Browsing the blog archive for Occidental Mindoro Travel Guide | Ambot ah! Travel Blog
Last summer, I spent eight weeks on a series of short trips across Luzon. I called Manila my new home and each week I’d go out to visit particular places near Manila that I’ve always wanted to see but never got the chance before. I guess the reason was because I’ve put them off in favor of more far-flung and exotic destinations. I guess it seemed more appealing to visit Palawan, for example, than to spend some nights in Batangas or Laguna. Since I’ve already crossed out a couple of places in my “Philippine travel wishlist,” the time was ripe to visit a couple of interesting places that most Manilenyos have probably grown tired of by now. On my second week, I visited “Puerto Galera,” known as Manila’s cheaper alternative to Boracay. For me, however, I considered Puerto Galera as my gateway to Mindoro Island.
Before
Day 3
- 12:50am – ETA Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro. ETD same time.
- Ride bus to Sablayan – P200
- 4:00am – ETA Sablayan town proper
- 5:00am – Ms. Norie from the Sablayan Municipal Tourism Office opened up shop. See Apo Reef / Pandan Island guide by Lakwatsero for planning tips.
- Registeration for Apo Reef Tour
- Pay pumpboat charter share – P3,500 for our group (there were 4 of us), which is half of the price of chartering the whole boat. Shared the boat with a group of divers
- 6:00am – “Market run” to buy food for the overnight trip
- 7:15am – ETD Sablayan mainland
- 9:15am – ETA Apo Reef Island. Brunch. Set-up Camp
- 12:00nn – Snorkeling “Hila”
- 4:45pm – Walking tour of the Island: mangroves, lake, and the lighthouse
- Dinner
- Sleep: Tents
Day 4
- Breakfast. Break camp
- 11:00am – ETD Apo Reef
- Stop over at a shipwreck. Visible by snorkeling.
- 3:00pm – ETA Sablayan mainland
- Check-in at the hostel beside the public market (forgot the name)
- fan room with single bed and shared TB – P200 per night
- Late Lunch at the bus terminal – P40
- 5:00pm – Bid goodbye to my travel companions because they had to go back to Manila
- Walk to Parola Park (located uphill) and the Lumang Simbahan (located behind the Elementary School). Gorgeous sunset views at Parola Park
- Tricycle ride back to the public market - P8
Day 5
- 10:00am – Wake-up
- 11:20am – Check-out. Ride tricycle to the bus terminal.
- 11:45am – ETD Sablayan
- 2:25am – ETA Abra de Ilog Port. Wait for “3:30pm” RORO trip to Batangas Port
- 3:30pm – board Abra de Ilog to Batangas RORO
- Fare – P260
- Terminal fee – P10
- 4:30pm – ETD Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro
- 6:30pm – ETA Batangas Port, Batangas City
In the Philippine Ilonggo dialect, ambot ah literally means "I don't know." After graduating in college, I decided to hold off pursuing my profession and embarked on a free spirited journey of adventure and self-discovery. My travels have led me to many places across the Philippine Islands and South East Asia. I don't know where this path will take me but I'm certain I'll get a lifetime of stories out of it.
