepney or a bus bound for Ligao City. The travel time from Legazpi City to Ligao City is about 45 minutes to 1 hour. And then at Ligao City, ride a tricycle or a pedicab and tell them to drop you off at Pio Duran-bound jeepney terminal. The regular fare for tricycle and pedicab is 8 pesos. The jeepney travel time from Ligao City to Pio Duran is 1.5 hours. The fare is 55 pesos.

By Bus:

From Manila, there are several buses bound for Bicol region. Ride a bus that is bound for Legazpi City and tell the driver to drop you off at Ligao City. There are a number of bus terminals in Cubao, Quezon City, that have buses bound for Legazpi City. There are also bus terminals in Pasay City, near Pasay Rotonda. The usual travel time from Metro Manila to Ligao City is 10 to 11 hours. And then at Ligao City, ride a tricycle or a pedicab and tell them to drop you off at Pio Duran-bound jeepney terminal. The regular fare for tricycle and pedicab is 8 pesos. The jeepney travel time from Ligao City to Pio Duran is 1.5 hours. The fare is 55 pesos. You can also ride a bus from Manila going directly to Pio Duran. One of the bus company plying the Manila-Pio Duran route is A.Arandia Bus Line.

By Train:

The PNR has a regular train schedule for the Manila-Ligao City route. The train departs at Tutuban Station in Manila every 6pm and arrives at Ligao City at around 6am the next day. The usual travel time is 10 to 12 hours. And then at Ligao City, ride a tricycle or a pedicab and tell them to drop you off at Pio Duran-bound jeepney terminal. The regular fare for tricycle and pedicab is 8 pesos. The jeepney travel time from Ligao City to Pio Duran is 1.5 hours. The fare is 55 pesos.

Nabua town and the Macagang Hotel and Resort

Its summer time and I haven’t had any major beach escapade until now. So I would still call this as a boring summer for me..hehehe! Kya ano bang dapat ginagawa kapag nabobored? Eh di pumunta sa kung saan saan!! So again, I packed my bag and took a tricycle bound for the city terminal. My destination? Well, it’s not that far, it’s just the neighboring town of my home city.  The town is called Nabua, it’s just around 10 minute bus ride or jeepney ride from the Iriga City. It’s just 5 kilometers away from the city.

Nabua Municipal Hall

Anyway, after arriving at Nabua, I took some pictures of those known landmarks in the town. I went to its old church, to its municipal hall, the mall and the veterans’ park. By the way, konting kaalaman lang, Nabua is one of the earliest Spanish settlement in the Philippines. Halos kasabay syang naitatag with other old cities in the country. To continue with my story, after taking some pictures around the town, I then went to one of the famous resort in Nabua, it’s the Macagang Resort. It is also called as Macagang Business Center since there are also function halls and other facilities inside the property.

From the town center, I rode a tricycle going to Macagang Resort located at Barangay San Antonio Poblacion. The tricycle terminal is just near the public market and also near the church. The tricycle fare from the downtown to Macagang is 10 pesos. It is just around 1.5 kilometers from the downtown. You’ll be passing via the Nabua-Baao diversion road. From Nabua downtown, it’s that highway going to Naga City.

Holy Cross Church of Nabua

Holy Cross Church of Nabua

Holy Cross Church of Nabua

LCC Mall Nabua

Veterans Park

As soon as I arrived at Macagang Resort, I was planning to swim but as I saw the entrance fee of 200 pesos, well, I changed my mind. I didn’t bring enough money since it was a biglaan na lakad, at saka hindi ko akalain na ganun kamahal ang entrance sa resort. Akala ko mga 50 or 100 lang.hahaha! But since I still wanted to take a peek on what Macagang Resort has to offer, pinakiusapan ko na lang yung bantay sa entrance booth na kung pwede libre na lang ang entrance since hindi naman ako magsiswim. So the kind lady in the entrance booth was super kind enough and allowed me to enter the pool area without paying anything. Buti na lang nadala pa ng pagmamakaawa kong smile.hahaha!

