Romblon is a province at the Visayas. Composing of several islands, the Municipality of Romblon is the Capital of Romblon Province. Tablas Island is the largest among the islands of Romblon. A one island Municipality bearing the name Carabao Island is the Municipality of San Jose and it is also at the tip of the Romblon Group of Islands.
San Jose, Romblon is widely known as Carabao Island. The locals also call as Hambil. It is very close to the world renowned Boracay Island, and also being described as the Boracay before it became commercialized.
Carabao Island is rich in pristine beaches and diving spots. The eastern part of the island is a haven for fine white sand while the western part has pebbles. It is also in the western part of the island where diving spots are beautiful. Most of the resorts in this area offer diving activities to visitors.
What I love most in the island is its laid back environment. With this kind of atmosphere, the beach comes in its natural existence with coconut trees freely grow along the shores. Some of its leaves also are naturally touching the waters. This is the main reason I always want to set foot at Carabao Island.
Early Sunday morning, I go to Tabon Port in Caticlan. Not to confuse, the main port for commercial boats sailing for Hambil is in Tabon Port. I arrive there at 7:30am; eat my breakfast at the nearby restaurant and board the boat by 8am. The boat usually leaves Tabon Port between 8:30am to 9am. It takes us approximately 1 hour boat ride to Hambil. Since it is November, I also expect big waves at sea. Oh well, we have a good weather so there’s nothing to be afraid of.
Minutes before we arrive at the port of Hambil, you will really notice the turquoise waters on the beach. There is also this breath of fresh air coming from the sea. It is very inviting with its white sands on the shore and I am very much excited to jump off the boat and get my feet wet. At Hambil Port, there are lots of people waiting for the boat. Some are also motorcycle drivers waiting for passengers.
When I alight the boat, I see a registration table near the office. At first I think it is a registration for the island visitors so I approach the in charge and put my name there. Later did I know that the registration table is for the delegates on the tourism council meeting held in Hambil. They also think I am one of the participants though; only a mistaken identity.
I have my reservations at the Republic of Inobahan for two nights. So from the port, I just walk towards my accommodation. The Republic of Inobahan is the house of the Former Mayor of San Jose. They have rooms for rent to visitors in Hambil. They also have a restaurant and a convenience store so I am thinking it’s best to stay here.
On my way to my accommodation, Lando, a habal habal driver approach me. I am hesitant to hire him yet I find him okay so we both agree at a price of Php 500 for an island tour. He then lets me ride the motorcycle and also drives me towards Republic of Inobahan.
Arriving at Republic of Inobahan, I ask the lady if she receives a reservation for me. She asks my information and also gives me a room inside the main house. At first, I think the rooms for rent are at the outside of the main house yet it is not. She hands me my keys and guides me towards my room. I leave my things in the room and changes into swimming outfit since I also plan to swim during the tour.
At the restaurant, I ask for their menu and eventually place an order for my lunch. They also have many food choices and what excites me more is the native chicken cooked as Tinola. Upon seeing the price, at first it is shocking and says to myself it’s expensive. But when they serve my lunch, oh wow, the food serving is also good for 2-3 persons. For that price, it’s way cheaper to think its native chicken. It is very much overwhelming.
My driver arrives on time so we also commence our island tour immediately. From Poblacion, we drive straight to Lanas. I am excited to see the beauty of the place. A typical feeling of being out in the province where life is so simple. No malls, only sari-sari stores. No cinemas, no fancy parks, only nature’s park. The roads traversing the mountain going to Lanas is small. It is just like a concrete walkway; a good road anyway.
After a roller coaster ride, we arrive at Barangay Lanas. It is low tide when we get there. The sands in Lanas are different than in San Jose. By the way, Boracay Island is also visible in Lanas. When in Puka Beach Boracay, the island you will see is the Carabao Island. We have a quick photo ops at the beach and immediately drives our way to the other side of the island. We’re off to Kuding-kuding cave.
I am expecting that Kuding-kuding cave is a big cave. I am not expecting it to be in a nice location near the sea. The road going there is also like a small walkway. There is no pavement when in fact there are grasses on the both sides of the walkway. You can also pass by some bananas and other trees. But when you get near the cave, it is an open ground. There is one cottage on the outside. We park our motorcycle near the cottage and walk our way towards the rocks near the sea.
