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September 2018

Holiday suggestions Travel September 14, 2018

Siargao, the perfect holiday in the Philippines

Siargao Island

Just when you thought that the Philippines had no surprises, you discover the island paradise of Siargao, otherwise known as the surfing capital of the Philippines. A water lover and thrill seeker’s paradise it is also perfect for yoga and meditation retreats. The Island, or group of islands, can be reached by plane from Manila and Cebu.

https://www.anthonystravels.com/its-more-fun/

You should be aware that the ATM machines on Siargao Island do not accept most foreign cards, so it is important to bring enough cash with you. Alternatively, or perhaps additionally, you could download the World Remit App, and then transfer cash to yourself for collection from the mL Huiller. This remittance/cash collection is pretty much instantaneous.

Surfing

The island caters for surfing at all levels, from the GI break and Jacking Horse for beginners up to the famous Cloud 9 break, which has a reputation for thick, hollow tubes. (I don’t know what that means, but I am told by surfing friends that thick hollow tubes are a good thing). The Red Hot Chillies song, Surf to live to Surf was inspired by a visit here. Many of the small villages and cafes exude that surfing vibe.

Island Hopping

A popular excursion here is a day trip to three small islands, Guyam, Naked Island and the little fishing island of Dako Island. This is where your Instagram feed is going to go through the roof: clear seas, white sand…..

There are a host of other activities to undertake. The beaches here are spectacular but perhaps slightly less geared towards swimming than in the rest of the Philippines. There are a number of reefs not far out from the beach with jagged and sharp edges. However, if you are looking for beaches with thick vegetation and palm or coconut trees up to the edge, this is the place for you. The beaches are less well known than other beaches in the Philippines so are much less frequented. Don’t be surprised if you are pretty much alone, except for the hermit crabs. Popular (using the term loosely) include Alegria Beach, with its white sand and crystal clear water. ‘Crystal Clear” is a much abused term when it comes to describing exotic seas, but really is an understatement when it comes to the Philippines. Pacificio beach is another quiet, small surfing town and beach.

Adventure Seeking

Those in search of adventure and exploration will probably not want to leave Siargao with its caves, and cliffs, its lagoons and pools.

Tayangban Cave Pool is a must visit attraction. Swim or float in darkness for about 15 minutes in the company of bats flying overhead until you reach an open space, where you can then jump from about 17 foot into the pool below

Sugba Lagoon is a spectacular lagoon surrounded by mountains. You can rent a raft or dive board here, and swim through the peaceful water in an environment almost forgotten by time.

The Magpupungko Rock Pools offer clear water, caves. Coves, and cliff jumping, while the Sohoton Caves are a unique natural reserve, where among other things you can swim with non-stinging jelly fish. You can also visit the Hagukan Cave where the water glows an electric blue when you splash it. In the North can be found the only waterfall in the Island, with yet more cliff jumping, tree jumping and exploration.

Accommodation

The accommodation in Siargao is very much about getting back to nature, being eco- conscious, and experiencing a particular type of Filipino way of life, but without being uncomfortable.

The Soul Tribe describes itself as being a luxury beachside retreat, with ocean fronted cabanas and glamping style bell tents. Their website says that their take on health is about making conscious decisions that feel right to you and your body with yoga and massage, surfing and kite surfing, and horseback riding.

“We promise you will wake up every day feeling as far away from the daily grind as possible”

Is this what a holiday is all about?

The perhaps unfortunately named Kermit resort tells you to get ready for an island experience you will never forget with its local vibe, amazing cuisine and range of air conditioned cottages and bungalows. This is a good choice if you want all your activities organised under one roof. It has its own surf school, yoga area, and arranges island hopping and other excursions.

For more information about Holidays in the Philippines, why not check out my site dedicated to this wonderful country

http://www.holidayinthephilippines.co.uk

Photography September 1, 2018

Grow your Brand on Instagram

Everyone wants more likes, shares, follows or even just a little more attention in the social media profiles. My own Instagram profile is really quite limited, usually hovering round about the 230 mark. I took the course offered by photographer Scott Bakken entitled

Instagram Essentials: Build your Brand, Grow your Community to address the lack of engagement in my Instagram profile.

The course is a short one, some 40 minutes and it does not come with some massive secret that will unleash a flood of engaged followers. It does however have some good insights, almost a philosophy to follow.

He starts with four tips

Keep it consistent
Keep your aesthetic
Find your tribe
Connect with others

And these really are the themes which run throughout this course.

This course would be a complete waste of time unless you make a positive effort to make the time to follow some of the ideas that he puts forward. A genuine and engaged following takes a great deal of time to build up, and there is no better time to start than now! So, he advises, don’t be overwhelmed with what you don’t know, or the equipment that you do not have, just work with what you have in front of you.

The starting point is what do you enjoy. That is what you should be photographing, be it landscapes or people or lifestyle, but be consistent. Scott’s project for this class is for the listener to take three photographs of the place that tell your story….. three, of course, because that is one line of your Instagram grid, and this will start to promote your consistency.

Now I have a bit of a problem with this advice for two reasons:

I do not really know what my story might be.
I am influenced by and like a number of very different styles and interests.

Scott does suggest that there is no reason why someone should not have two (or more) Instagram accounts, so that presumably you will put your landscape photography into one account and your lifestyle photography into another. In some ways this is good advice. As part of the “Find your tribe” advice, Scott discusses the importance of engaging with others as a way of increasing the engagement of others with you. If you reach out to them, they will reach out to you, as will their followers. It is impossible to please everyone, so find the people you want to follow.

I have some reservations about this approach, but mainly based on time. I find it hard enough to find time to engage on one platform so to have to do so on multiple accounts on multiple platforms fills me with horror. When will I get the time to actually take some photos?

For me, I think the challenge is to find some common ground to the various styles that influence me. I like portrait photography, street photography and I am getting increasingly interested in the storytelling aspect of a single photograph, where perhaps the absence of people is part of the storytelling. There is a storytelling element in portrait photography just as much as in street photography, so that it where my approach in consistency should start from.

Scott also comes up with some interesting thoughts which might at first glance appear to conflict with each other. So, engagement is more about discovering others than yourself. However, he ends the lesson by saying that displaying our photographs reveals something of who we are as people, and our photography gives us the freedom to learn, to find our own voice. It is about us, and our personal journey. I like that. This really is what this blog is all about, at least for me, a learning journey, learning not just for the sake of learning about other things, but about me, and who I am.

Scott’s final thought is to consider what true influence is. It is measured in likes, comments and shares, or is it the ability to inspire change or create change in others. Quite an aspiration and far beyond simply getting a few more likes!

It is a good course, very worthwhile taking, but only if you are going to get out there and take some photos!