isla Verde - "My First Impressions" (by Tatay Ross)

Isla Verde is one of those places where life moves at a sedate pace. At the moment there are no cars or trucks on the island and as I mentioned in my last post, while I was there I was aware of one small motorcycle, although I imagine there are more.

Travel around the island is mostly on foot, and by boat. There are some hardy little Filipino ponies on the island and a few people ride bicycles. But generally land travel is on foot over a network of paved narrow pathways and dirt tracks.

The fishermen travel in locally built 'bankas' or 'bangkas'. The spelling seems to differ depending on whom you are talking with but they are basically a vee shaped canoe with long outriggers supporting floats consisting of a bamboo trunk. Smaller bancas are paddled, but the fishermen's bancas are usually about 20 feet long and powered by what looks like a Chinese four stroke single cylinder motor. No gears, no clutch. 

These slender craft get around at impressive speeds with their 'put put' style motors and occasionally you can see a couple of fishermen returning at the end of the day obviously having a friendly race home.

As well as the smaller bancas some people on Isla Verde have slightly larger bancas which are used more for island to island transport. Island Hopping is a favourite pastime for Filipinos and I'm not surprised. The Philippines is made up of more than seven thousand islands! There are pristine beaches on most of them and some of the cleanest, clearest seas in the world.

Walking on Isla Verde is a worthwhile experience on its own. From pleasant farmlands, coastal villages and beaches, to steep mountain trails leading to more isolated villages with incredible views along the way, this small island has them all. I didn't have the chance to get there, but I'm told there's even a decent waterfall. 

Don't forget to visit the Isla Verde Tropical Friendly Resort Blog and the Website for more information about this beautiful Philippine holiday spot.

The resort has its own FaceBook Page.  Like us on FaceBook

All The Best - (Tatay Ross)