HA240622: Undiscovered Philippines & Indonesia

UNDISCOVERED PHILIPPINES & INDONESIA

on board HERITAGE ADVENTURER

22 June - 6 July 2024

Day 1

June 22nd

Manila

Welcome to the Philippines! What a way to start our Undiscovered Philippines & Indonesia adventure, staying at the spectacular Hotel Okura. In the evening, we met our fellow adventurers for the first time and were treated to a magnificent Japanese-themed buffet dinner. Sitting down and reconnecting with old friends and taking the chance to make new ones, there was a buzz in the air that gave us a feeling there would be a great adventure to come.

Day 2

June 23rd

Legazpi

We were up early because, of course, the incredible breakfast buffet could not be missed! After indulging in this delicious feast, we boarded our coaches and headed on a tour through Manila. The focus of our morning was the old walled city of Intramuros. Its beautiful Spanish architecture provided a unique view into the city while our guides shared the heartbreaking stories that a history of war and conquest had left within the walls. To see the people and city thriving now, after such a challenging history, was a blessing. Timing our viewing of the Agustin Church with a mass was a special moment. Whether you are religious or not, all were captured by the beautiful feeling in the air as song and organ rang out from the church into the streets. After this stirring display, we enjoyed the taste of avocado ice cream before it was time to head off to the airport.

It was a very short flight to Legazpi, and we were met by a colourful welcome from the friendly locals. Jumping into our second coach for the day we drove out to a beautiful lake where the majesty of Mt Mayon, the most active volcano in the Philippines, could be fully appreciated. Luck was on our side as the clouds had parted and this powerful giant rose high in the sky looking down upon us.

Though the view was impressive, the highlight was of course the people. We strolled into a local artisanal fair and were met by a joy-filled crowd. Dance and culture flowed and many of us were caught up in a special moment of dancing and crafting with these beautiful people. What a privilege to get such an intimate look into their culture. Back on the buses, and as the sun began to kiss the horizon, we boarded our chariot on the ocean, Heritage Adventurer. Stepping onto our new home we were welcomed by cold drinks and the warm smiles of the crew. Mt Mayon waved us farewell, as we ate and drank the evening away excited for the adventure ahead.

© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions

Day 3

June 24th

Halea Nature Park, San Miguel Island

What a place to wake up, the green jungle of remote tropical islands rolling down to the azure, blue waters while Mt Mayon still looked on in the distance. That’s what you’d call breakfast with a view. It was time for our first Zodiac ride, a short cruise to San Miguel Island. The white sands of Halea Beach, at Halea Nature Park, and our local guides welcomed us as we set off for a morning of adventure. Exploring the island, we took off on birding walks and a trek to the lighthouse to fully immerse ourselves in this paradise.

For many, snorkelling came at just the right time as the morning's heat continued to brew. Wading out into the beautiful water of this bay, it was hard to imagine anything could surpass the colours on land, but the reef was simply stunning. Diverse and healthy corals covered the sea floor while Blue Damselfish, Parrotfish and Butterflyfish darted amongst the reefs. It was an ecosystem thriving, and one of the most pleasant snorkels in living memory. After soaking in the vivid sights around us, our time at San Miguel Island had come to an end.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch back on Heritage Adventurer and enjoyed a moment to catch our breath and settle into life on board. For some, it was the pool for the afternoon, while others chose a more educational route. Talks by Murray laid the perfect foundation of knowledge for the voyage, as we learned about the unique biodiversity of the region and Adam took us for a deep dive into the Seabirds of Tropical Asia.

It was a fancy finish to the evening’s affair as we frocked up for Captain’s Welcome Cocktails and Dinner. Meeting the officers looking after us on our journey was a much-valued experience and a few glasses of bubbles added to the atmosphere. The good food and company meant that the dining room stayed busy on this festive night, as tales of the day's adventures could be heard being discussed throughout the room.

Day 4

June 25th

San Miguel Island

It was truly expedition life on board Heritage Adventurer today as, due to a unique set of challenges that come with exploring the marine world, we found ourselves with the opportunity to re-explore San Miguel Island. We were beginning to enjoy the wonderful routine of life on board and enjoyed a delicious breakfast, followed by coffee and cake before we boarded the Zodiacs.