Macagang Resort is the only resort in Camarines Sur, that I know of, that has 3 water slides. I’m referring to a long water slides. There’s even a several meter high water slides. They also have a lazy river, and 3 pools. One small pool for kids, and 2 pools for adults and kids at heart. Since I will not be able to swim on the pool, nagpicture picture na lang ako. Tumambay at hinayaang mainggit na lang ang sarili sa mga lumalangoy sa pool. But anyway, okay lang, sinabi ko na lang sa sarili ko that I shall return on Macagang Resort and enjoy its water slides.hehehe! Gusto ko sana maligo kasi hindi naman ako makikita nung nagbabantay kaso paglabas ko ng gate mahahalata kasi basa ang buhok ko. They don’t have that dryer sa bathroom kya there’s no way na mapapatuyo ko ang buhok ko at makakalusot ako.hehehe!  Oh, by the way, they also have a function hall, a tennis court, a 9-hole mini golf course na medjo madumi nga lang, a basketball court, volleyball court, a badminton court, fitness gym, and they also have a skateboard park.

Macagang Business Center, Barangay San Antonio Poblacion

Macagang Hotel and Resort,  Barangay San Antonio Poblacion

Macagang Resort

the waterslides

Macagang Resort Kiddie pool

Macagang Resort lazy river

rates for Macagang Resort

the snack bar, macagang resort

After a couple of hours staying inside the resort, I then decided to go home now. My boredom for that day has already subsided so I can now go home.hahaha! I then took a tricycle ride back to downtown Nabua and paid the driver 10 pesos and then boarded a bus from Nabua to Iriga City. My day ended nice and of course, dahil jan, meron na naman akong naikwento dito sa blog ko.hehehe! So until next time! Byes! You can check Macagang Resort website at http://macagangbusinesscenter.com/

How to get to Nabua and to Macagang Resort:

By Plane:

Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines have several daily flights to Naga Airport. From Naga Airport, located in the town of Pili, you can ride a bus or a taxi bound for Nabua town. Nabua is about 45 minutes to 1 hour ride from the airport. The bus fare from Pili to Nabua is 40 pesos. And then from downtown Nabua, ride a tricycle going to Macagang Resort. The fare is 10 pesos. The travel time is 5 to 10 minutes. Or if you’re coming from Naga City or Pili and you don’t want to ride a tricycle, tell the bus driver or conductor to drop you off at Macagang Resort. The resort is located in Nabua-Baao diversion road, and the resort is located 1.5 kilometers before the town center of Nabua. If you’re coming from Naga or Pili, you will be passing the forked road in Baao going to downtown Baao and Iriga City. Just after the railroad crossing, turn right going to Nabua, because if you turn left, that’s the road going to downtown Baao and going to Iriga City.

By Bus:

From Manila, there are several buses bound to Bicol region. Ride a bus that is bound for Legazpi City and then get off at the town of Nabua. The usual travel time from Metro Manila to Nabua is 8 to 10 hours. There are a number of bus terminals in Cubao, Quezon City, that have buses bound for Tabaco City. There are also bus terminals in Pasay City, near Pasay Rotonda. 

You can also ride a bus bound for Iriga City, which is the neighboring town of Nabua. The travel time from Manila to Iriga City is 8 to 10 hours. From Iriga City, you can ride a bus or a multicab bound for Nabua. The travel time is 10 to 15 minutes and the fare for bus and multicab is 9 pesos only.

By Train:

The PNR has a regular train schedule for the Manila-Ligao City route. The train departs at Tutuban Station in Manila every 6pm and arrives at Ligao City at around 6am the next day. Ride the train and get off at PNR Iriga City Station. The last station is Ligao City station which is 45 minutes away from Iriga City so be sure to get off at Iriga City. The usual travel time is 10 to 12 hours. From Iriga City, you can ride a bus or a multicab bound for Nabua. The travel time is 10 to 15 minutes and the fare for bus and multicab is 9 pesos only. 

My Islander Experience. It’s one tough sandal.

I always invest on travel gadgets since I travel a lot. Most of the time I buy things that are cheap but tough.  I also buy things that are expensive and I always crossed my fingers that all of it are worth the price. I have travel gears that are worth hundreds and thousands of pesos but I don’t have any six figure travel gear because for now, I can’t afford it, so dun muna ko sa mga kaya ko.hehehe!

