Exploring the Gili Islands of Indonesia: Gili Meno & Gili Air

*Freediving around the 48 underwater Gili Meno statues* *is definitely worth the view!*

After spending two lovely nights on Gili Trawangan, I decided to check out the other two Gili Islands: Gili Meno and Gili Air. Gili Meno is a popular place for snorkeling and diving due to its underwater statues of couples embracing created by artist Jason deCaires Taylor. You can see sea turtles and tropical fish in the coral reefs around here. I decided to book a private day trip snorkeling with a local guide through my hotel so I could ride a motorboat to all the most scenic places around the island. The trip was well worth the money because it saved me a lot of time.

Gili Air is a popular backpacking destination due to its facilities and friendly atmosphere. I had fun staying at a hostel called Begadang and swimming in its mushroom-shaped pool. Overall Gili T is the most lively of the 3 islands, but Gili Meno and Gili Air have nicer beaches and are more relaxed. I made the most friends on Gili Air, but there are friendly people to be met on all of the islands. I would recommend visiting them all if you get the chance since they are so close in proximity.

Freediving at Gili Meno

I left Gili T around 8:30am and went on a short boat ride to Gili Meno Island. On the way there I learned that the underwater statues are made of a pH natural concrete that promotes the growth of coral reefs, and they are arranged in a circle to represent the circle of life. That’s pretty deep, and I’m not just talking about the water! They’re also based on casts of real people which is why they have a distinct shape. The current around them is quite strong, but it’s easy to dive between them for the sake of taking pictures and videos. Just be careful not to touch them because they are covered in a natural layer of bacteria that could infect your skin. I fortunately arrived at a time when there weren’t many people so I was able to take many amazing photos on my GoPro! I am very excited to see the coral reef that grows here in the future. These islands truly have a lot of potential.

The boat stopped at three snorkeling/diving points total including the statues, a deep spot where the giant sea turtles are, and another spot close to Gili Meno Beach. I was very lucky and swam next to a turtle that was coming to the surface for a breath of air! Out of all the places I’ve been to, including Hawaii, this is the best experience I’ve had seeing sea turtles. The underwater visibility of the Gili Islands was very clear compared to my experience in the Philippines, so I prefer diving here. I was lucky I came at a time when it was sunny and there were not many people around.

After completing my dive and meeting many nice underwater friends, I chilled on the beach for a bit and drank dragon fruit juice before heading back to Gili T. The advantage of booking this tour is that it only takes up half of a day, so you will have the full afternoon and evening to plan more activities. If you are short on time and can’t stay overnight on Gili Meno, this is a great way to see the best of its waters. My tour cost around $70 but was completely worth the money for everything I got to see.

Staying on Gili Air

The next day I took a short ferry ride to Gili Air from the port. The main reason I wanted to stay here was so I could swim and take pictures of the mushroom-shaped pool at Begadang! Begadang is a popular hostel for backpackers because rooms start at $14 and it’s close to the beach. I rented a private hut with its own shower for around $20 which was a steal. While I was here I mostly stayed at the pool and recharged my energy, but I did rent a bike and go around the island. A lot of Gili Air is just sandy beaches and palm trees which is relaxing to see. There also appears to be new buildings in construction.

After seeing the island’s beaches, I stopped at Dila Spa and had an amazing facial and massage. The manager showed me a few spots to drink on the island which was very kind of her. At night we went out to Queen Sunset bar for drinks and met a few people at a reggae party on the beach. The performers that night arrived on private boat from Gili Meno which was pretty wild. They were very talented and I was happy I had the chance to see them. According to locals, they practice their music on Gili Meno every night, so if you like reggae then you know where to go. The best way to find out what parties are going on is to ask people around your hotel, because events spread by word of mouth here.

Recommended Food & Drinks

The best restaurant that I went to on Gili Air was called Gili Bliss because all of the dishes were very cute and had edible flowers in them. I ordered a vegan wrap that was topped with a huge scoop of guacamole and a big dragon fruit smoothie bowl. I loved how generous the portion sizes were here, and also how the interior walls were painted pink. This place really had an aesthetic flare to it which I love to see!

