“We didn’t take any shells away from our travels in these magical places; that would be against the rules.”
Sunset at the Tip of Borneo. PHOTO BY HEATHER LIND
August 14, 2023
There’s something about shells that has always fascinated me. Since I can remember, I’ve felt a calm descend as I walk slowly through the sand. I glance here and there to find the prettiest, most interesting shells the beach has to offer for the day.
Sometimes, you have to look for a tiny point sticking out among grains of sand before sticking your toe in and flipping it out to reveal what’s underneath. Sometimes, it’s just a piece. Other times, it’s an unexpected masterpiece that you can’t stop looking at in your hand.
Beaches Around the World Have Shells For Us To Find
When we were on the north coast in the school holidays, seeing old dried turtle eggs on the dunes was very exciting. It reminded me about the time we arrived at a beach in Kenya for a few days with family. It was raining. We jumped out of the car after a flight and a taxi ride from Nairobi. People were running to the beach to watch tiny hatchling green turtles emerging.
Only God could have timed that for us.
Those little turtles were awe-inspiring. Working with all their might to get out from their deep nest under the sand and poking out their heads into the rainy afternoon. They were absolutely covered in sand and moving their flippers constantly to try and move forward. Slow, awkward moments made their path a long one. but they kept going until they reached the shoreline. They’re so fast once they’re in the water; unbelievably fast after watching them struggle on the beach!
Another Fantastic Beach – The Tip of the Dog’s Ear in Borneo
Two years before that, we’d spent a month in Malaysia Borneo. My Number One favourite memory was diving in to snorkel in the Coral Triangle, the same area as the world-famous dive site Sipadan. The turquoise sea is stunning when you’re on the little speed boat. But once you dip the mask down into the salty water, it’s indescribable.
Incredible.
Paradise.
Colours as you’ve never seen them and moving things everywhere you look. The mantis shrimps shimmered next to blue spotted rays and parrot fish and thousands of other creatures going about their day.
But seeing the turtles was just magical. Huge green turtles you could ride on if you could catch them – you can’t, they’re too fast! – and munching on sea grass or zipping by in the current. Hawksbill turtles, too if we were lucky, big and small.
Thankfully, the military shells around Sipadan weren’t in action while we were in the area, though we did hear shots and explosions every now and then. Apparently, it was just a normal thing and we were told to ignore the sounds and rather focus on remembering to put on sun-cream.
Don’t Take Shells, Just Memories
We didn’t take any shells away from our travels in these magical places; that would be against the rules. But we did take a big cowrie home from our favourite North Coast beach. It was one that my then-boyfriend snorkelled to find deep in the reef so that he could use it as a ring holder. But that story, involving secret sibling setups and too-long walks that almost ruined the proposal, is for another day. And we still have the shell.
“Summer is coming and it feels greener since the pandemic started making its exit.”
Jogging on beaches in Indonesia was often beautiful but home has less plastic rubbish. PHOTO HEATHER LIND
November 5, 2022
I’ve started running again. Okay, let’s call it what it is: a slow jog. A very slow one after three babies and a long year.
The last time I started jogging was after Baby Number Two. I was bitten by a night adder about a month into my routine and it didn’t go so well after that. But, I’m back again, kicking up dust and looking for bird distractions up the crazy hills.
I’ve tried to catch up to the giant water mongoose that lives by the stream, but it’s too quick. I’ve snuck up to the African Pygmy Kingfisher that lives in the bank, but my cellphone camera is woefully inadequate to get a clear picture. I usually see a bright blur darting out in front of me and know I’ve missed it.
Panting Up the Hills Is Part of Running Again
It’s also a little embarrassing coming into view of one of the occasional workers in the macs. It’s about that moment you realise that you’ve been panting aloud like some old dog all the way up the hill. Did the person just on the side of the ridge wonder why an old gogo was coming up the road in the middle of nowhere?
The crowned hornbills sometimes sit at the tops of the trees and laugh at me while I pant up the steep bits. With an elevation gain of about 150 metres during the jog, the steep bits include the first 2.5km or so. If I can make it past that, I can ease up the heart rate and cruise downhill for most of the way home.
There’s one part of my regular route I’ve named Death Hill. That’s probably slightly dramatic, but it certainly makes you feel like death warmed up when you’re at the bottom of it and want to get to the highest point on the farm. If you can push through, you can turn around and have a full view of the sea in the distance, Gamalakhe next to that, and Oribi Gorge and Paddock the other way.
You can also see some of the Southern Drakensberg on clear days. The view alone is worth a little bit of sweat and embarrassing panting most days.
Jog or Run or Walk, But Get Out and See the World
I’ve jogged many places in the world, including around a tiny Indonesian island where we snorkelled with turtles every day. I’ve jogged in the Mara Triangle in Kenya and wondered about lions hidden in the grass. Now, I’m running on my farm on the South Coast and it’s just as beautiful.
Summer is coming and it feels greener since the pandemic started making its exit. Who knows, maybe we won’t even have to cancel the holidays this year.
We are certainly beach people, ever happy with sand between our toes. From Travelinds personal experiences, the following beaches are definitely in our top ten choices from around the world:
10. Blue Lagoon (Bali, Indonesia)
One of the little known Balinese beaches, this secret beach lies over the hill and around the corner from Padang Bai Harbour. Blue Lagoon boasts a fascinating reef just a few steps into the water. Walk to the beach from the harbour by heading up and over the steep hill on the eastern side of Padang Bai Beach Road, then grab a snorkel for a day of underwater relaxation. We even saw eels and turtles in the little reef. Be sure to support the local restaurants (there are two) as these owners keep the beach clean out of their own pockets.
