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Jay CongdonJay Congdon
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traveled in 32 countries Read more Melbourne, Australia
  • Phillipine Phiesta Pham
    Day 9

    Hidden Beach - Stop 5

    April 27 on the Philippines ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    "Discover the elusive beauty of Hidden Beach, nestled within a dramatic limestone cove. Reach this secret haven through a small crevice during low tide, where you'll find crystal-clear waters and a tranquil, hidden paradise."

    Our final tour destination.

    An almost, not really, very hidden Beach. Shallow waters lead down a channel of precarious snorkelling. It's more about the journey to snorkel to the beach because there are a few things to see. Of note, Jess had a fight with a fish who was guarding its territory and nibbled her ankle on her way past it, there were a few small families of clown fish, Jess swears she saw a small orange octopus 🐙, Jay saw a small lobster 🦞 (no one can corroborate his story), there were sea snake plants, a scary looking spiky coral coloured fish that looked like a night club bouncer, and some weird gelatinous looking things on the sea floor.

    Lots of people yelling, laughing, screaming, and most of all, walking around churning up all the dirt, which made it very murky 😔.    Read more

  • Phillipine Phiesta Pham
    Day 9

    Matinloc Shrine - Stop 4

    April 27 on the Philippines ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    "Explore the historic Matinloc Shrine, perched on a hill with panoramic views of the sea. This spot not only offers historical insights but also".

    We stopped here for lunch, the same spread as earlier, but as Esther had gotten sick the last time and she suspected a rogue prawn, we were weary to eat the chicken or prawns.

    The spot was an abandoned shrine that used to be home to nuns of a Catholic church. There were many statues to honour religious icons.
    The temple was very run down and unsafe to enter. Daniel stated that they were starting renovations on it this year to restore it.    Read more

  • Phillipine Phiesta Pham
    Day 9

    "Snorkelling" - Stop 3

    April 27 on the Philippines ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    This was simply a spot near the edge of an island. We jumped off the boat into a reef that backed onto an underwater cliff.

    There are plenty of fish to look at and lots of sea urchins about. The coral is still rather dead looking, unfortunately, but it was very cool to float over the top of the cliffside.Read more

  • Phillipine Phiesta Pham
    Day 9

    (Not so) Secret Beach - Stop 2

    April 27 on the Philippines ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    "Step into another world at the Secret Beach, accessible only through a small gap in the rocks. Here, you'll find a secluded stretch of shoreline and serene waters that invite you to relax and unwind."

    What would probably be a really cool area is littered with tourists. There was almost a scum in the water, potentially from lots of sunscreen, but it made the water pretty unclear.
    Enough of the negatives now on to the positives.

    It was a deep drop-off point. A few schools of fish surrounded the area, and a huge one of potentially sardines?
    The Cove opens up from a relatively sized entrance way that has high walls and a small beach at the back. It's a pretty spot except for the negatives mentioned earlier.    Read more

  • Phillipine Phiesta Pham
    Day 9

    Helicopter Island - Stop 1

    April 27 on the Philippines ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    "Begin your journey at the stunning Helicopter Island, known for its unique limestone formations that resemble a helicopter from a distance. Dive into the turquoise waters and be mesmerized by the vibrant marine life."

    Aka Chicken Drumstick, AKA Alligator Island - named so for the shape of the island at a certain angle. It was a 25-minute boat ride to this beach.

    It had a pretty beach, but the snorkelling, hate to say it, was quite boring. The coral was all dull coloured, and there weren't many fish around. There was a school of what looks like a smaller version of a swordfish that was quite near the surface. Esther saw some interesting fish with a hood of some description, and there were a couple of jellyfish around.

    The guide of the day, Daniel, gave a speil about not touching the coral as its alive and to watch out for; box jellyfish, stonefish, sea urchin, sea snakes and more (Australia has some competition) during the days adventures.    Read more

  • Phillipine Phiesta Pham
    Day 8

    Activities, Poolside and Gambling

    April 26 on the Philippines ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    It was difficult to wake up this morning, but we rallied and headed out by 830am.
    Our breakfast was consumed at a restaurant that was a collective with an art studio above. The place was not very busy at all, and we were able to enjoy a delicious breakfast of waffles and rosemary toast while watching Ultimate Beastmaster on Netflix.

    Next at the Canyon Walk, with Jay being nervous about what to expect, imagining a high ropes course type scenario as a worst case that is suspended in the canyon. When in reality it was really easy and not scary in the slightest. We got some great views and plenty of pictures with a bonus of the Dreamcatcher route back down (that we paid for).

