Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sibuyan Island
The easternmost of the Romblon group, verdant
Sibuyan Island
has everything the
adventurous traveller could dream of: a sparkling coastline; a thickly forested interior;
and a couple of daunting mountain peaks, most notably the ragged, saw-like bulk of
Mount Guiting Guiting
. Dubbed “The Galapagos of Asia”, the island moreover boasts an
extraordinarily rich range of
wildlife
, including 700 plant species and 131 species of
bird. Five mammal species (one fruit bat and four rodents) are unique to the island.
Much of Sibuyan was declared a nature reserve in 1996. However, this has not
prevented the island from being targeted as a potential mineral mining site, and
- much to the dismay of environmentalists and local communities - a Canadian
mining company was granted exploratory mining rights in 2009. A moratorium on
mining operations in 2011 marked a small victory for environmentalists, though
corporations continue to conduct research.
Sibuyan's 47,000 residents, mostly subsistence farmers and hunters who rely on the
forest and the ocean to supplement their meagre incomes, rarely see tourists but some
know every cove, trail and cave on the island and are happy to act as guides. Most
Sibuyan residents live in three towns,
San Fernando
,
Cajidiocan
and
Magdiwang
; most
ferries dock at the latter.
6
Mount Guiting Guiting
Permits (P300), guides (P800-1000/day) and porters (P400-600/day) can be organized at Mount Guiting Guiting Natural Park
headquarters (
T
0928 490 1038) • The park is accessed by an 8km tricycle ride from Magdiwang (P100)
Rising directly from the coastal plain to a height of 2050m, the extinct volcano
Mount
Guiting Guiting
is an unforgettable sight. This is not a climb to be undertaken lightly
and if you plan on doing any serious trekking or climbing, you'll have to bring all your
equipment with you. The trail to the top of the mountain (affectionately known as G2
by climbers) starts from the
Mount Guiting Guiting Natural Park
headquarters. It starts
gently enough, winding through pleasant lowlands, but soon becomes very steep and
culminates in a precarious traverse across “the knife edge” to the summit. Even
experienced mountaineers regularly fail to summit, and you'll need to allow three days
for the round trip including ten hours for the ascent.
Next to Guiting Guiting is
Mayo's Peak
(1530m), a secondary summit that, like its
neighbour, is cloaked in mossy forests, ferns and rare orchids. The trek to the top is
more straightforward, requiring only 24 hours.
ACCOMMODATION
SIBUYAN ISLAND
Sanctuary Garden Resort
By the start of the trail
up Mt Guiting Guiting
T
0920 217 4127,
W
sanctuary
gardenresort.com.
This well-located place provides a
great alternative to a beach stay, and offers everything
from camping and dorm beds to a/c rooms with fridges, TVs
and DVD players (P1800). They also rent out bicycles for
P200/day -
grea
t for ex
ploring
the surrounding country-
side. Dorm
P250
, double
P1100
Vicky's Place
M.H. Del Pilar St, Magdiwang
T
0920 530
8533.
Next to the elementary school, this family home
features bright, airy upstairs guest rooms with a sh
ared b
ath-
room. There's also a good restaurant in the garden.
P600
Carabao Island
Only 6km wide from the capital of
San José
on the east coast to
Lanas
on the west,
beautiful little
Carabao Island
is an idyllic place where fishing is the main industry and
tourism has only just begun to have an impact.
Divers
arrive on day-trips to explore the
dozen well-known dive sites in the reefs around the island, or, if you want to stay
longer, there are a few decent resorts at
Inobahan Beach
, the island's best - a 1km
stretch of powdery white sand a couple of minutes' walk from
Port Said
, where bangkas
arrive. It's easy to hire a motorbike in San José to get around; an enjoyable ride takes
you to
Tagaytay Point
, the highest point on the island from where there are magnificent
views across to Boracay and beyond.