The best drink I had on the island was a watermelon smoothie with a butterfly carved out of the fruit and placed on the edge of the glass. If you know me, then you know I love creative drinks that go the extra mile. You can find this drink and other delicious food at JUJU Zero Waste Store & Vegan Cafe.

The final place I recommend is Begadang’s cafe. They make a mean omelette and smoothie bowl and eating by the pool is extremely relaxing. Definitely check out Begadang even if you choose to stay in another accommodation because the vibes are off the charts here! You can always chill at the bar and find people to talk to about your travels.

Thank you for reading my article on the Gili Islands. In my next article, I will be detailing my trip to Ubud and Canggu for prime sightseeing. Please look forward to reading more from me soon!

Exploring two of Cebu’s Best Diving Spots: Oslob & Moalboal

*Swimming next to a whale shark is a memory you’ll hold for a lifetime!*

During my stay in Cebu, I decided to book snorkeling tours to two of the best diving spots on the island: Oslob and Moalboal. In Oslob you have the once in a lifetime opportunity of swimming up close with whale sharks, and in Moalboal you can see beautiful coral reefs, the sardine run, and turtles. I highly recommend booking a local guide for the best experience because they will help you find the ideal spots to swim. These beaches are quite far from Cebu City, so be prepared to wake up early for a long trip. Your effort will reward with the memory of swimming next to some of Cebu’s most interesting aquatic wildlife, however!

Swimming with Whale Sharks in Oslob

On my third day in Cebu, I woke up at 5am for a whale shark tour that I booked through Island Trek Tours on Klook. I liked this tour because it included hotel pickup and had snorkeling as an add-on for those who just want to watch the whale sharks from the boat (of course, I chose the snorkeling option). The average cost of the whale shark tours is $55-$75 depending on how much fuel you need to get to Oslob, but the money is more than worth the experience.

The journey to Oslob took about 3 hours but I slept for more than half the way and was the only person in the vehicle. When I arrived in Oslob, I checked in and received my snorkeling gear, then sat down for a short presentation on the rules of swimming with whale sharks. Basically they ask that you do not touch or feed them and also do not wear sun screen because the chemicals from it can harm them. Your swimming time with them lasts around 30-45 minutes because there are multiple tour groups, but that is more than enough time to take pictures and video. After agreeing to the instructions, I boarded a long paddle boat and arrived at the swimming location in mere minutes. I was astonished at how the whale sharks swim so close to shore, because if you have fins you could easily reach them.

It is suggested that you swim beside the whale sharks and not above or below them to keep them from being distressed. Fortunately whale sharks are patient creatures and will usually swim away if they become overwhelmed. I did not feel any discomfort or fear during this experience and would gladly do it again.

Here are some more pictures of the whale sharks and beachfront that I captured with my GoPro.

Whale sharks are endangered and are currently a protected species in the Philippines. If you book one of these tours, please be sure to be respectful of them.

Tumalog Falls

After the whale shark experience, my driver took me to Tumalog Falls where I had the chance to swim in a waterfall! The water was very clean and refreshing. I have never had the chance to swim in the pool of a waterfall before, so this was another first for me that I will treasure for a lifetime. Cebu truly is a haven for beautiful nature.

Food

Since there were limited restaurants by the whale shark beach in Oslob, I decided to just have snacks for lunch and go to Cebu City for dinner on the way back to my accommodation. I found this amazing upscale cocktail bar and restaurant called Circa 1900 that is located in a restored colonial house near the JY Mall. They have both western and Filippino dishes on their menu and the food and drinks are high quality. I ordered grapefruit and mango cocktails with two different appetizers. This was the best food that I had in Cebu and I can’t recommend this place enough!

Swimming in Moalboal

The next day I decided to book an Moalboal island hopping tour through KKday. This tour was pretty pricey due to the fuel cost needed to reach Moalboal, so I paid around $139 for it. However, the package included 3 different snorkeling spots on a private boat so the price was pretty fair for it. One thing to keep in mind is Moalboal used to be one of the best beach destinations in Cebu, but in 2021 a typhoon caused severe damage to some of the reefs and beaches here. The ecosystem has not been the same since and some areas of the beach are quite grainy. The water was not as crystal clear as I had hoped, but I still had fun venturing out here and seeing the sardine run and turtles.