9. Gili Meno (Lombok, Indonesia)
One of our Indonesian favourites, the Gili Meno beach actually runs around the whole island (which is only about 1 x 1.5 kilometres). At almost any point, you can swim out about 10 to 20 metres and hit the reef, so be sure to bring a snorkel and some fins and make the most of it. We swam with turtles, lion fish and schools of fluorescent beauties every single day. Wish we could have stayed longer!
8. Diani Beach (Mombasa, Kenya)
A ten kilometre stretch of fine white sand, gorgeous Diani Beach was definitely our favourite beach in Kenya, with neighbouring Tiwi Beach a close second.
7. Linapacan Islands (Linapacan, Palawan Province, The Philippines)
A whole archipelago of tiny islands somewhere between Coron and Palawan mainland, each island with wondrous beaches and its own reef right off the shore. How could we choose just one beach? Check out some of the names and descriptions from our fantastic four-day island hopping tour on the Brinze Kylene Expedition.
6. Barra Bay (Barra Peninsular, Mozambique)
A Northern beach of Mozambique, there is little about it we did not adore. Warm, flat ocean and stretches of Barra sand with smiling locals and coconuts for sale.
Photo credit: Barra Resorts
5. Anbang Beach (Hoi An, Vietnam)
In Central Vietnam, Anbang is a distinctive beach, which is perfect for lazy swimming days and scrumptious lunches at the local chain of restaurants. We cycled over from Hoi An. Buy drinks from the restaurants and have access to lovely thatched umbrellas or wooden booths, especially helpful to escape the midday heat.
4. White Beach (Moalboal, Cebu, The Philippines)
On the western peninsular of Cebu, parallel to a long, beautiful reef, white beach is another gem in central Philippines. Truly, one of the most superb coral reefs in the Philippines, the Moalboal reef (stretching all the way off White Beach to Panagsama) is well worth taking your own snorkel to to swim out whenever you want.
Malapascua Island
3. Mawun Beach (Lombok, Indonesia)
The long stretch of Mawun white sand that lines a peacock-blue bay, perfect for long morning swims. A fleet of tiny fishing boats floats upon sparkling, clear water sits to one side of the bay. Take a motorbike to get there from Kuta and be sure to take some cash to support the local vendors and family restaurants.
2. Sempang Mengayau – Tip of Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia Borneo)
Soft white sand borders the Sulu Sea of the Sabah Dog’s left ear. A secluded stretch of paradise all to ourselves is only one of the beautiful beaches in this area. It was 7 days of bliss.
1. Mabibi (Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa)
The place where Travelinds began their journey together on the Elephant Coast, part of the rugged Kwazulu-Natal coastline in South Africa. Look out for turtles laying their eggs along the dunes and whales passing by the north coast beaches. Walk for kilometres and breathe in pure African air. The Mabibi campsite is rustic, no electricity (except in the cabins) and hot water for showers in the communal ablution block. Nearby, Lake Sibaya is absolutely breathtaking. This is our number one favourite beach in the world – by far!
The waves pound on the soft shoreline, ten kilometres of turquoise ocean framed by black reef and fine white sand. When the tide is up everybody relaxes, but when the tide goes out, it’s party time! The wide beach opens right up allowing jogging, swimming, camel rides, kite-surfing, snorkelling, reef exploration, long walks and even a tiny microlight that zooms in and out using the beach as a runway – parachutes gently touching down on the sand were also a regular fixture of the low tide buzz that is Diani Beach.
Diani Beach Bound
Ukunda town is only about thirty kilometres south of Mombasa for a comfortable taxi ride (with Ukunda airport being a convenient touchdown point for those heading south to Diani Beach, Tiwi Beach or Wasini and Shimoni Island).
Living it up
The number of resorts and restaurants here were surprising, but it is not difficult to see why this is one of Kenya’s best beach tourism destinations – Diani Beach is absolutely stunning!
Since we were in Kenya having a bunch of ‘first’ experiences, like seeing the magical Masaai Mara and adopting baby elephants, it felt like a good time for our first time at an all-inclusive resort. Luxury living is almost impossible to come by on a perpetual traveller’s budget, but Kenya made it happen!
Having perused a few awesome resorts, we settled on a week at Diani Sea Lodge, about five minutes down the beach from the quirky Forty Thieves restaurant. The hotel is set among beautiful coastal forest, tall coconut palms and lush gardens. Whitewashed textured walls under the shady reach of enormous trees, where exquisite black Colobus monkeys shake their bushy white manes and call to each other like motorbikes starting up (as Daphne Sheldrick describes in An African Love Story).
Our days were spent on the beach, by the pool, reading books from the library, playing volleyball, darts and coconut shotput; and having an altogether relaxing holiday.
Curious Wildlife
One of the delightful things around Diani Sea Lodge are the birds and animals that call it home. Colobus, Sykes and Vervet monkeys roam the trees and gardens around, while camels and dogs enjoy their long walks along the beach. Hedgehogs and Bush Babies rule the night and you wake to the sound of twittering birds greeting the punctual equatorial sunrise.
