#3 Meet the Indigenous Mangyan
It’s estimated that there are around one hundred thousand of Mindoro’s original inhabitants, the Mangyan, left on the island, who have a way of life not much changed since they fought against the invading Spanish in the sixteenth century.
With little role in the mainstream Philippine economy, the Mangyan, who divide into eight groups, subsist through slash-and-burn farming of taro and yams, a practice the elders insist on retaining as part of their culture despite the destruction it causes to forests.
You may well see Mangyan as you travel around the island, often wearing only a loincloth and machete and carrying produce for market, but if you want to actually visit them in their villages, it‘s best to go with a guide who can act as an interpreter.
You can break the ice with gifts such as cigarettes, sweets and matches, but if you want to take photographs make sure you have permission. Treks to Mangyan villages are possible in several parts of the island but the Mangyan Heritage Center in Calapan offers an in-depth introduction to the culture.
#4 See rare wildlife at Mounts Iglit-Baco National Park
The isolated and wonderfully raw jungles of Mounts Iglit-Baco National Park are dominated by the twin peaks of Mount Baco (2488m) and Mount Iglit (2364m). It can take up to two days of tough hiking to reach the peak of Mount Iglit, while the vegetation is so dense that there have been no officially recorded ascents of Mount Baco.
There are also a number of more leisurely treks through the foothills to areas in which you are most likely to see the endangered tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis), a dwarf buffalo endemic to the island; numbers are now rising every year, and the 2016 annual headcount identified some 430 individual animals in the wild.
The Sablayan Eco-Tourism Office can advise on visits to the Tamaraw Conservation Program, known as the “Gene Pool Farm”, a small laboratory where scientists are trying to breed the tamaraw in captivity.
Apart from tamaraws, the park is also prime habitat for the Philippine deer, wild pigs and other endemic species such as the Mindoro scops owl.
#5 Snorkel North Pandan Island
Idyllic North Pandan Island, ringed by a halo of fine white sand, coral reefs and coconut palms, lies 2km off the west coast of Mindoro. In 1994 a sanctuary was established around the eastern half of the island so the marine life is exceptional; with a mask and snorkel you can see big grouper, all sorts of coral fishes and even the occasional turtle. Sharks are very rare, however.
The island is the site of the well-run Pandan Island Resort, but is open to day guests from 8am to 6pm. There’s plenty to keep you occupied on and around the island itself, including kayaking, jungle treks, windsurfing and sailing.
#6 Dive Apo Reef
Lying about 30km off the west coast of Mindoro, magnificent Apo Reef Marine Natural Park stretches 26km from north to south and 20km east to west, making it a significant marine environment and one of the world’s great dive destinations.
There are two main atolls, separated by deep channels, and a number of shallow lagoons with beautiful white sandy bottoms. Only in three places does the coral rise above the sea’s surface, creating the islands of Cayos de Bajo, Binangaan and Apo, the largest.
Apo Island is home to a ranger station and a lighthouse, and you can spend a magical night here in tents (turtles often lay eggs on the beach), though the experience comes at a price.
The diving is really something special, with sightings of manta rays, sharks (even hammerheads), barracuda, tuna and turtles fairly common. Most of the Philippines’ 450 species of coral are here, from tiny bubble corals to huge gorgonian sea fans and brain corals, along with hundreds of species of smaller reef fishes such as angelfish, batfish, surgeonfish and jacks.