pandan island: rain or shine

I usually plan my travels weeks before I leave. At the very least I know a little about my destination. Not this time. I received the message confirming the trip to Pandan Island the day before we were supposed to leave. I took a peek at my Lonely Planet guide, read the half-page entry, and that was it. I had no idea what the trip had in store for me.

On that same day I had just finished reading The Beach by Alex Garland. I still had all these images in my head of an isolated beach - the perfect getaway. I had to stop myself from daydreaming so I would not be disappointed if reality fell short of this paradise.

* * *

It had been raining the past few days with a low-pressure area forecast off the coast of Mindoro. It was drizzling when we got on the boat to Abra de Ilog in Occidental Mindoro. Our group was split in the middle with regards to the weather. The ladies were continuously begging the sun to come out with their sun dance while the men were praying for overcast skies.

It was well and good that we were initially rained in on the trip. The open bus ride to Sablayan (3 hours - P113) would have been insufferable if not for the rain. The highway was like a jigsaw puzzle with 50-meter stretches of asphalt road interspersed with kilometers of dirt road. The rain had spared us from suffocating heat and asthma-inducing clouds of dust.

We met our host (a friend of a friend of a friend) at Sablayan and was whisked by a tricycle to the water's edge where we took a fifteen minute boat ride to North Pandan island. It was still overcast but it had stopped raining for a while. The view that greeted us could well have been paradise.



We had a hut to ourselves with a sleeping space in the attic, enough food to last us for 3 days, beer and a whole island to explore. Rain or shine we were determined to have some fun.


A short walk on the powdery white sand brought us to a nice spot for a swim. Aside from the occasional snorkler or passing boat we had the spot all to ourselves. After hours of soaking up the seawater we headed into the heart of the island. A short trek through coconuts and forest trees brought us to a lagoon where the waves had carved small basins into the rocks and corals. We swam in tubs of bubbling sea water as it drizzled. Another shorter trek brought us to a tinier cove with a rock formation the locals called the Spanish Nose.

We took a different route going back to the hut. We walked over sand and sea grass, sharp rocks and corals. A slight misstep would have inevitably resulted into multiple abrasions and lacerations. I was glad I was wearing rubber sandals which prevented me from slipping. A friend was wearing 3-inch platform Havaianas, it was a wonder how she got through without a single scratch.

It was drizzling the whole time. The cooling effect tricked us into believing that the 40-minute trek back to the hut was effortless. As soon as we sat down, stomachs grumbled, muscles cramped and we all gave out sighs of relief.



The rest of our stay in Pandan Island was more chill time. The sun finally came out on our second day and we basked in its radiance. The water was clean and clear. Fish kept swimming in schools near the water's edge and we were on constant lookout for pawikan.

Not far from where we were staying foreign visitors in the island's resort sunbathed. Kids played in the sand while the grown-ups played volleyball. A French guy caught his breath near our hut before turning around to continue his morning run. And I had my third cup of coffee as I stretched on a bench reading a good book.



When it was time to go our host gave us an added treat and took us around the island by boat. The ride lasted only 10 minutes, but it was a good and satisfying 10 minutes. We passed all the now familiar places and then some: our small hut with the "No Trispassng" sign in front, the small lagoon, the Spanish Nose, underwater caves, the sandbar, the island's resort and the stretch of white sand where the sea turtles (pawikan) lay their eggs at night. Rain or shine we had enjoyed our short stay in Pandan Island.


The rest of the afternoon was spent singing our hearts out at videoke while waiting for the van to take us back to Mamburao.






Boat from Batangas to Abra de Ilog, Occ Mindoro (and vice versa) - P208 (+ P42 for an aircon upgrade)
Terminal Fee - P30
Van to Mamburao from Abra de Ilog (and vice versa) - P80
Tricycle to the Bus Station - P8/passenger
Bus to Sablayan - P113
Van to Mamburao from Sablayan - P230
Tricycle to Van Terminal P10
Contribution for food and lodging - P800