My family and I are boat lovers, and visiting the Philippine islands has been something we have been doing for the past 10 years. During the past two years, our trips have become more convenient because we started using our locally made dive boat named Bella, which is named after my youngest daughter. An old boat built back in 1967, it was later sold to us by an uncle of my wife, Marissa. I converted it, together with an Austrian who lives in Subic and Filipino wood and steel craftsmen, into a decent dive boat that works very well. It offers a complete range of features for diving, snorkeling, kayaking, and sailing activities.

Anyway, our trip this year took us to Coron, Busuanga and the Calamianes islands. We visited several resorts, including Two Seasons, Ariara, Club Paradise, Puerto del Sol, and Mangenguey Island. All of them offered us great service and warm hospitality, except for Huma resort where we had a bad experience. The front office head was so rude, saying that the Arabs that own it do not want anyone to preview the place. Anyway, if you are looking for the best beach in the area, Malcapuya Island (which is now owned by Boracay Regency) has it. For the first time, we swam until 12 midnight under the full moon.

We visited and stayed overnight at so many beautiful islands. My wife, children, and friends all enjoyed their dives. All the beaches have white sands, and the seas were calm since many islands protect each other from strong winds. Let me share with you the photos we took during our trip, which proves that the Philippines will be the next big thing in tourism.