Philippines – travel report

 #1 Manila-Puerto Princesa

Czy holidays in the philippines may resemble the daily routine of a factory worker who has been assigned to the night shift? It happens. For example, today…

The sharp sound of the alarm clock rouses us from our sleep at three in the morning. We haven't slept much after the madness of the last night in Manila, maybe an hour and a half. Quick packing of the last things, the elevator ride down to the lobby of the five-star Fairmont hotel, where the driver is already waiting, polishing an invisible stain on the mirror cover with his sleeve. With a broad smile, he takes our suitcases and puts them in the trunk. We get in the back of the car - New York jazz, Givenchy air freshener, leather seats... Well, the business district of Makati, where we spent the last two days, is an enclave of wealth, sitting like a tiny island in the ocean of Manila's everyday life.

Under cover of night…

The first sign that we’ve left the neighborhood comes about five minutes later. We hear the door locks drop, and the driver, without turning his head, utters two words: “Safety reasons.” It’s all clear, at least to him… It’s the middle of the night, but even at this hour the city is full of life – cars racing by, tricycles clattering, vendors setting up their portable kitchens on the curbs, homeless people pushing their carts in directions known only to them. Finally, we reach the domestic airport terminal. The guards quickly scan our pale European faces with their wary gazes, then the car’s undercarriage. It’s OK to drive in!

The domestic terminal is small and not overly luxurious. In fact, it doesn't even have a single bench to sit on while waiting for check-in. The space slowly fills up, mostly with locals taking advantage of the lower rates on the earliest, morning flights, but every now and then we pick out from the crowd of dark-haired heads European and American Pale Faces - younger and older. Everyone, like us, is tempted by trip to Palawan and the promise of a paradise vacation in the undiscovered pearl of the Philippines.

Knocking on heaven’s door…

Suddenly the crowd comes alive and parts – a dozen or so long-legged Filipino beauties with ink-black hair, dressed in red suits, walk through the middle. These are Air Asia staff, who will spend the next 30 minutes fixing their hair and make-up, fiddling with monitors, moving catalogues, labels and boxes. The crowd looks on in awe and silence, even though it becomes increasingly clear with each passing moment that our plane has no chance of leaving Manila soil on time. Well, each country has its customs. Planning trip to the Philippines we wisely assumed that we could encounter even stranger situations than the current one. So we wait calmly, and when the check-in finally begins, we slowly move the suitcases towards the counter.

Palawan welcome to

After about 20 minutes we are on the other side. Fortunately, there are benches here, as well as two small bistros, one of which serves local delicacies, and the other is a pretty good copy of Starbuck's. As you can easily guess, the locals storm the first establishment, the gringos the second. A vacation in the Philippines is one thing, and the stomach and its habits, especially at such an inhumanly early hour, are another. We all agree that four in the morning is not the right time to treat our stomachs to Filipino breakfast sets, in which a huge bowl of cold rice and pieces of equally cold meat covered in congealed fat invariably rule, and together with the other gringos we besiege the Starbucks copy. The coffee is really delicious, as are the toasts, which help us survive until boarding. After about thirty minutes, the terminal doors open and we can go to the plane, which has meanwhile pulled up to the runway. Yes, yes – go. Boarding is an adventure in itself, a separate whole like a special stage in a bicycle race. What does that mean? First of all – forget about the bus that will take you to the gangway. Secondly – ​​watch out for yourselves and your suitcases 🙂 Passengers with cabin cars on wheels are weaving their way along the runway between the airport service cars and the colourfully flashing runway lights, following the guide. It is a truly amusing sight when a large group of people following in a tight formation are constantly shaking their heads in all directions like a confused tank with its turret. You will pay for the ticket and fast food by card, this observation is priceless 🙂 Everyone manages to get to the plane safely, where they are greeted by smiling crew. I secretly hope for the Brave Passenger badge, but it doesn’t happen. We quickly take our seats, complete the training on how to behave in the event of trouble in the air, the pilot increases the engine speed, and after a minute we are floating over Manila, heading towards Puerto Princesa. Travel to Palawan can be considered as started.

