Ever experienced living behind the shadows? Like you have this super famous sister or a best friend perhaps that people so adore they keep talking how beautiful, smart and talented she is and you can’t help but take a backseat. That no matter how you resemble those qualities, people won’t seem to notice. It’s like there’s an invisible wall, so big, it forbids you to shine. Yeah, it sucks. It must have really suck and that probably how Romblon felt about being behind the shadow of Boracay for a very long time.
Romblon is one of the rarely explored provinces of the Philippines. While it is just 45 minutes of boat ride away from the world famous island, Boracay, it doesn’t seem to share a bit of the limelight. Few have ventured into these parts of our country which makes it bittersweet. While I love destinations which are off the tourists’ radar, I also believe that people has to see how beautiful the world is. Romblon is no exception.
They say people tends to destroy beautiful things that some travelers choose to rather keep unknown places to themselves. But I say, let these places teach us a thing or two. Let it move us and make us stewards of their preservation. A secret can’t last forever. I definitely can’t keep Romblon a secret no matter how much I want to. It deserves more. More eyes to adore it. More lips to tell wonderful stories about it. More minds to keep thinking about it and hearts to love it so deeply they can’t bear to see it ruined. Romblon is such a beauty and is simply one of the best that it just can’t stay hidden in the shadows far too long.
OUR 4-DAY ROMBLON ITINERARY
Our 4-Day Romblon Itinerary is not the most ideal at all since we just worked around what our limited time could afford us taking into consideration the holiday rush, transportation, and price. We went there during the Holy Week as we wanted to escape the holiday crowd and we all know how traveling during the holidays could easily become a nightmare. And as much as we wanted to keep everything cheap, it didn’t which is what we expected of our traditional Holy Week Escape. The previous year was epic in the Babuyan Islands and this year, we wanted to take the fun a notch higher in Romblon. Since flying to Romblon was not an option (expensive and no flights on our travel date), we took Batangas Port as our gateway and Caticlan our jump-off point. So, allow me to share how it all went down.
Day 1 – The Breathtaking Carabao Island
Carabao Island is said to be the twin sister of Boracay. This island haunted me for years because personally, who wouldn’t wanna know if some island out there has the same powdery white sand as Boracay. Although Calaguas Island came really close, Boracay however (in my opinion) is still in a whole different level. So I thought they wouldn’t call it its twin sister for nothing and I just couldn’t pass at the chance to see it. Since we were going to Romblon, there was no way Carabao Island is off the itinerary. Hence, this was where we were on our first day.
My first impression of Carabao Island upon seeing it was “Wow!” When my foot touched its sand upon disembarking, I couldn’t believe how it seemed to have the same sands as Boracay. It truly is its twin sister but cuter and with more innocence. It’s untouched and raw packed with all the tropical goodness from towering palm trees along the shoreline to the caves and stunning cliff diving spots. Although I still think the sun sets more beautifully in Boracay but Carabao Island definitely did not disappoint.
| What To See | White Beach Cathedral Cave Koding Koding Point Tagaytay Point Ngiriton Bat Cave |
| What Are The Fees | Motorcycle - P700 Cathedral Cave - P100 Koding Koding - P100 Tagaytay Point - P70 |
| Sample Itinerary (Caticlan Entry Point) | 0600 Caticlan Port. Tric To Tabon Baybay Port 0615 Tabon Baybay Port. Breakfast 0700 ETD Carabao Island 0800 ETA Carabao Island. Go To Homestay 0830 Homestay. Settle Stuff 0900 Explore White Beach 1200 Lunch 1300 Cathedral Cave 1500 Koding Koding Point 1700 Tagaytay Point. View Sunset. 1800 Homestay. Rest 1900 Dinner 1000 Lights Out |
| Day 1 Expenses | Tric To Tabon Baybay Port - P25 Boat To Carabao Island - P100 Registration Fee - P50 Breakfast - P45 Tour - P700 Entrance Fees - P170 Food - P485 Homestay - P100 Total - P1675/Person |
Tips:
- Touring Carabao Island is done best with a motorcycle. Either you rent one or hire a habal-habal to drive you around. Habal-habal normally costs P500 for one whole day of tour but this price could go up during holidays.
