Motorbike Hire

Motorbikes are for hire by the day or week – or even longer – from many places on the beach – just look for the signs or ask at your resort or the habal-habal drivers operating on the beach.
Typically, they can be got for P600 a day, or less if you have some good bargaining skills. You may have to sign a waiver in case of accident but, in general, there is no insurance policy that will cover you – you are expected to pay for any damage when you return the vehicle to its owner.
Always inspect the motorbike first to see what damage it already has – and make sure that it has enough oil and gasoline and tyres have been pumped up!.
You might also be expected to return the motorbike with a full tank of gasoline…even if it did not have it in the first place!
 

Quick trips are usually made on ‘piggy-back’ motorbikes and a one-way fare to Panglao town will cost P20 – the minimum fare for anywhere is P10. A one-way fare to Tagbilaran will cost P100.

Most resorts provide their own transport for trips to and from the pier or into Tagbilaran – some provide transport for day trips, but most drivers belong to the Panglao Island Transport Services Co-operative (PITSCO) (booking office 502-9460) which was formed on Alona Beach, and they have regulated themselves with a variety of aircon cars and vans.

     They have set fares for most trips, which include trained guides and drivers, and can be contacted beside the Tourist Information Center outside Alona Kew. It can be difficult to get drivers during the evening unless arranged beforehand, especially during slack season.

Although most dive shops and resorts will organise day trips to Balicasag, Pungtod Island or Pamilacan for picnic or sight-seeing trips, most are undertaken privately. Fares can vary from one boat to another as there is, as yet, no overall organisation to govern them.

    Make sure there is enough life-saving equipment to cover the number of people on the boat and make sure that at least one person has a cell phone and knows the police number: squalls do have the habit of sinking boats!

Taxi hire by meter is not normal on Alona Beach, since they have to be called from the city – so the fare is double the approved metered rate, since they must make a two-way trip for a one-way fare. Taxis from Tagbilaran to Alona are one-and-a-half times the meter rate.

     Resorts do have taxi numbers in town, but it is often cheaper and quicker to use a local driver.

 

Daily trips to and from Manila and Cebu are made from Tagbilaran, but timetables and companies seem to change with regularity during the year, depending on a number of factors – one seems to be the current round of erratic world fuel prices.

      Trips are made early morning and early afternoon to connect to international and other domestic flights, and the Tourist Information Center (502-9100) or Sunshine Travel next door (502-9030) can usually help with the latest information on companies, times, tickets, prices and booking.