Mindoro Occidental - "A 3-day Escape to the Land of Mangyans and Tamaraws"

Few weeks ago, I went on a 3-day escape to Occidental Mindoro with my good friend Benj. It was an unplanned trip, so we don't have any prepared itinerary. We just relied on what we know about the province.

DAY 1

We took the RORO boat in Batangas Port bound for Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro. Various shipping lines offer the Batangas-Abra de Ilog route, we chose Montenegro shipping lines and boarded their MV Maria Zenaida ship. Fare is Php 208 pesos, travel time is about 2.5 hours.


Upon reaching Abra de Ilog, we took a bus bound for San Jose. We got off at the town of Sta. Cruz because Benj has to do some errands there. The fare from Abra de Ilog to Sta. Cruz is 120 pesos, travel time is about an hour.


After finishing all the things he needs to do, we took an ordinary bus bound for San Jose and got off at the town of Sablayan. It is the biggest municipality of the province and boasts to be the "Tourism Capital of Occidental Mindoro". Fare is 80 pesos and travel time is about 2 hours.

This bus ride is very memorable as we got to interact with a mangyan in one of the stop overs.

On day 1, we went to:

Sablayan Museum


Pandan Island




DAY 2

After spending a night in Pandan Island, we went back to the town proper of Sablayan and explored some of the interesting places that can be found there.

Presing Park

Municipal Town Hall


Public Market


Hanging Bridge



After taking our lunch in one of the eateries in the market, we decided to go to Maburao and spend the night there. It is the capital of the province, and perhaps a good spot for a Saturday night gimik. Hehehe!!! We took a Manila bound bus and got off at the town proper of Mamburao. Fare is around 150 pesos and travel time is about 3 hours.

DAY 3

On our last day in the province, we visited some of the interesting places that this town offers.

Mamburao Sea Wall


Capitol Complex


Our Lady of the Pillar Church


A 1-hour van ride going to Abra de Ilog port and then riding the RORO boat bound for Batangas City culminated this once in a lifetime adventure.


It was indeed a very liberating experience. To explore a province that I don't have much information about. And being able to relax, unwind and just be myself. One thing I could say, Sablayan is truly amazing!

Hope to come back soon and be able to swim with sea turtles and other sea creatures in the world famous Apo reef. That would truly be an experience to watch out for!

More stories about the things we did, the places we've been to and the experiences we gained in this trip on my next posts.

This 3-day escape to the land of Tamaraws and Mangyans happened last January 14-16, 2011. Here is a series of posts on our trip to one of the most underrated tourist destinations in our country, Occidental Mindoro. Discover the places we've been to, the people we met, the food we tasted and the experience we gained in this remarkable escapade. "A 3-day Escape to the Land of Mangyans and Tamaraws" | The Quaint Town of Sta. Cruz | Amazing Sablayan! | Pandan Island, a Simple yet Comfortable Hideaway | The Capital Municipality of Mamburao