The locals told us that the KiSwahili word for hedgehog is ‘Kidongo Maria’ because, like Mary the Mother of Jesus, they are thought to be humble and gentle.
Cultural Colour
Diani Beach is also home to amazingly diverse and talented people; musicians, artists, beach boys, shop keepers, sports enthusiasts and many others, too. The bargaining platform with persistent sellers seems wide open to interpretation and the banter is all part of the greater struggle against poverty. Tuk-tuks and bora-boras (motorbikes) crowd the market places in hopes of a good day.
Shawls and sarongs line the bamboo shelves and budding artists create against a backdrop of rhythmic dance and the lifesong of Kenya’s musical people.
One such character was Mr. Christopher Odinga, a local artist and sculptor who makes his living through sand sculptures, tourist-commissioned artworks and if he is lucky, the occasional job sculpting concrete animals for new buildings.
We arrived at Ukunda Airport (Diani) having been warned of blistering heat and humidity; and told to definitely wear shorts and leave the jackets at home. As soon as we landed, however, it started raining and stayed wonderfully cool for the whole two weeks we were in Diani. Daily rain showers kept things fresh, settling the dusty surrounds and covering the landscape in a lather of clouds against the harsh equatorial sun.
The taxi driver kindly took us shopping (at the supermarket) so that we could fill up our grocery bags and then we headed over to Sand Island Cottages on Tiwi Beach.
Surprise! Turtles!
Arriving on the first day at Sand Island in the pouring rain, we were excitedly told that green turtles were hatching, so naturally we ignored the torrential downpour, left our groceries in the taxi, and ran to watch the stragglers, as they tenaciously found their way to the blue ocean in front of our cottages. Drenched and happy, it’s something I will never forget – what a special thing to witness this brave fight to survive against all odds. And it happened twice during our stay!
The cute little creatures had to fight against sand, grass, dogs, birds, a hungry octopus, hunting fish and all sorts of other obstacles to freedom; just so that they could reach the big wide ocean beyond the reef and face the real dangers of life underwater. The survivors of this family will then head straight back to Tiwi Beach in a few years time to carry on the generations of green turtles and the cycle of life.
Nelly the Elephant (Twitter: @Nelly_Says) celebrated as the last baby turtle finally reached the ocean!
Saidi is the turtle conservationist for Tiwi Beach and kept us well-informed about the turtle protection efforts here. Smiling and friendly, he carries a great respect for the turtles and strives to educate everyone he meets about their qualities and needs. The training he received has given him the skills and conservation knowledge he needs to save Tiwi’s population of turtles. He relocates the nests to safer distances from the sea (or from people) and monitors the progress of the nests that are labelled and recorded by Watamu Turtles.
Sand Island Cottages
These quaint beach cottages are a great choice for a quiet getaway and a couple of days (or weeks) of rest. North of Diani, it’s about a fifteen minute drive from Diani Beach and well away from the hustle and bustle of the town itself.
Named for the sand island that appears during low tide, Sand Island Cottages are the perfect location to see the coastline open up as thousands of birds descend of Sand Island to pick up the crabs and sea titbits left exposed by the receding waters. Watch out for the abundance of spiky sea urchins when you walk across the bay!
The self-catering cottages were comfortable, airy and clean, with views of the beach and shady verandahs with soft cushions to nuzzle into a gripping book from their library (all proceeds from the small book rental “fee” go towards providing books for the local schools in the area – initiative I thought was fantastic!) Our friends and family stayed in Simu, Pono and Tewa.
Tiwi beach was clean and pretty much private to those staying at the handful of resorts along the shore – no beach boys or tour operators in sight. The beautiful Kenyan lady at the resort, with her colourful outfits and a smiling baby strapped to her back, kept us in abundant supply of samoosas and ‘mandazi’ when we needed it; and there were people to buy fish or kikois from if we needed.
Mandazi is something like the South African ‘vetkoek’ (fat cake, in English) and is a mouthful of deep fried, doughy deliciousness somewhere in between a donut and a bread roll.
The staff and management were professional, attentive, kind and friendly – it felt like we were part of the family and being looked after with great care. Arty and Cheryl provide excellent service and information about the area, being happily available whenever needed and concerned with bettering both the environment and the community around them.
One initiative we like is the Book Hire system at Sand Island Cottages. There is a library of books available for rent by guests, with a small fee paid and a deposit that you get back when you return the book. The small amount kept by Sand Island goes towards providing books and materials for the local schools in Ukunda that need it the most. So get reading!
Kenyan Hospitality
Running through the local communities along the beach road under the watchful eye of some ancient Baobabs, it was easy to see why the Kenyan people are known for their smiles and friendly greetings. Those commuting to work on their bicycles gave a friendly wave and a happy “Jambo, jambo!”; and there was always singing somewhere on the wind.
There are locals around to lend your support to: like turtle-volunteer Saidi who also has a small wooden boat in which he takes guests to see Starfish Bay. We hired the congenial Ali for the week and he cooked superbly for us, providing freshly baked bread rolls, scrumptious curries and Kenyan-Western fusion dishes. The favourite of the week was difficult to choose, but it was either the hand-pressed coconut milk fish curry with chipatis or the delicious American-style pancakes he whipped out; or was it the daily supply of hot, home-baked bread rolls?
