Before I came to Philippines, I had some online friends who were going on regular island hopping trips as part of a social gathering. I was not sure what this activity involved actually. I knew it involved a boat in some way, but it wasn’t until I experienced it myself that I understood what it was all about.
My first island hopping trip was with a girlfriend and her co-workers. Her company was paying for this day of bonding with fellow employees. It was also kind of a reward for their hard work. The employees were allowed to bring a family member or friend.
They were all Filipino and very experienced at this sort of thing. Since this was my first time to go island hopping, I did not know exactly how to pack or dress for the day. Being a former Boy Scout, I came well prepared. You know the Boy Scout motto…”be prepared”.
I put on my swimsuit prior to leaving the house. Then I put on regular shorts and shirt over my swimsuit. I packed a change of clothes, sunscreen, a hat, bottled water, a snack, camera and toilet tissue. It’s always a good idea to bring your own TP and water when going out for the day around the Philippines. You never know when you might be very happy you did.
As we gathered on the dock, I watched my group unload cases of beer and sodas plus huge containers of food. This was looking to be a great day! The Filipinas got together for a little “picture picture” as they call it. Filipinas seem to love having their picture taken. The organizers disappeared for about 30 minutes while they met with various boat captains to negotiate the best deal.
Always negotiate, unless you don’t really care about saving 25% to 50%. You will be amazed at how the prices for a day of island hopping can vary greatly. You might want to consider letting a Filipino handle this for you. If you are a foreigner, you will always get a higher price right from the start.
We split our group between two boats. It was quite the balancing act as we crossed the decks of several other boats to get on ours. They had narrow little planks linking the boats. The crew was very helpful to assist those who were not as steady balancing themselves on a small board between two rocking boats.
Once safely aboard, the crew used long poles to slowly push us out into open water. These banca boats have small engines to propel themselves and ride fairly shallow in the water. At least half of the area onboard is covered for those who require some shade from the scorching sun. There was also plenty of open area for those who wanted to enjoy some sunbathing.
Philippines Banca Boats for Island Hopping
Around the edges of the covered areas, there was bench-style seating for everyone. In the center of the covered boat area, there was a large table well suited for all of the various food which we brought along. We were barely away from the docks before almost everyone had the beverage of their choice. Let the party get started!
Smiles were all around as we hit the open water. There was lots of “picture picture” with the Filipinas as they all strike a pose for the camera. The Filipinos (the guys) were quickly consuming the San Miguel and Red Horse beer from a single glass. It is very common to see Filipinos all drink from the same glass in a social environment like this even if there is more than one glass. This is part of the Filipino culture.
One of the great things about these island hopping trips is that you can stop and throw the anchor anytime you want. This gives you an opportunity to cool off in the crystal clear waters by taking a swim, enjoying some snorkeling or even scuba diving. We made frequent stops like this. It was also a good time to sample some of the fresh local fruits we brought along and pick a little meat off of the Lechon Baboy (roasted pig). Back where I grew up in the Southern United States, we called this “pig pickin”.
With 7,107 islands in the Philippines, it does not take long to see many other small islands on one of these excursions. The boat captains will take you to many different ones so you can get off and explore them or enjoy something unique about one.
Some of these smaller islands will charge an entrance fee. For many of them, this is simply one of their only sources of income. The fees can range from Php50 to several hundred per person. Sometimes this can even be negotiated. You don’t have to hop off at every little island. You can simply tell the captain to continue on to the next one.
Close to noon, we anchored and everyone got a plate from the buffet of food that we brought. There was rice of course. Filipinos seem to eat rice with every meal. There were lots of foods that I had never seen before. It was a good time to sample some new local foods and enjoy some tried and true favorites. This was also a great time to apply some more sunscreen to avoid coming back red as a lobster. I highly recommend letting a sweet Filipina do this delicate work for you.
Before we set off again, a very small boat comes along side us. There are two Filipinos paddling this narrow craft with two pontoons. I was amazed that these guys were so far from any land. They showed us their basket full of shells which they were hoping to sell. It had a variety of many beautiful shells that were collected in their diving that day. Nobody was interested, but I think we could have bought the entire basket of shells for only about $1 or around Php50 depending on the current exchange rate.
We proceeded to hop on to more islands, stopping along the way for more water activities. It was about 4pm when the beer started to run out and the drunken Filipino guys started to annoy the girls with a little too much sexual harassment. It was time to head for the docks.
As we approached the docks, the sun was beginning to set and it was rather quiet among the crowd. I’m sure many were very tired from a long day of playful fun. For me, it was kind of sad that this wonderful day had to end. A great time was had by all. Going out for a day of island hopping is a must do kind of experience when you visit the Philippines.
