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This story
takes place in glorious atolls in shades of
emerald and blue, where jelly fish do not
sting and the line that divides heaven and
earth blurs to create an almost mystical
beauty.
On the northeast region of Mindanao lies
Siargao Island, a municipality of Surigao
del Norte. A little explored bastion of
unspoiled nature, it holds an array of
natural wonders and is home to mangroves,
sugar white beaches, surfing breaks and
beautiful coral reefs. Since the 1980s,
surfers from all over the globe have found
their way to this slice of paradise, mostly
by word of mouth. But Siargao’s unsung
splendor that was only known to a handful of
privileged travelers, particularly surfers,
is causing quite a stir and slowly receiving
recognition.
Three days into our Surigao del Norte
getaway, our group, composed of writers from
different publications and the ads and
promotion officers of Asian Spirit embarked
on an expedition of the tiny islets that
make up Siargao. The sky was gray and
overcast when we boarded a small boat that
would take us to Guyam Island, Naked Island,
the Daku Islets and finally, Bucas Grande
Island for a glimpse of the famed Sohotan
Cove.
First stop was Guyam, a charming little
island with powder-fine white sand dotted
with coconut trees, a perfect picture of
tropical paradise. Next was the surreal
Naked Island which is actually nothing more
than a sandbar that sinks back into the
ocean come high tide. It took all but one
minute to walk its circumference. We lay
sprawled along the shoreline letting the
soothing sea foam, like champagne bubbles,
deliciously prickle our bodies. The Daku
Islets is an inviting cluster of tiny
islands with white sand beaches and abundant
foliage. |
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Minutes
into the boat ride to Bucas Grande, a
torrential rain began to pour. Siargao rests
below the typhoon belt and therefore, does
not lose its tropical appeal after the
summer season; generally good weather can be
expected throughout the year. But I could’ve
sworn it was raining sideways, each drop
pelted the skin painfully and we vainly
tried to protect ourselves with umbrellas
and our rain soaked towels. The allure of
the isles was not lost to us even as we sat
drenched and shivering in a small boat in
the middle of a gloomy ocean, thunder and
lightning flashing in the sky every so
often. Mist steamed across the ocean surface
and covered the mountain tops of the
numerous atolls that we passed, each one
more inviting than the last, some are
actually nothing more than rock formations
rising out from the water covered with lush
vegetation and coconut trees.
Like a benediction from the heaven, the
heavy rain clouds parted and let in a shaft
of sunshine that instantly brightened and
warmed us up when we got to Sohoton Cove’s
tourists’ pit stop which is actually just a
spacious hut built at the side of a rocky
island wall.
After a light lunch prepared by our guides,
our group divided ourselves into two and got
into smaller boats that would take us inside
Sohoton Cove. Half submerged in water, the
entrance is only accessible during low
tides. Inside is a lagoon with countless
little islets, caves and amazing rock
formations.
As it catches the rays, the calm water turns
from a dense blue to translucent, glittering
turquoise. Far below, the ocean floor of
Sohoton cove is covered with lush sea grass
beds, live coral reefs supporting a rich
diversity of marine flaura and
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