This was my first ferry road trip after spending my first week in Cebu in January 2024—because nothing says “welcome to Southeast Asia” like committing to multi-modal transportation before your body knows what time it is.
I’d taken ferries before while island-hopping in Thailand, so I figured I was prepared. Plus, almost everyone speaks English, which immediately lowers the chaos level by at least 40%. Still, jet lag had other plans. I woke up at 3:00 a.m., wide awake, courtesy of the brutal 13-hour time difference and my brain’s refusal to cooperate.
By then, resistance was pointless. I packed a knapsack, took a shower, and headed out like a responsible adult who definitely wasn’t questioning their life choices. I caught the 3:30 bus, arrived at the terminal at 4:30, and bought a ticket for the 5:10 a.m. ferry to Tagbilaran—the first stop, and hopefully not the last.
After that, they transferred all of us onto a bus for the rest of the trip, which is when it became clear that this was less a ferry ride and more a transportation sampler platter.
Once I got off the bus after the ferry ride, I needed to take a 20-minute tuk-tuk ride. I had been
Once I got off the bus after the ferry ride, there was only one final hurdle left: a 20-minute tuk-tuk ride. I’d taken plenty of tuk-tuks in Thailand, so the concept wasn’t new—but this was my first one in the Philippines, carrying me toward Alona Beach and whatever level of consciousness I still had left.
By this point, I was running almost entirely on fumes. The lack of sleep had me a little on edge, which you can probably detect in the video. That said, I generally felt safe—just mildly disoriented, under-caffeinated, and questioning whether time was even real anymore.
n many tuk-tuks in the past in Thailand, but this was my first in the Philippines to get to Alona Beach.
I was a little on edge due to the lack of sleep, as you might be able to tell from the video, but I normally feel safe.
Mission accomplished! 😎
Once I got settled in my $15-a-night Airbnb, it was time to check out the amazing beach!
The kids thought I was crazy, too, but loved the great TIPs!