HomeAsiaPhilippinesLuzonPalawanEl NidoTop Loading a Bus in Palawan (El Nido to Port Barton) By Marcos Detourist on August 15, 2011Woke up super early to catch the 7:00AM bus out of El Nido, Palawan. My next destination was Port Barton, a small village located in the town of San Vicente, Palawan. While waiting at the terminal for the bus to fill up, I noticed some of the passengers were taking a spot ON TOP of the bus. While it’s fairly common in the Philippines to see people toploading jeepneys/tricycles, it was my first time to encounter it being done on a bus. It didn’t take me long get my ass up there and try toploading a bus for the first time. Definitely the best seat on the bus if you’re looking forward to getting a sweeping view of Palawan’s scenic countryside. “Eulen Joy” bus parked at the roadside Makeshift terminal of the Fort Wally shuttle vans El Nido Public MarketToploading the bus from El Nido to Roxas, Palawan Early morning bus ride from El Nido to Roxas, Palawan Ongoing road construction at the highway section between El Nido and Taytay, PalawanWhat happened when it started to rainI loved the winding roads, lush greens, and coastal views along the highway section from El Nido to Taytay. From Taytay to Roxas, the highway went inland. I stashed my camera inside my bag since it started to drizzle. They drew out a large tarp to cover us and the bags/cargo loaded on top of the bus when it started to rain heavily.We were still another hour and a half away from Roxas Terminal, where I’m supposed to ride the jeepney to Port Barton. Taking cue from the other passengers, I got to a lying position on top of the stacked up bags and dozed off. On a plane, my experience toploading the bus would be probably be comparable to being on the first class flat beds :)Jeepney to Port BartonI arrived at the terminal in Roxas, Palawan at around 12:00NN. Thankfully, the bus conductor remembered that I was supposed to drop off at Roxas and woke me up when we got there. I asked some people at a carinderia about the jeepneys going to Port Barton. I knew there was only one daily jeepney trip from Roxas leaving at around noontime. Luckily, I was still able to catch it before it was about to leave.I was actually surprised to see a jeepney which had its seats facing towards the front. The set-up was similar to a mini bus. Travel time from Roxas to Port Barton took only one hour.El Nido to Port Barton Commute Notes El Nido to Roxas bus (4 hours) – P200 fare. All buses/vans from El Nido to Puerto Princesa pass by Roxas Terminal. Roxas to Port Barton Jeepney (1 hour) – P100 fare. Once daily trip leaving Roxas terminal at around noontime.Don’t leave yet. There’s more!Survived Palawan, the Philippines’ Last FrontierSurvivor Palawan: A Solo Backpacker’s TravelogueTaytay Fort: Side trip to Charming Taytay, PalawanMy First Solo Backpacking Trip and First Time to PalawanArrival in El Nido: DIY Solo Backpacking12 days Palawan Itinerary - DIY Budget Travel TipsComments bertN saysAugust 17, 2011 at 8:29 pmToploading is not for me unless I feel suicidal LOL. Marcos saysAugust 24, 2011 at 2:25 amhaha… it’s not for everyone, I agree … it’s a fun way to go about the lull of commuting in the Philippines though. nick071438 saysDecember 8, 2011 at 1:27 pmtoploading is hazardous. I experienced it myself several times when I was young. I was lucky nothing untoward happens to me during those trips. I don’t recommend it. I condemn it. It’s a matter of life and death. What if the vehicle turns upside down? Marcos saysDecember 20, 2011 at 11:53 pmI won’t disagree with how hazardous it is. Don’t do this at home, ika nga :D the backpack chronicles saysAugust 18, 2011 at 7:18 ambuti hindi madulas yung bubong ng bus nung umulan.. parang gusto ko itry yan pero medyo katakot.. hehehe.. Marcos saysAugust 24, 2011 at 2:26 amMedyo naka takot nga, one small slip and it’s over. Practice muna with jeepneys, tricycles, hehe… JeffZ saysAugust 18, 2011 at 5:56 pmtoploading for a few minutes is fine with me.. but not for an hour long or more.. :P mahal na mahal ko camera ko.. mas mahal ko pa siya sa wallet ko… hehe :PAs I was reading, nisip ko kung nagpakuha ka ng picture sa kasama mo sa bubong.. for a souvenir.. :) Marcos saysAugust 24, 2011 at 2:37 amTrue for me too, hehe. I guess it’s nice to try for a few minutes pero dragging na kung one hour or more. I didn’t