Anyway, I already have several tough travel gears. I have a 3-year-old waterproof shockproof watch, a 3-year-old 65L backpack, a 2-year-old 35L backpack, a 2-year-old 25L backpack, a 3-year-old tent, and other stuff, but one of my toughest travel buddies is my sandal, my 2-year-old Islander sandal. Previously, I have a Merrell sandal but after it has been always dipped on salt water it easily gave up, nasira agad. I blamed my Merrell kasi ng dahil sa kanya, naghike ako ng nakapaa at naglakad sa Baguio City na sira ang suot.  Alam nyo naman siguro na medjo may kamahalan ang Merrell so nanghinayang ako sa sandals na yun kahit na nabili ko yun at a discounted price but hindi na sya marepair so I have no choice but to buy another sandal.

my Islander sandal

On that day na kailangan ko ng bumili ng bagong sandal, that was 2 years ago, I was having a difficulty on what brand to choose. I was planning to buy a Sandugo or a Habagat or a TNF or Columbia sandals. I was walking at the mall when I saw this Islander sandal, it looks so simple, tsinelas lang talaga sya. But what catches my attention was the design of the sandal. It has a non-slip design. Sya yung tipong may grip kapag naaapakan mo na kahit umakyat ka sa bundok hindi dudulas ang paa mo sa tsinelas. Kahit na basa ang tsinelas, hindi dudulas ang paa mo at higit sa lahat it was soft and medjo makapal din, mga 1 inch thick din so hindi rin tatagos ang thumbtacks kung sakaling may maapakan kang thumbtacks or mga maliliit na makakatusok sa paa mo. So in short, binili ko yung Islander sandals. It cost me just 149.99 pesos for that sandals. Ngayon hindi ako nagsisisi that I bought an Islander sandals instead of Sandugo, Habagat, TNF or Columbia.

one tough Islander sandals

Two years in service na ang Islander kong tsinelas. It’s one of my cheapest and yet toughest travel gear. My Islander sandals have been to several provinces, to more than a dozen islands, have hiked to several mountains and have already endured some of the toughest terrain here in the Philippines. Mas madami pa ata napuntahan ang mura kong Islander tsinelas kesa sa havaianas sandals ng ibang tao na bahay-supermarket lang ang route.hahaha! Proud ako sa tsinelas ko because it keeps my feet safe from harm at proud ako dahil bukod sa mura na, matibay pa. My Islander sandal is one tough sandal. Isang malufet na tsinelas. Kaya ngayon, naniniwala na ko sa advertisement nila na Tibay Islander Sandal. Oh, by the way, I’m not in any way connected to the company that is manufacturing theIslander sandal.hehehe! Baka iniisip nyo na part ako ng marketing department nila or connected ako sa kanila. Bilib lang kasi ako sa tibay ng tsinelas ko, kya gusto ko lang ishare sainyo. So what are you waiting for, bili na din kayo ng Islander sandals nyo.hehehe!

Balatan, Camarines Sur. The Summer Capital of Rinconada District

If you’re not from the Rinconada District of Camarines Sur, I’m pretty sure that you’re not familiar about this town. Balatan town is one of the town in the 5^th district of Camarines Sur.  This is the summer capital of the Rinconada. A lot of people flock to this town to swim on its beach. The town has a lot of resort. It doesn’t boast any white sand beach or a diving spot but this is a popular spot for swimming for people residing in the 5^th district of CamSur since this is the nearest beach that they can go and swim. 

the view from the Balatan fishport

On a lazy Sunday morning, I was having that dilemma of choosing which place to explore. I want to explore the Consocep Resort located at Tigaon town because it boasts 3 magnificent waterfalls, and I also want to explore Balatan because this is the only town in Camarines Sur that I’ve never been to. There are about 35 municipalities and 2 cities in Camarines Sur and I’ve already been to the 2 cities and 34 municipalities. So I decided then to choose Balatan so that I can finally tell to the world that I’ve already been to all the municipalities and cities of my home province, the Camarines Sur.

So on that early Sunday morning, I packed my bag and rode a tricycle bound for downtown Iriga City. It’s just a 5 to 10 minutes ride from our house. I then ride a bus bound for the town of Nabua. It’s another 10 minutes ride from Iriga City to Nabua. I then proceeded to the LCC transport terminal to ride a jeepney bound for Balatan. The LCC transport terminal is near the town church. LCC is a mall in Nabua.

