Apo Island

Bayawan – Malatapay - Ferry to Apo Island - 77 km

The ride to Malatapay turned out a relaxing cycle; the route ran flush next to the
coast, offering stunning vistas. Sadly, the heavy rain of the past few days caused
substantial landslides, taking electrical cables and even houses with them. Road
workers were frantically busy clearing the road. It’s pretty amazing to see what big
chunks could slide off a mountain.

Around midday, my route spat me out at the tiny settlement of Malatapay (not
even indicated on the map), where a sign pointed to Apo Island. Down a narrow
lane, I discovered bangka boats ready to whisk people off to the nearby pea-sized
island of Apo. Bangka boats, or outrigger canoes, are traditional boats used in the
Philippines. With bike and bags loaded on the bangka, we set sail. The boat
anchored at a spot straight out of a tourist brochure, sporting an idyllic beach,
palm trees and turquoise water.

The island housed a tiny village, friendly folk, a few homestays, and the well-
organised Liberty Lodge and Dive Resort. The room rate at first appeared pricey
but the price included three meals. The best of all was dive prices were
inexpensive. I couldn’t believe my luck, so I put my feet up and ordered a San
Miguel beer. As they say, “It’s hell in the tropics”.

The food was equally glorious - freshly-caught fish was at the order of the day, and
at the same time, a dive was organised as Apo Island counted as one of the top
dive spots in the world.