- Make sure to reserve your accommodation in advance especially if you are going here on weekends or on holidays.
- If your entry point is in Caticlan, go to Tabon Baybay Port early as there could be limited trips and boats fill up pretty quickly.
- If you are in Tablas, entry point is Sta. Fe Port which is a 2-hour jeepney ride away from Odiongan.
- If you are headed to Tablas Island by the end of the day, last passenger boat to Sta. Fe leaves at 4PM. No trips during holidays and you may need to charter a boat for P3000.
- Make sure to bring enough cash before going to the island as there are no ATMs available there.
Where To Stay In Carabao Island:
Day 2 – Exploring Bonbon Beach, Cobrador & Alad Islands
Our first day spent in Carabao Island was such a blast. But as much as we wanna stay for one more day, there is so much more to see in Romblon. Hence early the following morning, we got ourselves on a boat going to Santa Fe in Tablas Island. We were en route Romblon Island, the province’s marble capital as we heard, it’s home to a gorgeous beach and surrounded by stunning islands. The journey going there was no joke as people were trying to rip us off from our boat ride to Santa Fe to our ride going to San Agustin. Things lighten up a bit when we got our ferryboat ride to Romblon Island cheap at P2000. Imagine a boat that could load up 50-60 passengers paying P100 each agreed to such a bargain. Beat that!
We went straight to island hopping upon reaching Romblon Island. The passenger boat owner was also gracious to arrange for us our island hopping boat for P1500. We headed first to Cobrador Island where we got to see amazing rock formations, fine sugary white sand beach, crystal clear waters, and a stretch of palm trees. We headed to Alad Island next since the other island we were supposed to visit could not be accessed due to rough seas and for the same reason, we were not able to try those several cliff diving spots. We capped off the day with a beautiful sunset in Bonbon Beach, which beauty and charm compensated enough for all the stress we went through that day.
| What To See | Cobrador Island Alad Island Logbon Island Bonbon Beach Cliff Diving Spots |
| What Are The Fees | Island Hopping Boat - P1500 Entrance Fees - P30/Island |
| Sample Itinerary (San Agustin Entry Point) | 0700 San Agustin Port 0800 ETD Romblon Island 0900 ETA Romblon Island. Check In Hotel 0930 Start Island Hopping 1015 Cobrador Island 1200 Lunch 1300 Cliff Diving at Cascarro Islet 1400 Alad Island 1600 Logbon Island Sandbar 1700 Bonbon Beach. Bathe & Sunset 1800 Romblon Proper 1900 Dinner 1000 Lights Out Note: We left Carabao Island at 5AM and reached Sta. Fe an hour later. Our ride from Sta. Fe to San Agustin lasted 2Hrs. |
| Day 2 Expenses | Boat Carabao-Sta. Fe @ P3000/7Pax - P429 Van Sta. Fe-Sn. Agustin @ P4000/7Pax - P572 Boat To Romblon @ P2000/7Pax - P285 Island Hopping @ P1500/7Pax - P215 Lunch - P250 Dinner - P250 Hotel - P415 Total - P2416/Person ***This day would have cost us P1500 more or less had there been passenger boats and public UVs available. |
Tips:
- If you are traveling here on a non-working holiday or during the Holy Week, expect that nothing comes cheap. Regular public transpo is limited to non-existent.
- Reserve your accommodation beforehand if you are traveling during peak season or during the holidays.
Where To Stay In Tablas & Romblon Islands:
Day 3&4 – The Enchanting Cresta De Gallo
My friends and I are big fans of all things virgin. Not that there’s the slightest spec of virginity in us (LOL) but we got this certain fascination about untouched and remote places. There’s something about their pureness and rawness that we find impeccable and riveting each time. Cresta De Gallo embodies such pureness that we could not bare missing the chance to explore it during this trip. Our third and last day was spent unraveling the mystic of this island and we absolutely loved it!