Balatan Public Market

Municipal hall of Balatan

The jeepney was already about to leave and it was already full so I have no choice kaya sumabit na lang ako. I was thinking na okay na din ang nasa labas ako at nakasabit sa jeepney so that I have a full view of the scenery going to Balatan. The road to Balatan is well-paved except for the remaining 5 kilometers before approaching downtown Balatan. It was a dusty road with landslides. And since nakasabit ako sa labas, nalanghap ko lahat ng alikabok. Nilagyan ako ng free face powder ni inang kalikasan.hahaha!

view from the fishport

founder of Balatan town

Kilometer post

Anyway, Balatan town is just around 24 kilometers away from its neighboring town which is Nabua but the road is a winding road, some are mountain roads, so it took us almost an hour to travel from Nabua to Balatan. By the way, the jeepney fare from Nabua to Balatan is 40 pesos. After arriving at downtown Balatan, I took a walking tour. Well, it was almost 10 in the morning and the sun was up at nakakasunog ng balat but since maitim na din ako, dedma na lang.hahaha! I took some pictures of their downtown and then ask some locals about the other destinations in Balatan. I asked if there are waterfalls pero sabi nila mga beach lang daw meron sa Balatan. So after taking some pictures ng downtown at ng municipal hall nila, I took a habal habal ride and proceeded to the nearest beach resort.  The beach resort was located at Coguit Balatan which is about 10 minutes ride from the downtown. Fare is 10 pesos only.

Balatan jeepney terminal

Coguit beach, Balatan

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Balatan

The beach at Coguit are brown sand, coarse brown sand and all of the locals that I’ve talked to informed me that all of the beach in Balatan have the same color and texture. Since it was a summer season, there were a lot of people enjoying at the beach. So I just took some pictures of the beach and then left. I took a tricycle ride back to the jeepney terminal and took a jeepney ride back to Nabua. Hindi na ko naligo sa beach kasi there was an emergency family thing na nangyari kya bumalik na agad ako sa Iriga City. So that ends my short stint in Balatan. I think I only spent around 2 hours on that town but it’s still worth it since I was able to roam around downtown Balatan at nakumpleto ko na rin na puntahan ang lahat ng 35 municipalities and 2 cities ng CamSur. By the way, the town is also near Burias Island of Masbate. You can see the island from the fishing port or from the beach in Balatan. Every market day, people from the town of San Pascual of Burias Island, Masbate, travels to Balatan to sell their goods. Burias Island is about 2 to 3 hours boat ride from Balatan.

How to get to Balatan:

By Plane:

Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines have several daily flights to Naga Airport. From Naga Airport, located in the town of Pili, you can ride a bus or a taxi bound for Nabua town. Nabua is about 45 minutes to 1 hour ride from the airport. The bus fare from Pili to Nabua is 40 pesos. And then from downtown Nabua, look for the LCC transport terminal, that's near the town church, and then ride a jeepney bound for Balatan. The travel time from Nabua to Balatan is about an hour. Balatan town is about 24 kilometers away from Nabua.

By Bus:

From Manila, there are several buses bound to Bicol region. Ride a bus that is bound for Legazpi City and then get off at the town of Nabua. And then from Nabua, look for the LCC transport terminal, that's near the town church, and then ride a jeepney bound for Balatan. The travel time from Nabua to Balatan is about an hour. Balatan town is about 24 kilometers away from Nabua. The usual travel time from Metro Manila to Nabua is 8 to 10 hours. There are a number of bus terminals in Cubao, Quezon City, that have buses bound for Tabaco City. There are also bus terminals in Pasay City, near Pasay Rotonda. 

You can also ride a bus bound for Iriga City, which is the neighboring town of Nabua. The travel time from Manila to Iriga City is 8 to 10 hours. From Iriga City, you can ride a bus or a multicab bound for Nabua. The travel time is 10 to 15 minutes and the fare for bus and multicab is 9 pesos only. And then from Nabua, look for the LCC transport terminal, that's near the town church, and then ride a jeepney bound for Balatan. The travel time from Nabua to Balatan is about an hour. Balatan town is about 24 kilometers away from Nabua.

By Train:

The PNR has a regular train schedule for the Manila-Ligao City route. The train departs at Tutuban Station in Manila every 6pm and arrives at Ligao City at around 6am the next day. Ride the train and get off at PNR Iriga City Station. The last station is Ligao City station which is 45 minutes away from Iriga City so be sure to get off at Iriga City. The usual travel time is 10 to 12 hours. From Iriga City, you can ride a bus or a multicab bound for Nabua. The travel time is 10 to 15 minutes and the fare for bus and multicab is 9 pesos only. And then from Nabua, look for the LCC transport terminal, that's near the town church, and then ride a jeepney bound for Balatan. The travel time from Nabua to Balatan is about an hour. Balatan town is about 24 kilometers away from Nabua.

