We woke up early on Cakisigan Island, not because we set an alarm (what even is time here?), but because the sun decided to pour golden light through our tent at about 6 a.m. Honestly, not a bad way to wake up. After a simple but satisfying breakfast—fresh fruit, fried rice, and strong coffee—we packed our bags for a full day of island hopping.
First on the agenda: Onuk Island, the crown jewel of Balabac. It’s privately owned and permission to visit is needed in advance (thanks, Lagum Adventures, for sorting that out!). We arrived to find a perfect circle of land surrounded by shallow turquoise water and vibrant reefs. Cue snorkeling session. Turtles? Check. Giant clam? Yep (although this was a lot harder to spot). Crystal-clear visibility? Yes, nothing like the UK shores.
We had lunch on the island’s stilted wooden deck, with a breeze in our hair and 360-degree sea views that made us seriously consider asking how much it costs to just live there forever. Answer, a lot.
The boat ride back was a little bumpy, we even had to turn around and go back to Onuk Island (maybe the captain was preparing himself for hard work) before setting off again. We were lucky, choosing to sit up top with him, but everyone else was getting soaked.
We wrapped up the day back at Cakisigan, salty, sun-kissed, and buzzing from everything we’d seen. Dinner was another seafood feast followed by some very low-energy stargazing—mostly lying flat on our backs trying to figure out constellations and failing gloriously.
One full day in, and this place is already starting to feel like a dream we’re not ready to wake up from.
Tight Travellers 