Hello everyone!

Just last year, my family and I booked a last minute trip to the Philippines, after a long awaited 15 years return, only to say goodbye to my grandmother. After meeting the cousins I only ever spoke to on the phone, I made it a promise to come back as soon as possible. So when I had the opportunity to book a trip to the Philippines in November? I jumped at the chance of a lifetime… and then convinced my mother to come along with me.

This past weekend I was able to go island hopping at Coron. I have never been more humbled by the true beauty of mother-nature. I witnessed first-hand how gentle yet powerful the deep blue sea can be. I met Nemo and Dory, swam so deep into the ocean even I got scared on how deep she can be, and hovered over coral that were possibly dangerous. I watched as the ocean transformed into a sea of shining diamonds as we sailed through a motor boat. I visited places that were listed as “Top Destinations to Visit,” knowing that most people don’t even leave their hometown, while here I was crossing out items on my bucket list.

We stayed in a quaint little house that was built right on top of the ocean. It had a dock that extended further out which was decorated with a table, built in benches, and a hammock (which I used every single day). The dock had a ladder that went down to the ocean, so of course I put on my swimsuit and took photos on it before having breakfast the next morning.

With an itinerary full of activities, rented boat of our own, and our own personal tour guides- Saturday was an adventurous, jam-packed day. From snorkeling in Siete Picados, to eating at an all-white island, to floating around Twin Lagoon,  Coron is definitely a place to visit. I have never seen my mother (and her sisters) take on more confidence than being with me and their family this weekend. My mom and aunts (who can’t swim) went snorkeling in the ocean, my mom had the confidence to jump off the boat when it was on shore thinking it wasn’t that deep and fell right into the water, and they took off their life vest to take the cutest photos underwater. Shout out to my uncles, Tito Juhn and Tito Rod, for being great sports and enjoying in on the fun!

I'm going to admit that I had no intention of taking underwater photos because I didn't even have an underwater camera to begin with. However, my uncle and aunt let us borrow their camera for the weekend so we can take these photos (thanks Tito Eric and Tita Beng). So it only felt right for me to share it with everyone. For this photo diary, I'm showing photos from the first activity on our itinerary- Snorkeling at Siete Picados.  Here you go!
















If you ever decide to go to Coron, I recommend adding snorkeling at Siete Picados as one of the activities on your to-do list. Snorkeling at Siete Picados was such a fun experience for me and my aunts. You get to see all the corals and swim with the fishes, but halfway through... you realize that where the corals end, you meet the deep blue sea- just as Nemo did when he went to touch the "butt."