How to get to Balabac: the van south and the one boat a day

Balabac is the group of about 36 islands off the southern tip of Palawan, across the Balabac Strait from Sabah. Getting there takes a full day from Puerto Princesa: a 5 to 6 hour van ride south to Rio Tuba or Buliluyan, then a boat of up to four hours. There is one public boat a day and it does not wait, which is how we ended up spending a night in southern Palawan instead.

The day we missed the Balabac boat

On 1 December 2024, I rode motorbikes south from Puerto Princesa with two friends. We followed the west side of the island first, then crossed over to the east coast and kept going until the road ran out at Buliluyan Port in Bataraza, on the southern tip of Palawan, where boats leave for Balabac. We got there in the early afternoon. The boat had already gone.

That evening, still in southern Palawan, we stopped on a bridge with no phone signal to watch the sunset. A woman asked if we wanted to buy crab. We did, but we had nothing to cook it on. She did not speak English, so she called her brother, who did. He invited us down to a fishing hut on stilts in the water and offered to cook if we bought the crab. We took 2.5 kilos at ₱250 a kilo.

He had a coconut garden. We picked coconuts, he opened them and showed us how to do it ourselves. We all ate together, and we slept in a fishing hut with the waves breaking underneath it. We gave him ₱3,000 to say thank you. It was a great adventure.

We never made it to Balabac on that trip. The lesson for anyone who wants to: sleep in Rio Tuba or Bataraza the night before, and be at the pier in the morning. The van from Puerto Princesa alone takes 5 to 6 hours, so leaving the city on the day of the boat only works on the earliest van, and even then with no margin.

Map of places to stayPlaces to stay in Rio Tuba and BatarazaThe mainland side, for the night before the boat.Show places to stay on the map(affiliate link)

How the route connects

1. 1Puerto PrincesaIrawan terminal
   Van or bus · ≈ 5–6 hr
2. 2Rio TubaBataraza, pier for the public boat
   Boat · ≈ 3–4 hr
3. 3BalabacBalabac town

This is the public route via Rio Tuba. Tours use Buliluyan Port, further south at the end of the road, and are described below.

Step 1: Puerto Princesa to Rio Tuba or Buliluyan

Fly into Puerto Princesa first; how to get to Puerto Princesa from Manila covers the flights. Vans and buses south leave from Irawan terminal, on the edge of the city. The older San Jose terminal has closed (April 2026).

Take the earliest van, and if you can, go a day early and sleep near the pier. Your accommodation in Puerto Princesa can often arrange a van that picks you up at the door. For where to sleep in the city before the early start, see where to stay in Puerto Princesa.

Sources: PhilippineTravels.ph, Balabac travel guide, 25 April 2026; Travel around the Philippines, Balabac island hopping; balabac.ph, How to go to Balabac, all checked 22 October 2026.

Step 2: the boat to Balabac

From Rio Tuba: the public passenger boat

This is the boat to plan around. There is one public passenger boat a day from Rio Tuba to Balabac town, with no fixed timetable: it leaves when the sea and the number of passengers allow.

• Departure from Rio Tuba: officially 12 noon, but it can leave between 10am and 2pm. Be at the pier by 10am.
• Crossing: about 3 to 4 hours.
• Fare: about ₱350.

The return boat to Rio Tuba also leaves around noon. Ask in Balabac the day you arrive.

Sources: PhilippineTravels.ph, 25 April 2026; Lakwatsero, Balabac travel guide, last updated 10 March 2023; both checked 22 October 2026.

From Buliluyan: tours and charters

Buliluyan Port, in Bataraza at the southern tip of Palawan, is the nearest mainland port to Balabac and where almost every tour starts. Boats from Buliluyan leave in the morning. The public boat is scheduled at 9am, costs ₱500 and takes a couple of hours, and most tours use a public boat of about an hour to Bancalaan Island, where the tour boat waits. A chartered boat from Buliluyan costs ₱3,000 or more (2023).

The port has no phone signal, so a boatman cannot call you if you are late.

Sources: Travel around the Philippines, 2026; Lakwatsero, 2023; balabac.ph for the missing signal; all checked 22 October 2026.

Do you need a tour?

To reach Balabac town, no: the van and the public boat get you there. To see the islands, such as Onuk, Candaraman or Punta Sebaring on Bugsuk, you need a boat. There are no public boats between the islands, and several of them are privately owned, which is why most visitors book a package.

Tour vans leave Puerto Princesa in the middle of the night, between about 2am and 4am, which solves the boat-time problem for you.

Sources: as listed in the table, all checked 22 October 2026.

