Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
INFORMATION
Tourist information
There's a tourist o
ce (Mon-Fri
8am-5pm;
T
043 289 2824) at the entrance to Dangay pier.
Services
The Allied Savings Bank on Administration St
5
has an ATM (Mon-Fri 9am-3pm;
T
043 289 2749). There's
a Mercury Drug pharmacy next to Roxas Villas, and a
doctor's surgery at the
RL Ganan Hotel
.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
If you find yourself with a few hours to wait for a ferry, the best thing to do is to stay on
Dalahican Beach
, just
along the coast from Dangay pier, although most of these places get very busy on weekends. For something to
eat
,
try
LY F H o t e l
.
Cruzsmart Beach Resort
Dalahican
T
043 289 2421.
Simple resort with a pool (P75 for non-residents) and a/c
rooms which are rentable in 4-, 12- and 24hr segments. It
also has pergolas for rent (
P250/
half-day), but the bad
news is there is also karaoke.
P900
LYF Hotel
Roxas market, Bagumbayan
T
043 289
2819.
Painted brilliant orange, this place has small, lean
fan and a/c rooms with cable TV, although some have no
windows, and the
walls a
re very thin. The canteen serves
up some good food.
P350
South of Roxas
The coastal road south from Roxas trundles through
Mansalay
and on to the small
town of
Bulalacao
, the jumping-off point for a bangka ride to some beautiful and
remote islets, including Target, Aslom, Buyayao and
Tambaron Island
.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
SOUTH OF ROXAS
By bus
The road between Bulalacao and San José is now
surfaced all the way, making the journey to the airport
just 45min. Vans and jeepneys ply the coast north to Roxas
(1hr) and Calapan (4-5hr), and across to San José, but you
can also catch the twice daily service north and south on
Dimple Star buses (p.238).
By bangka
From Bulalacao you can hire bangkas to the
islands for P1000-1500.
ACCOMMODATION
Tambaron Green Beach Resort
Tambaron Island
T
0929 893 7871,
W
tambaron.com.
This charmingly
isolated resort has dorm beds and large, simple family
cabins set amid trees on a beach frequented by green sea
turtles. There's night-time electricity and a communal
kitchen. Meals are usually P175/person, and the ban
gka to
the island is P600 one
way.
Closed June-Oct. Dorm
P200
,
cabin (for two people)
P700
Mindoro Occidental
Aside from a few intrepid wildlife enthusiasts and divers around Sablayan,
Mindoro
Occidental
remains wonderfully undiscovered, and travellers with flexible travel plans
and a penchant for bumpy jeepney rides will have their efforts rewarded with wild
jungle-covered mountains, remote beaches, and maybe meetings with a few local
Mangyan people along the way.
San José
on the southwest coast has the only functioning airport on Mindoro and
makes a logical gateway for trips north to the fishing town of
Sablayan
, itself the
jumping-off point for a sight no scuba diver should miss, the
Apo Reef Marine Natural
Park
, a vast reef complex offering some of the best diving in the world. As well as
organizing a trip from Sablayan, you can also do so in advance at a dive shop in Manila
(see p.84) or Busuanga (see box, p.395). Sablayan is also a base for a visit to the
Mounts
Iglit-Baco National Park
, home to the tamaraw - a dwarf buffalo endemic to Mindoro
and in acute danger of extinction - and to
Sablayan Watershed Forest Reserve
, a
lowland forest with beautiful Lake Libuao at its centre. The northwest of the island is
little visited, though there are some unspoilt beaches around the town of
Mamburao
,
the low-key capital of Mindoro Occidental.