The first dive spot was a beautiful coral reef near a rocky island. I saw a clown fish which was super cute and my guide helped me take videos of me diving with my GoPro. I was happy to see that this reef was in relatively good condition and that there were so many fish swimming here!

The second dive spot was Moalboal’s famous sardine run. Right off the shore of Panagsama Beach there are huge schools of sardines that gather every day. Their scales shimmer in the sunlight and they constantly move in a flowing motion, so they truly are a sight to behold. I had so much fun swimming with them because I had never seen so many tiny fish at once. Though I wished the water visibility was a bit better, I was happy with my experience here.

The last destination was swimming with turtles in the shallow waters of Panagsama Beach (which was very close to the sardine run). I loved seeing the turtles because they were huge and friendly. They didn’t seem to mind people swimming nearby them at all. The sad part was I noticed there was plastic waste in the water and the visibility here was pretty terrible. I had a way better time seeing turtles in Okinawa because the waters were pristine and there was no waste at all. In retrospect, I really wish I could have come to Moalboal before the typhoon but there was no way I could have done that during the height of the pandemic. I still recommend coming to Moalboal if you like swimming and diving, but be aware that the water quality is not always the best here.

Food

For lunch I asked my boat driver what he recommended, and he said to try The Boundary which was really close to the starting point of the tour. The restaurant had so many delicious entrees and drinks I didn’t know where to begin, so I ordered noodles, seasoned eggplant, and rice with a pina colada. Everything tasted amazing. The noodles reminded me of yakisoba in Japan and the drinks were as tropical as ever. Definitely don’t skip this place if you’re in Moalboal!

Thank you for reading my Cebu article series! I had a fantastic four days staying on this scenic island and it was overall a great starting point for my diving adventures. In my next article, I will be writing about my stay in Manila. Please look forward to it!

Super Aesthetic Adventures in Okinawa and Miyako

Okinawa in a bottle as it appears in *Non Non Biyori*.

With the end of sakura season in central Japan, it’s time to start thinking about plans for one of the craziest holidays of the year—Golden Week. Though I’ve taken a number of 3 day trips this year, it’s been quite a long time since I’ve created a multi-day itinerary. In fact, the last time I’ve an extended trip was in January 2020 to Taiwan. I’ve decided that this month I’m going to beat the Golden Week rush and take a 5 day trip to Okinawa focusing on Naha and Miyakojima since a number of attractions have been added since my last trip in 2016.

The dates I have chosen are 4/23 – 4/27 which should give me enough time to see everything I want. My planned itinerary (so far) is listed below:

Tokyo → Naha → Miyako → Naha ↺ Tokyo

My itinerary in 2016 was similar but replaced Miyako with Ishigaki. Both islands are worth seeing from what I’ve heard and while my last trip was focused on sightseeing, this trip is more focused on photography. There will be plenty of relaxation and adventure as well of course!

Though Japan is currently between emergency states and still not open for international travel, a large number of companies are forced to close during this holiday and inevitably people will be traveling domestically. Roundtrip flights to Okinawa from Tokyo usually cost between 16000 – 23000 yen depending on which airline you choose, but I found a reasonably priced fight with Jetstar for the average of 20000 yen and purchased it because I want to arrive there early in the morning. Even if certain places have curfews or restrictions, I will make the most of what I can enjoy.

Day 1: Relaxing at Naha’s Sanrio Resort

I will be departing from Narita Airport at 8:10am and arriving to Naha Airport at 11:05am.

