Puerto Princesa to Balabac

Mixed Moderate Feb – May 5 stops
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About this route

The long haul south: van down the entire south highway to Rio Tuba (~5 hrs), then an open-sea boat to Balabac town (3–4 hrs, weather permitting).

Almost everyone does this inside a package tour, which bundles the crossing with the island-hopping that follows, but the public route exists and works if you're patient.

The Route
  1. San Jose Terminal, Puerto Princesa Start
    0 km from start
    Vans south leave from the same terminal as everything else.
  2. Narra Rest
    ~90 km from start 15 min here
    Quick rest stop in the rice-country capital of Palawan.
  3. Brooke's Point Fuel
    ~190 km from start
    Fuel and food under the wall of Mt. Mantalingahan.
  4. Rio Tuba port Stop
    ~250 km from start
    End of the road. Boats to Balabac town load here.
  5. Balabac town End
    Base for the island-hopping loops further south.
Travel Tips
Start at dawn: the Rio Tuba boats leave when they leave, and missing the last one means a night in a mining town. From November to January the crossing gets cancelled often, so build slack into your plan.