The Philippines is known for its hospitality, its beautiful beaches and it’s no secret that people from all walks of life would love to visit the country. The Philippines has a lot of awesome beaches and I been to a lot! This time, I was able to visit Oriental Mindoro. I have been wanting to visit this place since I heard so many wonderful things about the people and their culture. I was able to join the Department of Tourism of the Philippines (DOT) and other wonderful people.

From writers to bloggers, I was one of the lucky few that was handpicked by DOT. We woke up and headed down to the port where we met, Mr. Jeshe Kassenberg. He has been diving for many years and had his own dive shop in Thailand. He fell in love with the Philippines and decided to open the first ever dive shop in Oriental Mindoro. He loves the Philippines so much that he named his daughter “ Serena” which means “Mermaid” in Filipino. He even shared on how he started diving and he finds that Oriental Mindoro has many beautiful corals that need to be discovered by other passionate divers. We started island hopping early in the morning and it sure was a hot day. My biggest mistake was not putting sunblock but it was worth it since I had the best seat on the boat and it was on the roof.

We took off and I took great photos and videos of the ocean and islands along the way. The weather was just perfect as we headed to our first island. We finally docked at Aslom Island. It has two beautiful white sandbanks that are Instagram worthy. You can’t help but admire the white beach sand and the cold breeze coming from the ocean. You have to watch out though since there is a private property on the beach. We were not allowed to take photos of the property or take a photo next to it. I can only describe the property as an amazing beachfront that has the perfect view of the water banks and the ocean. It sure was hard to leave but we can’t miss our next island. The next island was further away and this is where I got cooked (sun-burnt). Not that I am complaining but it’s just a reminder on how important sunblock is. We passed a couple of islands and I learned from one of the writers that the Philippines has 7107 islands!

After probably 45 minutes, we finally arrived at Target Island. This place really caught my attention since it has a lot of hidden corals according to our diver Jeshe. I took a short swim and the water was so refreshing that I felt that I died and I went to heaven. You need to be careful though since you need to wear some water shoes to avoid stepping on rocks, seashells, and corals. After a short swim, I decided to explore and I found a hidden lake and another beach which caught my attention. There were no souls to be seen on the beach. It seemed like I went to a different part of the world and I was loving it! Although it was hard to leave, we had to go next to our final destination. It seemed like an hour to get there but it was another place worth seeing especially if you love snorkeling and a great view of the beach.

We finally landed at Suguicay Island and this island was just as breathtaking as the first two islands but there was a slight catch. This island has a small wooden bamboo cottage where you can easily relax with friends and go snorkeling with friends. You need to use a floater or a small raft on the island to get to the cottage since the water is quite deep but the view is definably worth it. I recommend bringing your GoPro for a couple of great photos and videos. Unlike the last islands that we visited, this island has a small community here so you can easily take a pit-stop and grab a bite to eat. I have been to a lot of great beaches around the world and I have to say that these hidden islands of Oriental Mindoro are one of the best beaches that I have ever experienced. Would I go back here again? Definitely but I’ll make sure to wear sunblock and bring water shoes!

Watch out for my vlog about Oriental Mindoro and my write-up on Explore Philippines!

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