and when you are zipping around on a bike, it's easy to see how stunning this place is. in 2019, siargao was voted the best island in asia, and was dubbed the next bali, with plans for further development on the horizon. in december 2021, everything changed. category 5 super typhoon odette hit the island off—guard, with wind speeds of up to i95km/h. these winds caused huge amounts of damage, while storm surges flooded coastal areas. oh, my gosh.