Sorry for not having posted in a while, but Ito and I just took a few days off and ran away to have a little island adventure. Every year we’ve made it a habit to kick off summer and celebrate Valentine’s with a little beach trip, usually in (the lovely and convenient) Shangri-La Mactan in Cebu. But this time we decided to try catching the whalesharks in Oslob, which is on the southern part of Cebu, and a two and a half to three hour drive outside the city.
Instead of doing a day trip from Mactan, this time we decided to try something different and booked ourselves into an eco-friendly, self-sufficient little island just a hop away from where the whalesharks feed. Ito and I had never been to Sumilon Island before, but it seemed like the kind of back-to-nature, laid-back place where one could just relax and not have to worry about bringing a suitcase full of clothes. So, with just our snorkeling gear, swimsuits, flip flops, a beach bag full of breezy cotton tops/shorts/dresses, and a small army of gadgets (Iphones, Tab, Kindle, digital cams, digital underwater cam, etc., etc.), we were off.
After an early morning, two and a half hour drive from Cebu, when the heavens decided to open up and let loose torrential rain, we arrived at Sumilon island’s Oslob dock where we were catching the resort’s boat. The thing about Mother Nature is that one can never predict, much less control, what she does and it looked like we were in for a rough ride. The waves were high and the sea was extremely choppy, so Ito and I prepared ourselves for a stormy stay marooned on an island.
Instead, we arrived 20 minutes later at Sumilon Island and the waters had calmed down.
We checked into our very spacious, very comfortable cottage (with a roomy balcony fronting a marine sanctuary) at 8:30 am, napped for an hour & freshened up…
…and by the time we headed out for breakfast at 10 am…
…the sun had come out!
…and so our island adventure officially began! 🙂
P.S. Fashion tips for an island adventure: Unlike Boracay Island which is known for its parties and nightlife, an eco-friendly island like Sumilon or islands off Palawan that are nature reserves are best explored in rubber flip flops. Paths are usually rocky and strewn with coral, so even leather-soled sandals may not hold up. Pack clothes that are pretty, but won’t get damaged by snags on stray twigs, being laid on driftwood, or hanging out to dry on bamboo posts.
Keep accessories to a minimum, and pack those that can hold up to the sand and sea water (I brought my favorite tooled leather cuff from Cambodia, amber & leather ring from Russia, my mother’s vintage glass bead necklace, and snakeskin bangles from Boracay). Most important of all is to bring your sense of wonder and adventure with you!