Travelinds has experienced a range of different beach trips and the following are items that we really cannot go without aside from swimsuits and suncream (*cue drum roll…*):
1. Sarong
It’s versatile, light-weight and easy to pack into a small space. Sarongs are good as a towel, a sun cover, a beach blanket, clothing and a cover against mosquitoes in the evenings.
2 Hat
Hats are an obvious item, but also one that saves a face from a world of pain and long-term sun damage. Hats can generally be easily replaced if forgotten or lost, except on isolated tropical islands like we visited in the Philippines. Hats protect your face against the sun and rain (and cover a bad hair day, too!).
3. Sunglasses
Light-coloured eyes will thank you for some extra protection from the harsh glare of the sun. They are also quite stylish, if you’re into that sort of thing, and, without sunglasses, you wouldn’t be able to take an amazing sunset photo like this one in Gili Air…
4. Rash vest
This is one of the best investments we’ve made for any water activities – good sun protection, as well as an extra guard against stinging water creatures and plants.
5. Hammock
You can sit down, lie down, swing, sleep, read and daydream. It keeps your feet clean, your books out of the sand and a breeze through your hair. You can string it up in the shade, anywhere, anytime. Also, your swimsuit can dry on both sides. What’s not to love?
6. Snorkel and Mask
Having our own snorkel and mask with us has been a great idea. It allows a lot more freedom to explore the underwater surroundings at each beach without having to rent it (or miss out completely). It is also helpful to have some goggles (like the kind you’d use in a pool) as a backup for long swims.
7. Dry Bag
Whether for a boat tour, a water transfer, a ski trip or a dive, the dry bag is usually a good idea to avoid general spray and the odd freak wave soak. Cameras, cellphones, wallets and books will thank you later.
8. Refill water
The amount of plastic in our precious oceans is shocking and disgusting, and we can make a difference every single day. Take your muggy along rather than buying plastic bottles along the way. Being environmentally responsible tourists is a daily choice and one of these decisions is to use water refill stations (or decant from large recyclable refills for the duration of your trip) rather than buying more plastic waste. Incidentally, it will also save you money. For example, on Gili Meno (Indonesia), the price of a 1.5-litre plastic water bottle was 5,000 IRP and the price of a 19-litre (5 gallon) refill water tank was 22,000 IRP (excluding a deposit). That’s a 65% saving on the price per litre if you ditch the 1.5-litre bottles and choose the 19-litre refill instead (about 4 days worth for the two of us).
9. E-reader
This little device has truly changed the way that I read both at home and abroad. Travelling with it is easy and this means I read more wherever I am, at any time of the day or night. Books are still amazing, but an e-reader allows me to carry around my whole library, use it at night in places without electricity and read more than one book at a time without taking up more precious space in my small backpack. The world needs to read more – do your part!
10. Camera
Obviously, a camera is an essential item to capture the beauty of all your travel destinations, like this sunset at the Tip of Borneo. You can share it with others, and refresh your memories as the years go by. Together with a dry bag or sand-friendly cover, keep some extra batteries and a universal adapter so you can recharge it easily.
Armed with Travelinds Top 10: Beach Travel Items you are ready for any beach in the world – and there are some breathtaking beaches out there, no matter where on God’s beautiful green earth you go! Check you on the flip side.
What are you favourite beach travel items? Travelinds would love if you left us a comment below!
If you liked this post, check out Travelinds’ post
Linapacan is the small archipelego between Coron Busuanga and Palawan mainland. Coron Busuanga, Culion Island, Linapacan and Iloc Island are part of the Palawan province of the Philippines; and it is a truly stunning area.
Off the main drag, Linapacan is not a common tourist destination, especially for those with limited time to explore the more inaccessible parts of the 54 islands in its domain.
Getting to Linapacan
After much research and deliberation on our journey, we decided to try and take a cargo boat from Coron to Linapacan, and if we couldn’t find one at the harbour (because there aren’t always delivery boats every day), we would take the ferry the next day (buying the 800 peso ticket from the pier in the morning). Luckily for us, a friendly trike driver helped us locate a boat picking up goods. The cargo boat eventually left at noon (giving us a solid three hours to get to know fellow passengers as we all waited) and arrived at the island around 5pm. They charged us 500 pesos each. It was worth it not only for the little bit of money saved (no time saved) but also for the contacts we had made on the boat during the journey.
We hopped on to this cargo boat to get to Linapacan.
On the boat to Linapacan there were six passengers and four crew. One passenger turned out to be quite fluent in English and held the prestigious position of Barangay Counsellor (a local government official of San Miguel, Linapacan), which elevated his status greatly in the eyes of the Filipinos here. His name is Monmon (said “Mawn Moon”) and he convinced us to come to his island instead of going to San Miguel (the main city on Linapacan). He said that his friend “had a cottage” where we could stay (price unknown), that there was good snorkelling on their reef and that he would feed us.
Inapupuan Island
Why not? So, of course we agreed and we got off the boat with him at the tiny Inapupuan Island (15 minutes north of Linapacan by fishing boat). The low expectations of our detour served us well and made it more exciting to discover a whole village that was excited to have tourists in their midst. The ‘cottage’ was actually an open bamboo hut on the beach, with a only a roof, a table and a bench. There was also an outdoor ‘bathroom’ where we could wash (in buckets) and use the long-drop under the stars (with some draughty bamboo walls for privacy). The owner of the hut (a 19-year old smiling girl) cooked a huge portion of fish and rice for us and carefully watched us eat every last drop by solar lamp.
