island hopping

Tablas Island is the largest island in the province of Romblon here in the Philippines, and another ‘waiting to be discovered’ jewel in this area. Getting there is easy with a recent shift from one flight a week to four. What you will find when you get there are white sand beaches with crystal clear turquoise waters. It is gorgeous with its simplicity, lack of influence, and friendliness. It is still quite crude in terms of tourism management, so getting around can be a challenge, but once you get organised, you can manage. 

Tablas Island is quite large, so we split our trip to cover the bottom half and the top half.  We started down south of the island at Ferrol, staying at the Escape Eco Resort. Nestled in an old pirate cove on Binucot Beach, it is just lovely. A rounded cove enclosed by rocky hills overgrown with jungle. The kids searched for sea treasure, swam and made friends with some local kids, spending hours hanging out on the sand playing. Isn’t it something to see the language barrier broken down; play becoming a vessel for creativity. 

It is said the sunsets here are some of the best. And I must say I am not likely to disagree. Sitting on the beach watching that golden orb disappear was mesmerizing. This trip I felt sad at times. The news that we must leave this life still raw, I felt sad that the ease at which we discover hidden jewels such as this, these experiences for the children, will soon be so much harder to find. Then the sadness would pass as the giggles of the children filled the air, and the warm breeze kissed me so gently I felt immediate comfort.

Binucot Beach at Sunset, Ferrol, Tablas Island

The accommodation at Escape Eco Lodge is basic but sufficient. We had a family room which was in the main building, with a shared bathroom. Cold water only, but really, it is tropical heat – you can survive. Our room was only for sleeping in. We spent our time hanging in the pirate ship/restaurant/bar or on the beach when we were around. There are small nipa style A-frame huts that sleep two quite comfortably.

On our first night we met Jo, who is an American guy who owns the place with his wife Jayrel. Jo told us about the Aswang, the folklore about the shapeshifting vampire that populates Romblon. He also told us about the pirate history. The Spanish pirates would come to this cove to hide out and bury treasure in the hills on each side.

So, the next day off we went climbing rocks, fighting our way through thick forest growth with our guide ‘Boy’ thrashing away with his bolo to cut a fresh track, to find one of the caves this mythical treasure was buried in. I pondered how on earth the pirates carried heavy treasure chests up this hill as I tried my best not to slide back down on my arse. They must have had a shortcut from the ocean. The climb was a bit challenging, and not suited to very little children. There is rock climbing and navigating some tricky areas, but our little adventurers enjoyed themselves. FB calls it ‘Danger Climbing’ and says she is an expert at it. I have to say the way she shimmies up rocks is impressive.  

The cave we went to was one you climb down into with a ladder. In the cave we were delighted by bats flittering around and squeaking at us and impressed by people’s attempts at treasure hunting with massive holes dug deep into the ground. Some up to four meters. Sadly we did not find treasure ourselves.

There are things to see on Tablas Island, and it is lovely to be in a place that is not overcrowded and spilling over with resorts and touristy kitsch. Getting around can be a bit of a challenge however. We were told we could not rent scooters from where we were in Ferrol. It seemed the roads are so steep and windy they are not suited, and trikes have the same challenges. But on investigation, you can hire scooters up north of the island and most of the roads seem just fine for scooter use. As we had limited options, we paid for motorbikes which included drivers so with a push and a shove an adult and a kid squished onto each bike, and off we went to drive around the island.

Tablas Island, Romblon, PH

What strikes you as you move around Tablas Island is just how beautiful it is. Rolling green hills surround you, very much reminiscent of the Chocolate Hills of Bohol, only on a much grander scale. They ebb and flow, knitting together in a way that creates this incredible beauty. They are round and some are rugged, the shades of green are seemingly endless and at times they look made of velvet, like you could simply reach out for a soft touch. Coconut trees are abundant and they are either thick and dense in clusters or sparsely sitting atop hills, looking somewhat like a Dr Seuss book. As you drive around the coast the mountains seem to fall into the deep blue ocean and it is absolutely stunning to look at. As we drove around we were staring at these hills in wonder, trying to fill our eyes with this site, so as not to forget once we had gone.

