Weekly #10: Remote Islands and Street Photography in the Philippines
We hadn’t planned much in advance for our world trip but there was one thing I absolutely wanted to do: going on an island hopping tour in the Philippines. This week we spent three days on a boat, slept on remote islands and in small fisher villages and got cooked amazing local dishes. It was truly a unique experience! After three days we arrived in Coron, where we spent our last days in the Philippines lagoon hopping and photographing the people of Coron.
Remote island expedition from El Nido to Coron
Thursday, 5 March - Saturday, 7 March 2020
The last three days have been so special! We spent our time island hopping from El Nido to Coron with Tao Philippines. We have been passing by remote islands, turquoise lagoons, beautiful coral reefs, small fisher villages and white beaches. Sometimes we stopped for a swim, snorkel or kayak break. We slept on remote islands in bamboo huts, showered with a bucket of water warmed up by the sun, got cooked super tasty local dishes and fresh fish, learned about local food from the chef on board, made banana spring rolls with the sous chef, enjoyed yellow, orange and pink sunsets, spotted jumping dolphins, had fun with the boat crew, fell asleep with the sound of the waves, woke up from the sound of birds and roosters, played basketball with some local kids, snoozed on the boat deck and enjoyed the view over the ocean. It was definitely something new to us to spend a few days without electricity, running warm water, internet and data connection. No light switches, no mirrors, no phones. Just a bamboo hut, a mattress and a mosquito net for the night. But honestly? I loved it! I loved living minimal and simple out of one small bag. To be in touch with nature and adapt our rhythm to sunrise and sunset. When it got dark, we had drinks with the group around the fire. Instead of wasting time on my phone, I stared at the waves for hours. No traffic noise, just the sounds of nature. The whole journey but also our group of 8 other travellers and the crew of Tao Philippines made this trip really an experience to never forget. Such a pity it took only three days but truly an experience to never forget.
A spontaneous boat trip to the lagoons of Coron
Sunday, 8 March 2020
After those three special days, we needed some time to let it all sink in a bit. I can’t believe there are still places on earth that are so beautiful, natural and remote. Without any trash, resorts or other tourists. Arriving in Coron is a contrast and we have to get used again to the tricycles racing around town.
We started our first day in Coron with an iced latte in a cafe and prepared ourself for a day of photo editing, blogging and relaxing in the garden of our hotel. But then we got in touch with Bastian and Julia in our hostel. We just wanted to ask them for a few Coron tips but before we knew, we were heading to the harbor together to rent a private boat to go explore some of the lagoons, beaches and riffs around town for the day. Before we started the trip, we got some fresh fruits and veggies for lunch. The captain offered us to cook us a lunch. Spontaneous days turn out to be the best days! We visited the Twin Lagoons, the Green Lagoon, Coral Garden and had a lunch on an uninhabited beach. I keep repeating myself, but the nature is so beautiful in this country and being able to enjoy it on a private tour makes it even better. Turquoise lagoons surrounded by limestone cliffs. Picture perfect colorful coral reefs full of fishes in all colors and sizes (I found nemo for the first time in purple anemones). It was great! Thanks to Bastian and Julia for sharing their drone and GoPro shots from the day with us and for the great day. Now I want to have a GoPro again, ahrgh! The continuous struggle between trying to be minimal and wanting to have all the gadgets.
Chill day
Monday, 9 March 2020
We moved the chill day we had planned for yesterday to today. We had a nice and long breakfast, took a tricycle to a vegetarian café outside of town and went to Hop Hostel for some beers and a great view on the sun setting behind the harbor. Between the breaks we did some administration work and FaceTiming with the families back home.
Street photography in Coron
Tuesday, 10 March 2020
We met so many kind and beautiful people in the Philippines in the past three weeks, that we somehow wanted to capture them. We both took our Fujis out (Marjolein: Fuji X-T3 + 23mm F1,4, Kai: Fuji X-T2 + 35mm F2) and challenged ourselves to take some street portraits. I find it always a bit awkward to ask people for a photo but there is no reason to be hesitant in the Philippines. Most people love it! We strolled over the local market and through some of the streets outside of town. Photography opened doors to starting conversations with the locals and it was amazing what responses we got and how much fun we had with the people from Coron. I found the 23mm a bit too wide for street portraits, so my shots are rather people pictured in their own environment. Still very happy with the results though and happy with how fun this day was. It was one of the most beautiful days we spent in the Philippines (and that says something, as we had many beautiful days here!) and it was very budget friendly too.
Lagoon hopping
Wednesday, 11 March 2020
Our last full day in Coron and we still had to tick off the most popular tourist destinations in the area: Kayangan Lake and Barracuda Lake. They are considered to be the most beautiful, most clean and most clear lakes in all of the Philippines. Also the fact that they contain both fresh and salt water and some impressive rock formations under water, makes them unique. The lakes can only visited by boat tours or by private boat. We decided to book a private boat again, as it is only slightly more expensive than a group tour (if you limit yourself to 3 or 4 attractions) and it makes it easier to avoid peak times at the most popular spots and enjoy spending a little more time at each location. When we arrived at Kayangan Lake around 9:30 AM, there were already some tourists there, but it was still OK. We read horror scenarios about the lake being full with floating life jackets (wearing a life jacket is mandatory). About an hour later, the lake was indeed full with floating life vests and we can definitely confirm that the lake is much more peaceful and looks better without the crowds. Time to head to the next lake: Barracuda Lake. It is just a few minutes by boat from Kayangan Lake, but for some reason less frequently visited. At some point (around lunch time) we had the whole lake all to ourselves and our tour guide. We had some conversations about the Philippines, the history of a country under Spanish and later US control and about the school system. One of the biggest problems in the country is that young people prefer to start working directly, instead of going to university. We ended the day chilling at Banol Beach with watermelon and mango. We will definitely miss the fruits from the Philippines, it is so flavourful, absolutely delicious!
