In part 2:
- not everything goes as expected when travelling…
- lessons learned – always keep backup of your photos
- how to hitchhike a boat
- diving the huge Japanese ships from WWII
- Mt Pinatubo – my second volcano
- setting foot in Taiwan – little and diverse 🙂
- here is the link to Part 1 – Memories from a 4 months trip around South East Asia
Taal volcano
I set foot in the Philippines for the second time. I felt at home. Decided to go to Tagaitay to visit what’s left from the previous time – Taal volcano.

By 11 am I was at the hostel and found 2 French and one local. The local helped us to find a boat and we went together.
Taal is quite beautiful, I’m in love with this place. Taal is a volcano in a lake and in its crater there is a lake with a small island inside. On the way up you can see many holes smoking and the yellow dust.

The day was amazing I went alone to have dinner. The local just asked me where I’m going and for how long. When I was back to the hostel I immediately went to my room to find my 2 cameras stolen. With all the photos from Vietnam. I hate you, my Philippino friend! 🙁
Police didn’t help. I had his phone number and even spoke with him but with no success.
Diving around Puerto Galera
But I had to let it go, the nasty feeling of hatred.
I let go. And by the 3rd day I was happy again. Diving in the most colorful coral reef in Puerto Galera.

Reaching Puerto Galera was extreme. Haggling and making it through the slum. Terrifying experience but I made it to Sabang… with 2 prostitutes 😀 Apparently this city has to offer vibrant nightlife for men. 😀

The coral reefs there are so beautiful and colorful – it’s unbelievable. Probably the best diving so far. Diving is very cheap in Puerto Galera and Sabang.
From there I explored the area around Sabang and sat off to Sablayan – to visit the second largest coral reef in the world after the Great Barrier. I set foot on Apo Reef <3
Apo reef – the world’s second largest coral reef system

I spent the most amazing time on the rangers’ island, only me (and my ex), 2 days and 2 nights, waiting for a boat to hitchhike to Palawan. There is only one lighthouse on the island. From there you see the most amazing sunsets and sunrises. I can summarize that was the most romantic time in my life.







Adventure + Romance = Love
We found a boat to take us to Coron – an archipelago and an important bio reserve part of Coron Island Natural Biotic Area.


Coron
And here I am – in Coron diving the huge Japanese ships. Quite technical diving with strong currents. I saw my blue blood (I knew it!) The archipelago around Coron is fantastic!
I dove in a lake without a suit. I saw the thermal lines and the one and only barracuda in Barracuda lake, Coron. I was lucky! And I almost caught a shrimp.
One of the best dives there. Fantastic!
El Nido, Palawan
Next, another archipelago – around El Nido. So beautiful, lagoons, caves, emerald water, white sand beaches, corals, fish…
It was really nice to camp on a deserted island with a bottle of rum. 😀





Paradise on Earth!
Well, I must end here as the article became quite long. The story continues very very soon.
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Sincerely,
Irina
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