Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
Island and the Apo Reef Marine Natural Park, head to the
friendly Sablayan Eco-Tourism O
ce (Mon-Sat 8am-noon
& 1-5pm;
T
0928 465 9585,
W
sablayan.net) in the town
plaza.
ACCOMMODATION
La Sofia Apartelle 483
P. Urieta St, Brgy Buenavista
T
043 743 0209.
The simple but clean and modern rooms
in the new wing of
La Sofia Apartelle
have a/c, free wi-fi
and cable TV (P750). Fan-cooled rooms with shared
bath
-
room in the older main building are basic but clean.
P450
Landmanz Hotel
8914 Arellano St, Brgy Buenavista
T
043 458 0182.
Barebones but clean rooms and cheaper
than
La Sofia Apartelle
, though the plu
mbing
can be
sketchy. Has a mediocre restaurant attached.
P400
Sablayan Adventure Camp
Punta, Poblacion
T
0917
850 0410,
W
sablayanadventurecamp.com.
Out by the
pier, this cheery establishment has spacious a/c rooms set
in cottages looking out to the beach, although the walls
dividing the rooms don't stretch to the ceiling, meaning
you'll hear everything that your neighbours do. They also
have a f
fairly
basic restaurant and can arrange boats to
Pandan.
P800
EATING
Camalig Restaurant
National Hwy.
Excellent seafood
(P100-300) served in big portions designed to share - try
the exceptional
adobong pugita
(spicy octopus). They also
serve fresh seasonal fruit juices. The restaurant is a 5min
tricycle ride (P10) from the main plaza.
Daily 11am-9pm.
GVD Restaurant
(on the main plaza).
Another seafood
specialist, not quite as good as
Camalig
, though conve-
niently located in the centre of town. Serves various sushi/
sashimi, as well as Filipino favourites such as adobo and
buffalo
. Kids get to amuse themselves on toy bikes in the
playground. Mains P140-200, and merienda P25-40/
person.
Daily 6am-10pm.
Mounts Iglit-Baco National Park
The isolated and wonderfully raw jungles of
Mounts Iglit-Baco National Park
are
dominated by the twin peaks of
Mount Baco
(2488m) and
Mount Iglit
(2364m).
It can take up to two days of tough hiking to reach the peak of Mount Iglit,
while the vegetation is so dense there have been no of
cially recorded ascents of
Mount Baco.
There are also a number of more leisurely treks through the foothills to areas in
which you are most likely to see the endangered
tamaraw
(
Bubalus mindorensis
), a
dwarf buffalo endemic to the island (the 2013 annual headcount identified just 374
individual animals in the wild, but the total is now rising every year). The tamaraw,
whose horns grow straight upwards in a distinctive “V” formation, has fallen victim
to hunting, disease and deforestation in the past, and to create more awareness of its
plight there is talk of designating it the country's national animal. The Sablayan
Eco-Tourism O
ce (see above) can advise on visits to the
Tamaraw Conservation
Program
, known as the “Gene Pool Farm”, a small laboratory where scientists are
trying to breed the tamaraw in captivity. Apart from tamaraw, the park is also prime
habitat for the Philippine deer, wild pigs and other endemic species such as the
Mindoro scops owl and the Mindoro imperial pigeon. It's also home to two
Mangyan
groups - the Tau-Buid and Buhid - some of whom you are likely to meet
on guided hikes.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
MOUNTS IGLIT
BACO NATIONAL PARK
By bus/jeepney
Reaching the park by public transport
from Sablayan means taking one of the regular buses or
jeepneys south along the coastal road to the barangay of
Popoy, then a jeepney up the bumpy and rutted track to
the park itself.
Guided hikes
To visit the park, you'll first have to secure
a permit (free) and arrange a guide (P1500-2000 for up to
three days), either in San José at the Protected Area O
ce
(see p.255) or the Sablayan Eco-Tourism O
ce (see above).
Both of these of
ces can help put together all of the
logistics for your trip, including camping options. Guided
hikes usually include a 3hr stroll to the park bunkhouse
(aka station 2) where you can stay the night, before the
steep hike up to Mt Magawang (just above station 3; 2hr)
where you should see the famed buffalo (and can also
spend the night).
