Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Looc and Santa Fe
The main town on Tablas is
LOOC
, a scenic place huddled among palm trees against a
curtain of jungled hills and facing a wide natural harbour. It's worth hiring a bangka
from the pier, at the southern edge of town near the
Morales Lodging Inn
, to explore the
pretty bay and coves around Looc. Of principal interest is the
Looc Bay Marine Refuge
and Sanctuary
, an area of the bay guarded 24 hours a day to allow corals damaged by
dynamite fishing to regenerate. The guards, all volunteers, are stationed on a bamboo
platform and are happy to welcome tourists aboard and let them snorkel in the area.
Donations in the form of soft drinks and snacks are appreciated.
Further south there are good beaches in the district of
Santa Fe
, although the town
itself is little more than the jumping off point for boats to Carabao.
6
INFORMATION
TABLAS ISLAND
Tourist information
The tourist o
ce is in the Capitol
Building on Looc's town plaza (8am-noon & 1-5pm;
T
0998 318 5890;
W
romblonprov.gov.ph).
Services
In Looc, the Brainstorm Internet Café, near
the tourist office, has reasonably fast web access. In
Odiongan, there's a small internet café and BPI bank
with ATM on the plaza, plus a PNB bank with ATM on
Formilleza St.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
ODIONGAN
Islands Gourmet Deli
Quezon St
T
0919 483 8531.
The
best food in Tablas served up in this cosy little restaurant
decked out in native materials. Organic ingredients are
sourced locally to make tasty dishes ranging from stone-
baked pizzas to BBQ chicken and pork, plus delicious
smoothies.
Daily 7am-9pm.
Lyn's Snacks
Rizal St.
Directly below the
Odiongan Plaza
Lodge
, this place has outdoor seating where you can fill up
on cheap local dishes (from P80).
Daily 7am-7pm.
Odiongan Plaza Lodge
Rizal St
T
042 567 5760.
The
best place in town for a short stay enjoys a central location
opposite the town hall on the plaza and
has we
ll-kept a/c
rooms with tiled floors and hot showers.
P1000
friendly place has
a/c an
d private bathrooms, and there's a
simple restaurant.
P800
Morales Lodging Inn
Looc Pier.
This place is a little run-
down but still comfortable, and the fri
endly
owner is
something of an oracle on ferry schedules.
P500
Pacific Garden Restaurant
Town plaza.
Chinese place
serving noodle soup, piping-hot fried rice and deliciously
peppery adobo, which comes with a lump of freshly
steamed rice. Mains P80-150.
Daily 7am-9pm.
SANTA FE
By the Sea Resort
Campong Beach
T
0999 664 3917,
W
bythesearesort-tablas.com.
Lovely little Italian-
owned resort with huts nestled into the hillside above a
pretty stretch of white sand, where there's also a pool.
Rates sound expensive, but include include three top-
notch meals a d
ay, plus
snacks, drinks and even Italian
wine with dinner.
P3600
per person
Morel's Private Island Resort
Guinbiyaran Bay
T
0926 688 7564,
W
morelisland.com.
Sitting on its
own tiny island, this charming resort has a budget beach
cottage with kitchen sleeping six (P1800), and small,
attractive rooms, mostly with shared bathrooms. The resort
can arrange pick-up from Santa Fe, from where it's a
20-30min drive to the pier at Guinbiyaran and then a short
bangka ride. Alternati
vely the
y can arrange a boat direct
from Boracay (P5000).
P1000
SAN AGUSTIN
August Inn
Town plaza
T
0919 592 2495.
An adequate
little lodging house with a/c rooms. Most rooms share
communal bath
rooms
, although some of the doubles are
en suite (P800).
P400
Kamella Lodge
Town plaza
T
0919 610 7104.
Next
door to
August Inn
, this place
has sm
all, ordinary a/c rooms
that are okay for a short stay.
P400
LOOC
Marduke Hotel
Grimares St, near the town plaza
T
042 509 4078.
Each of the eight rooms at this small,
Romblon Island
Romblon Island
has been extensively quarried for decades to get at the beautiful
Romblon marble, a favourite with the rich and famous in Manila. It's a picturesque
island, with a pretty harbourside capital, an interior buzzing with wildlife and a coastal
road, partly cemented, that you can whip around in half a day past some enticing
beaches with a number of simple resorts.
Romblon Town
itself is a pretty place, with
