Cocobeach escape

A new day, a new boat, and a new crew! Well, sort of. It’s 7 AM—or, more accurately, 7:30 AM Philippine time. The boat arrives fashionably late, just as we’ve finished our second round of “Where is our boat?” discussions. But no stress, we’re on island time.

Destination: Malcapuya Island

An hour by boat, Malcapuya greets us with its white sand beach and swimming-pool-blue water. We jump onto our paddleboards, full of energy and adventure. The plan? Paddle around and explore the surrounding islands. Reality? Stop every 30 minutes because apparently, every piece of sand in the Philippines has an entrance fee, and our boat crew is very enthusiastic about collecting their commissions.

After a quick swim stop on a stunning sandbar, our boat magically appears, clearly hoping we’ll dock again (and pay again).

Lunch Break: Bulog Dos Island

A tiny island, small enough to walk around in minutes, yet big enough to host three hopeful island dogs staring at our plates. Lunch is classic: grilled fish, chicken, pancit canton, tomato salad, and, of course, pineapple and watermelon.

The Exclusive Resort Incident

As the wind picks up, we paddle in the shadow of Bulalacao Island. As we near the ultra-fancy Two Seasons Resort, a nervous breakdown spreads among both our boat crew and the resort security. The resort clearly wants its five-star guests to believe they’ve landed in an untouched paradise, complete with flower necklaces and a South Pacific illusion. Meanwhile, we’re floating by in board shorts, salty hair, and paddleboards, ruining their fantasy. Oops.

The 10km Arm Workout

Needing more kilometers under our belt, we set course for another island. But the wind has other plans. Our “fun paddle” turns into an unplanned one-arm workout, as we fight to keep our SUPs straight against the side wind. After what feels like forever (but was probably just 10km of right-side paddling), we reach our next stop—a sandbar completely overrun by mass tourism. Not exactly the secluded paradise we had in mind.

Coco Beach: Redemption Arc

We escape the madness and head to Coco Beach for the night. Spirits lift as we see cute bamboo huts, another white sand beach, and a chill island vibe. Activities? Paddleboarding, beach volleyball, snorkeling, and most importantly—drinking our way back to happiness.

The sunset is a no-show, but the Rumcoke makes up for it. Dinner? You guessed it—grilled fish, chicken, rice, and pineapple and watermelon! We contemplate training the boat crew in creative cuisine, but then again, Filipino food isn’t exactly known for its Michelin stars.

As the generator hums, charging our exhausted devices, Zeb and Edith take on the noble task of finishing the Tanduay rum. We fall asleep under mosquito nets, dreaming of a breakfast that doesn’t involve rice and fish. But hey, this is island life.

Tomorrow, another island, another paddle, and probably... another rice and fish.Leggi altro