Phuket

Succeeding my recent mock exams for IGCSE, my dad allowed my mum and I to tag along on my brother and sister’s school swimming competition in Phuket, Thailand. Seeing it as a break from all the textbooks, I took the opportunity and headed out to Phuket for some sand, sea, salt therapy, and some cheering and support for my school during the competition. We stayed at the Dusit Thani Phuket, which presented us with lemongrass scented rooms, a komodo dragon strolling around, and the sounds of chirping birds and the constant swell of the waves. 

My Phuket youtube video

Apo Island

As part of our christmas holiday to Dumaguete, we chose to take a little side trip down to Apo Island in Negros Oriental. Apo island is a small volcanic island and is one of the world's best known community organised sanctuaries. We ventured here to complete our PADI dive courses and to witness the beauty of the underwater world. With such a vast amount of fish and coral calling this protected area their home, it was hard not to be at awe with the sumptuous landscape laid out in front of us - one of mother nature's best works.

I made a video of our entire trip to Dumaguete, including Apo Island. You can watch it here :)

Dumaguete (II)

Over the christmas break, my family and I flew to the small city of Dumaguete in the province of Negros Oriental. We spent a couple of days taking in the beauty of the ocean and the quiet province, away from the monotonous buzz of the city. Although our main focus for the trip was diving, we also spent time getting sand in our hair, stargazing, rock tower building, palm tree admiring, and waking up to a myriad of colours from sunrises.

We stayed at Atlantis Hotel and Dive Resort in Dumaguete
I also have a video up, showcasing this trip here

IronCebu 2015

Our annual trip to Mactan, Cebu for the ironman and ironkids triathlons commenced on July 31 with a 3:00am start and a half-eaten granola bar. Once at Shangri-La's Mactan Resort and Spa (our home for the next week) we began activities by registering for the races and viewing the wonder that is Shangri-La's marine sanctuary. After an eventful weekend of cheering and racing, we had 4 days of more snorkelling, diving, parasailing, flyfishing, wake boarding, jet-skiing, bodyboarding and even a trip to the city of Cebu where we walked around a building on the 37th floor.

Instagram and pinterest: @alexleatherr

Email: alexleatherr@gmail.com

xoxo, Alex

Caramoan - Camarines Sur 2015

Caramoan is a municipality located in the province of Camarines Sur. We stayed at Hunongan cove, a small cluster of beach houses nestled in between remarkable cliffs filled with lush greenery and the crystal waters of the Maqueda channel. I spent 4 days snorkelling, poking at jellyfish, swimming to other islands, cliff jumping, stand up paddle boarding, kayaking and cheering on my parents at the island hopping 7 kilometre swim challenge. To me, the experience felt exactly like the one I had in the more popular El Nido, Palawan, minus the many boats of tourists. One thing I would say is that, because it is so remote, I would suggest you bring some snacks and torches.

Instagram and pinterest: @alexleatherr

Email: alexleatherr@gmail.com

xoxo, Alex

Villa Escudero - Laguna 2015

This "little" nature gem is an 800 hectare land of coconut plantations and sits south of San Pablo, Laguna. We only spent a couple of hours here for a filipino style buffet lunch served on banana leaves at a man-made waterfall. Conversations were drowned out by the gush of water and our food was enjoyed with a frosty flow of water against our feet. After splashing around at the falls, we took a carabao (water buffalo) drawn carriage to the museum. Our carriage ride consisted of us dancing to a filipino song sang to us by people dressed in true filipino form. The woman was wearing a kimona dress whilst the man wore a barong. The museum holds one of the largest collections in the country of religious items, animal figures, ceramics and weapons and costumes used by indigenous tribes. It was a true filipino experience. Visit their website. 

Instagram and pinterest: @alexleatherr

Email: alexleatherr@gmail.com

xoxo, Alex