If you are going to Mindoro by the morning boat, you will be at the Batangas port while it is still dark. This guide is for that version of you: tired, slightly lost and in need of a toilet.
Before you go
- Book your van or bus the day before if you can. The early ones fill up with people who have the same boat.
- Charge your phone. The terminal has outlets, and all of them are in use.
- Carry small bills. Everything at four in the morning is cash.
At the port
There are several terminals along the same stretch of shore. They look alike, they smell alike and they all have a line. Ask which one your ticket names before you queue. A guard will tell you without looking up, and he will be right.
Tickets, terminal fees and sometimes a separate environmental fee are paid at different windows. Keep every receipt. You will be asked for each of them again on the way in.
Coffee
The first stall to open sells instant coffee in a paper cup for the price of regular coffee. It is worth it. The second stall sells grilled bananas. It is worth it, too. By five the stalls are all open and the choice is harder.
Fares and times above are samples from our trip, not travel advice. Schedules change.