Watos on tour

I'm starting to forget how we arrive at places to be honest. I'm in the Philippines so definitely a boat... Probably some form of spine jarring bus journey as well I'd imagine...! Anyway here we are on the beautiful island of Malapascua! Our trip here was a bit of a last minute decision based on a recommendation from some divers we met in a bar. Situated at the northern tip of Cebu, Malapascua is home to only a handful of resorts. People come here to dive not party or sunbathe, so the beaches are deserted in the day apart from a few village children and the occasional snorkeler (not that there's much coral due to dynamite fishing). One of the main reasons to come to Malapascua is to see the Thresher sharks. I'd never heard of ... read more

We knew that navigating the Philippines was going to be a challenge at times. Boats are the main mode of transportation, an there are often multiple ways and costs to get from one place to another. Our journey from Sabang to North Pandan was a fine example of this. We set off at about 9:30am on a private bangka boat to Abra de Ilog which is about 1.5hrs away. The ride in our little bamboo supported boat was most pleasant, until we had to jump out of it into waist deep choppy water. Needless to say we weren't dressed for it so had to sit with wet bottoms for the next three hours on a bus to Sabaylan. When we arrived we had to get a tricycle (motorbike and sidecar), to the port where we caught ... read more

Arh Manila, you strange, strange little place! Dave summed the city up as 'a real life Grand Theft Auto'. With it's hispanic vibe, dingy streets, and pimped-out 'Jeepney' buses, I don't think he's too far off! We stayed in a fairly standard hotel in Ermita, which is classed as one of the tourist areas. We're surrounded by karaoke bars/brothels and dodgy money changers so it's a very interesting place?! Every bank and most hotels around here have an armed security guard on the door, and even to go into a supermarket you get bag searched. We encountered a few child pickpockets on the first night but managed to get away from them fairly quickly. One night we went to a really nice steakhouse about two doors down from our hotel (so adventurous!). When we realised they ... read more

Just a few kilometres off the coast of Semporna is one of Sabah's most impressive and newest marine parks. It includes places such as Pulau Sipidan which is classed as one of the best dive sites in the world. Dave had organised for us to stay on nearby Mabul Island with Scuba Junkies, as it provided us with a great base to explore the islands. However a few weeks prior to our arrival... It burnt to the ground! We were quickly offered a few options in the form of nearby Longhouses which are large, basic, wooden guesthouses on stilts. When we arrived, ours could definitely be described as basic. For 80MR per person per night (£16) we had all meals included, a private bathroom (woo hoo!), dribbly cold shower, electric at certain times of the day, ... read more

Langkawi had been recommended by a friend, and was our first stop in Malaysia. The island has been designed for tourists, and is therefore a bit more relaxed when it comes to dress. As soon as you get off the plane you're handed dozens of leaflets for boat trips, snorkelling and restaurants. It's nowhere near as commercialised as Thailand and there are still plenty of nearly deserted beaches to enjoy. As Malaysia is a Muslim country, selling alcohol isn't top on their list of things to do! However, the island is duty free and they have two massive shopping centres that seem to house Malaysia's stash of whisky, vodka and champagne?? Dave was in heaven as he gazed lovingly at the three litre bottles of Jack Daniels. Alas, we do not have the baggage allowance to ... read more