Tao Lost Boys

Meet the Lost Boys

They can navigate without a map, climb a coconut tree in seconds and make you laugh until sunset. Meet your hosts, guides and companions through the islands they call home.

When the fishing trade declined, many young islanders in Palawan lost their livelihood, but not their skills. And so Tao became a new kind of classroom: one where learning happened on boats, farms and bamboo workshops. What began as a few helping hands grew into the Lost Boys – a generation who found their purpose through the sea once again. Each year, 10-15 young men join our crew to learn the rhythms of expedition life — from steering a bangka and cooking on deck to building bamboo huts and leading guests through the islands.

Two-way learning

Through Tao, the Lost Boys meet travellers from around the world. Not only do they learn English but through their conversations, they see their islands anew. In the off-season, we encourage them to become travellers themselves: exploring the Philippines and Southeast Asia, gaining perspective and returning home with deeper pride in where they come from.

The tribe

Tao is not a company. It's a tribe, built by the men and women who run it. We don't train their cheekiness or kindness; those are born of the islands. What we do is give them space to grow, to lead and to shape what Tao becomes. The Lost Boys are not just our crew. They are Tao itself.