As teenagers, Eddie and Jack worked together in an Edinburgh bar where they decided to build a boat and hire a local fisher-pirate captain to explore the islands around the Philippines.

As teenagers, Eddie and Jack worked together in an Edinburgh bar where they decided to build a boat and hire a local fisher-pirate captain to explore the islands around the Philippines. After their money ran out, they invited tourists to join them onboard for a fee, arranging for their accommodations with islanders. The rest is history.

Over a glass of jungle juice––the Tao signature cocktail a soothing blend of rum, pineapple juice, and water––you meet your expedition leader and a few dozen travelling companions. The next five days will be epic in ways you can’t imagine. Onboard you receive a little more information about the next five days. The handout says it all––

“We call it an expedition because we are exploring the islands together….the experience is all there for you but it cannot be listed on a menu, you have to explore it yourself.” There is no plan. Only the promise that exploration can take many forms. The exploration of the outside world is what lured you here to Camp Ngey! Ngey!, but you hadn’t expected waking up every morning in an open-air bamboo ‘Tuka’ hut. After an ocean breeze coaxes you out of bed, you dive into crystal clear waters in the early morning. This exploration puts a new twist on the typical fun and sun package.

Camp Ngey! Ngey!

Family-style meals feature Tao Chefs to cook up fresh fish caught by Islanders and produce from the Tao organic farm. Adventure comes easy here. Exploring the island’s jungle trails as you skirt wild beaches and windswept cliffs, brings a discovery of hidden caves. Enjoy snorkelling around the island’s preserved reefs rich with a variety of sea life and shipwrecks too on an escape to this Neverland of wonder and freedom. taophilippines.com ◼

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© This article was first published in Oct-Nov 2018 edition of World Travel Magazine.

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