Up and down…

There are no horns on board the plane, but, similarly to Ryanair flights, the stewardesses tempt us with great purchases and Air Asia gadgets at sensationally low prices, and after the sale ends, they hand out the ordered meals to hungry bargain hunters. We get chicken adobo, which is shredded fillet with a standard, large portion of rice. We quickly gulp down the meal, because the plane is approaching Palawan. "Air temperature +28 C, high humidity, predicted heavy rainfall during the day," informs the pilot from the cockpit, wishing us a wonderful stay in Puerto Princesa. It doesn't sound good. Right after landing, we are to change into a car that will take us on a cruise along the underground river in Sabang, and a tropical downpour never bodes well for trips to cenotes or caves already half filled with water. Anyone who has watched the film "Sanctum" knows 🙂

The pilot, as if to compensate for the rainy weather, almost imperceptibly ends the flight by going into taxi phase. We slowly approach the terminal, looking out of the plane windows with interest. Compared to the heavily, if not mega, urbanized Manila, Palawan is a real tropic – huge palm trees sway in the wind, and wide banana leaves flutter like flags. Here is a vacation in the Philippines from a real travel agency catalog! Airport services start bustling around the plane – their high rubber boots, shiny from the water, and waterproof jackets deepen our fears related to the expedition to the underground river. The plane quickly empties, and passengers, similarly to Manila, walk along the airport runway towards the terminal.

Through the eyes of Pale Face…

After a flight spent in the air-conditioned fuselage of the plane, the heat, aided by the humidity intensified by the rainfall, makes itself felt after walking a few dozen meters, and it's not even eight yet... A quarter of an hour of waiting for our luggage and we go out to the parking lot. From a distance we see the driver holding a sign with our name on it. We wave at him and come closer to hear: "Welcome to Palawan! We're terribly sorry but the tour has been cancelled due to high water after storm..." Damn it! Real bad luck, but life goes on.

After a brief negotiation, the driver agrees to drop us off at the hotel. The van doors slam shut and we’re speeding along the gravel and asphalt road toward the city. Tropical scenery passes on both sides of the road, against which we can watch the local community come to life. Women carrying parcels and bundles, men smoking cigarettes and fumbling with gutted tricycle engines, women carrying parcels and bundles, children in ironed uniforms waiting for the school bus, a policeman directing traffic, and more women carrying parcels and bundles… Asia is vast, but certain elements are common to almost every corner of it – women hurrying or busy with work, slowed-down men with cigarettes in their mouths, mostly engaged in conversation, and children in shiny, ironed school uniforms waiting for the bus or heading to school, deftly avoiding potholes, puddles, and cars on the road. This morning picture is the denominator that unites Islamic Turkey, Hindu India and Catholic Philippines. Trip to the Philippines provides many opportunities for such and even more interesting observations.

Buko, or coconut

Asian dolce vita…

We arrive at our hotel – the chickens, offended by our intrusion, run away with a flutter of wings, and the muddy, cluttered street ends abruptly in front of the gleaming white entrance gate of the “Dolce Vita” hotel. Only the rooster stands majestically and looks down at us from just below the bumper of the car. We don’t know yet what a full-blooded Filipino rooster can do, but we will soon have the opportunity to find out 🙂 The driver helps us with our luggage and we enter the stable and European-style predictable world of “Dolce Vita”.

The hotel is not mind-blowing, but compared to the Asian din, temporariness and eternal rush pressing in from all sides, it is a real Eden surrounded by a white wall. Tall palm trees, an outdoor swimming pool, an open-air restaurant where you can enjoy unlimited coffee and tea, a large menu where, mind you, all dishes are available! Such a selection and respect for the guest is not often found even in well-known restaurants on the Krakow market square 🙂 The cheerful but steady-handed owner of the hotel and its employees kindly greets us at the threshold of the bamboo-lined reception, invites us for breakfast and informs us that our transfer to Port Barton the following day is confirmed for nine o'clock.

After about an hour, the sky becomes overcast, and a moment later a tropical storm descends on Puerto Princesa, cutting short our thoughts of island-hopping around Honda Bay. Willy-nilly, we spend our first day on Palawan enjoying the hotel pool and restaurant. The food served is fresh, tasty and large, which, as it turns out, is not a standard occurrence on the island. In between downpours, we decide to take a quick trip to the town – on both sides of the road, mechanics and small shops selling food and clothing offer their services and goods. Every now and then we see factories, whose employees disassemble old passenger cars into their first parts, and then, with the help of welding machines, hammers and screwdrivers, put them together (true crazy constructors!) local public transport vehicles – three-wheelers, also called tricycles by some. Their shapes are a reflection of the soul of a given "designer" - some are austere in form like the GDR Trabants, others are fanciful and colorful - picture the American cars of the 60s with their extravagant flourishes and chrome headlights.

