Finding an idyllic island paradise away from crowds is difficult in the age of social media and the internet where no stones are left unturned.

The Philippines, known for both its stunning beaches and tropical getaways, is comprised of about 2000 inhabited islands.

With its gruelling journey and underdeveloped tourism, Romblon offers the ideal island experience with essentially no tourists.

You can still experience the bread and butter island activities: island hopping, snorkelling and empty beaches in an authentic bubble away from it all.

Romblon is well off the tourist map and for good reasons.

It’s a tough journey and the only way in and out is via a long ferry or a series of boat trips, with no airport to service the island.

The journey itself would turn a lot of people away, and while there are several paths to get there, none of them are short.

If you want a paradise to yourself, this is the cost.

The main route is a two-and-a-half hour drive from the capital of Manila to Batangas then a nine-hour ferry to the island.

Instead, we start from Roxas City on Panay Island and make a last-minute decision to go to Romblon island.

The night before, we buy tickets for what should be an eight-hour ferry and the trouble starts before we even leave the pier.

Booking online tickets leaves us in the lurch — we paid yet still haven’t received tickets the next morning.

We leave for the port early to secure a spot and are unable to stock up on supplies as we had intended.

This would come to haunt us.

After securing tickets for the 2pm ferry — the only regular service — we were already experiencing delays typical of Philippines ferries and depart two hours later.

Opting for the basic seats thinking “eight hours isn’t so bad”, I would strongly advise upgrading to a section with a bunk, mixed cabin, or even private cabin.

The ferry itself is not just for passengers but acts as an all-in-one service for the islands on the route, including vehicles and other mixed freight.

As is also typical for the Philippines, the air conditioner is set to freezing cold, meaning you will need to do as the locals do and bring a hoodie and track pants while travelling through the sweltering heat of the rest of the country.

You should also follow the locals in coming prepared to eat.

Fast food, bags of snacks and packed dinners are common and leave us envious and hungry.

A large group board along the way with a full-course spread — appetisers, fried rice sets, chicken drumsticks and an esky filled with drinks.

Just when we think it’s over they pull out the dessert and fruit salad.

Hungry and tired, we finally arrive in the dead of night as the only departing passengers with a couple of dock workers and tuktuk drivers to greet us.

The lack of tourists — or many people at all — mean you stand out and the locals are eager to lend a hand.

We don’t meet any other international tourists during our stay, only a handful of domestic holidaymakers or people visiting family.

The beaches and island-hopping are the key attractions here, as with most places in the Philippines.

Renting a scooter is the best way to explore the island in depth and get to the even more secluded beaches, and driving here is beginner-friendly as the roads are relatively empty.

Visit Bon Bon Beach, with its tidal sandbar to a little rocky island, or any of the other secluded beaches around the island. It’s not hard to find something to yourself.

The island-hopping trip we take with our local boatman is a highlight as he takes us to several barely inhabited islands and snorkelling spots to see green sea turtles, clown fish, and baby sharks in the shallows near caves.

The people who didn’t grow up on Romblon usually have interesting stories of how they ended up there. Moving from Manila to take over the family guesthouse, a foreigner opening a restaurant with their Filipina partner, or settling on one of the even more remote nearby islands to conserve the untouched marine life. Having found themselves in such a remote place, they’ll no doubt ask for your story on how you too ended up here.

Geographically neighbours with the popular Boracay island, locals we meet at Romblon encourage us to visit the lively island to “see the circus” but hope we would remember it fondly as a quiet, charming island.

What makes Romblon island so memorable is the feeling of discovery — the feeling that we have found something not just overlooked, but unknown.

This is not a destination for a short getaway or jam-packed holiday.

However, if you have the time and appetite for something genuinely local and off the map, this could be one of your highlights of a trip to the Philippines.