CULTURE TIP: It seems that in this part of the Philippines it was expected that we as guests eat first, while everyone watches us and prompts us to eat as much as we possibly can in one sitting. The elders then ate what we left, and then the others tucked in. It was quite something to get used to people literally staring at every mouthful we took and not being willing to let us eat an appropriate-sized portion but insisting on piling up our plates at every meal; sometimes filling our plates for us despite our pleas that we were full to the brim. [Thank goodness we swam for a few hours each day to keep those calories from sewing our clothes smaller during the night!]
This was our ‘cottage’ on Inapupuan island.
We slept on the table in our trusty duvet cover, fighting off only a few mosquitoes, but enjoying the breeze and the bright stars above. Like the birds, we woke up in true island style to the call of the confused roosters (sometimes all night), the dogs and villagers waking up with the sunrise; and the fishing boats returning from their morning expeditions. This area is known for its squid-fishing industry, which are collected between 5pm and 5am every night on boats with about eight lights shining on the water to attract the luminous-spotted ink-makers large and small.
Dried Squid
Inapupuan is apparently famous for dried mini squid (about a hand’s length) and we saw them laying out the squid at sunrise to dry for two days. After this, it is sold to traders in San Miguel (like BRC hotel), who send it on to the Manila markets about twice a week. A kilogram of mini dried squid sells at about 120 pesos, and the large dried squid at about 300 pesos per kilogram (much more than the measly 37 pesos per kilogram they get for the cashew nuts that come in from a few of the islands).
Inapupuan’s main source of income is from the dried squid that they ship to Manila once a week.
The next morning we jumped in for a snorkel (the reef is only 30 metres offshore) and unfortunately met with an array of sparkling jellyfish, which quickly redirected us back to our beach hut nursing a few little stings (nothing major). A great pity indeed as the reef looked amazing through the clear blue water off the boats. Inapupuan, we will have to come and see your reef again!
Patoyo Island
Patoyo Liao Beach
Monmon’s brother kindly ferried us to the next island on his (tiny) fishing boat, as we had read about staying on Patoyo Island (right opposite San Miguel – about 10 minutes on a boat). He dropped us on the beach with our bags and waved goodbye as he took Monmon back to his job across the bay in San Miguel. We followed our noses to a village (called Osun), asked a couple of people where we could stay and secured a spare bed at what we like to call, The Eagle Inn, with Berta and Lito.
Berta and Lito
The bamboo frame is in their front room and was available for 200 pesos per person per night and we gave them what we thought was fair for the generous meals they provided (fish, squid, rice, water and coffee). Two nights later we moved across to new friends on the neighbouring beach.
HIGHLIGHT: Lito has an eagle (that he seems to have rescued from a fishing net) perched on his tree, which eats two fish a day and takes a bath in the ocean every week. An amazing sight to see Lito (a small Filipino fisherman in baggy basketball shorts) lift the huge bird by its body, well away from its sharp hooked beak, dunk it and splash it a couple of times in the ocean, smooth down its feathers and then carry it back to its perch next to the pigs, chickens, cats and dogs.
Lito’s Eagle on Patoyo Island in the village of Osoon
Days on Patoyo were spent lazing on the beach, snorkelling in the awesome reef just off the shore, observing the local fisherman, sleeping in our hammocks and generally loving life in paradise.
The Gonzales and Castolo Families
The next two nights we spent with the Castolo family. Pastor Gonzales met us on the beach, introduced himself and then asked us to come and stay with his employers (he is the caretaker of the Castolo beach). This was another lovely introduction to the true Filipino hospitality and character. There was an abundance of food, laughter, company and an easy air of peace between friends. Since they were all Christians and Catholics, it was an added bonus to be in the company of brothers and sisters in Christ.
Pastor Gonzales shimmied up the coconut palm to bring us a drink.
Mrs Gonzales was particularly wonderful, the definition of ‘being clothed in strength and dignity’. Her five children reflect her noble work ethic and her boundless energy to serve put us to shame over and over again. We were so blessed to have met both the Gonzales and the Castolos on Patoyo Island.
Jayar and Mialyn’s Wedding
Jayar and Mialyn’s Wedding
The last day on Patoyo we met another family from San Miguel who were frantically making wedding preparations on the Liao beach (Note: You need to pay the caretaker 100 pesos per person to use this beach). Building, scraping, cutting, cleaning, burning, dusting and a whole lot more transformed this already beautiful beach into an exquisite wedding venue in preparation for the weekend. The bride and groom (and most of their family members, separately) invited us to attend their wedding on Saturday and also gave us lunches and a free ride over to San Miguel when we left Patoyo.
DID YOU KNOW? At a local island wedding in this area of the Philippines, the word gets out fairly quickly about the big celebration. The family expects (and complains about) all the uninvited guests whom they know will just sneak in (after dark) and therefore provides a mountain of food to ensure these strangers are also fed. Our wedding hosts slaughtered six pigs and sure enough after the sun had set and the reception party was under way, the boats started rolling in one by one; bringing crowds of strangers who also wanted some share the delicious food and dance!
