When Love Takes Over - Apo Reef

This is a Travel Factor trip that  happened last February so please bear with me if I can’t remember some of the details.They say Hearts Day should be a day full of love, affection and all the cheesy stuff but I say otherwise. Because some people focus on that side they forget to have fun. Rather than going to some romantic spots in the metro, Valentines Day should be spent on the beach and that's exactly what we did -we booked a flight to San Jose, Mindoro en route to ultimate beach bumming experience in Apo Reef + Pandan Island somewhere in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro.

                                                                       San Jose Airport

Our journey started from Manila, after a 45 min flight from Manila to San Jose,you'll be  expecting 3-4 hours of grueling travel as you will pass by rough and dusty roads from San Jose to Sablayan. Make sure you bring your iPod or better yet sleep so that you won't mind the road inconvenience. So much for the tedious and long travel, we had dinner and spent the night of Day 1 at a resort in Sablayan. We woke up around 4:00 AM of Day 2 since another 3 hours will be spent on a boat ride to Apo Reef. A satisfying breakfast consisting of fried chicken, tocino and scrambled eggs  were  served while we're  in the boat. As time goes by, the weary traveler that we were become ecstatic as we caught sight of an island surrounded by pristine blue water and a distinct white lighthouse. Finally - we're in Apo Reef!

After transferring our bags to the hall we went off to explore the island. Its main attraction is its white sand beach that even that of the more popular and crowded Boracay won't stand a chance when compared to Apo Reef's pristine beach. The waters around the island are shallow  making it ideal for leisurely swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving. Just a few steps from the shore you'll see a wide array of colorful fishes swimming in different direction. To truly appreciate the beauty of Apo Reef  it is advisable to go further to view the underwater spectacle - marvelous coral reefs, pawikan,clown fish etc. Most of our time were spent wandering on the shallower water of the beach before we had lunch.

After our siesta time, we started our Apo Reef tour. First stop is the lagoon which was only a brief walk from our camp.The lagoon is surrounded by mangrove forest which serve as a spawning ground for several marine species and sanctuary of birds. I was able to see a baby manta ray while we were waiting for the raft to come. Unfortunately the lagoon raft ride was cut short because there were no available raft that time. Our group just decided to go to the lighthouse instead. At first I was a bit hesitant to go on top of the lighthouse as the ladder are steep and I have fear of heights. Once you're on top, you will be rewarded with a refreshing 360 degree view of the island. So much for the kulitan and random shots we went back to our camp for the most awaited island sunset.

                                                                    The Lagoon

                                                                     

                                                                           The Lighthouse

It was getting dark when we pitched our tent. After dinner the group gathered at the bonfire for the inuman - The Bar lang ang alak that time pero enjoy naman at matindi pa nito Max na  candy lang ang chaser. We all had fun under the moonlight as waves served as our background music besides the Jack Johnson music from Alex. Halos di kami maubusan ng kwento. In the middle of our socials, we were called by a couple of island rangers to witness a pawikan hatching its egg on the beach near our tent. Sobrang sulit ang trip dahil bihira lang  mangyari na mangangak ang isang pawikan sa lifetime nya according to Dive Master. That pretty much capped off our first day in the island.

                                                                          Pawikan

After breaking camp we started our second day in the lagoon and by this time a raft awaits us  in the port. A rope tied at both ends of the lagoon serve as a guide towards the other side of the lagoon. After some random shots we went back to the beach  and we packed our things for our next destination - Pandan Island.