3 day 2 night expedition time with Buhay Isla!
After brekky at the hostel we caught a tricycle to the port to arrive by 8:30. Once the full team of 12 had arrived we were on the boat and heading out for day of exploring the islands in the El Nido area.
The boat was pretty well setup for the trip, there was a seated area downstairs which was good for travel in calm water and for lunch, however in rough water sitting down there you would get soaked! There was also a too deck with good views with enough space to sit or lie down. A sunshade covered half the area thank goodness. The full list of stops we made on the trip are shown below:
On the first day we had three stops. The first stop had an awesome reef, good for snorkelling. The second stop was at a beach with a sandy bottom where sea turtles liked to hang out.
The third stop was at Nacpan beach, one of the best beaches to relax and swim at in the El Nido area. The sand was burning hot so it was really hard to stand for a photo!
At each stop the boat would anchor up and we would swim to shore / snorkel from the boat.
For day 1 morning tea we had cookies and juice. For lunch we had an amazing spread including fresh tuna and prawns. For afternoon tea we had deep fried bananas wrapped in rice paper with chocolate sauce, delicious!
Just before sunset we arrived at our first base camp. We swam into shore while the staff brought in our gear on kayaks. For the first night we stayed in tents in huts….
The dinner spread was epic! It included deep fried crumbed tuna and this was Kyle’s favourite meal of the trip.
Each night up to six bottles of rum, along with coke and sprite were provided, to keep everyone entertained. Of course I took along some beers to drink instead.
On the second day we did a lot of snorkelling which was awesome!!! At the first stop the snorkelling was good, the reef was thick with different interesting corals, but there were jellyfish everywhere which kept us cautious.
At the second stop the visibility was absolutely amazing, we reckon you could see for at least 40 m! Other highlights of this stop was the big schools of needle fish and squid. Kyle also scored a new and improved pair of aqua shoes we found on the bottom.
Third stop of the day, more snorkelling!
Needless to say the lunch was excellent again.
Following lunch we stopped at a village so the crew could refuel the boat. We went for a short walk through the streets and then parked up at the community centre where some of the more brave people in the group played basketball in the heat. There was a pre school graduating class practicing their graduation songs next to the court which kept the rest of us entertained.
From the village we moved only slightly across the bay to enjoy a much needed swim. This was a good spot for sea turtles, I managed to see 3! However the highlight of that dive was definitely the cowfish, very camoflaged in the photo…
From here we headed to Basecamp where were sleeping in bamboo huts with mosquito nets. Again we were straight into clean clothes then into the beers and rum and cokes. It was a great spot to watch the sunset!
On the third and final morning we woke up to the unfortunate news that the wind was blowing the perfectly wrong way and it was going to be a long and rough trip to Coron. This also meant that we only made it to two stops for the day. The first was at an alright reef, not as good as the previous day but still some nice corals around. Although apparently these flower looking things are really bad and kill the coral…
The final stop was at a channel between a couple of islands where through the gap on one side you see the sunrise and on the other side you see the sunset. We were able to snorkel here but Kyle and I both gave it a pass because the current was really strong!
We also had lunch here which for me was the best meal of the lot. The highlights were crumbed squid rings and coconut pumpkin, followed up with fresh mango.
The remainder of the trip was spent in the rough waters. A lot of sleeping on the too deck was done, and as we approached the port we finished off the journey with some rum and coke and drinking games.
All in all it was an epic expedition and one of the highlights of our journey so far!
Kyley on Tour 