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Transportation

Writer's picture: Jax CooperJax Cooper

Regarding transportation, your foreign money isn't accepted for transportation or credit cards!

I will quote prices in US dollars but you will always pay in pesos. PHP on google.


Always carry this amount to make your travel life easier. Many times nobody has change. It's your responsibility to have change.


Carry this in pesos:

(2) 1000'S just in case you do or buy something spontaniuous

(1) 500

(6) 100s

(4) 5s

and a pocket full of various change.


Use 50 cents as a rough idea to exchange money. So here's an example:

100p is roughly equal to $2 US.


So, if your white taxi meter says 280p when you arrive. It's roughly about $6 US.

I rarely tip. It's never expected. If the driver is safe and fast then I would just give him 300p on a 280p bill.


Always, always make peso bill change when you can. Not coin change but bill change. If you buy something for 460p then use your 1000p. It will make your life easier if you never run out of change. Believe me. This is important to know and live by. It's mainly a cash society.


Exchange some money after arriving at the airport for transportation. Later on, get more money exchanged at a mall or exchange bank on the streets. I always use a local mall. Getting around Cebu and the Philippines can be easy or frustrating.. and you will learn to refine your patience. It depends where you are going. Here are some examples:


From Cebu to Manila:

Airplane from CEB to MNL 90 minutes. Appx $100 US roundtrip. Gcash works. Some credit cards work.

...or take a long 22-hour long ferry. Remember these are islands. You can't drive to Manila.


From Downtown Cebu to Mactan airport:

Jeepneys, like a min-bus, are common and stop a lot. They often have decorative kitsch decorations that are symbolic of the Philippines. You will need to ask someone for help on which Jeepney goes to your destination. You pay very little to the driver after you board the Jeepney with your head bowed down since the ceiling is low. Never board with more than a small backpack. It's very cramped inside. They are often very packed with people and have very limited room to board especially in the evenings.


If you're single you can get a motorcycle taxi on the GRAB app. It's really the fastest way especially in rush hour traffic which goes from about 4PM to 7PM and yes the traffic is real. Real thick that is.


Take a bus but don't if you have luggage. There's no room on the bus for more than a small day pack. A bus stops a lot but is your cheapest choice when compared to a Jeepney. PHP cash only.


Tricycle (a very common motorbike with a 2-seater carriage): 30 minutes. Cheaper than a taxi. They all tailgate so get used to it. Tailgating inches from the vehicle in front of you is the crazy standard here. Tricycles are commonly used for short trips under 25 minutes. They do not have air condition and larger men like myself find them uncomfortable. I use them a lot tho on short internal city trips. Filipino's are generally much smaller people then larger foreigners and they fit better in most transportation vehicles like jeepneys and tricycles.

Take a taxi: Only use White metered taxi's (Don't use a yellow or black taxi since they are much more expensive. Yellow has no meter. Black promotes a more luxurious feel). A white taxi will cost $3-4 US but paid for in pesos. You can almost double the fee for yellow and black taxi's.


From Cebu to Oslob (famous whale shark location)

You must leave Cebu at 330 am to arrive early at Oslob. The shark experience is about 90-minutes long and completely worth waking up at 3 am to leave.


Three options exist for this 3-hour drive.


A bus is the cheapest price and quite comfortable. Choose a bus with air conditioning. They have minimal stops.


Taxi, negotiate a price between 4k AND 5K with a white taxi cab driver the day before you want to visit Oslob. Negotiate a taxi day rental price. Not a metered fair. He should pick you up at 330 am and you should be home around 1PM. It's longer if you add in Tumalog Waterfalls which is highly recommended. Tumalog waterfalls is fantastic. Your entry price includes a motorcycle ride to and from the waterfalls.


Van, if there is a large group of you. Negotiate a van price. I have access to a great van rental company.


So there are some examples. The Philippines is full of adventure but remember it's huge. Getting from one place to another generally includes lots of traffic. Especially when you're in a tricycle and tailgating.


Special notes:


Having a Filipino girlfriend with you is smart and can save you money. Have her do all the tricycle price negotiating and street food buying. Sometimes, I stand off to a distance and have her get the local price on things and not the "foreign" price they would offer me. She is also helpful with directions and interpretations of questions you will have. I previously had my dates help me a lot but now my girlfriend does all my local negotiating for me. I step in and help sometimes. Your girlfriend will respect you for asking for her help. She will feel more valued since many times you'll be paying for everything.


I've been in many Jeepney's, buses, vans, tricycles, motorcycle taxi's, all-colored taxi's without any danger from another person, pedestrians or other vehicle. Filipino's never get upset. There aren't any gangs here but some things happen in the mountains and some other danger hot spots in the Philippines due to Muslim land-grab tensions. President Marcos is a great President and provides safety for his people. Drugs, angry video games and guns aren't common here like they are in America.


You can negotiate tricycle prices. If you get quoted 150p to go somewhere then on your way back tell the next tricycle you'll pay 100p. Most of the time they agree and now you know the new price is 100. Sometimes it's a different price each way due to a lack of competition. The more competition you see with tricycles the better price you will get.


Street dogs rarely get hit if you've ever wondered.


Only White taxi cab drivers can be trusted regarding an honest cost. You should have Google maps, Waze or another mapping app on your phone in case your driver gets lost or doesn't know your hotel location. It sometimes happens when he will need your help to locate your destination.


Seatbelts rarely work in white and yellow taxi's. Most are broken.


Stop signs are not really used in the Philippines. They are there but drivers use the "right of way" method of driving instead. You just have to get used to it. Downtown Cebu has stop lights that people obey. Outside of the main cities things are a bit different. It never feels dangerous at all. Just chaotic. If you pay attention tho, drivers are very careful and I've surprisingly never seen road rage or angry drivers.







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