Talicud
Talicud sits off the western side of Samal, quieter than the headline Samal beaches — water so clear the boat seems to hover over the reef, and a string of small coves the joiner boats rotate through one by one. The day fell into an easy island-hopping rhythm: cut the engine, drop over the side for a swim, pull on a mask at a snorkel spot to watch the fish drift through the coral, then climb back aboard and motor to the next cove. Lunch came grilled and simple at a beach-side stand, sand still on our feet. By afternoon the boat pointed back across the channel, the wind picking up and the Samal coastline rising slowly on the horizon.