Carabao Island in the Philippines - Ivy’s Vine Beach Resort

You still have the chance to see monkeys and large lizards.  Birds comer in al shapes and forrms, egrets, swallows in coconut trees, and others.   The marine life is the most popular event.

Hi Everybody,

I am new to the blogging experience so this is a learning experience for me.   My family and friends often ask what is going on in my life, so I am going to try to keep everyone informed and updated through a blog.  If they really want to know all they have to do is sign in and take a look.  If they want to say something or comment all they have to do is log in and post.

This is my first post in a series that I hope will keep everyone informed about life in the Philippines.  For a brief introduction for those who don’t know me.  My name is Trent Widdup and my wife (Ivy) and I are in partnership with Mike and Marina Parvus.  As of know we live in the Philippines for four to six months on Carabao Island which is about 5 KM north of Boracay.

We are not there yet, but will be leaving in 2 days.  I though it would be therefore useful to start my first weekly report before we left and keep a weekly account of things as they transpire.  The first major hurdle is to pack and bring all the necessary things needed.  As for my previous traveling philosophy this was easy.  PASSPORT, TICKETS, MONEY Really what more do you need?  However, I live there and want the tranquility of nice beaches, beautiful sunsets and great diving. On the other hand, our semi-remote place also needs all the comforts of modern life.

I therefore require granola bars, my music, Internet, and other things that make my life enjoyable and are not readly available on a tropical island where there are no land lines, cars don’t exist, and getting there from another country requires at the bare minimum two flights, a boat trip and various taxis and trikes.  So in short I must pack.

My first step was to purchase a balikibyan box.  This is one of the most useful things for people going to the Philippines.  It is a box of various sizes in which you can put any personal items in.  It doesn’t matter how heavy it is as much as you can put into it is up to your creative  packing.  I like to put in heavy items so I don’t have to Carry them such as books, Cambel soup, and dive gear.  Keep in mind from Taiwan it still takes at least 45 days.

The next step is actually packing my bags.  Here I have an advantage for the average traveller because i have a beach wardrobe already stored there, so I don’t have to worry about clothes.  I do have to worry about things of a personal nature that if got lost or stolen would make my life Shii..  difficult.  These need to be put into a bag i can carry with me and keep in contact at all times until I put them into a safe deposit box.

I am hoping I can get away without check in luggage so I can breeze through, but you never know.

In any event, I am leaving on Tuesday and hope to pick up a few things in Manila. Yuck!  I will be on Carabao on the 14th with out any mishaps. If you want to ask anything or get in touch with we just E-mail or post on this Blog.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Many people are talking about the potential of Carabao Island.  I was just surfing the net and am not surprised by this since I have heard it many times before.  The white sand is the same in places and both islands have a long sandy beach that stretches for kilometers. 

The size is also similar. Although Carabao has about 3 times the land mass of Boracay, they are both approximately the same length.  Boracay narrows in the middle while Carabao widens.  With the anticipated new airport being built the tourist should flock there.

This is what they are really talking about.  It is not the beaches, sunsets or laid back atmosphere.  It is about commerce and building the Philippines. At the present it is still a pristine island, but not another Boracay.  It never will be!  Nor will the countless other islands which have had this claim fame.  Malapascua, Puerto Galara, and hundreds of other wonderful spots.

This is a good thing because where else can you still find a beach with countless of shells and other sea creatures.  The beach is still alive and hasn’t been sifted and raked.  The snorkeling out front Lanas is great.  You can spend countless of hours wandering the beach just to witness the wonders of the ocean, not the restaurants, bars, and hawkers that riddle the beach of Boracay. 

Do you know that there is still not a paved road across the island.  It makes for much better hiking and biking.  You can still go for a walk without encountering a trike.  In fact, you will probably see more livestock than people.  There is one main cross country road and the majority of the 

Taken from the restaurant at Ivy

r is dirt paths. Anyone for a pony ride?

The night life at the present is also much different.  While in Boracay you have a full beach of night life there are only a couple of restaurants on Carabao.  During the season, Ivy’s Vine Resort and The Nipa House are the only western restaurants.  Much of the night life is star gazing and having a few beers on the beach often around a bonfire.

So Carabao Island will never be the next Boracay.  It may have an International airport and be swamped with tourists in the future, but it’s development and places will be different and unique.  If you want a laid back place that is a hop, skip and a jump from Boracay.  Come Visit Now!

As for sunsets, you come and compare.

Diving the house reef in front of Ivy’s Vine on Carabao Island can actually be divided into three different dives. There is Lanas slope, Devils Boulder and a wall dive.  All three sites are easily accessible from the resort.

In this blog we will talk about Lanas slope.  It is called this because of the fact that this gentle sloping area is right in front of the burangay of Lanas.  This beautiful coral garden start at about 5 meters depending on the tide level and slopes down to around 18 to 20.  At around 20meters it turns into a sandy bottom that slopes downwards.  There are rock formations further out in the sand  with a variety of life on them.

The reef has lots of life on it and a large variety of anenomae, nudibranches, and star fish can be seen.  It is also quite common to see blue banded sea snakes and the usual clown and butterfly fish.  This is a great beginner or night dive for the more experienced.