PHILIPPINES - Bantayan

Day 144 - 148.

After choosing the Philippines as the final stop on this 6 month adventure we thought the hard part was over. However it turns out narrowing down 7,107 islands all appealing in their own right to just 4 or 5 is a near impossible task!

It would take 36 hours, 1 Rickshaw, 3 flights, 2 taxis, 1 bus, a ferry and finally a tricycle to reach our first island paradise destination, Bantayan. The contrast to the lifestyle in India was huge, island life instantly feels chilled, Filipinos are vibrant, constantly smiling / singing (especially singing actually) with crystal blue waters surrounding us on every side to top it off. We're going to like it here we think.

Modes of transport as with every country we've been have their own unique twist. Here custom brightly coloured Jeepeneys roam the islands, imagine an American school bus but bright green with blue graffiti, lowered to the ground and cut in half lengthways, somehow they perfectly fit the palm tree lined island landscape! Once on the island anything goes, whether it's 6 people in a sidecar attached to a motorbike, or simply being pulled along by a cart questionably balanced onto a BMX.

With the arrival of Howard and Soph and the group now all together it didn't take long to get through a few bottles of the Philippines finest rum, at £1.20 for a large bottle it's insanely cheap, in fact it's even cheaper than the mixer you need to go with it. After virtually 5 months of detox this was going to take some time to get used too. Parties as such don't exist on this island, the locals prefer karaoke, and boy can they sing. Karaoke bars are full with families and friends singing there hearts out, and after a few rums that's exactly where we ended up too. With some help from the locals we rattled through hits from the Chillis to Oasis, our stage presence increasing with each additional tequila forced on us by Limbster, the absolute feind.

The island itself could be looped on a scooter in a few hours, so that's what we set out to do. Roads are virtually deserted so cruising the palm tree lined sand tracks is pretty perfect, and super fun! Every other turn had something in store, from a new beach to explore, a snack stand stocked with fresh coconut & bbq or simply another jam packed basketball game.

We have our football, India have their cricket and it quickly became apparent Filipinos have their basketball. On an island the size of the Isle of Wight we must have counted 50 outdoor courts, each packed with smiling players well into the night. Our task is now to just participate in a game!

Departing with our scooter we took to the water in a few kayaks and set out to explore the mangroves nestled in the clear blue water. Totally deserted they were ours to explore and we didn't hold back, sometimes getting a little too tangled amongst those long branches! Limbster although hesitant at first turned out to be a cracking rower, and we covered a huge distance. Only Howard made it in to retrieve his sunglasses, he might have been more hesitant if we had spotted the countless sea snakes beforehand!

A flat tire on Jon's scooter couldn't even get us down and turned into an experience itself when we were instantly accommodated by the closest village. Taking us in, making us comfortable & without even being asked set to work on the repairs without fuss. Surrounded by all manner of farm animals and countless playful children made for an enjoyable few hours.

On our final night we headed back to our favourite bbq joint, virtually all restaurants here have a bbq out front and it's a pick your own meat of fish kind of vibe. For us it was huge plates of fresh scallops lathered in garlic sauce followed by fresh chicken on a stick, all washed down with a tad too much soy sauce!

After 4 nights here it was time to reluctantly say goodbye, this island would be hard to beat.Les mer