Biyahe ni Drew: A 48-hour travel guide to Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro

By Cristina Tantengco

Published March 1, 2013 7:47pm

When most people talk about Mindoro, they mean the Oriental side—the one with Puerto Galera and other tourist hotspots. However, quieter Occidental Mindoro has no shortage of natural wonders and culture.

How to get there
In a rush? Take a flight to San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. On a budget? Ride a roll-on-roll-off (RORO) ferry from Batangas to Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro. If you’re traveling without a vehicle, the fare is P260 (student/PWD/senior citizen discounts apply). The fare for those bringing a vehicle will depend on the vehicle’s weight and height: P234 for a bicycle, P936 for a motorcycle, P1,872 for a compact car, and so on. Check out the shipping lines’ full price listing online.

Either way, it’s it’s a two to three hour land trip to Sablayan upon arriving in Mindoro—van rentals from the Abra de Ilog port go for P200 per head.

View Biyahe Ni Drew: A Map in a larger map

Where to stay
Villa Ocampo | Sitio Laya, Barangay Poblacion
Kitschy yet homey, Villa Ocampo’s façade resembles that of a small castle. The rooms resemble guest rooms in a friend’s house: simple but not cramped. All rooms come with air conditioning, running (but unheated) water, and a television (though the signal can be bad).

Guests can also have home-cooked meals prepared by hotel staff. Add-on amenities include access to a swimming pool and horseback riding.

Going as a barkada? The entire “castle” can fit 10 to 12 people, and can be booked for P8000 per night. Going solo or traveling in a pair? Get a room of your own for P800 per night.

La Sofia Appartelle | P. Urieta St., Barangay Buenavista
La Sofia is located close to the town plaza, and comes with free WiFi. The price for an airconditioned room for two is P750 per night. You get to choose between two single beds or one twin bed. There are also cheaper rooms in La Sofia (P450 per night) if you’re willing to put up with a communal bathroom.

Adventure Camp | Punta, Barangay Poblacion
Though some ways from the town center, Adventure Camp is near the coastline (Black sand though, not white). According to their manager, most guests are families and barkadas. A room for two goes for P800 per night, with air conditioning and a private bathroom.

More accommodations at Sablayan Tourism’s official website.

What to see
Apo Reef Natural Park

Did you know that Occidental Mindoro is home to the second largest contiguous coral reef in the entire world? We’re talking about Apo Reef, which has been protected by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, along with local government and volunteer divers.

Apo Reef is a two-hour bangka ride away from Sablayan proper. To maintain Apo Reef as a prime dive spot, there are no regular trips to the reef. Instead, all trips must be made through the Sablayan tourism office. The prices of bangka rental differ according to the number of tourists and the activities involved:

P7,500 for 10 people (snorkeling only)
P8,000 for 6 people (scuba diving; maximum of four dives)

Drew suggests waking up extra early. The “Biyahe ni Drew” team took the 4:00 AM bangka because the water and fish are calmer in the morning. Once you get to the Apo Reef Natural Park, which is the entire reef and the island it surrounds, take a walk to the park’s lighthouse where you get a 360-degree view of the reef.Want to spend the night at Apo Reef Natural Park? Overnight tent rental costs P300. You can set it up beside the island’s picnic benches, bring your own food, and you’re all set to watch the sun rise on Apo Reef’s white sand shore. (Fair warning: The bathrooms here don’t have mechanical flush. “Buhos method” is needed!)

Pandan Island
The 30-minute boat ride from Sablayan proper (the dock is located near the town market) to Pandan Island is already an adventure. For P500 (one-way), you can ride a glass-bottomed boat and might even see a pawikan before you even reach the island. The price, however, goes down to P150 per head if you’re traveling in a group.The island is also a French-managed resort popular with European tourists. The buffet features European and Filipino cuisine. If you’re not staying in the resort, the picnic fee is P100 for every adult. Once there, an in-house dive shop lets you snorkel or scuba dive. On a budget? You can always just relax on the white sand beach.

Additional expenses include a P275 environmental fee for divers and P55 for non-divers.

Libuao Lake and Siburan Forest
Spend an afternoon picnicking and boating in what Sablayan claims to be “one of the cleanest inland bodies of water” in the country. The lake is located within the sprawling Sablayan Penal Colony and Farm, where inmates are given the chance to study and farm instead of being cooped up all day. Bordering Libuao Lake is the Siburan Forest, a virgin forest where bird watchers can look for the endemic Mindoro Imperial Pigeon, Mindoro Tarictic Hornbill, and Mindoro Bleeding Heart.

A visit to Libuao Lake, Siburan Forest and the Penal Farm must be arranged through the Sablayan Tourism Office. The tourism officer will act as your tour guide and must be compensated according to the complexity of your itinerary—such as whether they need to find transportation for you.

Meeting the Mangyan
The original settlers of Mindoro were the Mangyan. Though they once lived by the coast, threats from Muslim pirates and Spanish colonizers drove them into the mountains, where many still live today. If you’d like to visit a Mangyan tribe, the Sablayan tourism office can help by organizing your visit and sending a tourism officer with you to guide you on proper etiquette.

When the ‘Biyahe ni Drew’ team visited the Mangyan Alangan tribe, they got to hear Mangyan love songs performed by tribal elders.

Don’t expect a grand show and costumes, though—the Mangyan tribe are content with showing tourists their houses, sitting under the trees, and making small talk with visitors (They told the “Biyahe ni Drew” team that they’d like to have a swimming pool in their community!).

Gifts of food and clothes are welcome, not as payment or charity, but as a way of saying “thank you” to the tribe for letting you glimpse their culture.
Where to eat
Camalig Restaurant
In coastal Sablayan, seafood is cheaper than chicken! At Camalig, all dishes are within the P100 to P300 range and are sized for sharing. Adobong pugita (chewy and slightly spicy octopus) goes for P200, while the crispy hipon platter costs P100. They also serve fresh juice made from seasonal fruits. Getting there is simple—just take a five-minute, P10 tricycle ride from the town plaza.

GVD Restaurant: Kainan sa Kubo
Tuna sashimi for P150? Count us in! Located beside the Sablayan Town Plaza, this restaurant serves Pinoy comfort food like bulalo, as well as a wide variety of seafood dishes. Apart from a wide variety of seafood, there’s no specific “taste” of Sablayan.

However, this family-friendly resto is great if you’re traveling with family. They have toy bikes and a play area that kids can use for free. A meal for three will run you about P135 to 300. They also serve merienda for P25 to P40 per person.

Tipid Tips
-Need to go online? Sablayan’s town plaza has free Wi-Fi!
-Resorts rent out diving and snorkeling gear, but the Sablayan tourism office has better rates:

Sablayan Tourism Office
P2000/day - all equipment, unlimited dive spots
Other dive shops
P1650/day - all equipment, one dive spot only

-Contact the Sablayan Tourism Office:
amazingsablayan@yahoo.com
Cell phone: 09294280431 or 09159953895
Landline: (043) 458-0028

Drew’s Budget for a Two-day Trip
Transportation via land travel and RORO ferry: P1,480 (This will be more expensive if you travel by airplane to San Jose)
Accommodations: P1,100
Food: P840
Activities: P2,395
Total: P5,815
-PF/GMA News

Tags: webexclusive, occidentalmindoro