Registration and island fees

• Registration: you register at the tourism office at Buliluyan Port.
• Onuk Island: ₱1,500 per person, per a guide last updated in March 2023. Onuk is privately owned and visits are arranged in advance.
• Other islands: about ₱100 to ₱150 per person each, per the same 2023 guide and a 2026 guide.
• Tour packages usually include these fees; check what yours covers before you pay extra on the day.

Sources: balabac.ph; Lakwatsero, 2023; Travel around the Philippines, 2026; PhilippineTravels.ph, 2026; all checked 22 October 2026.

Is Balabac safe?

The UK government’s travel advice, updated 15 July 2026 and still current on 22 October 2026, does not name Palawan or Balabac. The areas it advises against all travel to are western and central Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago, and it warns of a high level of piracy and armed robbery against ships in and around the Sulu and Celebes seas. Read the current advice from your own government before you go.

A 2026 travel guide says Balabac’s reputation comes from piracy years ago and reports no attacks on tourists. A guide last updated in 2023 said foreigners were discouraged from visiting because of security risks. Check your government’s current travel advice before you go.

At sea, the coast guard decides when boats can sail and posts suspensions on its Facebook page, and passenger boats do not run at night. In rough weather, plan for a lost day.

Sources: GOV.UK, Philippines travel advice; Travel around the Philippines, 2026; Tripadvisor Palawan forum, January 2026; all checked 22 October 2026.

When to go

The dry season, roughly December to April, is when tours run most reliably. Outside it, the sea gets rough and tours can be cancelled.

Source: Girl on a Zebra, Is Balabac worth visiting?, updated 3 January 2026, checked 22 October 2026.

Before you go

• Bring all the cash you need. There are no ATMs in Balabac and no card payments; the nearest ATM is in Rio Tuba.
• Expect little signal. Smart works in Balabac town, Globe does not, and most of the islands have little or none. Buliluyan Port has no signal.
• Arrive the night before. Sleep in Rio Tuba or Bataraza and be at the pier by 10am. We learned this one the hard way.
• Keep a spare day. Weather and the coast guard decide when boats sail.

Balabac is a long way from the rest of Palawan, and you have to go back through Puerto Princesa to continue anywhere else. The Palawan island guide shows how El Nido, Coron and Puerto Princesa fit together, and Puerto Princesa in 3 days or things to do in Puerto Princesa cover the days before or after the trip south. A session with me is the fastest way to ask how Balabac fits around a wider Palawan route.

Sources: Lakwatsero, 2023; PhilippineTravels.ph, 2026; balabac.ph; all checked 22 October 2026.

Questions people ask

How do I get to Balabac from Puerto Princesa?

Take a van or bus from Irawan terminal in Puerto Princesa to Rio Tuba in Bataraza, about 5 to 6 hours, then the public passenger boat from Rio Tuba to Balabac, about 3 to 4 hours. Most tours instead drive you to Buliluyan Port at the southern tip of Palawan and arrange the boat from there.

What time is the boat to Balabac?

There is one public passenger boat a day from Rio Tuba, with no fixed timetable. The official time is 12 noon, but it can leave anywhere between 10am and 2pm (April 2026). Be at the Rio Tuba pier by 10am, which in practice means sleeping in Rio Tuba or Bataraza the night before.

Is there a public boat from Buliluyan to Balabac?

Yes, in the morning: a 2026 guide gives 9am, at ₱500. Most travellers leave Buliluyan with a tour or a private boat arranged through a tour operator. Ask at the port the day before.

How much is the boat to Balabac?

The public boat from Rio Tuba is about ₱350 one way (April 2026). A chartered boat from Buliluyan costs ₱3,000 or more, and island hopping by charter around ₱5,000 a day for up to six people (March 2023).

Do I need a tour to visit Balabac?

Not to reach Balabac town: the van and the public boat get you there. To see the islands you need a boat, because there are no public boats between them, and several islands are privately owned. Most visitors book a four-day, three-night tour from Puerto Princesa, listed at roughly ₱11,000 to ₱15,000 per person in 2026, with transfers, meals and island fees included.

Is Balabac safe?

The UK government's travel advice, updated 15 July 2026, does not name Palawan or Balabac; its advise-against-all-travel areas are western and central Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago, and it warns of piracy in the Sulu and Celebes seas. A 2026 travel guide reports no attacks on tourists; a 2023 guide said foreigners were discouraged from visiting because of security risks, so check the current advice before you go. Boats only sail when the coast guard allows it.

Is there an ATM or signal in Balabac?

There are no ATMs in Balabac and cards are not accepted, so bring cash from Puerto Princesa or Rio Tuba, where the nearest ATM is. Signal is weak: Smart works in Balabac town, Globe does not, and Buliluyan Port has no signal at all.