We decided to bypass the Looc Fish Sanctury, simply because it was not of interest to us. Instead we went to The Rising Pili factory to learn about pili nuts. While production was shut down pending next orders and the harvest, we were still welcomed in, given a basket of nuts, and taught how to crack them. BB was fascinated and proceeded to crack open almost the entire basket. The Pili Nut is native to Maritime Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia. Here in the Philippines they are cultivated for commercial use. They are grown in Bicol and harvested from a 100 year old tree. The workers in the factory use a machine to cut grooves into the hard outer shell to help crack them open, and stamp them with a brand and package them in gorgeous little bags with a nut cracker attached. Depending on the order, the nuts are also shelled and either left with the skin on or peeled, then vacuum sealed for freshness. Pili nuts are the lowest allergen nut, and we think they taste a little bit like a walnut but way more subtle, with a lovely creamy soft texture like Brazil nuts. If you get the chance, give them a try. The brand name they sell under is The Cracking Monkey, and we brought a bag before continuing on our way. 

We then took a drive up the coast to Tablas Point, at the other end of the island. It took nearly two hours to get there along winding roads. Eventually we landed at the coast which opened out in blue splendour. It was hard going with three of us on one bike and we had to stop at times to rest. Despite being on a motorbike with free-flowing air, FB still managed to be motion sick – all over herself and me, oh and our driver’s back. After a messy clean up full of apologies by me to our driver, we met up with the other bike up the road.  We had a brief break under coconut trees, until our drivers said they were not safe as the coconuts were ready to fall…so we hastily decided to continue on the final two kilometres until we arrived at the point. And I am so glad we did. White sand, ombre turquoise water gently turning darker as it got deeper until it was a deep rich dark blue. Powder blue skies, distant islands on the horizon. The majesty of this scene however is hard to capture in words, except to say, imagine stepping into your favourite postcard of a tropical beach. That warm air engulfs you with a comfort like a hug from mum.  The scent of salt on your lips, the sensation of warm sand covering your feet is like a warm blanket, and the lapping waves lull you, as if you were a baby hearing a lullaby. The sound caresses you and you have to relax, forget the challenges of the ride, forget the sadness of our pending departure…forget everything just for that moment in time. I think this is why I love the ocean so much, it is that full sensory experience that manages to transport me away from the turmoil that is so often in my head. I feel at peace.

So, here we stayed for an hour or so, eating at the restaurant, gazing out at loveliness, and swimming in the cool crystal waters until it was time to head back. Reluctantly we left.

The second part of our adventure was in the north of the island. We hired an air-conditioned van through Tablas Island Hopping Tours to drive us to the port at the north end of the island, stopping at various locations for site seeing. It was expensive at 4000p but kept things simple.

There are a few waterfalls to see on Tablas Island, unfortunately, we did not get to see as many as we had hoped. But we did stop in at Mablaran Falls which are located in San Andres, at the top of the island. These falls have a catchment pool built around the base to create a swimming pool. Entry is 10peso adults and children seven and under are free. You can hire inner tires for swimming at 40peso each and there are a few snacks at the entry you can purchase. This is a great place for a picnic. Tucked down in the valley between hills, you are surrounded by overgrown jungle, lush with green trees. Vines hang down, clinging to the giant old trees they inhabit, and birds sing all around. To the side of the pool, under the canopy of trees are picnic tables and chairs. When we were there, the air was filled with tiny yellow flower petals falling off the trees like snowflakes. They would catch on our skin and I expected them to melt at our warm touch, so delicate and small.

The falls themselves are lovely looking, tucked into the corner of the pool, revellers were jumping off rocks into the deep catchment pool and the water was clear and clean.

We stopped for lunch at Footprints Beach Resort with the lovely Angie and Owen as hosts, and then drove along the coast to Calatrava Beach. This part of the drive was gorgeous as the ocean opened out in front of us and green hills seemed to tumble down into the water. We were meeting up with James and Rona who own our next stop – Turtle Cove Island Resort, which is only accessible by boat as the landscape is too rugged for roads. James and Rona were in town stocking up on provisions for the Easter break and so they said we could catch a ride with them. We met them at the port in a waiting shed, and saw bags of rice, and boxes of goods getting delivered on trike, bike and car. The bankas were crashing about on wild seas getting loaded up with food, and I felt a little concerned about our pending trip. A monsoon had been coming through and while this was the tail end, the seas were high and crazy. The boat James and Rona take is a bigger one, and the four of us, with their friend and a couple of staff all managed to fit on. James handed us a cold drink to keep us company on the ride, and he told us they hadn’t been able to get away from the resort for five days because of the high seas. I skulled my vodka mix.

James is from Sydney, a Commercial Lawyer by background he was asked to help with the sale of a property in the Philippines some years back, and the rest is history. 