There is beauty in getting to visit the same reef twice in your life, let alone twice in two days. It is so often the bright and big that catch our eyes and can dominate, but since we had the opportunity, our senses settled, and we found ourselves fully immersed in this serene environment, we explored this time with a different perspective. So many of the cryptic species that eluded us yesterday became apparent, none more so than the incredible Pipefish! Usually, a rarity to see, there were a handful spotted today as they actively hunted on the top of the coral outcrops.

We enjoyed another opportunity to walk and explore the island and of course more birding, with the bonus of Zodiac cruising for some. This featured several new birds and a unique perspective of the geology that surrounds the coast.

Back on board Heritage Adventurer, Tropi danced on stage giving a colourful lesson on the fishes of this region. After a dip in the pool, we were back in the lounge to learn from legendary photographer Cathy about photography. From her tips and tricks, we learned many new skills that will arm us for the rest of the voyage, ready now to get the perfect shot.

We enjoyed calm seas, sunset and dinner as we waved goodbye to San Miguel Island and dreamed of tomorrow’s adventures.

Day 5

June 26th

Balicasag & Bohol Island

We could almost step off the gangway onto the beach as our Captain impressively manoeuvred Heritage Adventurer close to our island for this morning, Balicasag. We enjoyed a short Zodiac cruise to the beach, and it was off to explore this picturesque little island. Livestock were a common sight as we strolled through the bustling dive town.

After building up a sweat, it was time to get under the water and check out the Balicasag Marine Sanctuary. A steep vertical wall that rose 3 metres and quickly disappeared down to 100 metres proved a popular site for many Green Turtles who casually lazed about in the deep blue waters. A gentle drift speed made life easy and many of us returned for second and third helpings of this lovely drift snorkel.

Back on board Heritage Adventurer for lunch, we repositioned for the afternoon’s activities enjoying a delicious and well-earned meal. We arrived at our second island for the day at the busy port of Baclayon, Bohol Island. The local crowd were clearly excited to see us as we were met by an enthusiastic welcome. We boarded our buses and were quickly entertained by our extremely passionate guides who shared some fascinating cultural insights about life in the Philippines. We arrived at the sanctuary and couldn’t believe our luck, a Tarsier straight away! What a gorgeous little creature.

Onto the famous Chocolate Hills and they proved to be postcard-perfect. The little rain that showed up was a refreshing cool down after the 222 stairs to the top. Upon summiting the stairs, we were met with expansive views as the clouds opened up to show us the chocolate scenery that stretched across the horizon. It was then a short journey to Rajah Sikatuna National Park where birders went with Adam to find their creatures of flight, and we all enjoyed a rewarding trek into this pristine piece of forest where monkeys, lemurs, birds, and endemic trees were all observed.

To finish the day, we returned to the Zodiacs that waited upriver at the resort for us. As the last light faded, and bats and fireflies took over the skies, it was an emotive journey home through the perfect dark of the evening as we arrived back on Heritage Adventurer for a delicious dinner.

Day 6
June 27th
Bucas Grande Island

We had a fantastic morning at Sohoton Cove in Bucas Grande Island, our last day in the Philippines and one to remember. With a huge round limestone coastline covered with dense jungle right to the water’s edge, it felt like we were stepping into a scene from an Avatar movie. Our first landing saw us pulling into a beach that had gentle rolling waves coming onto its shores. Afterwards, we enjoyed a short climb over the island and across to a lagoon that stunningly opened as we pushed through the dense understory.

Back ashore at the landing site, it was time to get back aboard our Zodiacs and head for a cruise through this scenic landscape. Shipwrecks and dream houses lined the shore as the turquoise waters lapped upon this stunning coastline.

Soon at our second landing, we boarded small local boats and the excitement of being given helmets to wear had many of us curious to learn what was in store. Our guides expertly navigated tight channels through a new lagoon until we seemingly came to the end of our cruise and a small black hole in the wall.

“Duck your heads!”

This was all the encouragement we needed, and we soon found ourselves crouching down as our boat travelled through a dark cave filled with stalactites that reached from the roof into the water. Once we found our way through to the other side, we slipped into the water surrounded by stingless jellyfish.

A superb morning of adventure was followed by an educational afternoon with Julia teaching us the joys and perils of Pacific Volcanology and Courtney following up with her lecture on some fascinating (and some disturbing) relationships on the reef.

After another delicious meal, we tucked ourselves into bed this evening tired but happy, ready for a day of relaxing as we experienced our first sea day.

