From Z to A - the Philippines Western Nautical through Boracay

---

There are many places that conjure up elements of fantasy and are high on my list of must visit destinations. One such place has always been Zamboanga and a room at the Lantaka Hotel with a view out into the foreboding Sulu Sea. So, when I decided to celebrate a big O birthday on Boracay, I mapped out a journey from Borneo to Zamboanga and through the Philippines, taking in Boracay and somehow finding my way on to Manila. A lot of people tried to talk me out of it, even my travelling partner, and advise me not to go anywhere near Zamboanga - too dangerous, you should fly. But I'm a persistent bugger and the only flying I was going to do was a flight back from Clark airfield at Angeles City to Kota Kinabalu. So, with some trepidation, we set out on an overnight bus from Sibu, Sarawak to Miri on the Brunei border.

We arrived in Miri to a wet 5am dawn with no buses running into town for another 2 hours. As I wanted to be on first bus across border to give us time to get through Brunei, I negotiated with some unrelentant taxi drivers and eventually scored a reasonable rate to the bus station in town. There are only 3 buses a day into Brunei but the other option is private vans. The problem with them is they only leave when full which in our case may not have been till late morning. So it was the 8am bus we caught and rumbled through the rain to Brunei. I have more Brunei stamps in my passport than any other country, yet have never spent a night there. A more sorrowful looking place you cannot imagine - its a dry country, hence the booming nightlife in Miri, Limbang and Labuan. There is nothing at the Sarawak/Brunei border between Miri and Kuala Belait. This presented a logistical problem when you need Brunei dollars to pay for their useless transit visa. It had been far too early to change money in Miri but thankfully someone on the bus was willing to advance me the 20 Brunei dollars I needed to fill up yet another page of my passport. How a Commonwealth country can justify charging another Commonwealth nationality the equivalent of $20 Australian just to pass through - I don't know.

Once you enter Brunei, the bus drops you off to deal with Immigration and you have to wait for a Brunei bus to come along and carry you onto KB - the fare is all inclusive though. Our plan was to get to Labuan as I sure didn't want to spend 2 days travelling in and out of Brunei and Sarawak to get to Sabah - the land journey necessitates 5 border crossings and there is no public transport all the way. From Kuala Belait, we caught another bus to Seria and then another bus into Bandar Seri Bagawan. Its only 140 kms but it took nearly 6 hours, what with waiting for buses and then experiencing their tortoise pace. We were travelling through torrential rain so there was a an element of excuse. Even so, I wasn't sure when the last ferry left for Labuan and even had doubts they would be running because of the weather. After a pretty lengthy wait in BSB bus terminal, the express to the Muara ferry port arrived and we bounced along at a fair clip, in time to catch the second last ferry - phew.

Its only an little over an hour to Labuan but the seas were rough and a precursor to what we would encounter later. Still we made it to Labuan by late afternoon, with plenty of daylight left to suss out a hotel and enjoy the cheap duty free beer. After nearly 20 hours of being on the road, it was certainly no late night in Labuan so I cannot report on the nightlife. I did spot one open air bar with a disco type lounge above - Crossroads. It seemed well patronized as well but after just one drink there, I had to find my pillow.

The first boat to KK left at 10.30 in the morning. During the week, there is an 8.30am boat but we were travelling on a Sunday. I had high hopes to make it from Labuan to Sandakan in a day but wasn't sure if it could be done without travelling well into the night. The boat ride to KK was uneventful and having been to the town before, caught a taxi from the pier to the bus station only to learn we had just missed the 2pm bus to Sandakan. But luck was with us as the bus station touts said there was a private car waiting to go to Sandakan - the driver just needed a couple of passengers to augment his fuel costs. He was wanting 50 ringgit per passenger and as the bus fare was 40 ringgit and a 5 hour wait till departure, we grabbed the opportunity. The road up and past Gunung Kinabalu brought us back into the rain and mist with limited visibility - no mountain views today. The road then descends and follows a few rivers, crosses a few more ranges and eventually settles into flatter country as you near Sandakan. The city is a growing commercial centre with new development sprawling out along the highway. The old part of town though is pretty scruffy, jammed between an escarpment and the sea. To the north, there is some rejuvenation of the waterfront happening with outdoor cafes and some boutique accommodation, but we slummed it in the southern, sleazy end of town. Besides the ticket office for Weessam Express was under our hotel so it made sense. Our trip hinged on catching the boat on the Tuesday so having arrived in Sandakan on a Sunday night, we had all day Monday to ensure we got on the boat.

