We
were all excited to visit Apo
Island. We booked a tour to Apo Island
from Coco Grove Beach Resort in Siquijor.
The tour costs Php 1,700 per person, inclusive of transportation,
snorkeling equipment, and lunch. At
first, we thought that Php 1,700 was very expensive for a tour. However, we were surprised that we will be
going to Apo Island using a yacht. Not bad, we will be traveling in style for
only Php 1,700.
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| Aye! Aye! Captain |
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| Our room inside the yacht... |
Travel
time from Coco Grove in Siquijor to Apo
Island is approximately
two hours. We never got bored during the
trip. There were around twenty of us on
the yacht and we were the only Filipinos there.
It was a great time to exchange stories with people from other
nationalities.
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| The upper deck where tourists socialize with each other. |
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| Kukay getting a tan... |
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| Aprub! |
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| The weather was perfect for the trip... |
For
those unfamiliar with Apo Island, it is an island off the coast of Negros Oriental. It
is thirty minutes via boat from the town of Zamboanguita.
So why did we have to go to Siquijor when it is easier to access Apo Island
via Negros Oriental? I do not know the answer, but at least we were on a yacht,
haha.
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| Location of Apo Island (www.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apo_Island) |
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We
were awed when we arrived in the island.
Apo Island is a marine sanctuary. It is home to over 650 species of fish and
400 species of corals. The island is
listed as one of the best diving destinations in the world. We went straight to Apo Island Beach Resort
for lunch and to get our snorkeling equipment.
Apo Island Beach Resort is nested in a private cove within unique rock
formations on a beautiful white beach.
For more details on Apo Island Beach Resort, please click here for their
website.
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| Beautiful rock formations |
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| Good place for a photo-op |
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| Main docking station in Apo Island |
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| Lunch at Apo Island Resort |
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| I can live here forever |
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| Perfect setting for an afternoon siesta |
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| Ready for snorkeling |
After lunch, we went snorkeling
near the turtle sanctuary. Yup, there is
a turtle sanctuary in Apo
Island. While snorkeling, it is normal for you to
meet a group of sea turtles along the way.
Thereafter, we went to the marine sanctuary, very beautiful. It feels like heaven under the sea.
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| Getting ready to snorkel |
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| First time I saw a sea turtle swimming freely |
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| Do not forget to say hi to Mr. Turtle |
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| He's off to the EAC (East Australian Current) |
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| Help preserve the sea turtles... |
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| The little lady enjoying the sea... |
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| Sea urchins |
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| More corals... |
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| Lots of clown fishes... |
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| Who among them is Nemo? |
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A visit to Apo Island
will make you love nature more. You will
develop a sense of responsibility in protecting not only the sea but the whole
environment. Additionally, the visit will make you proud to
be a Filipino. After we went snorkeling,
our foreigner friends told us that we have a beautiful country and hoped that
the Filipinos will continue to protect its natural resources so that more and
more tourists would come and visit the country.
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