A Ferry Tale Ride

I’ve been used to travelling through planes, and always looking forward for airfare promo but lately, most of my travels have been to some of the off-the-beaten-track destinations and most of the time this means I’m riding a RORO or a ferry to cross from one island to another island. Before, whenever someone say to me that ferry or roro is the best form of transportation I always disagree and explain why the heck he/she needs to ride a ferry or a ship or a RORO if the fare for a ship is almost the same as the airplane fare, but now I do understand why some prefer to travel by ship and spend long hours on the sea rather than riding a airplane which is much more faster.

Cuyo Port, Palawan

People have a lot of reason why they prefer to ride a ship, or a ferry or a roro or whatever they call it, basta yan yung super duper malaking bangka na lumulutang at lumalayag sa karagatan.hehehe! Anyway, one of the reason people prefer to ride a ferry is the fare, it is much cheaper compared to a regular plane fare, except if you scored on that super cheap plane fare promo. Another reason people prefer to ride a ferry is that there are no airline companies plying the route or that destination and their only option is to ride a ferry or a bus. Another reason is comfort. Yes, you’re correct, you have just read the word COMFORT. You might be wondering how can travelling by a ship can give you comfort if riding a plane is much more comfortable than riding a ship. Okay, this might sound weird but years ago, I also have the same question but as I’ve been used to travelling via ferry or a ship, I’m starting to understand why sometimes it is much more comfortable to ride a ship or a ferry. First, if you're travelling on a plane, you need at least an hour or two to be at the airport for check-in and well, for most airlines, they are always delayed and you end up just sitting on the airport and waiting for the plane, but on a ship, most of the time all you need to do is buy a ticket, ride the ship and sleep for the whole trip. There’s a check-in requirement of at least an hour but most of the time it's not that important. You can go to the ship even 10 minutes before the estimated time of departure.

Montengro Ferry. Dalahican Port, Lucena City to Balanacan Port, Mogpog, Marinduque 

Inside the Montengro Ferry. Dalahican Port, Lucena City to Balanacan Port, Mogpog, Marinduque

Balanacan Port, Mogpog, Marinduque

Ferry ride from Sta. Cruz, Marinduque to Dalahican Port, Lucena City

Well, the reason I’m loving riding a ship or a ferry is that I am always being able to save for a hotel room especially when I’m travelling at night. So that means a free ride for paying for an accommodation in the ship or let me put it this way, a free accommodation for paying for a ride.hehehe! Riding a ship also gives me time to relax and contemplate, nakakapagmuni muni kasi ako habang nasa barko.hahaha! The ferry ride is among the best mode of transportation kung gusto mong magmuni muni.hehe! Imagine this setting, you’re in a ferry for a 12 hour evening ride and you've slept the whole night and upon waking up early in the morning, you are greeted by a beautiful sunrise while on the sea, with the changing hue of the sun, with a beautiful color of the sky and a blue sea as a view while you’re sipping on that hot cup noodles. Isn’t it nice, right? Makakapagmuni muni ka talaga sa napakagandang umaga. Or unless you’re travelling on a typhoon season and the sea is rough, hindi ka lang nyan makakapagmuni muni, makakapagdasal at rosary ka nyan ng sobrang dami.hahaha!

Masbate Port. Ferry from Masbate City to Cebu City

Masbate Port. Ferry from Masbate City to Cebu City

Inside the Montenegro Ferry from Bogo City,Cebu to Cataingan, Masbate

Anyway, another reason why I’m loving riding a ferry is that you can get to talk to most of the “masa”, the local people. Madami kang pwedeng makakwentuhan. You’ll be able to socialize with a lots of different people. You’ll be able to know and hear their life stories. You’ll be able to learn new things and you’ll be able to learn stuff about the place that you’ll be visiting. Parang libreng information na directly from the local resident. Most of the time, people are more than willing to share their stories and share information about their island especially when they know that you’re not from the area or from the island. Some are more than willing to help you find a place to stay, a guide, a boat or anything that you need to make your stay at their island the most memorable that you’ll ever had. Those are what I loved the most, the Filipino hospitality.

Ferry from Danao City to Consuelo port, Camotes island, Cebu

When you’re travelling by a ferry, you’ll also be meeting other fellow traveller who shares their stories about their travel and through this, you’ll be able to learn a lot of things from different individuals. You’ll be able to learn more about life, the life of other people and you can reflect on a lot of things that you’ll be learning. Travelling is not just really about the destination, it’s also about the journey through that destination. It’s also about the things that happened and you’ve learned while travelling to reach your destination. You’ll learn a lot when you travel. You’ll learn so many things about life. Sabi nga ni St. Augustine, "The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."