San Jose, Occidental Mindoro (MIMAROPA) Gateway to Apo Reef

Take advantage of low cost flights to San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, had mine for less than P600 (US$ 12) round trip. I’m serious, <P600 for a round trip ticket to one of the most underrated places in my beloved country.

Unknown to many, this coastal town played a major role during WWII, the American troop led by no less than General Douglas McArthur staged the “Second Landing “ (the "First" being the famous Leyte Landing) on December 15, 1944, and retake the Philippine islands from the Japanese , consequently recaptured Manila and Luzon.

San Jose boasts of its three offshore islands: Ilin (magnificent shells, coral reefs, resort offering scuba diving w NAUI and PADI certified instructors), White Island (long powdery beach where sea turtles lay eggs, fishing, snorkeling and diving) and, Ambulong (fine beach, cliffs, corals and underwater caves). It is also the best jump-off point to one of my dream dive destination –Apo Reef Marine Park (Sablayan) - still on my bucket list!. Apo Reef another one of our UNESCO WORLD Heritage Site is actually two separate reefs making up an atoll reef system . The two reefs are separated by a 30 meter-deep channel between them in marine life and considered as one of the best dive sites in the world, next only to Tubbataha (another one in my bucket list)

I had a personal encounter with the Tamaraw (see picture below), a dwarf buffalo that can only be found in Mindoro. It is now considered endangered despite early conservation efforts but Mt. Iglit (Sablayan and Calintaan) has been declared a tamaraw sanctuary , just 2 hour drive from San Jose.

San Jose has regular daily flights to/from Manila and a seasonal weekly ship to/from Manila.