    The villa above us was still not guested, so we were able to make use of the pool again for the afternoon.

    Dinner was taken back in town, at The Food truck - which was Thai cuisine and delicious. Once again, Jay fell for the trap of wanting to order something and only being told - "Sorry sir that is not available", 😪 - why can't they tell you what is not available before letting you order?!

    Post dinner, we found an interesting gambling area and decided to partake. Turns out Jay and Lilly are keen gamblers but responsibly bailed out when we stopped breaking even.

    We finally bought some waterproof bags, Lilly and Jess got more massages, Jay and Esther found a Ukrainian bar that made craft beer, and we all reunited to walk back home whilst booking a tour for tomorrow 🧜‍♀️🧜‍♂️    Read more

  • Phillipine Phiesta Pham
    Day 7

    It started with rain...

    April 25 on the Philippines ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Today's original plan was to get up early, head out for breakfast, and then on to a canopy tour before it gets too hot. However, the weather had other ideas. We woke to some heavy rain fall that lasted around 20 minutes, which was lovely to watch and smell.

    As it had decided to rain, we left the house much later than expected and thus decided it would be too wet and hot to do it today. As expected, the rainfall made it so humid! It must have been 80% humidity today. I think we were all more drenched than we had ever been.

    We got breakfast at a hostel that looked pretty bust, only to discover that it was the organising of a huge tour group. Regardless, we had our breakfast and decided to mission back to the house as Marco had said we could use the pool at the other villa while there were no guests staying up there today.

    Our afternoon consisted of lounging around the pool and reading. A late lunch back in town, which was not super tasty but looked fancy, and then on to some exporing shops and roads untravelled yet. Bought some cold coconuts had a beer, missioned back to the accommodation for a refresh, and then decided it was all too hard to head back to town as we were all knackered.

    The compromise was a little close by outdoor family business out of their house, which had great reviews - Mia's Bistro. It lived up to the name and was very tasty.    Read more

  • Phillipine Phiesta Pham
    Day 6

    Mexican, Massage and Meandering

    April 24 on the Philippines ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    We arrived back to El Nido at around 430pm, pretty exhausted we walked back to the accommodation and just had an hour of doing nothing.
    We decided to try a Mexican place for dinner, which was very tasty apart from the disappointing nachos that looked nothing like the pictures suggested. Quesidillas and tacos were the highlight and a controversial cocktail Jay got, which was Basil based. The writer is of the opinion it was delicious 😋.

    We popped next door for a massage. Esther and Lilly decided they needed an Aloe Vera massage, Jess, a hardcore Swedish massage, and Jay got a foot scrub and massage (agony for a ticklish person, and he's pretty sure he has friction burn in some places)!    Read more

  • Phillipine Phiesta Pham
    Day 6

    Twin Rocks - Stop 6

    April 24 on the Philippines ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    This had to be one of the favourite spots! Literally a minute away from the big lagoon was our final destination, our last snorkelling experience of the day, again off the boat into some deep, beautiful waters.

    There were a multitude of different species, colours, schools, and terrain. It was like a mini highway. The more you stared, the more you noticed.
    We probably spent around 45 mins here and decided to cap it all off with some beers to celebrate a fantastic day!

    The trip back was uneventful, and we were all pretty tired.    Read more

  • Phillipine Phiesta Pham
    Day 6

    Miniloc Island - Big Lagoon - Stop 5

    April 24 on the Philippines ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    A short trip, and we were at the kayak part of the tour. Big lagoon, for some reason, required kayak/canoes. We had 1 included with the tour, and we had to rent another for 350 ₽.
    It was basically a spot that had 4 companies that did the canoe rental, and the small beach was apparently owned by a rich person and was private/ off-limits. But it was a super popular spot also and was very crowded.

    There was a water passage that was low tide and walkable. Jay got out and pushed Esther in the kayak, then lilly and Jess caught up, so they also got pushed.
    The passage led to a rather large lagoon, and it was HOT. With no wind to cool you getting in the water was the only way to cool off. We parked up in a shady spot and hot into the water. It was lovely until it wasn't. The water settled, and we discovered that there were many sea urchins close by, something kept grazing our legs, and we swear there was a giant octopus just chilling nearby 🐙.
    Safe to say, we all managed to get back to the canoes ASAP!

    All in all, it was an ok lagoon experience.    Read more

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