Today is just a nice lazy day. Go back to Chilli's to type up my notes, shaded from the sun. A little hungover, a cooling bottle of water for solace. We go snorkelling but head left away from the boats. The corals further along are in great shape and there are many pipefish and tropical fish. A positive amount of green and hawksbill turtles are here. The Philippines has a fierce heat, even more so than Cambodia at this time of year. Sweating we watch the sun...

Get up at 5:30am, room like a sauna. I sit by the sea watching the fish, feeling the furnace starting to build in heat. By 7:30am there is more water pouring out of me than the dried waterfalls in the area. We gladly give our room key back and stand by the roadside. By the looks of things out room was part of some bus depot. Lorries and full buses whizzing by, horns peeping. We get the next bus to head south in order to change at Bato, for a connecting bus t...

We decide to leave a day early. With the island explored and Thresher sharks seen, there is too much left to see outside of Malapascua. A final breakfast of toast and omelette sets us up for the day. We pay our 100 pesos for the ferry and bid a sad farewell to a lovely island getaway. Back at the mainland, we again navigate the wobbling plank and bamboo stick for balance. Eventually a bus to Cebu city is found. Air conditioning consists of all windows being...

Up at 4am to get ready for our Thresher shark dive. A lot has been on my mind of late and have to be in right mind set for this dive. With the sun starting to rise, we board the catermaran. Getting our kit ready we are extremely fortunate to see a Thresher shark leap out of the water. It boosts my confidence no end. Water is much calmer than the last few days and we descend to an underwater sandy island. Visibility is excellent and we make the drop to 30 met...

We have booked in for 2 dives at Gato island. Great to be on an island like this and we enjoy our free breakfast at the blue coral. Usual wake up of pancakes and fruit. Today banana. 50 minute boat ride to the small island. Choppy waters make entry a slower affair. We descend to 20 metres to go through a 30 metre cave which passes under the island. Torches on, breaking through the eerie darkness to make our way to a more open part of the cave. We are treated ...