Joining a group tour or paying a ridiculous amount of money for travel and tours has not been my cup of tea since I started traveling alone. Although, an arranged trip would save you time and lots of hassle, it is not a great idea to explore a new place with a limited amount of time while shelling out more than what you have to. Group tours however are relatively cheaper than private group tours as you just fill in a slot with other people who want to visit the same place. The only problem is that you don’t hold your time. You might not feel comfortable of the call time. The rest of the members of the group might want to stay when you already want to leave or worse, the other way around.
The solution is taking extra time to sit in front of your computer screen to look for alternatives. Tons of useful information can be found online nowadays. Look for public transportation instead of a hired van. Be aware of the route and interesting places to see to save on tour guides.
Anyway, this is how we did our DIY trip to Honda Bay. Take a group tour if you’re alone. You’ll save more by doing so. If you’re with a group, check this out.
Hail a jeepney from the city center going to Sta. Lourdes. Fare is P15. If you rent a tricycle, it will cost you P600 back and forth. I managed to haggle and brought it down to P500. Your driver will most likely advise you to rent snorkels for P150 and shoes for P150 somewhere along the way before heading to the port but these gears are optional if you won’t go snorkeling.
Upon arrival go to the registration booth and pay the environmental fee of P80. You have an option to purchase tickets for lunch in the terminal if you plan to eat. Lunch is served in different islands but we had ours in Cowrie Island that cost P200.
There are two types of boats you can hire. One is the 3 cylinder boat that costs P1,300 and a 4 cylinder (bigger boat) that costs P1,500 per day. You will visit four islands but it’s up to you if you want to visit the Pambato Reef (during high tide) that has an entrance fee of P50 for those who will snorkel. FYI, Snake Island is no longer open to the public as it was already bought by a private individual. The boat is rented for the whole day so you can stay for as long as you want in any island.
First stop was Lu-Li Island which means “Lulubog-Lilitaw” during high and low tide. Entrance is P60. Don’t forget to bring bread crumbs to feed the fish when you snorkel.
Next stop was Starfish Island where you will see not just a lot of starfish but a lot of mangroves and other marine life during low tide. Entrance fee is P50.
From there, travel to Pandan Island where a lot of pandan trees give shade to tourists and locals. You can buy fresh buko juice and seafood. Mind the prices. They could get quite expensive. Entrance is P100.
Last stop was Cowrie Island. It is a distinct island due to a huge signage that says “Cowrie”. You cannot go wrong. We had lunch here – a buffet of sumptuous seafood overload that was basically unlimited. Boy was I so bloated (with high blood pressure) after. We spent almost the entire afternoon here lazily. Take pictures as much as you want. Swim as long as you want. Have a massage in one of the huts while sipping a refreshing glass of buko juice. Entrance fee is P75.
Your boatman will wait for you and will take you back to the port whenever you’re ready.
Renting boats alone is not ideal for solo travelers, yes. I was with my mom so I paid everything for two. The good thing was we owned our time. We’re not pressured to rush everything due to time constraints. Catch is that it was more expensive than joining a group tour. However, if you belong to a group, doing a DIY trip is more favorable.
Here is a breakdown of expenses compared to a group tour for your reference.
Particulars | Amount | Booked Tour |
Jeepney | 15 | You save almost 200 and you create your own pace! (snorkeling gears not included) |
Environmental Fee | 80 | |
3 cylinder boat (4 pax) | 325 | |
Lu-Li Island Entrance | 60 | |
Starfish Island Entrance | 50 | |
Pandan Island Entrance | 100 | |
Cowrie Island Entrance | 75 | |
Lunch at Cowrie Island | 200 | |
TOTAL | 905 | 1,100 |
Thank you, this is very helpful!
A few questions; would there be a person to guide the boat for us and would he/she be there the whole day? Would it be safe to leave our stuff inside the boat?
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Hi Allie! Yes. There will be one or two boatmen with you. As for your stuff, you can bring them with you in every stop or you can leave them on the boat. Just tell them. Your boatman would also get off the boat to assist you where to pay entrance fees and help you snorkel or even take pictures. There are cottages to place your bags in most islands as well. Enjoy your trip! 😉
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Hi do you have the contact # for the boatmen?.