The groom’s aunty, Maileen – of The Brinze Kylene boat – helped us find a place to stay in San Miguel (at the BRC hotel), offered us food and gave us boatloads of information about island hopping tours and getting to El Nido from here. Wow, we remember now why we just love the Philippines!
San Miguel
This sleepy little island town is the municipal capital of Linapacan and considered a bustling metropolis by the islanders of its ten barangays. We spent time here before our island hopping trip with the Escultors and used it as a base from which to do some island hopping (close to San Miguel) in small fishing boats. San Miguel contains an elementary school, a high school, two small bakeries, a handful of stores, a municipal office (where Monmon works), a basketball court, a few piers, lots of fishing boats, a big catholic church and bamboo, tin and brick houses. There were a couple of motorbikes, push carts and bicycles, but no larger vehicles that we could see.
A typical day in sleepy San MiguelThe Cabiguens own the BRC hotel and store
Island hopping
You can do an island hopping tour, for example, for 2 nights 3 days of camping (they set up, cook and clean up) with snorkelling for about 6000 pesos (total for the boat and experience for two people, or more). Travelinds did an absolutely fantastic 3 night 4 day island hopping tour with Maileen and Benji on the Brinze Kylene. Check out the details in our Brinze Kylene Expedition post.
GO LOCAL: To hire a fisherman and his little boat from San Miguel for one day costs between 1000 – 1500 pesos excluding lunch (no shade, slow and sometimes rickety) – and what an adventure it is! The cash goes to the fisherman, and by extension his family and community, so it is definitely a good cause and directly supports the local economy.
Robin and his dad took us out for a day to see the islands
There were two island hopping tours that we took from San Miguel – one for the day (with a local fisherman above) to some of the smaller islands in the area, and one with the Brinze Kylene for three nights. The Brinze Kylene dropped us off in Sibaltan for our final week on the Palawan mainland.
An amazing end to life on some Philippine islands, our Brinze Kylene expedition took us from San Miguel, Linapacan and ended at Sibaltan on the Palawan mainland. Read about how we came to meet them here.
The Hosts
Our hosts Benji and Maileen were entertaining and hospitable, looking after us throughout our stay in Linapacan, as well as on the island hopping tour. Their service was phenomenal and so much fun. Their crew, Midel and Guerrero, seemed to have limitless energy and kept the boat running smoothly through the whole trip. They cooked for us, put up and took down our tent, found us the most exquisite coral reefs along the way and entertained us each night around an impressively large bonfire.
The Boat
Since we spent most of our time on the boat, it serves that it was rather comfortable and well-equipped for such a simple carrier. Described as a catamaran-style with balancing beams on each side, it had benches, a small cabin, a tarpaulin covering, a ladder to get out of the ocean and a small boxed-in toilet and wash area. Downright luxurious in terms of the local fishing boats!
The Food
Every day in the Philippines is another chance for fish and rice. Different fish, mind you, but fish all the same and rice to fill in the gaps. We loved the fresh seafood and feasted on lapulapu, barracuda, squid, white fish and tuna – all barbecued over a fire and served with a decent portion of sticky white rice. Every now and again we ate the precious commodities called vegetables (cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers) and this was a real treat for the locals and for us as availability is scarce.
The three kilogram barracuda we bought from another fisherman.Lapu Lapu fresh from the ocean.A peacock mantis shrimp that we caught and ate!
And Most Importantly, The Islands
The archipelego of 54 islands is hard to describe because each one is slightly different to the next, sparkly, beautiful, rugged and unspoiled by industrialisation or development. We lost count of exactly how many islands we visited in the end, but managed to go at least 15 islands on during the 4-day trip.
Linapacan is said to have some of “the clearest water in the world” – we believe it! Check it out.
Here was the itinerary:
Day 1: Leaving from San Miguel, to Dimancal (check out Karel’s tent resort here), Bolina, Manligad, Asis and Cagdanao (first island camp spot)
The island across the bay, Balenben, had island huts available for rent at 300 Pesos in a fantastic reef area.
Day 2: Manlihan, Cala-cala (spelt Lacalaca) and Takling (second island camp spot)
Day 3: Calibangbangan and Magransing (third island camp spot – the most beautiful place we have ever seen!)
Day 4: Pical, Mausunon and ending at Sibaltan (mainland Palawan)
Each had coral reefs right off its shores and were almost guaranteed to be completely deserted. Besides, don’t these pictures (from a humble camera phone) make you want to go there right now? Call Maileen and Benji for an adventure on the Brinze Kylene!
Linapacan is well worth your time – wow! What do you think about Palawan?
For the last ten days, Travelinds has been living the high life with our folks (higher than normal, anyway) and staying in a charming Balinese villa in Gianyar. The colourful buzz of life in Bali is a great cultural experience and we have loved the time exploring this part of the world together.
Thriller Villas
Situated beside the eastern black sand beaches, our villa complex stands in stark contrast to the rice paddies and fisherman huts around it. The imposing Mount Agung is visible on a clear day, soaring above the clouds to the east; and the stars shine brightly our here during the warm (rather hot!) nights.
In Bali, luxury villas are now all the rage for travellers seeking comfort and privacy. These cosy, stylish holiday homes abound, especially in the busier tourist areas.
Usually situated within a complex of similar units, the villas have high walls, private pools, beautifully finished interiors and crisp white linen.
