After ten days on the island, I began to notice that my routine was becoming monotonous. I usually started by getting some breakfast and then having a cup of coffee at a beachfront café. The rest of the day was spent working until lunch, finding a cheap place to eat, working again, and finishing the day by watching the magnificent Boracay sunset—with occasional dips in the sea thrown in for good measure.

If it were not for the state of the world grappling with a new COVID-19 variant unfolding during my latest return trip to Kayangan Lake, I would have said, “Third time’s a charm, indeed,” as I again took a dip in its crystal-clear waters. It felt like it was only yesterday—actually, the year 2009—when I first caught sight of this magical lake. I can still vividly recall my then-girlfriend, Marianne, and me wearing oversized life vests, pulling each other into the middle of the lake.

If you had booked your flight tickets to Siargao this year, the first question that probably popped into your head was, “What shouldn’t I miss in Siargao?”