If You Want To Travel, Remember To Do This

By travel, I don't mean a lone journey to a foreign location. By travel,

I mean a snorkeling/free-diving/swimming/sun-bathing session in at least 10 beaches, 

or even a-couple-of-days-in-between-travel to Ilocos-Vigan-Pagudpud,

 Batangas

  and the Hundred Islands-Bolinao-Patar. 

You would need an iron bladder for a 8–12-hour ride to the destinations alone.

I told myself I would travel once every month, but the Scorpio in me decided to travel to as many places in one month!

Here are a few things I learned about traveling:

1. Travelling light isn't always a good thing.

I applauded myself for traveling with only one bag to Batangas for freediving lessons. 

But I almost ran out of clothing for the multi-city( or municipality, I'm not sure) visit to the Hundred Islands. It wasn't a fun thought reusing salt-dried clothing on the way home.

And to be realistic, you won't be able to fit all your items in one bag if you're one to freedive. You would need a separate mesh bag or eco-bag for your fins and snorkeling set. 

I would suggest that you study the itinerary and decide just how much clothing you'll need per day. 

If you're going to a lot of beaches on multiple days, you might need more clothing to change into than usual. On the occasion that you visit one beach on a multi-city trip, then you wouldn't need much. You can choose some staple items, and mix tops and bottoms throughout the tour.

2. It pays well to be fit.

Hindi ako ang tipong um-aawra lang. 😂

When I signed up for freediving lessons, I made sure to learn how to snorkel, use fins, and duck dive. I didn't mind reusing my rash guard so long as I was comfortable living the fun, active lifestyle that I envisioned myself having. We were out finning and freediving in the ocean for about 6-8 hours total in two days.

Devotees visiting this pilgrimage site in the Hundred Islands boast of walking at least 263 steps up and down the hills. And we were given a measly one hour to trek these two islands alone.

Afterward, the adrenaline would get devotees to snorkeling in the Coral Garden, freediving in Patar beach, riding the zipline in Romulo Island and jumping off a cliff in Imelda's cave.

There are so many places to visit in the course of two-three days, and a number of activities to do in each. You would need a great deal of endurance to maintain that hype with little to no rest. 

Lastly, a toned body shows... in your IG pics and Facebook posts. So yeah, it pays to be fit.

3. It's safer to travel with a buddy, or at the very least, have a local to ask from.

I'm sure it's liberating to travel by yourself. But certain activities like freediving, snorkeling, or simply swimming in the beach would be better done with a buddy. 

Remember that rip currents form in certain areas. It depends on the topography of the beach, but expect that all beaches have them. 

Experts can't always identify them by sight. You could ask the locals where rip currents form, but if you manage to get caught in one and panic sets in, you might not be able to get yourself out of it safely. It pays to have a buddy check your whereabouts and alert the authorities, and vice versa.

Consider the diverse marine life in different beaches. There could be jellies just a few meters from one shoreline where such would appear a hundred meters away. 

There could be electric eels hiding in plain sight as you duck dive. 

Ask a local what you should expect to see undersea. It might ruin the surprise, but at least you could Google what these creatures look like and what you should do when confronted with them. 

4. Remember to have fun!

What may be fun for one individual may not be fun for another. So, enjoy the trip at your own pace, doing the activities that most thrill you. 

Scratch that. 

If you could push yourself to try activities you wouldn't envision yourself doing, do so.

 I had a friend who took about an hour priming himself to jump off a 10-foot cliff. And he vowed never to do that again.

Imagine if he hadn't done it at all. That's an experience he would have missed out on. And although he kept from jumping off a 30-foot cliff on the third day, 

at least he could brag about the experience of wearing a lifevest and taking the plunge the first time around.

Remember that you might not be able to travel to these places in the near future. You might not be able to enjoy water activities when the itinerary doesn't include a visit to the beach. So while you're at it, make the most out of the trip!

Yep, I jumped off that cliff!