Day 7
June 28th
At Sea

A sleep-in came at just the right time after an exciting first week of adventures through the Philippines. We enjoyed a blissful breakfast and then to the lecture theatre for an entertaining day of education. Adam started the day with a detailed look into Birds of the Region followed by the ever-effervescent Lindsay who gave us the spicy story of Philippines Culinary Culture.

After lunch some hit the pool, others hit the snooze button and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon. For those more studious types, we enjoyed Matt's lecture on Canoe Voyaging around this region and we finished the day with Nick’s look into this region's war history in, The Pacific Theatre…until ‘BING BONG’ - “Ladies and gentlemen we are sorry to interrupt the lecture, however, we have a Sperm Whale and some Risso’s Dolphins off our bow.”

As the sun set more spectacularly than most nights, our last memories of the day were logging Sperm Whales and a golden sky.

Day 8

June 29th

Bitung, Indonesia

Our first day in Indonesia! There was a lot of excitement about our visit to the Tangkoko Nature Reserve, in Bitung, and it didn’t disappoint. Landing in crystal clear water and stepping onto the salt and pepper volcanic sand beach, we were immediately met by the green of the jungle with trees that stretched over the ocean. Our local guides were excited to get underway and had a variety of walks on offer. All were impressed with sightings of Green Kingfishers, Hornbills, Crested Black Macaques, Cuscus and Tarsiers!

In the afternoon we pulled into Batu Angus for a snorkel from the Zodiacs. The coral here was as rich as we had seen and full of colourful fish and invertebrates. The currents that pushed into the bay to bring nutrients and drive this thriving ecosystem also brought a large amount of plastic waste. While it was sad to see, it was an important reminder of the threats our oceans face and for us to all act in any little way we can to reduce our plastic consumption.

After an exciting day, we finished with a lecture from Abam with his talk on Shark and Ray Conservation in Indonesia.

Day 9

June 30th

Gorontalo

For many today was the day we had been dreaming of, we were headed for Gorontalo to swim with Whale Sharks. Arriving with our hearts racing, it was only a short 20-metre swim across from the Zodiacs to access the area where we expected to see the sharks. And sure enough, as we closed in on the last few metres, out of the blue appeared a magnificent five-metre spotty giant.

This gentle giant swam vertically in the water as it was fed by locals, intermittently moving off and swimming through the observing group. It wasn’t uncommon for a second and third Whale Shark to appear inquisitively behind us which while initially giving a bit of shock, quickly translated into joy.

It was an easy swim back onto the beach making the whole process incredibly accessible to all. We were fortunate to have the whole morning at Gorontalo which allowed many to swim with Whale Sharks up to three times! A fantastic experience that we will treasure for a lifetime.

Our Captain had repositioned Heritage Adventurer, which meant it was a very quick Zodiac shuttle back on board just in time for lunch. The dining room was a buzz after the morning we had enjoyed, but there were rumours of something fishy afoot with the equator crossing not far away. When the time came, we all met on the pool deck where Poseidon and his gang of …unusual friends… had risen from the deep to have us complete the most sacred ritual (which included a kiss from a fish) that would allow us to safely cross the Earth's centre at zero degrees latitude.

To finish the day, we had the privilege of hearing from Aaron Russ about where Heritage Expeditions has come from and what the future holds.

© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© A. Sianipar, Heritage Expeditions© A. Sianipar, Heritage Expeditions© A. Sianipar, Heritage Expeditions© A. Sianipar, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions

Day 10

July 1st

Buru Island

We were met with an incredible horizon ahead, as we boarded the Zodiacs and cruised towards the stunning island of Buru. Today we were exploring one of its most remote corners, and first on the list was a nature walk. An incredible diversity of life was on display as Murray identified 70 different species of invertebrates as the group walked through this beautiful green jungle.

A stunning Zodiac cruise along the shore revealed an underground river running through limestone caves that released cold mountain water at our feet and into the sea. Then it was onto what turned out to be a morning none of us will ever forget, a morning at Pasir Putih stilt village.

As this old wooden stilt village came into view, the landing site was loaded with smiling locals ready to welcome us. Being the only expedition ship that visits here, there was a lot of excitement to meet us and after a beautiful local dance, it was time for photos. Babies were placed into our arms as children and adults all took the chance to get a selfie with their visitors who had come from afar. It was fantastic to feel the joy of these people and learn a little about their way of life.

While it was hard waving goodbye, before departing Buru Island we of course had to make the most of the opportunity to snorkel. A gentle current made for a relaxing drift along rich coral beds that seemed to stretch on in every direction, as schools of fusiliers and other bait fish also looked to make the most of the current and moved through us in waves of colour and fins. A truly lovely sight.

