It isn't that long a ride and it's still the cheapest way to get to El Nido. This is via the Roro bus from Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
A one-way bus ticket costs Php 330 (non-aircon) or Php 483 (aircon) and the ride takes around five-and-a-half hours. This is a lot cheaper compared to riding the van (~Php 700) or the four-hour boat ride from Coron, which costs Php 2,500... or private planes.
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| Roro bus schedules going to El Nido as seen from the San Jose bus terminal in Puerto Princesa: 4am, *6am, 8am, *10am, 12pm, *2pm, 4pm, *6pm, *10pm. *aircon buses |
To be on the safe side, we physically went to the bus station at around 5pm and bought tickets. We reserved the seats that we wanted and returned an hour before the trip. Best to reserve a day.. or at least a few hours in advance, especially if you're taking the 10pm trip like we did.
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| There are plastic benches to sit and well, rest. There are food stalls around but not really apt for dinner. |
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| Route from Puerto Princesa to El Nido. Duration: 5-6 hours |
The ride was tough. The road was forever winding and there were certain parts that were very turbulent as the road wasn't paved yet. It was like being inside a vibrator! Pretty tolerable, though. We were still able to sleep along the way.
El Nido is the last stop so you don't need to worry about overshooting.
We arrived at around 3:30am and we rode a trike going to our hostel for Php 50.
Pictures from our ride back to Puerto Princesa. We took the 10am trip.
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| Bus terminal in El Nido. Same schedules coming back to Puerto Princesa. |
Pictures from our ride back to Puerto Princesa. We took the 10am trip.
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| Some of the roads are still being done. Hopefully this will be complete within a few years. |
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| Fantastic view from the right side of the bus. |
