Bohol, Philippines, 2024
A day inland through Bohol's countryside started with tarsiers (tiny, wide-eyed primates gripping branches at close range) before climbing to a viewpoint over rows of grass-covered conical hills rolling to the horizon under a big sky. A bamboo suspension bridge gave a graphic, symmetrical crossing over a river gorge, then a slow river cruise closed the day out: a colourful folk dance performance on board, boats moored along a lush green bank, sunlit palm canopy overhead, and a pair of parakeets perched close enough for a proper portrait.
The next morning began before sunrise with a boat out to snorkel alongside whale sharks, feeding through clouds of baitfish, close enough to make out every spot on their backs. Back on the coast: a portrait framed through a boat's window, a palm-fringed island sitting on a flat horizon, small blue outrigger boats moored among flooded mangroves, and a vividly painted jeepney parked in a town square.
A few nights later brought a firefly-watching trip upriver: paddleboarders drifting past with lights glowing against the blue-hour jungle, then tree after tree lit up with thousands of fireflies swirling against the dark. The same excursion continued into a cave system: a dramatic shaft of light cutting through stalactites, a turquoise pool sitting beneath the ceiling, and a couple silhouetted in a single beam of light.
The trip wound down with quieter frames: a path through tall forest trunks, a still lake at sunset with a floating restaurant and stilted houses along the shore, a palm silhouette against a mirrored orange sky, a butterfly caught in soft macro light, and a raptor perched cleanly against open sky, along with a pack of dogs gathered at the water's edge.