Going here was no easy peasy. We even faced the possibility of our voyage to Sibuyan Island being canceled. Restless from island hopping the day before but at 6AM, we already got our asses in Romblon Port just to not miss our trip. Sadly, due to the lack of passengers, the RoRo did not leave until 8AM. We arrived in Sibuyan Island after 2 hours and quickly got into the bumpiest jeepney ride of our lives from Magdiwang to San Fernando. At 2PM that day, our eyes were already feasting on cerulean waters and the endless strip of fine white sands. Cresta De Gallo was a paradise and our Holy Week Escapade couldn’t have been better anywhere else.
| What To See | Cresta De Gallo Island Busay Falls Cantingas River Lambingan Falls |
| What Are The Fees | Boat To Cresta De Gallo (Overnight) - P6000 |
| Sample Itinerary (Entry Point Romblon Island) | 0530 Romblon Port 0600 ETD Magdiwang Port (Sibuyan) 0800 ETA Magdiwang Port (Sibuyan) Breakfast Jeep to San Fernando 1000 ETA San Fernando. Buy Provisions 1100 Early Lunch 1200 Boat To Cresta De Gallo 1230 ETA Cresta De Gallo. Set Up Camp 1300 Start Exploring. Photo Ops. Take A Dip 1700 Sunset Viewing 1800 Dinner & Drinks 2200 Lights Out ***The following day can be spent entirely in Cresta De Gallo or you can go back to San Fernando after lunch and visit Cantingas River. |
| Day 3&4 Expenses | RoRo To Sibuyan Island - P190 Jeep To San Fernando - P200 Terminal Fee - P15 Boat Cresta De Gallo @ P6000/7 - P860 Food Day 3&4 - P400 Total - P1665 |
| Contact Person | Ate Vicky (Boat) - 0926 462 3377 |
Tips:
- Prepare for a bumpy jeepney ride from Magdiwang to San Fernando. Not sure about the roads now but during our visit, it was unpaved and rugged which made the ride worse than a turbulent airplane.
- There is no standard rates for boats going to Cresta De Gallo so you are best to shop around until you find the best deal.
- If you are going overnight in Cresta De Gallo, make sure to discuss clearly with the boat operator the hours as to when you are going back to San Fernando the next day to avoid confusion and to set the price right. Some of them take overnight literally. Like staying on the island for the night and going back to the mainland at 6AM the following day.
- There are no ATMs in Sibuyan (at least during our visit) but you can withdraw money from pawnshops and remittance centers using your atm/debit cards.
- Trips going back to Magdiwang from San Fernando are only available from 5AM – 9AM.
Where To Stay In Sibuyan Island Other Than Camping Out In Cresta De Gallo:
WAYS TO GET TO ROMBLON
There are three major jump off points in going to Romblon which are Tablas, Romblon and Sibuyan Islands. Modes of transportation also varies which depends on your point of origin and chosen destination but sea travel is definitely the most common and has a variety of options.
From Manila – You can fly directly to Romblon. Cebu Pacific flies three times weekly to Tablas Island from Manila. If this isn’t an option for you, you can ride a bus to Batangas Port and hop on any of the ferries enroute Romblon.
From Batangas Port – There are several shipping lines plying the waters to Romblon from Batangas Port that trips are available everyday. Fares range from P800-P1500. Please refer to the table below for the schedules.
| Batangas Port-Odiongan (Tablas) | Batangas Port-Romblon Island | Batangas Port-Sibuyan Island |
|---|---|---|
| 2GO Daily at 10AM Montenegro Daily except Tuesdays at 5PM | 2GO Sat/Tue/Thur at 9PM Montenegro Mon/Thur/Sat at 5PM Navios Sun/Wed/Fri at 3PM | Navios Sun/Wed/Fri at 3PM |
| Odiongan (Tablas)-Batangas Port | Romblon Island-Batangas Port | Sibuyan Island-Batangas Port |
|---|---|---|
| 2GO Daily at 11:30AM Montenegro Daily except Wednesdays at 5PM | 2GO Sun/Wed/Fri at 8PM Montenegro Tue/Fri/Sat at 12PM Navios Mon/Thur/Sat at 3PM | Navios Mon/Thur/Sat at 10AM |
From Lucena Port – Starhorse Shipping Lines has trips to Sibuyan Island every Tuesdays and Saturdays which depart at 2AM and arrive at 8PM. Trips from Sibuyan Island to Lucena Port are on Mondays and Fridays at 8AM. Fare is P500.
