⌛ Bike or bus?

For a solo trip to Apo, it's easy to get one as chance passenger even on private charters,well all depends with boatmen somehow. We stayed at the Apo beach resort and chartered their smaller boat 'Pluto' back and forth trip for P1600- and time even before we got in the boat there were already 3 locals ahead of us apart from the boatmen ,i can't think of it .Ofcourse,it was a bit rude to make a fuss with those apo older ladies present ,but we should have been asked earlier before they boarded in.Anyway, there was another lady who wants to take her chance in the boat , we allowed her in and off we go.There's always trips to and fro Apo for the locals ,correct me if i'm wrong they only charge locals P35 for the crossing.

 

PN, sorry but Pluto is not a boat of the resort. it is a public boat what is hired by the resort for private trips, or to be political correct has a "relationship" to the resort. 1600 is a ok price. but maybe locals fall in line cause the know it is going to Apo anyway.
I recommed at this time of the year to spend a bit more and get a safe boat what brings you there and back. 2006 in November/decmember 3 small boat broke down in the water and drifting towards Mindanao (we had a Apo diving day trip and were rescuing 2 of them). if you wanna have a safe trip invest some 100 peso more.

Rhoody

 

That was what they gave us when we rung the resort when heading to malatapay ,we actually thought it was expensive , but there were only 4 of us initially ( 2 adults and 2 children )for that trip ,fine ,we never expect the extras.Though it was too hard to refuse a local rhoody ,esp those older ladies looking like in their 60's bringing their shoppings .And having a pinoy face to refuse also a pinoy , might brand me as 'hambugera' or arrogant to let them out of the boat, or may get a bad spell .We asked the boat capt and he assured us its ok to have them in.

 

PN, I know the stories about bad spell for women together with a "longnose" My GF still has a hard time, she is a bigger foreigner then me. She comes from Leyte ( Tagloban) so her Bisayan is not really there cause she speaks Waray 2x(I don't know at all if this is the right spelling). next to Waray2x she speaks good english, perfect tagalog, a bit german, but not the street-Bisayan here
She get's insulted by the locals here, pays higher prices then I do (maybe I am more demanding, but pinoy should hold together wherever they come from)! Just because she is one of the women who "caught" a foreigner... Gentle people? don't lety me judge that... and we still life and love the place here...

Rhoody

 

There's always this thing about being with a 'long nose' rhoody,if locals don't like the fili they brand her/him bad and it spreads quick like a bad spell ,or perhaps misinterpreted or maybe they're only jealous bunch 'lets give her a hard time' ,' charge her more' as one being with a 'long nose' .That's what most people think, sadly it's the truth,even how much we argue with it ,that when one is with a long nose it's associated with money .Your GF perhaps haven't got fierce bargaining power at that time esp not good in speaking bisaya . It's irritating sometimes when people have this assumed image in their minds,whites are associated with money,and all but money.

 

Being a local that is, I hope I get lucky and avail that P35 fare trip. I think they offer this fare to the frequent local passenger there. Even with a local tourist like me, they can still charge a higher fare for me. But if I am a familiar face, I got the feeling that I can get that P35 fare.

Actually, when I was in Coron Palawan, I travel solo and wait for some tourist on boat rental. Usually they are foreign couples, and I talk to the boatman first, then to the couple... if it would be fine to share the boat rental with them since I am solo. Being a Filipino, I think they are glad that I join them because eventually I act as a tour guide for them.

And to share my opinion on the discussion, it is usual here (maybe a culture) to charge more with a foreigner than with a local. Mainly because they have this "pakikisama" attitude with fellow Filipino. Although another reason would be that most foreigner and other local tourists have the money to enjoy the luxury of travelling. So they just charge "right" enough as a business entity to the people who have the money (which they thought) and charge a "break even" rate with most locals. This also usually applies to pinays with a foreigner husband - they are treated that they are also "money"-capable.