WANNA TEMPORARILY DISAPPEAR?
July 15th 2008 00:00
Right, that’s what I said - disappear, but only for a while, and only if you want to. Once you have decided that you really want to do that, I’ll point you to a place. Well, there is the place
– it’s called Pandan Island located in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro.
It is out of the beaten path, far from civilization. Away from the rowdy crowds - and not everybody is allowed. Not at the same time anyway. The resort owner has a limit to the number of guests they will accept at any given moment. If I heard right, the maximum is 40.
It is a truly idyllic place. Make sure you’ve put away all those pressing matters needing your attention before you even decide to go there. Why? Well, try this on for size… the moment you set your foot into that pearly white beach, you are totally cut-off from the modern world!
Well, not exactly. It is only a kilometer away off the town of Sablayan to the West and accessible by even the smallest boat. A motorized “banca” (some refer to them as “water taxi”) can get you there in about 15 minutes - if you are already in Sablayan.
By the way, don't go looking for a port if you want to ride one of those "water cabs." The are plying the length of that wide river inside the town. Position yourself along the concrete river bank and you will soon spot a vacant one.
But please take note, this island has no cable television. No telephone system. No disco clubs. No shopping malls. No walkin’ on the Ritz! In short, none of the usual amenities you expect from…uh… your usual destinations! What you get here is peaceful surroundings, unspoiled beaches, a grand time kayaking, snorkeling or playing beach volleyball with the Filipino staff or even with the other guests.
This place has the best dive sites being in close proximity to the Apo Reef. Apo Reef is a UNESCO Heritage park encompassing a 34 square kilometers of coral reefs located within the waters of Occidental Mindoro. It is the world's second-largest contiguous coral reef system and the largest in the Philippines.
Nope, don’t think that its close proximity to the town of Sablayan can immediately transport you back to modern day living.
In fact, getting to Sablayan deserves a bit of a space to tell. You need to travel either by air or by sea and then by land in order to get there. It is not that far, but if you chose to travel by sea you’ll start your journey by taking a two to three hour (2 to 3) bus ride to Batangas City.
From there, you take an overnight ferry (12 hours) to San Jose, Occidental Mindoro then a three to four hour passenger jeep or bus ride to Sablayan. That last leg of the trip is thru a dusty rough road.
An alternate route requires a shorter boat ride from Batangas City to Abra de Ilog (about two and a half) but a longer land travel not very different from what you’ll go thru if you go by San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.
Like anywhere else, I suppose, an aircraft can get you there in much less time from Manila. About half an hour flight, actually. However, the closest commercial airport is (guess where?) in San Jose, occidental Mindoro and so, you will still travel via that rough and dusty road I mentioned earlier.
There’s an air-strip some 10 to 15 kilometers south of Sablayan but you need your own (or a chartered) plane and an adventurous pilot to use it. Not very many planes touches the ground here, just yet.
Frankly, I have no idea how the Western people managed to find the place before the onset of the internet, but the island was developed by a Frenchman and most of its visitors are Europeans.
But it is a nice place to be if you want to take it easy and to temporarily disappear.
Pandan Island, Sablayan, Occ. Mindoro as viewed from Google Earth
– it’s called Pandan Island located in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro.
It is out of the beaten path, far from civilization. Away from the rowdy crowds - and not everybody is allowed. Not at the same time anyway. The resort owner has a limit to the number of guests they will accept at any given moment. If I heard right, the maximum is 40.
It is a truly idyllic place. Make sure you’ve put away all those pressing matters needing your attention before you even decide to go there. Why? Well, try this on for size… the moment you set your foot into that pearly white beach, you are totally cut-off from the modern world!
It's all white beach at Pandan Island. Pic source. www.pandan.com
By the way, don't go looking for a port if you want to ride one of those "water cabs." The are plying the length of that wide river inside the town. Position yourself along the concrete river bank and you will soon spot a vacant one.
But please take note, this island has no cable television. No telephone system. No disco clubs. No shopping malls. No walkin’ on the Ritz! In short, none of the usual amenities you expect from…uh… your usual destinations! What you get here is peaceful surroundings, unspoiled beaches, a grand time kayaking, snorkeling or playing beach volleyball with the Filipino staff or even with the other guests.
View from a water taxi Pic source www.pandan.com
This place has the best dive sites being in close proximity to the Apo Reef. Apo Reef is a UNESCO Heritage park encompassing a 34 square kilometers of coral reefs located within the waters of Occidental Mindoro. It is the world's second-largest contiguous coral reef system and the largest in the Philippines.
Nope, don’t think that its close proximity to the town of Sablayan can immediately transport you back to modern day living.
Bungalow accommodations at Pandan Island. Source: www.pandan.com
In fact, getting to Sablayan deserves a bit of a space to tell. You need to travel either by air or by sea and then by land in order to get there. It is not that far, but if you chose to travel by sea you’ll start your journey by taking a two to three hour (2 to 3) bus ride to Batangas City.
From there, you take an overnight ferry (12 hours) to San Jose, Occidental Mindoro then a three to four hour passenger jeep or bus ride to Sablayan. That last leg of the trip is thru a dusty rough road.
An alternate route requires a shorter boat ride from Batangas City to Abra de Ilog (about two and a half) but a longer land travel not very different from what you’ll go thru if you go by San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.
Like anywhere else, I suppose, an aircraft can get you there in much less time from Manila. About half an hour flight, actually. However, the closest commercial airport is (guess where?) in San Jose, occidental Mindoro and so, you will still travel via that rough and dusty road I mentioned earlier.
There’s an air-strip some 10 to 15 kilometers south of Sablayan but you need your own (or a chartered) plane and an adventurous pilot to use it. Not very many planes touches the ground here, just yet.
Frankly, I have no idea how the Western people managed to find the place before the onset of the internet, but the island was developed by a Frenchman and most of its visitors are Europeans.
But it is a nice place to be if you want to take it easy and to temporarily disappear.
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Comment by Fobzy
Fobz
I like it, Honeymoon material perhaps? But, the again, where's the horses?
Comment by Market Newbie
Stock Market Punk