The province of Romblon is comprised of 20 islands abound the Sibuyan Sea. Among these 20 rural islands are Carabao, Tablas, Romblon and Sibuyan, the islands that people living and vacationing on Boracay have explored.

The Pristine Island of Carabao
The closest island to Boracay is Carabao. Also known as Hambil Island, Carabao is the uncharted island visible from Puka Beach. It is bigger than Boracay and often visited by people who want to enjoy a more rugged white sand beach with only a few visible inhabitants and resorts put up by old Boracay residents along the coast. Being an undeveloped island, Carabao is described as what Boracay used to be; a place where you could dive and see lush marine life, mountain bike around the island without traffic, windsurf and kitesurf in unpolluted waters, kayak along a clear coast line, skin dive, fish in deep water, gaze through the darkness at the sparkling blanket of stars, and even sunbathe in the nude. It is accessible via a 30 to 45-minute pump boat ride, and if the wind is mild, it is great for an exhilarating paraw ride.

On the other hand, going to the islands of Tablas, Romblon and Sibuyan is not as quick as going to Carabao. From Caticlan, you must look for a small boat terminal around 20 meters to the east, which travels to Looc Port in Tablas. You can catch the morning boat at 9:30am for a few hundred pesos and arrive at Looc in around four hours. The journey along the Tablas Strait is worthwhile. You will get a close look at Carabao Island, then at the huge the Tablas Island, and if you are lucky, you will see dolphins playing in the surf. You will also stumble upon the Looc Bay Marine Refuge and Sanctuary, a well-preserved area, which house diverse species of tropical fishes, coral reef, grass beds, marine turtles, octopi, eels, and seabirds.

The Natural Wonders of Tablas Island
Once you reach Looc Port, take a tricycle or trek to any points of interest in Looc, like the Hidden Chamber Cave or the Bungan-Bungan Cave, and marvel at crystallized rock formations, and bats, and swim in its fresh pool. There are also resorts, beaches, a butterfly garden, waterfalls, and a river that runs through a breathtaking landscape of hills and mountains, providing first time travelers a pleasurable alternative to Boracay.

You can also travel by jeepney to Odiongan from Looc Plaza, and journey along a dirt road beside rice fields and hills that mountain bikers and thrill seekers will surely get a kick out of. In less than an hour, you will reach two contradicting falls from two different Barangays in Odiongan. One is Mainit Falls in Barangay Pato-o where warm water flows into three deep pools, while the other one is Garing Falls in Barangay Progreso Weste, which dispenses cool waters into two separate lakes like long necks of two swans kissing, thus becoming one.

The next destination is the Municipality of Calatrava. Located at the northern edge of Tablas Island, an hour and a half by jeepney from Odiongan, Calatrava provides the opportunity to ride a dirt bike along steep cliffs surrounded by virgin forests overlooking its splendid shores. You may find uneasiness by the jeepney drivers’ way of driving, but you will eventually grasp that it’s their way of moving with the motion on Calatrava’s bumpy path.

In Barangay Talisay, you will discover a hidden natural beauty, Tinagong Dagat (Hidden Sea), a quaint circular pool just 10 meters away from the shoreline. This interesting body of water, which is quite similar to a lake, provides a fulfilling pit stop to travelers who may want to swim and grill their freshly picked saltwater fish and seashells. You may camp out on its surrounding shrubbery or move on to the next attraction, the Oregon Rock.

The Oregon Rock, Calatrava’s impression of the Wild West, is an amalgam of 20-meter towering rocks that present the entrance to the Romblon Pass. It is a definitive setting for soul searchers who want to relax on clean white sand beneath gigantic rocks that dramatically guard the sea. Locals even believe that despite its already high boulders, the rocks continue to grow on a daily basis.
And as you get ready for Romblon Island (via the Municipality of San Agustin), take a scenic tricycle ride from Calatrava and traverse another picturesque trail past sleepy towns, imposing bushes, wild trees and friendly locals waving at you to complete your two-hour joy ride to the San Agustin port town.

San Agustin is a very quiet, small city with a likewise small population, wherein the economy is merely self-sustaining. Its inhabitants are so relaxed and content with the simplicity of their lives that they seem unimpressed by tourists passing by, though they are still willing to lend a hand when needed.