It is only a small cave and it is nice. The cave has the access to the sea. You can swim from the hole and come out at the other side. There’s no problem when coming out there because they also have a ladder for swimmers easy climb to the rocks. They also have a diving board on one rock located on the sea itself. It is so refreshing and the waters are so inviting. I am tempted to swim yet I am afraid, I don’t have confidence swimming alone. Had my driver told me it’s okay for him to swim also, I really won’t miss the opportunity.
After several minutes of roaming around Kuding-kuding, we go our way back to the entrance and pay the entrance fee of Php100. It is for the maintenance of the place.
Carabao Island is very laid back. If from kilometers away the Boracay Island is well-commercialized, here at Carabao Island you will still feel the simple provincial life. Greens everywhere, domesticated animals freely roaming around the place, no high-end establishment, no loud music. It’s a very nice place to relax.
To continue our journey, we drive to a place where we can see the bat cave. Ngiriton Cave’s location is on a hill on the northern part of the island. It is also a private property yet they open it to public. A fee of Php100 for the guides and a refreshing buko juice after the tour. We park the motorcycle on one part of the hill since the road going up is not good. At the gate of the property, nobody is there. Suddenly, two young kids arrive in a motorcycle. They also have flashlights with them and show us the cave. It is just a short climb at the mountain and immediately we’re at the entrance of the cave. I don’t know if there is an exploration on the inside. It’s really a bat cave. Lots of bats around the area.
Since the cave is at a higher elevation, you will also feel the presence of fresher and cooler air up there. With a fresh buko juice after caving, what a great visit to Ngiriton Cave.
We move our way driving along the grassy roads of Carabao Island. Heading to a small Barrio, we can have a good view on the north of the island. There is also a beach with pebbles on it and rocks on the sides. The view is spectacular. This is also a fishing village. Some locations of the houses were very nice, a good beachfront properties. We stay for a while in the area taking pictures then we drive our way back to the Poblacion.
This time we’re passing along the supposed-to-be an international airport. There is also a plan for a new airport for access to Boracay but was not pushed-through. Some construction equipments are still present there. As per my driver, there are some locals who did not sell their land which will be part of the airport. It’s also quite a large area.
We move along until we reach a coastal Barangay. It is quite amazing when I see some white sands along the road. They are also very lucky to have on their yard a piece of paradise. There is also an on-going road concreting project in the whole of Carabao Island. It’s good to know that they will be constructing standard concrete road circling the island to have a better access to all places in San Jose.
We stop at some portions along the road for me to get a good picture on the view. It is so mesmerizing. I also don’t mind the heat of the sun, what is on my mind is the amazing place which not everyone of us have been to.
We are back early at my accommodation but we are not finish with our tour, we’re still off to another spectacular view. They call it the Tagaytay Point. It is also on the top of the hill wherein you can catch a good view of the sunset. From Tagaytay Point, you can see Boracay Island as well. It is also a 15-minute ride from Poblacion passing along the narrow grassy road, up and down terrains before reaching the private property.
We arrive at Tagaytay Point just in time not to wait long for the sunset. I have enough of the place to sit and relax on the grass, feeling the cold breeze and enjoying the wonderful view. The sunset is spectacular. We wait until the sun is totally out then we drive back to Republic of Inobahan.
Arriving back at Inobahan, my driver and I have a drinking session. We also buy a barbecue for dinner. Then we join the other locals singing at the karaoke on the other side of my accommodation. It is a wonderful night.
The following day, a friend of mine arrives. Lando also introduces us their way of drinking the tuba(coconut wine). We drive to Lanas to buy a fresh harvest of tuba, really fresh from the tree. A gallon of it will be enough for the three of us. He also suggests that we will mix it with beer. We let him do the mixing and we enjoy it. At the market, we buy a fish for grilling and made some for kinilaw (ceviche). We utilize the cottage in front of Inobahan, which really entice us to have an afternoon swim. While Lando is grilling, me and my friend are also busy swimming. We end up singing again at the karaoke with some locals around.
Early morning of November 24, 2015, Lando drives us to Lanas to catch up a boat going directly to Boracay Island. It is also a good boat ride, not that bumpy, and just a short ride from Lanas.
I enjoy a lot in Carabao Island. The laid-back environment, the friendly people, the very relaxing feeling… What more can I ask for?
Been here: November 22-24, 2015
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hi sir, sa tour island po ba kaya ng 2 hours lng po?
if island tour, i suggest mas mahaba pa sa 2 hrs para d kau magmamadali… merong portions na baka mas gusto nyong magtagal…