Past years pandemic hugely interfered with our plans to come back to the Philippines. After two years of planning and changing our itinerary, we were forced to change sequence of the islands that we’ve visited.
Our first stop was Carabao Island, just across Boracay on which we’ve stopped later on. Carabao Island is a small island in Romblon Province. We came here from Tabon Baybay port in Caticlan, on a 1-hour ferry ride.
As the island is off the tourist track, there is very little infrastructure and only a handful of places to stay. You won’t find many fancy resorts here.
When to go:
Carabao Island is famous for its water activities and the best time to visit the island is during the dry season from Mid-November to May.
Where to stay:
We’ve stayed at Beach House Carabao and as a group of five we booked 2 rooms with one king size bed and an additional bed in the second room for our youngest member of the family, Nia. They also surprised our son with the b-day cake on the night of our arrival.
The rooms were big enough, nicely decorated and clean and the staff was really kind and accommodating. During our stay we were the only guests at the resort and we really loved the fact that we had the beach and the beach front area all for ourselves.
Known as the only luxury boutique resort on the island, you get to experience comfortable accommodation while exploring the beautiful Carabao Island. With rates starting from PHP3,500, one can enjoy its facilities from their bar/lounge, a comfy bed, minibar, refrigerator, and more! Their restaurant also offers cuisine from Filipino to Western.
Where to eat:
As there are not a lot of dining options in a vicinity, we had all our meals at the hotel and there was plenty to choose from for both breakfast and dinner and the food was delicious as well. I would definitely recommend staying here while in Carabao, it is quite a ride from the port but definitely worth it.
Things to see/do:
- White Beach
This is the island’s main beach. It has fine white sand, clear water perfect for swimming. This is at the island’s east side where the boats dock if you are coming from Romblon (the capital) through Santa Fe Port in Tablas Island. Tablas Island is one of the three major islands in the province of Romblon.
- Tagaytay Point
A farm overlooking the island of Boracay. This is also a favorite spot for watching the sunset. Entrance fee is P70 per person.
- Kuding-Kuding Point
Here you can cliff jump and swim through an underwater tunnel that leads right out the ocean. Entrance fee is P100 per person. There’s a strip of the road nearing the entrance that is quite challenging though. This road segment is very narrow, with rocky downhill and uphill slopes. You can ask your motorcycle driver if you can walk this part of the path, as it’s just less than a kilometer away from the site.
- Cathedral Cave
Here you can go on spelunking or jump from 2 diving boards 30 feet high. Entrance fee is P100 per person. Another perfect place for jumping and cliff-diving is here at Cathedral Cave. There are diving boards for those who wanted to try cliff diving and bamboo walkways. Aside from these thrilling activities, there are also beach caves nearby to check out. The water’s so clear, you can see fishes swimming below. According to some locals, big fishes are swimming around at the back of the cave.
- Lanas Beach
This is the beach that Beach House Carabao is located on. From Hambil Beach, you can go to Lanas Beach by motorcycle. You can actually rent a motorcycle for a day to go to different places of interest around the island. You can see Puka Beach, the northern tip of Boracay, from this side of the island. It is quite a challenge to get here with the motorcycle so we were pleased that our host picked us up with their big car on arrival at the port.
The Overall Experience:
The island is peaceful, offers plenty of beach activities for both the adrenaline-seekers and those who prefer more laid-back experience. Boracay is beautiful, yes. However, for those looking for a quieter alternative, I think Carabao Island checks all the boxes as a must-see destination in the country.