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Hi do you have contact dun s boatmen?..does the 1300 rate for the boar includes 4 islands?
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Hi jheen! It’s.under the local government so there is always an available boat for you when you arrive. They will arrange everything for you once you have paid. Fixed rate regardless the number of islands you want and how long you want to stay on each. Rate only depends on the size of the boat you want to ride. Up to you if you want to treat the boatmen for lunch. You can buy buffet tickets at the port if you want to have lunch in Cowrie Island. Enjoy!
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Hi Just wanna ask po. malaki po ba yung possibility na maka join sa mga goup sa island hopping po para makatipid po sa payment sa boat. ill be in Palawan by sept. this year. thankyou so much po sa reply. :))
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Hi! Yeah big chance. There are lots of people going there everyday the entire year I guess. Just try to ask around you might be surprised some of them might be looking for other people to chip in as well. Enjoy your trip Mavic! 🙂
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Hi! Is it okay kaya if we start the island hopping around 10-11am na? We’re arriving around 9AM kasi pero we really wanna do the island hopping! Thanks! 🙂
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Hi Aika! Yeah no problem, whenever you want to start. But please note the weather. Might be too hot by that time. Better to start early so you can maximize your time on each island. Enjoy!!
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Hi! Gaano po katagal ang byahe from the city to the bay? Thanks!
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Hi Paul! Probably around 15 minutes.
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Hi! Kung mag jeep Lang ppunta madali Lang puntahan? Dun naba Mismo bababa? Pano po pag pabalik na Sa city?thanks!😊
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Hi Paula! Multicabs and jeepneys are available and dun ka mismo bababa sa port. Going back, may sasakyan pa rin. Not sure lang til what time meron.
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Hi! Is it possible to have the tour by 12nn or 1pm? Thanks!
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Hi of course it’s possible but better to start earlier if you don’t want to compress your island hopping too much.
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Thanks for the info. I did not know that Honday Bay tour can be done via DIY style. We are planning to go there Feb next year and only 3 of us will be sharing the expenses, I believe this is cheaper as compared to the Php 1k+ rate of travel agencies.
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Hi there! Glad to help always. You’re welcome!
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Hi, thanks for your very helpful blog! I just want to ask if it is possible for us to visit 2 islands, Luli and Starfish, before heading to Cowrie for lunch? Because after lunch, we are planning to go back to our hotel and checkout. The hotel attendant advised us to do a DIY Honda Bay Tour instead, so we can handle our own time. Group tours usually end late in the afternoon. Hope to hear from you. Thanks!
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Hi sorry it took a while for me to reply. Yeah it’s possible. Your itinerary depends on you. Just tell the boatman. That’s what we did. We had lunch at Cowrie as well.
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I’m flying into Palawan in two weeks time, as a English guy I’m aware it may not be so safe in the more remote El Nido area, but I want to visit Honda bay, which is best ?, stay in a hotel in sabang beach or stay in Puerto princesa and travel to Honda bay ?
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Hi Peter! Haven’t been to El Nido but I think it is safe to go there. It’s a touristy place. As for which place to stay, it depends on your intent. If you want to go binge swimming and island hopping, stay in Sabang. If you arw interested in seeing other interesting places in the city, better stay in PP.
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This post was EXTREMELY helpful! Thank you!!
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Hi Sarah! You are welcome! Enjoy!
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Your post answered my questions about Honda Bay DIY! planning to go by June this year! 🙂
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Hi … mam from the airport…. san kmi mkksakay ppuntang sta.lourdes??? If we will not going by trcycle… my mlpit nbang sakayan dun ng mga dyip…
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Is 3pm too late to start the tour? Coz we have two options, either on our first day or last day. If it’s on our first day, we’ll go at 3pm and it says that it doesn’t go dark until 9pm. The second option is on our last day, we’ll start at 7am and end at about 12nn. Which is better?
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Hi we are not arriving in PP until midday so wont be able to visit Honda Bay until 2ish. Which islands would you recommend as I’m guessing we probably wont be able to visit more than a couple before sunset?
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