On my first trip to Okinawa in 2016, I mostly stayed in budget hostels so I could use my money for bus tours to see the highlights of the main island. This time since I have more money saved up and wanted to try nicer facilities, I fortunately found the perfect place to spend my first night in Naha. When Hotel Okinawa with Sanrio Characters opened just a few years ago, it was spread all over my timeline and I knew that I was destined to stay here eventually. This hotel has rooms with 66 individual designs of Sanrio so picking my favorite series was difficult, but I decided on the My Melody themed double just because I love the bright pink colors in the artwork. These rooms cost roughly 11000 yen a night and have a nice location so I think the experience will be worth it! You can definitely find slightly cheaper facilities around Naha, but they won’t be as aesthetic as this. Expect a lot of photos of this place from me!

After I get checked in, I plan on checking out Ti-da Beach Parlor for some high tier smoothies then checking out the surrounding beaches. I will also walk down the main street for old times’ sake and see if Epica is still going all night. I intend for this day to be chill but I’m open to whatever comes my way!

Day 2: Dessert Museum at Stem Resort

Another amazing attraction that got added to Naha after my first trip was the Stem Resort theme park with an extremely photogenic dessert museum. Like Sanrio Puroland in Tokyo that I just visited last month, the museum is very cute and has a number of photo opportunities. Though I am mostly coming here for the sake of photography, I am looking forward to enjoying the inflatables and dinosaur museum if I have time afterwards. Also the rooftop bar doesn’t sound like a bad idea either. The admission fee seems to vary from 1800 – 3000 yen depending on what attractions you want to see so that is actually quite cheap to enjoy a resort of this caliber.

After I finish shooting here, I plan on heading back to my hotel at Hotel Aqua City and enjoying some fine wine. This resort is cheaper than the Sanrio one and has an amazing pool. I will need to rest up because the next day I am flying to Miyako!

Day 3: Getting Acquainted with Miyako Island

I will depart from Naha Airport at 9:40am and arrive at Miyako Airport at 10:30am. A one way flight costs approximately 8000 yen but is overall worth it. Ishigaki (which I previously visited) and Miyako are the most popular islands to visit aside from the main one so I’m looking forward to comparing my experiences of the two.

On my first day I will mostly be getting acquainted with the island and taking it easy, but the places I want to see the most are Miyako Shrine, Kamamamine Park, and bike to Ibaru Island which is extremely rural but has some scenic points. There are a few bars and restaurants I have in mind too if they’re open. I’ve heard Miyako is much smaller than Ishigaki and has less things to do, but the beach game is still strong and I want to go somewhere that I’ve never been before. Regardless I am looking forward to getting away from the city and getting to know this little beach town!

I chose to stay at Hotel Locus for 2 nights just because it is located right on the beach and also has a beautiful pool. It is around the same price as the Aqua City Hotel in Naha so it’s affordable. I plan on renting a bike and also using taxis if needed to get around but overall most of the things I want to see are near my accommodation so it should be convenient.

Day 4: Snorkeling with Turtles & Cave Exploration

Since I still haven’t been able to travel to the Philippines and snorkel with turtles in Cebu like I originally planned last year, I decided to try it in Miyako! I found a good tour on Klook that includes the turtle experience with the exploration of a pumpkin-shaped limestone cave and figured that was right up my alley so I immediately booked it. I am beyond stoked to try underwater photography with equipment I bought last year for my GoPro but haven’t been able to use yet! This tour will take me around the Kerama Islands and has a lot of activity so it seems like a great deal. There are also kayaking and boat tours available, but I have already done that stuff in other countries already and am going for the more unique experiences. This tour lasts for around 6 hours so I know I will be exhausted by the end of the day, but it will be a blast!

Day 5: Final Day of Enjoying the Beach & Heading Home

On my final day I just want to go swimming at Sunayama Beach and explore any last place that I haven’t had time to see yet. I have to catch two planes to get back to Tokyo, but I will leave Miyako at 4pm and reach Tokyo at 10pm. I have a layover at Naha Airport so I can do souvenir shopping and photo editing while I wait. Though it seems like a long while, I am sure the time will go fast. Overall I love tropical weather so just the warm atmosphere is enough to make me happy. It’s been almost a year since I last had a beach vacation in Miyazaki, so I am more than ready for this trip! It’s going to be another one for the books. Please look forward to my upcoming Okinawa article series!