After an interruption from the Sperm Whales a few days before, Nick was back up again to finish his discussion on World War II before a stunning sunset and another delicious meal closed out another perfect day.

Day 11

July 2nd

Banda Neira

Approaching Banda Neira was a sight to behold as a giant green mountain seemed to rise from the ocean. However, only a few kilometres out we began turning around!

BING BONG, “Good morning everyone, as you may have noticed we have turned Heritage Adventurer around, and that is because a Blue Whale has been spotted off our stern and we are going to take the chance to enjoy some whale watching.”

What an incredible opportunity to witness the biggest animal ever to have existed on the planet! Eventually, we said goodbye to our big blue friend and entered the protected bay of Banda Neira Island. We were soon off for a snorkel and in a first for many of us, today we were snorkelling an old lava flow. Lifting our heads out of the water we saw the dense black rock left over from the lava flow, scarring the island down into the water was a sight to behold. As we put our faces underwater, the black was transformed to colour as a vibrant coral reef was making the most of the new space this volcanic rock has created.

We spent the afternoon exploring the local town and after a musical welcome, walked through the streets to meet the people and enjoy the culture. Highlights included the fort, the local vegetable and fish market and the refreshments provided at the end at a beautiful luxury hotel. We were having such a good time on the island we decided to stay a bit longer to ensure we made the most of this unique location.

Then it was back to Heritage Adventurer to enjoy another fantastic dinner and prepare for tomorrow’s adventure.

© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© M. Potter, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© L. Thorpe, Heritage Expeditions© M. Potter, Heritage Expeditions© C, Finch, Heritage Expeditions

Day 12
July 3rd
Kei Kecil Island

Our last day in Indonesia today brought about mixed emotions as we reflected on a spectacular voyage and looked to make the most out of our last destination, Kei Kecil Island. As any good day starts, we donned snorkel gear and jumped in the refreshing water. With the option of a long swim off the beach or a Zodiac shuttle to the site, there was something for everyone here and for many, the extra exercise gave fair justification for an extra helping of dessert tonight! Moving from mangroves to limestone reef and then out to a coral reef drop-off, offered a diverse range of new sightings.

Back on board Heritage Adventurer, we enjoyed an incredible barbeque lunch on the deck with stunning views! It was amazing to see the crew from the kitchen go above and beyond the already high standards they have set throughout our journey. Knowing we still had an afternoon ashore ahead of us, it was extremely hard to pace ourselves with such a plethora of delicious buffet options available.

The afternoon saw us going ashore on what must be one of the most beautiful beaches in Indonesia - white sand that stretched as far as the eye could see and lined with coconut trees, it really felt like stepping onto paradise on Earth. A cultural performance with traditional weapons, beautiful dress and people of all ages was a heartfelt welcome to this paradise. We had a relaxing few hours exploring the local village and trying many of the local delicacies that the women of the town had prepared for us.

We returned to Heritage Adventurer to freshen up, then it was off to the lounge for a lecture. This evening, we had adrenaline-filled stories from Tropi who shared with us what it is like to be stuck in an oceanic feeding frenzy! The evening was beautifully finished off with the ever-delicious dinner being spread between the bistro and dining room tonight.

Day 13
July 4th
At sea

A sea day. I mean a real sea day. The wind we had avoided so far found us today and we were returning home in some turbulent conditions. Heritage Adventurer handled it magnificently, and many of us remained active taking time to enjoy the amenities on board. We returned our gear and then were off to enjoy the quiz and presentations from the team as we slowly packed up our things in preparation for departure.

The evening was an emotional time as we looked back on the journey through the incredible slide show that Cathy put together. Everyone was looking very sharp and dressed for the occasion as we filed into the dining hall for a more formal evening at the Captain’s Farewell Dinner. The post-dinner celebrations were less formal, as we danced and sang the night away with live music and good vibrations.© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions© C. Finch, Heritage ExpeditionsDay 14
July 5th
Darwin

After a fantastic experience on our Undiscovered Philippines & Indonesia voyage, unfortunately, our adventure had come to an end. We placed our bags in hallways, enjoyed one last delicious buffet breakfast and said goodbye to all the wonderful friends we made on board. Waving goodbye to Heritage Adventurer and the fabulous expedition team, we departed for our next adventure with fond memories of our time on board.© C. Finch, Heritage Expeditions