Island Hopping, Boracay, PHILIPPINES

August 1, 2008

We booked island hopping tour on the second day of our stay in Boracay. It was drizzling when we went for our breakfast. Maco, the tour guide and cousin to one of the hotel’s waitresses was there early. The sea from the Long Beach side was rough and choppy. Our itinerary was on Bulabog Beach, the other side of the island. From our place we walked to the beach to board our boat, Mae Anne. The sea on this side was a lot calmer.

Our "Yacht" Mae Anne

We made our way amidst drizzling rain to the first destination, a snorkeling site near to Crocodile Island. I was the first to take the plunge, after securing the life jacket on. The water was crystal-clear, you could see the bottom of the sea. Somehow, there were not as many fishes as I would like to see. The boat crews were busy throwing in shredded bread to attract the fishes but with not much success. I was beginning to swallow a lot of sea water that got into the snorkel. At one point, I was having difficulty to breathe, so much that I decided to climb on board the boat. Zack and others were just getting into the waters.

Buko (coconut) Peddler Approached Our Boat as We Reached the Snorkelling Site

Looking For Fish

Our next destination was Crystal Cove Island. By then the rain had stopped and the sun was coming through the clouds. Crystal Cove is a small islet with some caverns shaped by sea water for the visitors to explore. That was the highlight of our visit to the island. There were also man-made structures for added attractions. We spent more time wading through waters getting into the caves. It was fun.

Entrance to Crystal Cove

Entrance to 2nd Cave

2nd Cave

Inside Cave

Emerging From Tunnel


Coming Out From the Cave

From Crystal Cove, we proceeded to Illig Illigan for our lunch. It was one of the many beaches on one island. We were swarmed by vendors of all things for the tourists. I bought some pearl jewellery for my wife and daughter. The vendors were hard pressed to make sales. We had fish for lunch. They were really very fresh from the sea.

We Had Lunch Here

Mr. Boracay

After lunch, we made our way back to Bulabog Beach and to our hotel. It was a good outing.

Seafaring Golfer