Difficult roads often leads to beautiful destinations. In Balabac’s case, it’s a long way, rather than a difficult road. The road to South Palawan has improved a lot since we started bringing guests here. Visitors no longer need to suffer an hour of rough, unpaved road towards the end of the trip to Buliluyan Port. The South Palawan national highway is now cemented.
But still, you need to go through a 5-hour journey from Puerto Princesa to Buliluyan Port. This journey’s reward? You get to enjoy the highlights of Balabac such as Onok Island, Punta Sebaring, and Patawan.
This post will detail how to go to Balabac from different parts of Palawan and the Philippines.
Table of Contents
How to go to Balabac from Around Palawan
Balabac from Puerto Princesa
Balabac from El Nido
Balabac from Coron
Balabac from Rizal, Palawan
Balabac from Manila, Cebu, Davao
How to go to Balabac from Sabah, Malaysia
Balabac to Sabah, Malaysia Fast Cat Route
Is Balabac Worth It?
How to go to Balabac from Puerto Princesa (PPS)
To go from Puerto Princesa to Balabac, booking a Balabac tour with van transport from PPS is the best way. The 290-km van trip starts at around 3am and will take around 6 hours including a breakfast stop. This is already the fastest way. After arriving in Buliluyan Port, you have to register in the tourism office at the port. Buliluyan port is still part of Bataraza municipality, but it is the gateway to Balabac. Then, your tour boat will pick you up from the port to start island hopping until you arrive to your lodging.
You need to spend a night in a hotel in Puerto Princesa. If you are coming from Puerto Princesa International Airport, you can take a short walk to the exit gate. From there, you can hail a tricycle (tuktuk) to your hotel. If your hotel is within 1-2km inside the town proper, the fare should not be more than Php100.
A taxi is also possible with a minimum fare of Php200. You can also avail in advance if your hotel offers pick up transport from the airport. If you are adventurous, hail a passenger mini van. The fare is around 20php per person only depending on distance. You should also ask your hotel first to know which minivan color you should take. Yes, they are color-coded according to route.
There is no direct bus from Puerto Princesa to Buliluyan Port. Another option is the public van leaving at around 3am from San Jose terminal in Puerto Princesa. The public van will pick up passengers along the way.
How to go to Balabac from El Nido
To get from El Nido to Balabac, ride a van or bus to Puerto Princesa first. You can request your accommodation in El Nido to book a shared van that picks you up from your hotel. Alternatively, you can go to the public transport terminal in Corong Corong to catch the next departing van. Travel time from El Nido to Puerto Princesa is around 5 hours for a van, with a couple of stopovers for boarding new passengers and for meal time.
Then ride a van from Puerto Princesa to the south. There is no direct van nor bus that will take you from El Nido to Buliluyan port. Vans in Puerto Princesa, whether private or public leave around 3am.
How to go to Balabac from Coron
While Coron and Balabac are in the same province, there is no fast and easy way to travel between them. You have to go to El Nido first either via Montenegro ferry, an expedition tour, or an Airswift plane.
If you choose the ferry, you can book from their ticketing booth near Coron ferry port. Accommodations also serve as agents for the ferry so you could also book a ticket from them for your convenience. There is no price difference for ferry ticket booked directly and via agent. Ticket price is at Php3,400 with daily departure at 6am. You have to be at the port 30 mins before. The travel time from Coron to El Nido via ferry Montenegro shipping is around 4 hours, if the waves are ideal.
From El Nido, ride a private or public van to Puerto Princesa where you can take the van to Buliluyan Port. It is recommended to spend the night in PPS. The vans from El Nido can usually take you directly to your hotel.
How to go to Balabac from Manila, Cebu, Davao
To get to Balabac from other islands of the Philippines, book a flight to Puerto Princesa. From Puerto Princesa you can ride the van provided by the tour company you booked to Buliluyan Port, the entry way to Balabac. The best option is to allot a night in Puerto Princesa because the vans leave at around 3am. Arriving in Puerto Princesa the day before your trip doesn’t just make sure you don’t miss the van, but gives you an opportunity to do a last minute shopping in SM Puerto Princesa.
How to go to Balabac from Rizal, Palawan
For travelers who are coming from Rizal, Palawan, the only way to get to Balabac is to hail a private van to Buliluyan Port. However, this route is not recommended since there is no cell signal nor 4G in Buliluyan port. It will be difficult for your tour boat to communicate with you. With tour van coming from Puerto Princesa, the driver endorses you to the tourism office and wait for you until your boat picks you up. But if you’re coming from Rizal on a private van not connected with the tour agency, handover is impossible.
What you can do is to set an itinerary going to Balabac first, before going to Rizal, Palawan. Book a private transport with your accommodation in Rizal to pick you up in Rio Tuba town where cell signal is strong. After your tour in Balabac, the van transport from Buliluyan can drop you to Rio Tuba.
How to go to Balabac from Sabah, Malaysia
Currently, there is no legal way for anyone to cross from Sabah, Malaysia to Palawan via Balabac. There is no direct flight from Sabah to Puerto Princesa either. The only way is to take a flight from Kota Kinabalu Airport to Puerto Princesa with Manila stopver.
It’s best to plan a Kota Kinabalu and Palawan travel on a separate itinerary. Include other destinations such as Coron or El Nido, and make your way down to South Palawan. It will be more enjoyable rather than trying to get from Sabah to South Palawan fast.
Due to the absence of immigration office here, Balabac locals could do their trade in Sabah. It’s actually more convenient and cheaper for the locals to buy Malaysian goods. They use what they call a “lancha” or an open motorboat. Those who live in Balabac find it comfortable to cross to Sabah. However, is not something tourists should attempt, which poses a great risk.
Balabac to Sabah, Malaysia Fast Cat Route
Balabac is actually closer to Sabah, Malaysia than other provinces in the Philippines. In 2015, officials of Palawan and Sabah planned to establish a Fast Cat route that would connect the two. They said it would be available by 2018. It would have taken only 6 hours between Buliluyan Port to Sabah. Unfortunately, the have not progressed until now. In late 2023, an article was publised by Palawan News to update that there is still a lot of work before the route is finalized. This project is already a decade in the making and still has a lot of uncertainties. So it is best not to hope for it for your upcoming trip.
How to go from Balabac to other destinations in Palawan
With most destinations, you can enter one way and exit another way. With South Palawan, there is no other option, you have to go back to PPS before you can visit another destination. If your itinerary includes El Nido and Coron, it is better to start your trip in Balabac. Your vacation will start in a laid back fashion, compared to more crowded Palawan beaches.
Is Balabac Worth Visiting?
In summary, there is no easier way to get to anywhere in South Palawan but to go to Puerto Princesa first and take the 6-hour land travel. This could put-off travelers with only a short period of vacation. If you have more time in your travel, heading to Balabac could be the highlight of your trip. Balabac’s still pristine beauty is worth the journey. Balabac is only for those who are willing to take challenges to see a less crowded but more nature beaches.
