Why I Prefer Land Travel To Air Travel

I regularly travel between Bacolod and Cebu around once a month, and every time I always take the Bacolod-Cebu bus and Lite ferry to get to each city. I never ride a plane even though travel time would only take around 20-30 minutes compared to traveling by land which can take up to 8 hours. Even during times when my dad offered to pay for the plane ticket, I would always tell him that I’d still prefer the bus 😀

Now you’re probably thinking why would I subject myself to such hassle when air travel would admittedly save me a lot of time and provide better comfort. Well, I do have my reasons for why I prefer land travel to air travel and I will talk about them in this post.


An average plane ticket would cost me around ₱1500-2000 while taking the bus would cost only less than half of that. As of now, a bus ticket to Cebu cost around ₱550 which means that I have more money to spend if I don’t opt for air travel. I could use that money to buy other things or add that to my rent and living expense budget. Living in Cebu is hella’ expensive especially if you are living on a standard BPO salary.

If I’m going home to Bacolod, I could buy pasalubong for my family or divide the money to my younger siblings who are still going to school. I know you know how great it feels to have some extra cash back in high school and college. I could do a lot with ₱1000+ which makes sitting for hours on a packed bus much more worth it.


Yep, another major reason why I don’t enjoy air travel is that of my fear of heights. I have always been afraid of high places and if it’s really high up I can get really nervous. Even if I’m not sitting by the window, just the thought of being in the sky, a bajillion (my go-to word for any incalculable amount!) feet from the ground, makes me feel shaky inside.

However, I wouldn’t describe this as acrophobia though because that is much more extreme. If the need arises or if I’m in a hurry, I’m fine with air travel. It just won’t be a pleasant experience for me.


Another reason why I love land travel is that I get to pass and stop by different towns and cities. I just can’t get that same feeling when I’m on a plane. Even though I’ve traveled the same route dozens of times, the feeling of adventure is always there. And it’s not limited to municipalities. When you live in the province, you will ride through a number of hills and mountains and their scenic views, especially when it’s daytime, can be quite refreshing.

Sometimes, I also get to meet other people on the bus or on the ferry and eventually become friends with. Some I still make contact on Facebook to this day.


Whenever I travel, I always make it a habit to document the whole trip. The schedule, fare, and even the stops we make, I keep note of them every time with my Google Keep app before adding them to my blog. So much so that the articles I’ve written about my land trips have become the most popular ones on my site. This has motivated me to keep doing what I do best, and that is to provide useful and updated information to everyone every time I travel. If I were on a plane, I wouldn’t be able to say much just that the clouds look nice and that the islands look very… mountain-ey 😀

Whereas if I’m traveling by land, I can talk just about everything because there is much more material for me to write on. You could say that I’ve made use of the slight hassles of land travel to my advantage.


So those were the reasons why I prefer land travel to air travel. Yes, even though I would agree that riding a plane is much faster and convenient, there are more rewards for me if I take the bus. I get to save money, get a sense of adventure, and most of all, write about my trips – an endeavor that not only benefits me but also for any future would-be travelers.

Elmer Balbin


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