I don't know why I was worried - bought tickets in the morning, changed some ringgit for Philippine pesos and tried to stay out of the incessant rain by finding bars to hang out in. The boat leaves for Zamboanga around 6am, necessitating a very early hotel departure. You can still buy tickets at the port as our group of hardy travellers assembled in the morning light. After passing through Malaysian immigration, you are taken by bus through the port to the waiting boat - a smallish fastcraft. Little did I know how size related so much in a wild open sea.

With the day dawning, we made our way out of Sandakan Harbour past the bluff and into the Sulu. The first half hour was fine as land disappeared behind us but then we hit the rolling swell of the open sea. The boat began to lurch and sway and our speed was reduced from 25 knots to 20, 18 and less as the Captain negotiated the rolls. I began to wonder how much longer do we have to endure this as the clock on the wall leading to the steerage room swayed from 9am to 3pm. The only option was to grin and bear it but I did formulate a plan to get off in Bongao if it got any worse. Eventually, the dominant shape of Bongao mountain appeared on the horizon and we reached calmer water as we slid into Bongao harbour.

Entering Bongao is like turning back the pages of a history book. While it is more than a little far fetched to imagine how Marco Polo felt coming into a Far Eastern port, it is somewhat akin to sailing into an Asian port in the late 19th century. Though there are modern building materials, the people, the boats and the atmosphere invokes another time. No doubt a lot of this is the sheer isolation of Bongao from the modern world; but the ever present mountain backdrop, the myriad of surrounding islands and jutting peninsulars and this being the only commercial centre for miles around invokes a certain mesmerizing ambience to the place. The pier was packed with a welcoming throng to greet a returning pilgrim from the Haj. The presence of an orang putih (white person) on the boat added more excitement. Passport control into the Philippines is conducted on board and pretty soon we were off again, skirting the Tawi Tawi islands on our way to Jolo.

The run to Jolo presented no problems other than it is a long way. No wonder the Philippines government has a hard time invoking its authority on these southern islands - they are numerous and so far removed from Manila. We entered Jolo on dusk which added to the foreboding element of the place. It seems overcrowded, has an eerie mountain backdrop shrouded in mist and the most noticeable structure is a huge minareted mosque at the waterfront. Its certainly not a welcoming place - at nightfall anyway so I stayed pretty much within the boat. Besides the boat filled up rapidly with Philippine army marines - tough, fit looking dudes carrying their packs and guns. Their presence confirmed the sinister feel of Jolo.

On the map, it didn't seem so far from Jolo to Zamboanga - maybe 2 hours at full speed. But 4 nerve wrenching hours later, I had pretty much had my fill of boat travel for the time being. The sea between Jolo and Zambo was bloody rough. It was pitch black outside and the boat crashed and thudded through waves that sprayed the top deck windows. It was a horrifying trip but on looking around, everyone seemed so calm - even when the Captain came down to warn us of the obvious that the seas were rough.
We did make Zamboanga just short of midnight - thankfully, the pier is right in the town. We only needed to walk out into the street and turn right for the Lantaka. The lobby and grounds of Lantaka are first class, the rooms 2nd rate but the first room they showed us was definitely budget minus. It seemed it hadn't been used for 6 months - bracken water out of the pipes and none hot, stained pillow slips. For the exorbitant price charged, it was straight back to reception and terse complaining. They moved us to the main functioning part of the hotel on the City side and we scored a room with balcony overlooking the pool and the sea we had just crossed. I went to the bar for a Red Horse and collapsed.

