For as long as I remember, adjectives were never found to be wanting when it came to describing Asian beach meccas. I had read countless "guides" where people just could not help but recommend every square inch of sand they have found. When I started taking interest in Palawan, the result was no different. "Miles of un-spoilt sands" was heard countless times among other tall phrases.
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| photo by Benson Kua |
How does one go for an authentic trip in such a place? What about those untold stories from real travelers? In search of the perfect Palawan experience, comes this little story of sailing off the land.
It's easy to aimlessly float away over the lucid corals while you snorkel off the shores of Palawan until you open your eyes and realize that you drifted too far off. Your stark blue and white, close to 100 foot long, Bangka boat that is your home for the next few days is a good way out.
Just as easily you lost bearing, the completely serene waters let you change direction. Take a deep breath and pump your way back to towards where the rest of your companions are peeping into corals bigger than your home furniture (which usually means they are not the lethal variety).
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| photo by Agustin Rafael Reyes |
Being in the middle of nowhere, in a postcard perfect azure that stretches out to the horizon never felt this good. The rule in Palawan is pretty simple: eat, snorkel, laze around. Repeat.
Visiting El Nido- There's more to Philippines than Boracay
For the most people who visits Philippines, they head straight to Boracay. In my personal opinion, while Boracay is all nice, it comes across more as a jazzed up departmental store stocked full of water sports shops and packages.
Instead, find yourself a van to hitch on and take on and take a ride to El Nido, a charmingly tiny but intensely dense local dive shops skirting the Bacuit Bay in Palawan. This place will give you more than what Boracay can ever hope for. Have patience, though. You'll probably need to dig through; walk and poke your nose for considerable hours to find your own hidden gem.
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| photo by Ross Pollack |
There's this bangka launching pad where boats set sail to the area's most spectacular islands. El Nido is a particular favorite among backpackers and has this uncanny ability to seem like it just popped out onto the map. You still won't find ATMs and power shuts down come dawn only to return in the afternoon. However, digging for gems does not end here. Most operators will still offer more or less the same itinerary-- some combination of water and crowd. Where did all those personal and authentic stories go? As an alternative, there's this pretty collection of actual trips taken by real travelers to the Philippines, over at mygola that's pretty amazing. Did I mention the smart planner to do all the itinerary building for you in minutes?
I found Tao Philippines to offer something that we all seek -a complete break, even from our digital avatars, -no phone, emails, timeline, and newsfeeds. I can now thank Eddie Brock for being that great bloke who decided people needed break from facebook and dived into the sailing business. He now owns six bangkas which stow away freedom- seeking travel junkies. What I love the most about these trips is what Eddie says himself, "there in no plan"!
There is usually just one destination on the map, the far off dot of Coron. Between that and your sailing point, all that decides the course and speed are the winds and the currents. If you ever wanted seclusion, this is the place. What adds to the Bohemian air are the flip flops, guitars, and open- air decks. Not to mention the authentic Filipino food onboard. Ever tried tuna adobo and coconut crab curry?
Travel often opens up so many different chapters of humanity. Out here, this hardly known sailing crew in El Nido does much more than just business. The course is managed glancing up the stars by night and the tiny islands that you touch along the way, you just don't touch them physically as a tourist. Portion of the trip's earnings go into making schools and paying for a good education.
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| Palawan by enggul |
When you stop by any of the many dots which make up the archipelago, take a stroll barefoot on the beach which are almost always deserted if you don't count the ghost watching you with watery round eyes. You'll find freedom which is well nigh lost.
WHEN YOU GO:
Give mygola.com a visit to get beyond the tourist traps. The trips featured there are taken by real travelers. Let the planner take care of things like cost, distances, business hours, and the number of days you will have in hand. Tao Philippines runs regular sailing trips off Palawan.
A Guest Post from (About the Author):
Bodhisattwa Debnath is a travel blogger and editor at mygola.com- the world's largest hand-curated collection of authentic trips by real people which lets you create your own custom travel plans in minutes. You can chat up with him on twitter (@detalking and @mygola).