There are a few inns that provide basic accommodation with a private bathroom. One is Felnor’s Lodge, which has a balcony overlooking the port bay and the sunrise. From there, you could conveniently hike to the town’s tourist attractions like the 7-tiered Dubduban and Bita Falls in Barangay Dubduban, the long beach at the foot of Mt. Payaopao, the historical sunken Spanish Galleon in the depths of Barangay Carmen’s sea, the Cawayan Park, which nurtures wild flowers, plants, boars and monkeys, and the Punta Gorda Stairways, which stems from the shoreline of Barangay Cawayan to the viewing point on top of the hill. There is also a beach resort overlooking Romblon Island called Kambaye in Barangay Binonga-an if you want to stay by the beach.

Off to Romblon, Romblon
To traverse to the marble foundations of Rombon Island, hop on board Montenegro Lines’ hour long trip, departing from San Agustin port at 6:00am. Boredom will not sink in due to the magnificent sight of pristine white beach islands located along the channel. There is the half kilometre stretch of Bonbon Beach’s sloping shore, the petite Tiamban Beach, and islets just off the coast of Romblon called Alad, Logbon, and Cobrador Beach, which is favored for its huge cave, colorful marbles of black, gold and green marbles, and tropical fruits like sweetsop and papaya. Though viewing these islands from the boat may be soothing enough, you could also dock on these islands and experience them first hand if you hire a small pump boat out of Romblon Port.

Prices in Romblon are quite inexpensive. You could charter a boat for the day for a little over a thousand pesos, spend a night in a modern and cozy hotel with air-conditioning and television set, for P600 to P900, rent a motorbike for less than P500/day (excluding gas), and feast on European cuisine at the English Deli by the bay at reasonable prices. These are all conveniently located in the town plaza, and if you tour around Romblon with a motorbike, you will come across Fort San Andres and Fort Santiago, which were built from coral blocks and bricks to protect the Spaniards from Moro raiders and Dutch pirates during the 17th Century, as well as marble quarries and factories that hold natural black and white marble with tints of mottled white, tiger, onyx and jade just along the municipality’s common trail. Wreck divers, on the other hand, could easily find sunken Spanish sea vessels and a Japanese battleship just beneath Romblon Harbor.

Romblon is a progressive island with a shopping centre, supermarkets, a couple of banks, and several beach resorts that provide comfortable cottages with full-amenities. One of which is Rowena’s Beach Resort, a resort in an intimate cove surrounded by a white marbled beach and a garden hovered by tall papaya and coconut trees.

Rowena’s Beach Resort is blessed with kind and humble staff, which takes care of its three fan-cooled cottages and restaurant. Each beach front cottage includes a queen-sized bed, private bathroom, TV set and DVD player, and a private veranda overlooking the Sibuyan Sea. The accommodation includes free daily breakfast, and for lunch, you can request fresh grilled fish, fruits, pastas, and pork or chicken barbecue. They also offer boating tours around the island, displaying the varying colors of marbles that the island is laid on. The tour also includes snorkeling within the marine sanctuary and to a shallow sunken ship.

The Remote and Dense Island of Sibuyan
Reachable via Montenegro Lines from Romblon Harbor, Sibuyan Island is hailed for its protected forests, mangrove forest swamp reserve, and rich flora and fauna. It highlights the steep-sloped Mount Guiting-Guiting (the Saw-Toothed Mountain) Natural Park, a 1,570 sqm park with towering twin peaks set amid thick forests.

According to the island’s official website, there are 54 endemic trees out of 1,551 trees per hectare, 700 plant species, 131 species of birds including the three endemic species – the Hanging Parrot, the Philippine Pygmy-Woodpecker and the Orange-Bellied Flowerpecker - 10 species of fruit bat and an abundance of mammals, reptiles, and rodents in Sibuyan’s world proclaimed densest forest. This is said to be the result of Sibuyan being isolated from the Philippine archipelago.

However, mining and logging companies have taken interest in the untouched beauty of the island and are gradually destroying Mount Guiting-Guiting. Environmentalists have observed the softened soil along the slopes of the 2000-meter high mountain brought by illegal logging activities, which causes landslides and the depletion of wild animals.

By the look of Romblon, a four-day adventure is sufficient to cover this eco-region province. Give it a week if you want to cover the other islands and islets in the region. It is good to let Boracay miss you a bit.

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