
Leaving friendly Darocotan behind, the reward for another choppy hour or so of big-boat whitetop surfing is Takling Island – anonymous speck on the map, but vivid and memorable in reality.

Leaving friendly Darocotan behind, the reward for another choppy hour or so of big-boat whitetop surfing is Takling Island – anonymous speck on the map, but vivid and memorable in reality.

Our island-hopping first day with Tao had taken us less than 10km from El Nido, so time now to get some nautical miles underneath Aurora’s keel.