Route guide
Davao City to Samal bus guide
Getting to Samal Island by bus does not require a separate ferry ticket. Love Express, which operates under Bachelor Express, runs Ordinary buses from Davao City that board the barge at Sasa Wharf and continue on the island itself, so one fare covers the whole trip.
Route overview and terminal information
- Departure point: Island City Express Terminal in Davao City, not the Ecoland overland terminal used by the long-haul corridors.
- Departures: 17 daily departures in each direction, from 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
- Fares: P120 to Kaputian at the far end of the island, with a P100 Student, Senior, and PWD fare. Drop-off fares are P56 to Babak and P77 to Penaplata.
- Bus class: Ordinary, not air-conditioned.
Step-by-step route sequence
- Davao leg: Leaves the Island City Express Terminal and runs north along the coast to Sasa Wharf.
- Barge crossing: A short hop across the Pakiputan Strait from Sasa Wharf to Babak Port, only about 1.5 kilometres of open water.
- Island leg: Babak, then Penaplata, then south along the island road to Kaputian.
Not an inter-island haul
Although the route crosses water, the barge hop takes minutes rather than hours. MindaRide treats it as an ordinary local service rather than an inter-island trip.
Travel advice
This is a local island service rather than a long-haul run, with frequent departures through the day. Barge queues are heaviest on weekends and holidays, when day-trippers to the island resorts fill the crossing.
How MindaRide verifies this route
MindaRide records the Love Express fares, the 17-departure daily schedule, and the island stop list from operator fare postings and normalized route research.
Reviewed on 2026-08-04.
MindaRide is an independent trip-planning and fare-reference service. It does not sell bus tickets. Confirm current fares, departure times, and seat availability with the operator or terminal.