"Off to Pandan Island Paradise" North Pandan Island by lady_nomad

The very first time I knew of the existence of Pandan Island in 2006, I have been dreamily wanting to set foot on the island. Although it took a couple of years before it became a reality --now that I reached the spot, I wouldnt mind any longer.

Much of the information and backpacking preparations for my Pandan Island tour was provided by their website: www.pandan.com. I must say it is a comprehensive and updated information about the island, accommodation rates, food availability, diving and other water activities. And of course, the travel tips I learned from fellow VTs who have been to the island already.

We took advantage of the May 1 non-working holiday (May 1-4), and off I went to Pandan Island for complete leisure, far from the hustle and bustle of city life.

We left Manila to catch the 1am bus trip to Batangas pier. We boarded Jam Liner in Buendia (P146.50). We arrived at the Batangas pier around 3am and bought our tickets from Montenegro Shipping booth to catch the first trip at 4am (P164 plus P10 terminal fee/head). We arrived at Abra de Ilog before 7am and looked for a bus/van bound to Sablayan.

However, a series of unfortunate events seized us considering that the place is chock-full of locals and travelers alike. We were left with no choice but to take the Mamburao-bound van (P80) and waited for another 1.5 hours to fill up the bus bound to Sablayan/San Jose (P113). Upon reaching the terminal, we took the tricycle towards the Sablayan pier to board a water taxi (P200/1way) going to Pandan Island. We arrived at Pandan around 230pm the same day and were welcomed with drinks of our choice.

On our way back, we took the same route only that from Sablayan to Abra de Ilog, we already made advance reservations (van) at P210 to avoid the complicated tour of transferring from one transport to another due to seat unavailability.

I must say that Pandan Island is worth the hassle and exhaustion we endured along the way. The place is a beauty... torquoise water, up close with schools of fish and baby pawikans, fine white sand, coral gardens, palatable buffet, clear weather, rustic serenity, fireflies at night and starry skies. The people-- resort staff, owners and visitors who are mostly Europeans, are friendly and accommodating.

We had the best summer vacation there and we are hopeful to come back to cherish its beauty again soon.

• Pros:The place provides complete relaxation, peace of mind, romance, and thrill for underwater creatures.
• Cons:A wee bit rustic; Celphones are not encouraged to be used; No electical outlets inside the cottages--you may charge your gadgets in a nearby dive shop; Get ready to meet geckos =D;
• In a nutshell:Pandan Island rocks! =)