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"Sometimes, it's about daring, in challenging the impossible.
Sometimes, it's about losing yourself, in finding a different perspective.
And sometimes, it's really just about hanging out with your friends and be a kid all over again." - quoting host Captain Joy Roa of my favorite travel show, Asian Air Safari.
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Three years ago, I officially started my personal-tradition of traveling alone to a place where I never been and, to add to the challenge, I make sure that everyone is a stranger to me. Call it risky. But yes, that is how I recharge myself.
I travel to dare and find myself back. But traveling to hang out had not been my consideration. But my recent adventure, during the Holy Week proved me wrong.
I realized that Asian Air Safari host is right, sometimes it's really just about hanging out with friends and just enjoy each other.
I travel to dare and find myself back. But traveling to hang out had not been my consideration. But my recent adventure, during the Holy Week proved me wrong.
I realized that Asian Air Safari host is right, sometimes it's really just about hanging out with friends and just enjoy each other.
Just this weekend, I dared to join Hiligaynon - speaking strangers with their adventure. They're the friends of my friends which I haven't meet before. I just knew two - my friend and workmate, Belle, and her friend Armie, and the rest were total strangers to me.
That's it!
I don't want to talk more, I just want this message to come across: Sometimes, dare to join your friends' friend adventures to enjoy and appreciate different individuals and at the same time enjoy God's wonders.
Here are some of the adventures and God's wonders, only in a remote island and not yet tourist(y), Isla Gigantes.
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| Because of my love for adventures and the beaches, I joined my friend Belle and her friends to go to Isla Gigantes. It's an island in Iloilo, Visayas, Philippines. At first, I had this hesitations as I used not to travel with so many people and especially with strangers as I don't want to stress myself out with so many people when travelling.
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After an hour and a half ride, we were welcomed by this beautiful and dramatic sunset view. And since the island is a remote coastal village, they don't have a wharf. Locals and tourists really walk to the shore.
While waiting for them to arrive, we were entertained by the villagers. The village doesn't have electricity. They use generator sets from 6:00 to 10:00 in the evening to charge their phones, batteries and other equipment they need for fishing. Since it's a remote village, there are no hotels for you to have that comfort and good sleep but they can offer you their house and they will cook fresh seafood of your choice, as you requested. And in a few minutes, her friends arrived. I was shocked to see a lot of them. It's my first time to travel on large number. They were 11, including a child named Yinyin, which made me think if I can get a long with them knowing they are not my usual crowd. |
Here are the amazing islets of Iloilo that I enjoyed with my new-found friends:
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| This scene will welcome you every morning. The locals in the island are so blessed. They eat fresh seafood all the time. |
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| This is how they harvest my favorite crabs. |
Antonia Beach
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| Yes, it's right. What you are seeing is a hill of scallops. And mind you, I never seen this before from my beach adventures. I guess this is only here in Iloilo. |
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| Antonia Beach is one of the best place for swimming. The clear waters is so inviting that you don't want to stop enjoying it. The sand is even finer than Boracay. Whoops, please don't get me wrong. Though the waters and sand are better than Boracay, I love Boracay still knowing the accessibility and the feeling of happiness it gives me. |
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| The rock formations look like a tail of a big crocodile. Lolong, are you reincarnated? :P |
Cabugao gamay
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| The front side of the islet. I don't want to say more. The photo itself speaks the beauty of this islet. |
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| The clear waters of this islet is the best. The sand is so fine. You will really be hesitant to step into the sea waters, ashamed that it will get dirty. :P |
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| The other side of Cabugao islet. Mind you, the islet will give you 360 degress of amazing beauty. |
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| The perfect cone |
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| Another hills of shells. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, isn't it? |
Tangke
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The facade of dramatic Tanki. I can't get enough of this majestic view. This is definitely a must-visit. You should not miss this place. It's the most visited place for risk-taker adventurers.
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| The boatmen tying those ropes for their excited visitors to reach the place behind those rock formations as soon as possible. |
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| It's God's wonder. Totally breathtaking. Tip: If you got a brave soul, try to climb those stiff and 'very' rough rock formations for you to have a high angle view of Tanki. |
These are just some of the islets that we visited.After Tanki, we visited two more islets but unfortunately my phone was drained that I never had the chance to take a photo.
With this trip, I dared, I challenged the impossible, I loosen up, I opened myself to different individuals who gave me different perspectives and most importantly I found new friends.
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| These are the people I was with. And until now, I can't even memorize their names but the memories we had is treasured. They're few of my best travel buddies. You won't stop laughing if you're with them. |
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| The 'Richard Parker's at my back heading to the big boat as we were heading back to reality. |
For those who like to visit the place, just let me know. I'll be at help as I want you to also experience and be amazed with the D-R-A-M-A-T-I-C beauty of the islets of Iloilo, that still setting aside how warm the Ilonggos are.
Until my next adventures,
Mai
Note: Photos are taken using my Iphone.
5 comments:
So beautiful and serene and still untouched. I hope it will always be that way. :)
So beautiful, serene and still untouched. I hope it will always remain that way. :)
true, mam.. better visit the place with Andrew soon before it gets too commercialized.
i agree this is a must visit place in Northern Iloilo, Philippines. I was able to visit the place last April 2014...the Tangki was awesome and mystique and beautiful and serene...name it...
Hi!
That's so true. I hope the Ilonggos will preserve it and go away with dynamite fishing.
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