have a choice though since the bus didn’t take a long stop in between El Nido and Roxas plus all of the seats inside are already full. I’d have to stand inside the bus if I wanted to come down.The bus actually had a wide enough space. If you’ve got a good grip, you’d be safe hanging on to the rails. You also wont fall down (or feel that you are) even if the bus is moving … not unless a sharp turn or stop catches you off guard :)Hehe, as much as I would be vain enough to attempt it. I won’t risk it, not unless I have complete confidence na hindi ma drop ng kasama ko yung camera. Batang Lakwatsero saysAugust 21, 2011 at 5:03 pmang galing nmn.. na-try ko na mag topload sa truck, sa tricycle at sa jeep.. pero hndi pa sa bus.. mukhang exciting lalo pa’t “first class flat beds” and dating. astig. Marcos saysAugust 24, 2011 at 2:49 amhehe, try next time pag nasa Palawan ka… get insured first though ^_^ Grace saysAugust 22, 2011 at 9:33 pmhi, tambayna ako dito sa blogsite mo. Bakit parang wala kang post bout port barton. gusto kong malaman adventure mo don. Marcos saysAugust 24, 2011 at 2:51 amyour request is granted: https://www.ambot-ah.com/port-barton-wanderings-peaceful-coastal-village-palawan/ hehe, thanks for dropping by Grace chizacheesemiz saysJuly 13, 2012 at 12:57 pmoh my!oh my! still love my life aha!ha!ha!ha!ha!ha!ha! so scary but seems cool to try it good job! Posting of new comments is disabled temporarily.Connect with Marcos on:Detourista.comMarcosDetourist.comFacebookInstagramTwitterDetourista.comDiscover more travel guides and blogs about the Philippines and beyond by Marcos DetouristChoose your next destination: Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Marcos saysAugust 24, 2011 at 2:25 amhaha… it’s not for everyone, I agree … it’s a fun way to go about the lull of commuting in the Philippines though.
nick071438 saysDecember 8, 2011 at 1:27 pmtoploading is hazardous. I experienced it myself several times when I was young. I was lucky nothing untoward happens to me during those trips. I don’t recommend it. I condemn it. It’s a matter of life and death. What if the vehicle turns upside down?
Marcos saysDecember 20, 2011 at 11:53 pmI won’t disagree with how hazardous it is. Don’t do this at home, ika nga :D
the backpack chronicles saysAugust 18, 2011 at 7:18 ambuti hindi madulas yung bubong ng bus nung umulan.. parang gusto ko itry yan pero medyo katakot.. hehehe..
Marcos saysAugust 24, 2011 at 2:26 amMedyo naka takot nga, one small slip and it’s over. Practice muna with jeepneys, tricycles, hehe…
JeffZ saysAugust 18, 2011 at 5:56 pmtoploading for a few minutes is fine with me.. but not for an hour long or more.. :P mahal na mahal ko camera ko.. mas mahal ko pa siya sa wallet ko… hehe :PAs I was reading, nisip ko kung nagpakuha ka ng picture sa kasama mo sa bubong.. for a souvenir.. :)
Marcos saysAugust 24, 2011 at 2:37 amTrue for me too, hehe. I guess it’s nice to try for a few minutes pero dragging na kung one hour or more. I didn’t have a choice though since the bus didn’t take a long stop in between El Nido and Roxas plus all of the seats inside are already full. I’d have to stand inside the bus if I wanted to come down.The bus actually had a wide enough space. If you’ve got a good grip, you’d be safe hanging on to the rails. You also wont fall down (or feel that you are) even if the bus is moving … not unless a sharp turn or stop catches you off guard :)Hehe, as much as I would be vain enough to attempt it. I won’t risk it, not unless I have complete confidence na hindi ma drop ng kasama ko yung camera.
Batang Lakwatsero saysAugust 21, 2011 at 5:03 pmang galing nmn.. na-try ko na mag topload sa truck, sa tricycle at sa jeep.. pero hndi pa sa bus.. mukhang exciting lalo pa’t “first class flat beds” and dating. astig.
Marcos saysAugust 24, 2011 at 2:49 amhehe, try next time pag nasa Palawan ka… get insured first though ^_^
Grace saysAugust 22, 2011 at 9:33 pmhi, tambayna ako dito sa blogsite mo. Bakit parang wala kang post bout port barton. gusto kong malaman adventure mo don.
Marcos saysAugust 24, 2011 at 2:51 amyour request is granted: https://www.ambot-ah.com/port-barton-wanderings-peaceful-coastal-village-palawan/ hehe, thanks for dropping by Grace
chizacheesemiz saysJuly 13, 2012 at 12:57 pmoh my!oh my! still love my life aha!ha!ha!ha!ha!ha!ha! so scary but seems cool to try it good job!