From Marinduque – In Cawit, Boac Marinduque, Starhorse Shipping Lines stops by at 6AM every Tuesdays and Saturdays enroute San Agustin, Romblon Island and Sibuyan.
From Caticlan – 2GO has daily trip going to Odiongan Port at 8AM. You can also slowly make your way up by taking the passenger outrigger boat in Tabon Baybay Port in Caticlan going to Carabao Island at 7AM.
From Capiz – 2GO has trips from Roxas City to Romblon Island on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 2PM.
GOOD TO KNOW
Transportation – UV Express and jeepneys are the main mode of transpo connecting major towns in bigger islands like Tablas and Sibuyan. Getting around small islands can be done using a motorcycle or habal-habal. RoRo are available daily for interisland transfers but you just got to be mindful of the schedule. During non-working holidays such as the Holy Week, public transportation may not be available.
Food – There are a variety of choices in every island from local eateries serving home cooked Filipino dishes at P50 a meal to restaurants offering a fusion of different cuisines for P250 a plate. Group meal package is also offered by some eateries for an affordable price. Sadly, fast food restaurants like Jollibee are only available in Odiongan, Tablas Island.
Prices – Romblon is on the affordable side when it comes to exploring major spots, food, transportation and accommodation but things can get quite the opposite during holidays and peak season.
Accommodation – Places to stay at in Romblon range from hotels to beach resorts, small inns and homestays which are pretty affordable. Some resorts and/or islands also allow pitching of tents at the beach for a minimal fee.
The Islands – Romblon has three major islands namely Tablas, Romblon and Sibuyan Islands. We opted not to include Tablas Island in our itinerary as we really wanted to see Cresta De Gallo and a day in Tablas might tamper our plans. Tablas is just too big of an island that we might as well spend all our 4 days there.
The small islands surrounding Romblon are inhabited. Most of which are fishing villages but a good part of each of the islands have long stretch of pristine beaches. The sands are sugary fine with rough coral stones in the mix. Cresta De Gallo Island on the other hand is completely remote with little to no signs of human settlement.
Banks & ATMs – Banks and ATMs (Automated Teller Machine) are limited only to Odiongan and other towns in Tablas Island and Romblon Island. Sibuyan Island doesn’t have an ATM (at least during our visit) and withdrawals are normally done in remittance centers such as Cebuana Lhuiller and Palawan Pawnshop. To make sure your expenses are covered during your stay, bring enough cash.
Connectivity – Mobile data is pretty stable in all three major islands of Romblon for both Globe and Smart users with the exception of some highly remote areas where connection is intermittent.
BUDGET & OTHER ESSENTIALS
| SUMMARY OF EXPENSES | Bus Manila-Batangas Port - P160 2GO Batangas Port-Caticlan - P1450 Terminal Fee - P30 Day 1 Expenses - P1675 Day 2 Expenses - P2416 Day 3&4 Expenses - P1665 Jeep San Fernando-Magdiwang - P200 RoRo Sibuyan-Lucena - P500 Bus Lucena-Manila - P220 Total - P8316/Person |
| CONTACT | Carabao Island - Romblon - Cresta De Gallo - Ate Vicky (Boat) 0926 462 3377 ***Accepting credible recommendations for Carabao Island & Romblon. |
There you have it lovelies! I know! I was just as surprise as you to discover how much a treasure the province of Romblon is. For comments, questions and suggestions, just leave them on the boxes below. Be awesome and share this post. I’ll see you next time. Ciao!
