They must be on Fiji time this morning, they were supposed to get us at 8.30am for the tour they got us at 9.15am and then we waited around for bloody ages getting water boots because the dead coral, rocks and sea urchins we had to walk through to get to the boat and on some stops would hurt our feet. We didn’t leave to get on the boat until 10.15am we were the last of all the tours to go out, everyone getting super frustrated and then they told us to follow them... we had to walk out to the boat through the water, it didn’t just come to our hips the water Amr right up to our boobies! All of us had our bags balanced on our heads it was so silly! But... we got there!

The water was so clear and much to our surprise it was all very clean here in phillipines so far, not such an environmental issue of a country like some Asian countries. We were pretty impressed and you weren’t allowed to take plastic water bottles on the tours with you because fear of putting them in the sea which is good.
We also paid conservation fees so they’re rebuilding the coral (like everywhere) and stopping boats from docking in places and using anchors only latching on to rope and buoys that are in the sea.

First stop was to snorkel point, the coral was dead but still a lot more alive than Fiji! After about half hour of floating around I spotted something moving... god damn it, it was a turtle! A big fat turtle minding his own business and nobody else had seen it only me and Ellie! I had to get down close to get a video of him, I bloody love turtles!!

Satisfied with the day already, the sea was crystal blue, ice blue just like the photos you think look photoshopped and the cliffs and mountains were jaggered and jet black, very dramatic unlike what we have seen before anywhere in the world!

we stopped next for lunch on a little secluded beach for a beer and some yummy prawns and fresh fish, again the water absolutely ice blue it was gorgeous!!

A few more stops along the way, secret lagoon was lovely, we had to walk through a beach and climb through a hole that led you to a lagoon in the middle of the rocks on the island. Then we went to big lagoon, big lagoon was huge and the boats had to park far away, you could pay to hire kayaks but me and Ellie swam haha! It was further than we thought and the guide made us take lifejackets because it was ‘mandatory in the lagoon’ no it was not. They were a pain in the ass because you couldn’t swim with them on and they pulled you when you dragged them by the strap... so annoying! But! We made it, it was beautiful, the water the cliffs, the sand, the sea urchins were not stuck to the sandy banks under the edgy cliffs. We floated about for a while and played about like bafoons before heading out to swim back again. And boy was that hard! (Made harder because of the lifejackets) but hard because of the tide and waves!! Then we thought we would take a short cut because well I like short cuts, it worked for a while until we realised we were in a coral farm and the water got so low that my legs scraped across the top of a coral and cut me. Ouch!! Then the locals were shouting at us not to stand up so our feet were raised above the water, it was quite funny (no fora was touched and harmed in the process).
Ellie struggled a little on the way back because she kept the lifejacket on and it looked like her head wasn’t attached to her body she looked hilarious! A good work out though!!

We went onto the last stop which was Papaya beach - again gorgeous! Before heading back to the mainland and having to walk through the sea to the beach (this time it didn’t go so high thankfully!)

First off the boat and first to hand back the shoes so we could be first in the shower and not wait about for them, i needed to get all the salt water and sand off me!! Lucky us, because the queue was massive after we got out and went for a bite to eat down the road.

We had a nice chilled dinner, pork ribs! They seem to cook a lot of pork here.
Then we took advantage of the free rum and coke at the hostel, had a few games of Jenga with a couple of people and I got talking to Dee who’s a Filipino and works in the hostel, I gave her a few tips on how to swim. Well breathe in the water to help her learn. Haha! They’re all so bloody lovely here!!