#2 Puerto Princesa – Port Barton

The next morning we are woken up by the sun and roosters, who treat their calling extremely responsibly. Their collective and individual performances begin before four in the morning and last all day, until late at night. A holiday in the Philippines is the constant presence of these feathered alarm clocks, even in Manila. The most committed individuals diversify the time between 10 p.m. and four in the morning with their solos. Unfortunately for us, these singers are the loudest. Torn from sleep several times during the night, we recall with laughter one of Janusz Christa's comics from the series "Kajko and Kokosz". During one of their colourful peregrinations, the heroes sail on a Viking ship. The ticket price includes a continuously performing ship singer, who has only one song in his repertoire. About halfway through the cruise, the captain comes out to the passengers and announces: "For an additional fee, our soloist will entertain you without performing a hit!" 🙂 Unfortunately, we don’t have that choice and we listen to the soloists continuously until we are woken up by the sun shining through the window.

On the road again, or the Palawan roller coaster…

After a filling and tasty breakfast – the omelette at “Dolce Vita” is made according to the guest’s instructions – we pack our bags and go to the reception. The minibus that will take us to Port Barton arrives half an hour late, but having learned from experience, we accept it with stoic calm – such is Asia! We are only surprised when the driver opens the side door. The minibus is mercilessly packed with Pale Faces, from whom we hear cheerful greetings: Salut!, Hi!, Buongiorno! We wonder where we are supposed to sit? The same question is clearly on the minds of the driver and his assistant. After a moment, they have a plan – they pull the suitcases out of the vehicle, freeing up one seat. They manage to find another one in the front, when the assistant sits almost on the driver’s lap, creating a 30-centimetre gap between the door and the gear lever. There is not much space, but fortunately I spend the first two kilometres of the journey only in the company of the driver. The assistant sits on the roof, securing the suitcases to the roof rails with a string, and then covers them with a waterproof tarpaulin. How on earth does it not fall off on the bends taken with the driver's imagination? What is it holding on to, apart from air? We will never know, but when we stop for a short break at a roadside bar, everything is elegantly secured, covered, and the assistant sits cross-legged on the roof, blowing smoke through his nose. "Buddha with a cigarette!" - the passengers released into the fresh air unanimously comment, full of admiration for the acrobat.

We traveled like this…

The driver and his minibus

The bar is typical of provincial Asia – tables covered with oilcloth and newspapers, a soup kitchen serving local delicacies, a shop offering dusty crackers and warm Coke, and an outhouse crying out for vengeance (a toilet, even in its worst visual manifestation, is not the right word here). Traveling around Palawan is experiencing the real Asia in all its manifestations…

We set off again – I climb into my “Suicide Seat”, as the merry Yanks from Oregon sitting behind me have dubbed it, and we set off at full throttle towards Port Barton. The training from my previous journeys in Turkey comes in handy at critical moments. Overtaking third on a bend at 100 km/h? Passing motorbikes, cyclists and pedestrians literally within a hair’s breadth of hitting them? Threatening and cursing other road users while praising my skills? I had already experienced all of this on the mountain serpentines of Datca and Izmir in Turkey, where there is only one rule on the road: “Once ben!” (loosely translated as “Me first!” :). When we reach Port Barton, the only casualty of the journey to Port Barton is a chicken that was running too slowly from a charging driver.

In the land of the Sealmen…

Before entering the town, we have to visit the Field Office for Issuing Certificates of Payment of the Climate Fee. Of course, this is a name I made up, but it 100% reflects the atmosphere of this place, as if from a Monty Python sketch. A falling apart table with a thick, spotted entry book and five "officials". How does this complicated mechanism work? Let me explain - The first one takes the passport from the tourist and hands it to the second one. The second one opens it and looks at it with a serious face, then hands it to the third one. The third one enters the data in the book and hands the passport to the fourth one. He also looks at the document for a moment, accepts the payment (50 pesos), then hands the owner a pen, asking him to sign the book. When this happens, the passport goes into the hands of the fifth one, who gives the document to the owner along with the confirmation of payment and a warning to always have them with him during his stay in Port Barton, otherwise "many problems"

You can't run away from the rooster…

Port Barton is a picturesque port town where visitors from outside are still relatively few, the locals are warm and open, and the main attraction is the power cuts that last from ten in the evening to six in the morning. Anyone who stays a little longer will notice this. they travel around the Philippines. This has its advantages – Internet addicts, whether they want it or not, need to tear themselves away from the keyboard and notice the world around them, as well as talk to their companions – and disadvantages – washing yourself with a flashlight in cold water to the accompaniment of, of course, feathered soloists.

Work in the shipyard is in full swing

An Oasis of Relaxation – Port Barton

The latter are particularly troublesome in Port Barton. The farms where they reside are located in the immediate vicinity of the hotels. In disturbing the silence of the night, they are bravely supported by Catholic churches, small and in no way resembling the exuberant European temples scratching the clouds in the heels, but equipped with solid bells, which are struck with pleasure every day before sunrise. It is best to plan to admire the sunrise in Palawan in Port Barton - a wake-up call is guaranteed. And in advance, enough to eat breakfast...

