19 friends and a baby, 2 flights, a boatride, and a few jeepneys later…

This is the story of how Simon and I first met.

I was a very enthusiastic dive instructor in the early 2010s and when my good friends Kat and Chris asked where we should go diving next I suggested that we try to see some whalesharks and mantas. I started researching, but remember its late 2010 that we are planning for a Feb 2011 and internet and information is shite at best. We decide on Donsol for the whalesharks and Ticao Island for the diving.

What started as three of us going for a long weekend dive trip, ended with 19 adults and a baby. It was truly word of mouth and the spirit of connection and fun that brought us all together. We were the only ones on the island. The daylight hours spent under water and at the beach. The nighttime spitting shite and playing games. There was at least 19 bottles of hard liquor consumed. There was a surprise kayak trip to experience trees full of lightning bugs. Viz was terrible but we did see some smudgey whalesharks. A handful of us saw mantas. Our ferry back to the mainland got lost. A truck filled with fish tipped over. And we almost missed our flight back. It was not the perfect trip but it was perfect for us and one that we all still remember.

Simon was one of the last adds to the travel group, he had just moved to Singapore if I remember correctly. This was the start of Chickenfeet Travels before we even knew it. It was one of the first big trips I helped organise. And the best part is, most of us are still in a Whatsapp group chat!

And Kat is taking the photo.