Our Balabac expedition with Lagum Adventures officially kicked off today, and to say it was a journey is putting it mildly. The day started bright and early in Puerto Princesa, where we were picked up before sunrise by Lagum’s van for the long drive down to the southernmost tip of Palawan. It’s not the smoothest ride—think winding roads, the occasional pothole, and plenty of jungle views—but it’s all part of the adventure. After around five hours (with one snack and toilet stop that felt suspiciously like a test of our bladder endurance), we arrived at the port in Buliluyan, where our boat was waiting.
Cue excitement… and slight panic. The boat, a traditional bangka, looked charmingly rustic—by which I mean it didn’t scream “luxury,” but we were too busy staring at the blindingly turquoise water to care. Life jackets on, dry bags secured, and off we went.
The boat ride was around 2 hours, but the scenery made it fly by. Picture tiny jungle-covered islands scattered across endless blue water, flying fish skimming the surface, and not a tourist boat in sight. We already felt a million miles away from everything.
We stopped off at Patawan Island – white beach, blue sea, one bar, a volleyball net, and a toilet. We used our time here to get to grips with our new drone, and admired the island from above!
Eventually, we reached our home for the next few days: Cakisigan Island. Stepping off the boat onto pure white sand, we were welcomed with coconuts and big smiles from the island staff. There’s limited Wi-Fi (which surprised us), one shop, and no air-con—but there is a hammock under a palm tree, the sound of waves lapping the shore, and the kind of peace that makes your shoulders drop three inches.
After settling into our simple beach tent (we did not pay the extra price for the hut), we spent the afternoon swimming the clear water, exploring the beach, and trying to absorb the fact that we’d actually made it here. Dinner was fresh grilled fish, meat, rice, and vegetables, eaten by lantern light with our feet in the sand. Not bad for day one.
We fell asleep to the sound of the ocean and a breeze drifting through the tent (which we really needed), already feeling the pull of island life. And if you’re worried about trouble sleeping in the sweltering tent, the long travel day (and the litre red horse we bought from the shop while trying to be social) really helped!
Follow along to see what we get up to on day 2.
Tight Travellers 