Zamboanga is a pretty neat city - not too big, not too small. A sprinkling of old buildings, open plazas, friendly people and a bit of a Spanish feel about the place. Spent a second night there, still recuperating, but changed hotel to something more affordable. On road heading to airport but still in city is a group of hotels around Grand Astoria. We moved to Hermosa which was less than half the price of Lantaka and very comfortable, despite its short time trade. Along Nunoz Extension, there are a number of bars and restaurants for a bit of nightlife - most noteable is Alejandra's

How to get out of Zambo - a long boat ride to Dumaguete wasn't compelling, so next option was a bus up the Zamboanga peninsular. If you go by the guidebook, this is a no no; but I had recently read a blog by a couple that travelled this way in the opposite direction. Their logic was that if buses run along the peninsular road every hour, it can't be all that bad. Sounded fair enough to me so we caught a tricycle to the Rural Transit depot and set out on an aircon express north to Dipolog. The trip was totally uneventful - very enjoyable in fact - great scenery as you crossed the mountains from one side of peninsular to the other. The military checkpoints all the way probably ensured a measure of safety and we reached Dipolog intact. Its a pretty uninspiring place, the fact that the town was in blackout mode didn't help - Abu Sayyed had blown up a power plant in the province and the electricity grid was overloaded. Top Plaza is main hotel in town and they tend to overcharge but will negotiate. Otherwise they have a budget alternative in Top Plaza pension but it didn't look too inspiring, despite the fresh lobby.

Dipolog port is halfway between Dipolog and Dapitan. Catch the Dapitan bus and get off at the turnoff to the port. The tricycle mafia though, will try and tell you that you can't catch a bus to the port and want to take you there for 150 pesos. The port is a busy little retail area with plenty of boats coming and going. We caught the Ocean Jet across to Dumaguete but had been a bit worried the night before as it hadn't been running due to the weather. There is a slow car ferry as well which would make the crossing in most conditions.

Its a pretty quick ride to Negros and Dumaguette and we were soon strolling along the city's famous waterfront strip looking for accommodation and an evening cocktail. Most places were full or only had the worst rooms still available so we settled for Residencia al Mar which is pretty top end. But if you're in Dumaguette for only a night, the strip is the place to be - its perfect for an evening paseo and bar hop.
Why Not disco is more like Why Bother - too quiet for me. A taxi driver wanted to take me to Bikini Bar up near the airport but it sounded like too far away - maybe that's where the nightlife in Dumaguete is though.

From Dumguete, its another island bus ride through the mountains from one side to the other. This time it was to Bacolod up north. Negros is the Philippine's Sugarland with cane plantations all the way. Its quite a pretty island and the highland scenery is pleasant. The quickest way from Dumaguete to Bacolod is via Mabinay but its still a day's run on a Ceres Liner bus. Bacolod is a busy and dank looking commercial city but it does have a large Public Plaza and old cathedral in the centre of town. Stayed in a cheap but very comfortable and clean pension house just off the plaza. Towards the port, there has been a lot of land reclaimation and the city's modern shopping mall and parking lot is in this direction. I had wanted to check out the bar scene around 21st Street but crashed.

Next day was my birthday though so woke full of energy and caught another Ocean Jet across to Iloilo on Panay. Very short trip - in just over an hour, you are cruising up the old river seafront of Iloilo. Being a Sunday, the place was quiet - so much for birthday drinks but as I wasn't going to make Boracay for the day; it was a matter of cooling my heels till some street bars opened after 3pm. To celebrate the big day, we had an excellent dinner at a great restaurant in the Smallville area of the city - very stylish indeed. Afterwards, I made a bit of a mess of myself at the streetbars in town - but is was my birthday so had an excuse.

With a tinge of a hangover, caught yet another Ceres bus through the middle of Panay to Caticlan. The countryside of Panay was the most beautiful we had encountered - rich verdant fields, mountain outcrops, rivers and bustling country towns. Passing through Kalibo, there was no evidence of the Ati Atihan festival which had culminated the day before. Either, they do a great job of cleaning up or it isn't as big as I have been led to believe. Maybe next year, I'll get to Kalibo in time and find out.