A villa stay also usually includes a cooked breakfast (brought to you at your requested time and place) by the friendly staff in the mornings. As an honoured guest one is treated to the famous Balinese hospitality with utmost respect. The beautiful home seemed to clean itself everyday, in a silence and serenity, as we lounged in the pool.
It’s a pricey way to travel, but it sure was luxurious. If you are looking for a quiet and isolated vacation to unwind, we stayed at Villa Kori Maharani.
Tours and Taxis
Since we chose a location as far out of the madness of the main tourist area as possible, we needed to take a taxi to get anywhere (other than the beach). There were three taxi days and one tour day during the week, enough to keep us busy and wanting more.
Day 1: Taxi to Amed (Snorkelling and Beach)
After reading up on a few places where we could snorkel right off the beach, we hired a taxi for the day (at 400,000 IRP) to Amed. A minimum two-and-a-half hour drive from Gianyar, there are three main beaches at Amed to swim and snorkel, but we only had time to try one of them as the drive had taken longer than anticipated. The scenic drive winds through juxtaposed greens, blues and black as the jungles and rice paddies rise between sparkling ocean and volcanic rock faces.
Jemeluk was all we’d hoped for, enough to keep us there for two hours, and the coral was colourful, too. After a scrumptious (and cheap) lunch at Warung Made, the drive home took us back through the hills. A bustling crowd delayed the trip with cows, motorbikes, cars and people as we passed at least two festivals along the way – the men in their turbans and traditional linens, the woman in lacey outfits with colourful skirts and jewelry.
TIP: Look out for the East Bali Cashews and buy some to support this great local initiative.
Day 2: Taxi to Ubud, Mount Batur and Tegalalang (Countryside)
Another day we wanted to follow a tourist route without being packed like sheep in a bus or van, so we hired a day taxi again and set our own route.
First on the list was Mount Batur, the impressive (active) volcano that boasts a beautiful crater lake on one side and black lava slides down the other.
The viewpoint for this volcano gives a wonderful panorama of contrasts and the cloud cover lifted enough for us to capture a few shots for the memory bank.
From the volcano, we headed down to Ubud through Tegalalang, famous for its tiered rice paddies and quaint cafe lunch spots.
Also in the area is the popular Luwak coffee plantations (literally civet dung coffee – yes, dung!) that produces some of the most expensive (and sought-after) coffee in the world. Somehow, it didn’t appeal to us once we had read up on its origins.
Ubud is full of arts and crafts, cafes, temples, shrines, curio stores, yoga and tourists. A picturesque little village making full use of its appeal and setting, it is a perfect place to gain insight into the cultural and spiritual side of the Balinese people.
Day 3: Snorkel Tour to Nusa Penida
The only official tour we took was to Nusa Penida. All4Diving did a fantastic job keeping us safe and happy, and of course, providing the highlight of our trip as promised – we snorkelled with Manta rays! Amazing! The Nusa Penida tour to Crystal Bay and Manta Point was a truly wonderful experience.
Crystal Bay was beautiful in both coral and creatures with amazing visibility. Manta Point is a cleaning station (where the Mantas come to the surface for fish cleaning) and as snorkellers this was a once-in-a-lifetime sighting.
Swimming just above the 4 to 6 metre wide mantas, watching them glide majestically within touching distance, looking into their wide open mouths all the way down their empty bodies (like whale sharks) as they feed – all of it was unforgettable!
Bucket list item – check.
Day 4: Taxi to Blue Lagoon (Snorkelling)
The last outing was to Blue Lagoon Beach, the well-hidden eastern neighbour to a bustling Padang Bai beach (Bali’s main ferry port).
A fantastic little cove, protected on both sides by forest and cliff, the vibrant coral reef in the small bay was full of life.
Turtles, eels, puffers, large schools of reef fish and trumpet fish are only some of the residents here. Before ten o’clock we had the beach to ourselves and there are two restaurants side-by-side with a range of Indonesian food, desserts and drinks.
It’s possible to walk from Padang Bai to Blue Lagoon – head east along Padang Bai beach road up a steep hill that winds between a few houses and down the other side. At the parking lot head down a flight of steps on to Blue Lagoon beach (don’t forget to take a photograph on the way down to capture the sparkling aquamarine bay through the tops of the palm trees).
Taxi and Airport Transfer
During the week we used Waylan’s Taxi (private) and were impressed with his professional service, clean van and informative, friendly tour guide skills. Give him a call on (+62)85737010230
The airport transfer from Gianyar was around 250,000 IRP (before bargaining it down a bit).
The ‘private swimming pool’ – step right out into the ocean.
Sea Turtle House, or STH as it is affectionately known by its owners Stefan and Nenita, is a charming beach lodge right on the edge of White Beach, Moalboal. It is surrounded by tropical vegetation and gives panoramic views of the Tanon Strait between Negros and Cebu in central Philippines. The rustic atmosphere coupled with a fresh sea breeze makes for an ideal beach getaway and we had a wonderful week of complete relaxation.
Named for the Green Sea Turtles that frequent the coastline (we literally saw sea turtles popping up for air every day the water was flat enough), Sea Turtle House has to be our new favourite holiday destination; it’s reasonably priced, offers great home-cooked meals from Arlene, a beautiful location and a stunning reef to snorkel only 100m off shore. Check out more information at the Sea Turtle House Dive Adventure website. It is also only a short walk from the long, white, sandy beach.
Looking out over Moalboal reef.
