I’ve been riding my bike for 11 years now, so no, I’m not a pandemic cyclist. It started out as an attempt to save money on commuting and driving to work. I was inspired by one of my workmates who would bike to work everyday. He lived much farther away, so I thought to myself, “Maybe I can do that!” Eventually, I got so into it that I found every excuse to take my bike around. Eventually, one of those excuses became a trip to Boracay.
Some people might think I’m crazy for doing that, but it took me a while to get to that point where I could even consider biking to Boracay in the first place. After riding short distances in my earlier cycling days, I started to do those 100-kilometer rides to Nuvali or Jala-jala, the famous bike routes close to Manila. I then moved on to ultra-endurance events, like the Audax 200, where you do around 200 kilometers to 800 kilometers in one ride. I always thought I wouldn’t be able to do it, but I just wanted to try it out. I’m glad to say that I was able to accomplish those, too. More and more years of long rides led me to the idea of biking to Boracay–something I didn’t even think possible but became one of the best adventures I have ever experienced.
Biking from Manila
The Route: Manila – Batangas – Mindoro
At Batangas Port
I broke the trip into sections: On the first day, I rode from Manila to the Batangas Port; that section of the trip was around 108 kilometers. It took me 6 hours to get there and made it around 30 minutes before the RO-RO (ship) departed the port for Mindoro. I spent ₱600 for the ticket, and an additional ₱150 to bring my bike with me. After the 6-hour ship ride, I arrived at Puerto Galera, Mindoro at around 3 p.m. and biked a few kilometers before finally deciding to find accommodations for the night. I found a hostel nearby that charged only ₱1,000 for a night, so that was where I rested.
Leaving Puerto Galera, Mindoro
On the second day, I set out for the 140-kilometer ride from Puerto Galera to Roxas, which was at the southern tip of Mindoro, to catch another boat to Aklan. However, around a hundred kilometers in, it began to rain hard, so I decided to find another place to stay for the evening. The hostel I was able to find also charged only ₱1,000 for a night.
Biking through Mindoro
As soon as I woke up the next day, I set out to finish the last 30 kilometers to Roxas for one last ship ride to the Caticlan Jetty Port in Aklan. My only expense for this RO-RO was the 600-peso ticket, as I was not charged for bringing my bike. From the port, I took one last quick boat ride from Caticlan to Boracay Island for just ₱50. Next thing you know, I’m on the beautiful island of Boracay!
Entering the RO-RO to Aklan
Biking Around Boracay Island
Biking around Boracay
When I got to the island, I realized that the island is so small, around six kilometers from end to end. Some friendly island locals took me around to play tourist and bike around the entire island. Since they made me tag along, there were a lot of places I got to see and visit—not just the typical white beach that tourists frequent. They took me to a mangrove forest, and we biked down hills and even to the quieter side of Bulabog, where there’s a long beachside boardwalk for a very easy ride with great sea views. After our fun morning ride, we met up with our other friends for a hearty breakfast at a local B&B.
We biked through a mangrove forest in Boracay
After having biked to and around Boracay, I had grown to enjoy the Philippine countryside even more and also have a better appreciation for this island paradise. Both the journey and destination are surely worth the trip.
Biking view from a beachside boardwalk in Boracay
Things I Learned During My Manila-Boracay Bike Ride
1. Master your equipment. Looking back, it would have been better if I used a gravel bike instead of a road bike. While we biked around the island, my biker friends and I reached a trail of sand, and I was slipping and slowing down because I couldn’t control my bike anymore. Perhaps I could have borrowed a mountain bike as well, so I wasn’t limited to where I could go around the island.
My bike at a pitstop
2. Pack light. I realized I overpacked and could have left many things. I expected to stay there for five days, so I brought with me five days’ worth of clothes. That was a mistake because I was staying with a friend who had a washing machine, so I could have just washed my clothes and reused them the following days.
3. Travel smart. I didn’t bike all the way home. Going there, I rode all the way to Batangas and Mindoro, but going back home, I took a boat straight to Batangas and skipped the entire Mindoro part, so my bike trip was cut in half. It was a 10-hour boat ride, though, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. But, it was a good thing because I got to rest, and as soon as I disembarked, I just had to bike a hundred kilometers to get home.
Aboard the RO-RO
4. Experience more for less. Spending much less than my friends felt great, too. I asked one of my friends how much he spent on a ticket and he said it was around ₱16,000 per person, just for the flights (it was peak season)! As for me, I spent a little less than half that, around seven to eight thousand pesos within those 10 days. All of that included my lodging, food, and even happy-hour money. Having a friend who let me stay over in Boracay helped me save a lot, too, but there are choices of affordable accommodations on the island as well.
Biking around Boracay
5. Enjoy the journey. The exploration and seeing the unknown during the whole bike ride were just as exciting as arriving in Boracay. The journey was full of pleasant surprises, too! I met a lot of people along the way, people who would approach me and ask me about my bike or where I was going. They told me about themselves, too. Even the natives of Mindoro rode alongside me at one point, and they gave me advice on the local area, where I could eat, and where I could stop if I got tired—these moments made the experience all the more meaningful.
6. Do it and don’t sweat the small stuff. If you want to do something, like an adventure you always wanted to experience, don’t wait any longer. Pick a day and do it. Commit yourself to that goal. The older we get, you never know if you’ll have the ability, time, or opportunity to do those things you’ve been hoping to do. And don’t worry about getting a flat, your bike breaking down, or forgetting to bring some things–it’s all part of the adventure. At the end of the day, even if you come across any challenges, it’s still going to be something worth doing.
