Commencing our trip 

The evening before our tour started, we attended an orientation briefing for the upcoming expedition. TAO Expeditions was the outfit we selected, based on research. They seemed less ‘boozy’ and more environmentally focused. https://www.taophilippines.com (we do not receive anything if you follow the link.) They were also the most expensive, which, naturally culls the herd of 20-somethings. The briefing had 22 of the 25 guests show up. The talk started with a drink of “Jungle Juice”, basically 1 ½ oz of local rum and 1 ½ oz of pineapple juice. Remember this is the less booze cruise. The outline covered off the company history, the community work it does, the planned route, accommodations, food and other things. One-hour later we left, feeling excited.

The Group Make Up – Spoiler Alert – We Were the Oldest

The group around us was mostly young folks with the exception of three older couples which included us. Any one of the three couples could easily be parents to the other passengers. Everyone seemed friendly and there didn’t seem to be that ‘one’ idiot who could be annoying and foolish at the same time. We met at 8 AM the next morning and signed in. Our luggage was tossed on the roof of what I could only call a Magic Bus, in reference to the Who’s 1960s hit. When I say ‘tossed’, I actually mean tossed. Nothing was lashed down for the one-hour drive. Then we boarded the Magic Bus for the journey. There was no air conditioning and all the windows were down as we sat on two wooden benches facing each other. 

Once at El Nido port, we jumped off and hiked through the woods for about 15-minutes. Arriving at TAO Base Camp, we saw huts, eating areas, common areas, community bathrooms and more. A quick orientation followed by a delicious breakfast started our day. More talks, then lunch, then on to our boat where we headed to a nearby remote island. This was our first snorkelling adventure.

Colourful Reefs and Fish

What we saw underwater was more impressive that what we were able to see on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). This was likely due to the ‘bleaching’ of the GBR. In the Philippines, there were more colours and the water was warmer. While there were more fish on the Barrier Reef, both the coral and fish were brighter in the Philippines. Both places had numerous things that could bite, attack, harm and kill you. Caution was in order the entire time. 

That evening we returned to Base Camp for a four-course meal that was well prepared. The focus was on local ingredients and flavours. Each course was explained and there was more food than we could eat. Seconds and even third helpings were encouraged. After dinner, we wandered a bit, looking at the countless stars we could see. Then, returning to our huts, we hunkered down, on a mat under mosquito netting for a great sleep. The only sounds were the ocean and nature. As the temperature only dipped to 26C at night, we were both a bit worried we’d be too hot, but that was not the case. 

Day Two – Sailing and Snorkelling 

We woke up, around 6AM which was sunrise. There was not much to block the sun, but we were not complaining. Looking around, it hit us that we slept in an open-air bamboo hut next to the ocean. There was a stretch/yoga class for those who were interested, like me. There were also pots and pots of fresh coffee for those who so desired, like Meg. Breakfast was another feast where there was no shortage of food. Fresh fruit was a key to all meals. 

Today was Meg’s birthday. Me being me, I rapped my glass with my spoon to announce the special day and all of Meg’s new 24 friends sang happy birthday to her. There were also bets on if they would witness a burial at sea later that day as she was likely to kill me for what I did. We packed up our stuff into our dry bags, and swam out to the boat. Nothing like a dip in the ocean to start your day. 

More Reefs, Snorkelling and Eating

During the day we sailed to a few islands where we snorkeled, ate and enjoyed life. It is pretty hard lifestyle to beat. Later that day the ship anchored off Linapacan Island. Then we got to jump back into the water and swim ashore. As the water was warm, it was not too much of a hardship. Once ashore, while dripping wet, we were told where our huts for the night would be. They put the couples on one side of the camp and the single travellers on the other side. Couple huts are a fair bit wider and accommodate two foam mattresses. 

Settling into Our Camp for the Evening

Putting our drybags into our hut, we wandered around and were in awe of how picture perfect this was. On a beach, on a deserted part of a large island, with a breeze blowing and sunset approaching. Our home was a bamboo hut. It was so magical. Wandering the beach for views, the clouds were putting on a show of red, pink and other colours. Since we had been in and out of the ocean a number of times, a fresh water shower was in order. There were four showers, all in one area, with no dividers between them. You just showered with your bathing suit on. 

Once we had gotten the salt off us, a pre-dinner drink (jungle juice) was provided. Our dinner that night was another feast, followed by a bon-fire and eventually off to bed. As we scrambled up into our huts, it was breezy which made the warm temperature pleasant for sleeping. Since there was really not much artificial light on the island, there was really no point in staying up late. Sunrise would be at 6 AM, so going to bed and rising early made sense. 

Storms and a Diversion 

Waking up and hearing only waves on the beach was great. Sunrise was at 6AM, and with nothing to block the light, we were up by then. Wandering the beach, we saw fishermen, there are no women fishing there, heading out for the day.