What to expect:
Hammocks, bamboo cabanas, sun loungers, air-conditioned rooms, tropical garden, stunning coral reef that runs from white beach all the way out past Panagsama towards the acclaimed Pescador Island, a great dive spot, home-cooked meals, scrumptious bacon breakfasts and lots of sunshine. Also, massages, snorkel tours and tuk-tuk trips in to Panagsama (for other restaurants) or Moalboal for groceries, are available on request.
Getting here:
Situated on the west coast of Cebu, it is less than a 3 hour taxi ride from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport. We flew directly into Cebu (Cebu Pacific/Air Asia X are the best low cost airlines for this) and then jumped straight in to a (white) taxi in front of the ‘Departures’. It cost us 2,500 pesos (US$ 58) for a three hour taxi ride – well worth it for two to four passengers! STH can also arrange an airport transfer for you for around the same price.
Tips:
1.If you go in the rainy season (June to November), even though a little rain can be expected all year round, then it is much quieter but be prepared for some rainy days of reading a book on your bamboo porch. or under the cabana. We even had a typhoon pass by us during our stay here (July 2014), but the following day we had glorious sunshine and got thoroughly sunburnt on our (absolutely awesome) snorkel tour.
2. There are some basic rooms and others with kitchenettes. We upgraded when we arrived and it was great being able to prepare little snacks, tea or light meals for ourselves using our groceries from Moalboal town and the fruit market.
3. We requested massages, manicures and pedicures in our rooms on some of the rainy days and were sent an angel, named DaDa, who appeared to relieve all the stress and anxiety from our weary bodies. She was amazing, truly! And her rates were more than reasonable too – for an hour long full-body massage and also a great mani-pedi. She is a mother of four and a beauty school student so I’m sure your small financial contributions will be greatly appreciated in her life, especially for what you get out of the deal (a fantastic massage and the gift of giving back).
Read more…
About Panagsama (the neighbouring tourist area with hotels, restaurants and dive centers) here.
Our last full day we headed up towards the north western corner of the island, hoping to catch a bit of sun and find a place to settle down for the last evening on Jeju island.
Circumnavigating Jeju, you can catch a glimpse of Hallasan (the prominent volcano mountain in the centre of the island) when the clouds aren’t covering it like a fluffy white beanie.
Geumneung Beach
Our first stop for the day was at Geumneung Beach, the quieter, neighbouring beach to Jeju’s most famous one – Hyeopjae Beach.
We found a spot of sand (between the ‘for hire’ umbrellas) and enjoyed the hike across the bay to get to the water deep enough for swimming. As with most beaches in Korea, it wasn’t more than chest deep and you have to just pretend to be really swiming.
Windhill Hotel and Resort, Aewol.
After a couple of hours, we washed off and headed up towards Aewol where we had seen a hotel online that looked like a winner.
Windhill Hotel and Resort
Windhill Hotel&Resort turned out to be quite difficult to find (through winding little alleys and one car wide farm roads our GPS directed us, when it would have been so much easier to come in from the other side on the coastal road through Aewol) @_@
It was a nice little hotel though and we had a comfortable stay in a clean, airconditioned room.
Cafe Uncle Tony’s
We found a small restaurant down the road, Uncle Tony’s Cafe, where we had the most delicious fish and chips we’ve found in Korea. Thank you, Britain.
Cafe Uncle Tony’s, Aewol
We enjoyed it so much we came back again the next day for brunch. And had fish and chips again! With vinegar! This place has a great vibe and mouth-wateringly good food.
Back to Jeju City
The last day we headed back in to Jeju City to get ready to board the ferry again.
With about an hour and a half extra, we decided to do at least one cultural activity and settled on an interesting visit to the Natural History and Folklore museum.
Heading back down to the dock was bittersweet, but Jeju is a truly beautiful place and it’s easy to see why it is held so dear in the hearts of the Korean people.
Memories
Favourite memories for the trip included hallabong, beaches, local hospitality and the mysterious volcanic rocks that line the turquoise bays. Goodbye, Jeju Grandfathers, and keep watch until next time.
Sunset at the Tip of Borneo. PHOTO BY HEATHER LIND
Jogging on beaches in Indonesia was often beautiful but home has less plastic rubbish. PHOTO HEATHER LIND
Since we were in Kenya having a bunch of ‘first’ experiences, like seeing the magical 
Whitewashed textured walls under the shady reach of enormous trees, where exquisite black Colobus monkeys shake their bushy white manes and call to each other like motorbikes starting up (as Daphne Sheldrick describes in 
Tuk-tuks and bora-boras (motorbikes) crowd the market places in hopes of a good day.
In Bali, luxury villas are now all the rage for travellers seeking comfort and privacy. These cosy, stylish holiday homes abound, especially in the busier tourist areas.
Crystal Bay was beautiful in both coral and creatures with amazing visibility. Manta Point is a cleaning station (where the Mantas come to the surface for fish cleaning) and as snorkellers this was a once-in-a-lifetime sighting.
The last outing was to 
1.If you go in the rainy season (June to November), even though a little rain can be expected all year round, then it is much quieter but be prepared for some rainy days of reading a book on your bamboo porch. or under the cabana. We even had a typhoon pass by us during our stay here (July 2014), but the following day we had glorious sunshine and got thoroughly sunburnt on our (absolutely awesome) snorkel tour.