From Kalibo, its only a short run along the coast to Caticlan and the pump boats to Boracay. At last we had made it and what a place. I have been to many a beach resort in Asia but my impression of Boracay is that it beats the pants off Bali, Phuket, Ko Samui and Ko Phangan. I have a soft spot for Railay Beach or Phra Nang as it was originally known before it was "discovered". Not ready to place Boracay above Railay until I get back there again and reacquaint myself with my personal paradise - though I think its going to be a close call.

What I like about Boracay is the White Beach path, the perfect aguamarine colour of the water, the smoothness of the sand, the countless open beach bars and discos, the D'Mall shopping precinct and the lack of cars and motorbikes. Its a world class destination though so tends to be a bit expensive and attracts tourists rather than travellers. But its pretty damn good and we settled in for a good 3 day sojourn. Bloody hard to leave but with booked flights out of Clark we had to make a break.

Believe it or not, you can get from Boracay to Manila in a day, without flying. An early morning pump boat gets you to Caticlan in time for the 10am car ferry to Roxas on Mindoro. Its called the Roro route and is part of the new nautical highways the government is pushing. You buy a combined ferry and bus ticket from Caticlan to Calapan on Mindoro. Its a good day's travel but rather than stay in Calapan or try and make Puerta Galera, its possible to catch one of the 24 hr car ferries from Calapan across to Batangas on Luzon. Once in Batangas, I figured there would have to be buses running on into Manila but didn't have to worry about finding a bus as there was a private van on the boat looking for passengers. Too easy, and we were in a hotel in the Ermita/Malate area late evening or just the right time to go out for a beer.

The hotel wasn't much though so next morning wandered down Mabini and Adriatico streets towards Remedios Circle and found a very pleasant place called Rainbow Inn. The Remedios area is a hive of activity at night time with music bars, discos and street cafes. Certainly better than the seedier southern end of the strip but one place every fulsome male has to visit in Manila is LA Cafe, midway along del Pilar.
If every bar in the world was like this one, you would probably never go outside - Beach Club in KL is one similar that comes to mind but its not full 24/7. I've heard Apocalypse Now in Pnom Penh is probably in same category.

Manila is much tamer nowadays than when it was the sex capital, but whilst the go-go bars have disappeared, there is a thriving cottage industry on the street. That aside, the light rail gets you around the place now - even managed to make it to Makati and the shopping malls this time. Walked Intramuros and generally got a good feel of the city. Still we only had 2 nights as had to check out Angeles for an night before flying out of Clark.

I guess one either like Angeles or is disgusted by it. Fields Avenue is a continuous strip of go-go bars and drinking holes, peopled by a nondescript bunch of men with hardened women hanging off them. The dress style of the guys is atrocious - T shirts over beer bellies, white socks and sneakers. So many Aussies and they were all out to have a big day - Australia Day. I could even have a sausage sizzle and a VB if I was so inclined. Still, it was a bit of fun, if overpriced and at least I can say I've been there now and seen the scene.

The passenger terminal at Clark is basic to say the least - the waiting room is outside under a tin roof. Taxis to the airport want to charge an exorbitant fee but you can get there easily from Fields by catching the appropriate jeepney from the Fields Avenue jeepney terminal. They will drop you off within a short walk of the passenger terminal. Better close this blog off - too long. We flew to KK, stayed a night and then flew over that useless country of Brunei to Miri, where it was only a matter of a bus trip down to Sibu. Already booked my next trip to Phils - Palawan in April

---

Photos

Boracay sunset
every bit as good as Kuta sunset

approaching KK
mountain backdrop to a seaside playground

Sandakan on a wet morning
or is it Gaza

Sandakan bluff
into the Sulu

Bongao
what a welcome sight

Bongao town
time traveller

Our boat
don't think i'll catch it again though

Zamboanga
main square

Zamboanga
street scene

Plaza Pershing
part of the main square

Sindangan
busy little town on Zamboanga peninsular

Dipolog ferry terminal
hive of activity

Ocean Jet
to Dumaguete

Dumaguete boulevarde
what people come to see - Residencia al Mar is in forefront

Bacolod cathedral
facing Public Plaza

Public Plaza, Bacolod
best thing about this city

up the river without a paddle
entering Iloilo

Comments

[tess marie]

Nice to come there at Boracay You can visit also www.boracaytravel.ph Good day!^_^