Tom WIlliams & the philippines expeditions 2023

At the beginning of this year, we saw our very first Philippines expeditions. We ran three of them from January to March and wow did they take off with a bang.

We don’t want to blow our own trumpet too much, but you know you’re doing something right when, after the very first expedition, one of the castaways is so enamoured with their experience that they decide to get their very first tattoo of the tribe emblem, which is made out of a turtle head skull (we found) and some palm fronds.

The second trip was received equally well. When we got back from the island, six of the nine castaways signed up then and there for Tonga! This left us swelling with pride, knowing that we were delivering something beautiful and impactful for our customers.

On to the trips, our expeditions in the Philippines started and finished at the fantastic Funny Lion hotel in Coron town.

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The second trip was received equally well. When we got back from the island, six of the nine castaways signed up then and there for Tonga! This left us swelling with pride, knowing that we were delivering something beautiful and impactful for our customers.

On to the trips, our expeditions in the Philippines started and finished at the fantastic Funny Lion hotel in Coron town.

The Funny Lion is an oasis boasting a stunning rooftop bar that overlooks mangroves and beautiful ocean. Before we head to the island, we undertake an expedition safety briefing. Where better than said rooftop, plopping ourselves in little cool tubs, drinking cocktails, and watching the sunset. These cocktails, called Malditas, are just the best! Made from tiny Filipino limes called calamansi. Later on, when we were on the island, we made a delicious Filipino ceviche from them called kinilaw. We enjoyed dinner by the pool and did our best to get an early night.

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, the expedition kicked off, with us taking a boat to Kayangan Lake, which is nestled between really dramatic limestone cliffs that look like something out of the film The Beach. We took a snorkel but didn’t hang around; we had a desert island to get to! After some fried bananas on sticks, we set off once more and made our way out to our new home. We moored up outside the reef and jumped into the sea, swimming over the coral to the white beach that greeted us. (Swimming is not obligatory; a few opted to take the canoe.) In no time at all, we all picked two palm trees and strung up our hammocks. It was not long before we bedded down for our very first night on the island, falling asleep to the sounds of cicadas, rustling palms, and lapping waves.

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I feel these expeditions went particularly well, because we worked with a new fantastic local guide who is now permanently with us called Don Coron. Don injects enthusiasm and Filipino culture into the experience, sharing many of the bushcraft skills that he’s learned from when he was a kid and just considers normal! He also spent time teaching us about Filipino culture, really immersing us and giving that identity of being in the Philippines. We had the fantastic Edwin, our chef, who whipped up ridiculously tasty traditional dishes with the fish that we gave him at the end of the day. The terrific Kian was the assistant instructor. Just 19 years old but with the wisdom and knowledge of a 40-year-old. It just doesn’t add up! 

As usual, our expedition was five days of training followed by three days of raw survival with little more than a machete.  The turtle head tribe left the nest of prepared food, hammocks and evening rum, and headed to a new part of the island to survive. They crushed it, catching a glut of fish and one of the castaways, Doug undertook, the final 3 days completely solo.

One night, I was fast asleep when I felt something inside my hammock run on my face. I was completely startled! Turning on my head torch and was greeted by this fella, a 12-inch tokay gecko! I must have left my hammock open throughout the day, and he had got in! 

After the 72-hour survival experience, the speedboat arrived, laden with cold beers and mangoes, and we headed back to the Funny Lion Hotel for the best shower of our lives, to drink some cocktails on the roof. Before heading out for a survival banquet, I ordered a little bit too much food—probably enough for 30 people in the end. None of it was wasted; all of it was shared within Don’s family, but it was a ridiculous looking medieval platter. The feast was followed by a night of karaoke. Not normally my cup of tea, but when in Rome, it is fantastic, stupid, and hilarious. With slightly sore heads in the morning, we all boarded the planes and headed off with only memories and photos to show for our amazing experience. 

A few days later, the next tribe arrived, all not knowing each other, looking slightly bemused. I joked as I handed them coconuts at how well they would all know each other in a week. A week later they remarked at how deeply they had gelled together in just a week, it’s incredible really. 

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The island’s second tribe ended up being called “Saving Ryan from Private”. Ryan was one of our customers who was undertaking solo survival for the last 3 days. 

We’ve just run out of Rum.

Training was led by myself, Tom W, a new training instructor called Naomi and of course Don. Don showed us how his family makes coconut oil. We scraped the inside of the coconut flesh, turned it to cream, and then took that cream, heated it, and turned it into oil. It leaves behind some of the most delicious little crunchy bits as well. Oh my goodness, you have to try them to understand. Training went without a hitch, apart from running out of rum; we didn’t realize how thirsty this group was going to be. Then it was time for the tribe to fly the nest once more, heading off to a new part of the island with their fire making kits, machetes and a few peeled coconuts.

The tribe was rescued, and we headed back to the hotel. And then once more, enjoyed those fantastic showers, jumped in the pool, and oh, and ate burgers for breakfast and then went out for this incredible feast. 4* feels like 10* after several nights sleeping on homemade beds with 5,000 stars overhead. 

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Then it was time for the tribe to fly the nest once more, heading off to a new part of the island with their fire making kits, machetes and a few peeled coconuts.

All was going great until day two, when we got a somewhat muffled message on the radio, “crackle crackle I’m in pain!” I was worried! Turns out, one of our castaways, Jos, had been stung in the bed he had built, possibly not high enough off the sand. At first, we thought possibly a scorpion managed to sting him on his neck, we since decided it was more likely a centipede. Upon walking up the beach to check up on Jos, we then saw an enormous female leatherback turtle laying its eggs on the beach. The pain in Jos’s neck was quickly dissipated by the sight of this magnificent animal. 

As we sipped cocktails on the rooftop that night, six of the nine castaways booked then and there for their next trip with us in Tonga, which just made our hearts swell. 

A month break then took place, and Gaz and Jade headed out for their first expeditions in the Philippines. I will hand it over to them to give a summary of their experience in a following post.