Explore the West Philippine Sea's Kalayaan Islands on This Week-Long Expedition
Stake your claim on the Philippine's newest summer destination.
(SPOT.ph)The West Philippine Sea. We know you've heard about it, know of the tensions surrounding it, and, perhaps due to all the reports and updates on its contested waters, think of it more like as a setting of some political novel than an actual lived-in place. Well, it's very real, and very much part of our home. If you've ever wanted to explore this part of the country, meet the communities, and more, here's your chance: You can now join an expedition to the area.
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How to book a tour to the West Philippine Sea's Kalayaan Islands
Dubbed "The Great Kalayaan Expedition 2023", this package was launched in an effort to open up the West Philippine Sea to tourism. Kicking off from Puerto Princesa, Palawan, you'll have seven days and six nights to explore the different islands, namely: Lawak Island, Patag Island, Likas Island, and the famous Pag-asa Island.
The package includes full board and lodging, marine equipment, a tour guide and more, so all you'll have to worry about on that week is how to make the most of these rarely-visited places. You'll be staying on the MV Dolphin Liveaboard, except for one overnight stay on Pag-asa Island. The price for all this? A cool P120,000. Each run of the expedition only allows for a limited number of people, so you may want to book for their next dates of May 29 to June 4. This expedition will only happen thrice this year, so the last run is slated for the second week of June.
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The maiden voyage took place on March 16 to 22. This expedition was launched by several bodies such as the local government, the provicial tourism office, and more, all led by the Kalayaan Islands Tourism Agents Cooperative (KITA). And don't worry if you can't commit to a week-long adventure just yet; they launched the Pista ng Karagatang Kanluran alongside the expedition, which means that you can keep watch for shorter stays on Pag-asa island and the like. The expedition now has a Facebook page where you can stay updated on other packages and events.
For more information, visit the Spratlys Islands, Kalayaan Tourism Facebook page.