Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sablayan Watershed Forest Reserve
Hire a vehicle and driver in Sablayan (P2500 for a day-trip), or take a bus along the coastal road and ask to be dropped at the turn-off for
the penal colony, near the town of Pianag; buses and jeepneys run from Pianag for the return trip
he
Sablayan Watershed Forest Reserve
is unusual among protected wilderness areas
because it contains the
Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm
, a huge open prison for low-risk
inmates established in the 1950s, surrounded by agricultural lands worked by the
prisoners. The inmates also produce handicrafts, and are distinguishable from the
guards only by their orange T-shirts and the fact that they are not armed. Nearby are
a number of villages where staff and prisoners' families live; beyond the last of these
villages is a motorable track that ends on the edge of the dense Siburan Forest, close
to Lake Libuao.
5
Lake Libuao
P50
Shallow, roughly circular
Lake Libuao
is covered in lotuses and alive with birds,
including kingfishers, bitterns, egrets and purple herons. An undulating footpath
around the lake makes for some wonderful walking, taking you through the edge of the
forest and through glades from where there are views across the water; you'll see locals
balanced precariously on small wooden bangkas fishing for tilapia. If you're reasonably
fit you can walk round the lake in three hours, starting and finishing at the penal
colony, though allow an hour to get between the colony and the main road.
North Pandan Island
Idyllic
North Pandan Island
, ringed by a halo of fine white sand, coral reefs and coconut
palms, lies 2km off the west coast of Mindoro. In 1994 a sanctuary was established
around the eastern half of the island so the
marine life
is exceptional; with a mask and
snorkel you can see big grouper, all sorts of coral fishes, even the occasional turtle
(sharks are very rare, however).
The island is the site of the well-run
Pandan Island Resort
(see below). On most
days the resort's scuba-diving centre organizes day-trips to
Apo Reef
(see p.258), and
longer overnight safaris both to Apo and to Busuanga, off northern Palawan (see
p.390), if there are enough passengers. Even if you don't dive, there's plenty to keep you
occupied on and around the island itself, including kayaking, jungle treks, windsurfing
and sailing.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
NORTH PANDAN ISLAND
By boat
If you want to just visit the island for the day
(open to day guests 8am-6pm only), it's easy to arrange a
boat to Pandan (those staying at the resort can take a
bangka; see below) from the Sablayan Eco-Tourism O
ce
(see opposite). You'll need to pay a P100 fee to set foot on
the island. Once there, the
Pandan Island Resort
's dive shop
will kit you out for snorkelling or scuba diving (from P1650
with equipment). There's also an additional “environmental
fee” of P275 for divers and P55 for non-divers; guests at the
resort also pay these fees.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
★
Pandan Island Resort
T
0919 305 7821,
W
pandan
.com.
This well-run, back-to-nature private hideaway was
developed by the French adventurer who “discovered” the
island in 1986. There are four types of accommodation:
budget rooms, standard double bungalows (P1600), larger
bungalows for four (P2400) and family houses for up to six
(P3450). During the diving season (Nov-May) the island is
so popular that all rooms are often taken, so it's important to
book in advance. Guests are required to take at least one
buffet meal (P470) at the resort restaurant every day, and
this is no bad thing: the chef dishes up excellent European
and Filipino cuisine (try the tangy fish salad in vinegar) and
the beach bar serves some unforgettable tropical cocktails.
There is an internet point set up in the diveshop (P150/hr).
To get there, take a tricycle to “Punta“ where the resort
bangka charges P200 for one person and P50 for each
additi
onal p
erson (plus P50 for night crossings). Budget
rooms
P800