Once breakfast was over, our tour guide made an announcement. He told us there was a storm coming and it looked nasty. The word he used was typhoon. An open-air boat with no radio or radar and two outriggers for balance is no match for a typhoon. Mother nature will win every time. To keep the passengers, crew and boat safe, the planned route was being altered. We would be going east instead of our planned westerly route. This would keep us in a wind shadow and likely avoid the worst of it. As we swam out to the boat, we were all just glad to be safe and everyone agreed, it was all part of the adventure.

Rain, Rain and more Rain

As we sailed, we could see the rain approaching. Eventually there was no place to hide from the rain, other than the galley. In the end, 15 of the 25 guests were crammed into the galley to try and keep warm and dry. Nine hours later, through wind and rain, we arrived at camp for the night. Similar to the previous evening, they placed couples on one side and singles on the other. The two rows of huts were only about 40’ apart, but faced different directions.

We all managed to get dry and eat a lovely dinner before settling down in our huts for the night. It was a bit breezy. Little did we know the wind was only starting…

Meeting A Tropical Depression in a Bamboo Hut

Around 11 pm, we woke up to torrential rain hitting the side of our hut. There were also high winds whistling through. The shaking of our bamboo hut was not either of us moving around as we both first thought. Remember, always blame the other person. It was actually the wind shaking the hut. Howling wind with no reprieve. Between crashing waves, violent wind and driving rain, the noise was deafening. We kept telling each other that we were dry and warm, we would be fine. In reality, we confessed to each other the next morning we were both quite scared. Recently, we had both read “One Perfect Couple” by Ruth Ware. It is a story of group who ended up stranded on a deserted island after a storm. No one came to rescue them and slowly people started dying. It was not a comforting thought for either of us. 

We managed to stay dry. The hut, for all its basic-ness, did an excellent job of keeping the rain out. We could feel mist coming in the front and back of the hut, but no leaks from the roof. Then we heard a crash. While we can’t be sure, we think it was a palm branch or a coconut hitting the ground nearby with a terrific thud. The rain continued to drive and the hut shook. Lying in bed, with driving rain and wind while your home shakes is not for the faint of heart. Actually, it isn’t for us either. More thuds and more wind. 

Staying Put

Eventually, around 1 AM both the wind and rain seemed to stop. Then one of the staff came around and asked if we were ok. We said yes. He then asked if we wanted to go to the safe hut, a concrete building where most of the other guests had gone some time ago. Ummm, why were only checking on us now? As the wind and rain had both died down, we decided to stick it out in our hut. We were dry, fairly warm and it seemed the worst had passed. 

Once the staff member had left, we remembered that sometimes, the eye of the storm is the calmest. What if we were in the eye of the storm and round two was about to start? In the end, our decision to stay turned out to be the right one. Things were quiet for the rest of the night and a few hours later, we heard the others coming back to their huts.

The Morning After 

Most of the others were not so lucky. Some huts had water pouring in from holes in the roof. Others leaked from the sides. All of the single huts faced the storm and rain came in at full force, they, along with everything inside was soaked. The couples huts took the storm on the side, so less damage. We traded stories of how we managed with others and learned that our hut was one of only two that did not leak. A couple from Australia had water pouring in through their roof all night long. We were one of two couples that did not go to the safe house. Most of the other passengers thought we were crazy to stay in the hut, but it all worked out fine.

In the end, no one was physically hurt – but four guests opted to leave the tour the next morning, so there may have been emotional injuries.

Storm Report  

The next morning, there was debate amongst the staff whether the storm was a tropical depression or a typhoon – either way, it was scary.  53 mm of rain in about 2 hours; wind at 40 km/hr sustained with gusts to 65.  Nothing that we don’t encounter at home – but in a bamboo hut, in the pitch dark, it feels a lot different!

Updated bucket list

Survive a tropical storm in a bamboo hut was not on the bucket list, but now that we are safely through it, it’s a pretty unique thing for have on our resumes!

Carrying On With Our Trip

In reality, how can you top that? The next day was uneventful in comparison. There was a stop at the ‘best’ reef on the tour. Unfortunately, that reef was a bit murky with the previous night’s storm but still plenty of coral and fish. 

We made it to the final campsite where we took some time to relax, wander about and share stories. A grand finale dinner put everyone in a good mood and we all slept well that night. There was no wind, no rain and no crashing waves. Only gentle lapping of water on the shore. Our huts were all dry.

Finishing Our Expedition

In the morning, we broke camp and by noon were in Coron where we caught a flight to Cebu Island. At the Coron airport, there is not much there other than the landing strip. It is paved. We managed to check in without issues, although you need to show your boarding pass to get into the airport terminal. As we had not checked in, we held up our phones to a lit screen and were waived through. I guess they don’t check tourists as carefully as locals. To pass the time, after check-in, we left the airport and walked across the road to a series of small restaurants. These are really just roadside stands and they back onto the runway. But don’t worry about security, even though there’s no fence, there is a sign there that says do not enter, so it’s safe. 

The flight was uneventful and we arrived on the Island of Cebu for the next phase of our trip.

Thanks for reading, 

Cam and Meg

“People don’t take trips, trips take people.” – John Steinbeck