Turtle Cove Beach resort is nestled between high cliffs of rugged rock and forest. The boat navigates along coastline that is wild and primal. The gorgeous rolling green hills tumble over these rocky and fraught cliff fronts. The ocean waves crash menacingly, and all the nooks and crannies fill with water and burst as the air is pumped out of them. Water sprays all over the place and you cannot help but gasp that that ‘thump’ you hear when it happens. Then we arrived at the resort, and the boat navigates into a narrow channel, at the end of which a small beach sits nestled. Shilo the dog bounded out in welcome, and we found our way off the boat as it rocked side to side, our feet falling into soft sand. The resort is small, only a few guests are allowed at a time, and it is private – no day tours allowed. It sits nestled beneath tall rocky cliffs at the top of the small beach and the jungle enclosed us. Monkeys jumped through tall jungle trees as I thought to myself that this was just the most wonderful secret world for us to explore.

Arriving at Turtle Cove Island Resort, Tablas Island, Romblon

Our rooms were up an embankment, overlooking cove 2, our own private cove on the other side of the rocky outcroft. The beauty of this place is the meandering pathways that lead every which way. Another ‘choose your own adventure’ awaits as you discover tree houses and cabanas hidden away at opportune places which capture picture perfect views of rocky cliff sides and crystal waters. Down the pathway goes until cove three is discovered. A small stretch of sandy and rocky beach with a massive canopy of giant trees offering perfect shelter from the blazing sun. And completely isolated. Our first night we were the only guests. The second night one other family arrived.

Our first morning the weather was rough with grey clouds and waves crashing about, and so we started slow, languishing at the open air restaurant listening to the sounds of wild waves crashing the shores. The children explored, collected sea treasure and played with Shilo. Soon the weather passed and we went on a hike to visit the bat cave. Starting at the beach we climbed steep stairs which soon turned into climbing rock face. The children had been reluctant – read whinging and complaining, until they saw they had to do more ‘Danger Climbing’ and then the joy set in as they navigated foot holds and pulled themselves up, relishing in the adventure. On and on we went, short bursts of walking through dense jungle, with birds chirping and insects calling all around us, followed by bursts of climbing.

Suddenly this massive cave cavern appeared before us. We had to shimmy across a rocky cliff to get there and to be honest, with the children I was a little concerned. But our guide Bert was amazing, helping the children every step of the way and carrying them over particularly treacherous sections. Once safely across we stood admiring the rising rock face in front of us. The cave opened below us, the forest vines hung down all around us and bat squeaks filled the air. I was totally expecting Tarzan to appear at any moment. He didn’t, and so we descended into the enormous cavern. Massive stalactites hung from the ceiling and stalagmites that looked like a forest of trees grew out of the earth, and bats flew all around. We continued our walk through the cave with torches, and followed the light shining at the other end. It was another cavern that opened to some other point on the island. The light streamed in shining a glow over the incredible formations in front of us, and we were left pretty speechless.

View from a hill

Walking back, we went via the neighbouring fishing village. Local children were racing little sailboats they made with leaves and polystyrene. They stopped to stare at the strangers walking through their home. We boarded a banka and made our way back to Turtle Cove, ready for lunch.

By the afternoon the weather had settled and while SB went off snorkelling, I took the children back to cove three where they played on the swing made with car tyres and bamboo, before playing in the water and discovering secret caves hidden in the rocks that enclosed us. After a swim to take the heat off my skin, I sat at the table under the trees to watch the children play, to write, and to daydream. 

The following day was island hopping. One of my favourite parts of riding bankas, is licking the salt splashes off my lips. We went to visit Lapus-Lapus Island, one of the ‘must see’ places when you go island hopping in these parts. It was busy with Easter vacationers, but despite this, the beach is quite a nice spot. There is a family who live there, whose job it is to collect the environmental fee and keep the beach clean. This was followed by a visit to Guindauhan ni Bendoy Island. A small community of twenty seven people live on this island, who are the caretakers of the area. From here we sailed to Tinagong dagat which is where you can cliff dive if you want to. We did not do that, rather SB went into the deep turquoise waters for a snorkel while the kids and I explored the rocks. As we rode back to our resort, the water was as still as glass.

That night was our last on this adventure. We dined on freshly caught lapu–lapu fish with chips, and hung out with new found friends listening to Kenny Rogers while a cool breeze blew across the beach. A fitting end to our island adventure.