The Feathered Soloist from Port Barton

Hunting for a turtle…

Palawan is a mecca for lovers of the underwater world, as if from the animation "Finding Nemo". The ideal solution for getting to know it is a full-day trip on a dozen-person boat to the nearby islands and spots guaranteeing spectacular coral reefs and a multitude of local fauna - colorful fish, crabs, starfish and turtles, which are the easiest to find here on the entire island. Lunch is also provided during the trip. In addition to the obligatory large bowl of cold rice, you can count on grilled fish from the morning catch, fruit, roast chicken, mussels...

Port Barton – we go island-hopping

Port Barton - Life on the Reef

Port Barton - Life on the Reef

The funniest moment of island-hopping in Port Barton is definitely tracking turtles. The crew of the boat keeps a watchful eye on the water, and when they notice the poor guy who has carelessly given away his presence with a flick of his fin, they triumphantly point at him with a finger shouting "Turtle!!! Over here!" At this signal, everyone jumps into the water, grabbing masks, fins, cameras as they run... After a moment, a crowd of swimmers, like a peloton of Iron Man competitors, cuts through the water like motorboats chasing the turtle. The first to reach it will be rewarded - their photos will not show the legs, arms and other body parts of those who will soon swim there and, milling around the victim, will try to capture the beauty of the Philippine turtle from every possible angle.

Port Barton Island Hopping – Moving On

The Dark Object of Desire – The Turtle

Sunshine reggae in Port Barton…

After a day of snorkeling, which in Port Barton requires a lot of physical fitness and strength (it is easy to stray away from the boat when chasing a turtle, and the sea currents do not forgive weak swimmers, pushing them more and more towards the coastal reefs), those who do not fall into bed to fall asleep for a few hours can go for a late lunch or have a sundowner in one of the many beachside pubs. They are run by both locals and expats, so after a few days you know where to drink the best coffee, eat delicious seafood or a real Italian pizza without the frills. Social life on the beach lasts until late at night - most of the pubs and restaurants have their own generators, so a blackout at 10 p.m. does not mean the end of good fun. The place is truly charming and compared to El Nido located to the north, which I will discuss in a moment, it guarantees true respite in the bosom of nature in a casual atmosphere.

Port Barton – sunshine reggae

Afternoon of Champions (Turtle Tracking)

#3 Port Barton – El Nido

We leave Port Barton after two days with a feeling of dissatisfaction. It is certainly worth spending at least twice as much time here to take part in all the variations of island-hopping, as well as to recharge the batteries with life energy flowing directly from the virgin nature. The body and mind will find everything they need here to regenerate and recharge the batteries for the daily ride on the bumpy road of everyday life 😉

Because all tourists are one family…

Our further route leads to El Nido – Palawan's tourist showcase. The journey by minibus takes us about four hours. The driver is not the type of rowdy and likes smooth jazz, thanks to which the journey passes quickly and in a very pleasant atmosphere. The interior of the vehicle is a mix of the most diverse types of people – there are "professional" travelers who spend almost the entire year away from home, students from the Netherlands, a pair of Swedes from Gothenburg, parched with cancer, two Germans, two elderly Americans, and a Polish couple from Warsaw, who escaped from Port Barton, unable to withstand the daily rooster-bell wake-up calls. The latter tell us about a trip to the Sabang Underground River, which they had been to two days earlier. Their story about dozens of tourists waiting their turn to enter the Underground River sounds unbelievable and we don't really want to believe it despite the assurances of our new friends. Well, when we listen to their explanations we haven't seen the beaches of El Nido in the morning yet...

The unbearable difficulty of existence…

We arrive in El Nido. This time, the final stop is in the town center, from where, for less than a dollar, we head to our hotel in Corong Corong, about two kilometers outside the center.

The hotel has been renovated and makes a good impression – working air conditioning, a restaurant by the beach, 100/XNUMX electricity, your own boat for island hopping. Unfortunately, the beach itself leaves much to be desired – apart from larger hotels that take care of keeping it clean, in many places it is littered with rubbish thrown out by the sea. This is a real scourge of Asia and it will take a long time before the situation normalizes. The Philippine government, similarly to the government of India, for example, is trying to mobilize citizens to fight the plague of rubbish flooding cities and beaches, but for now this is just the beginning of the struggle. As a certain famous person from history said – “Existence determines consciousness”. Unfortunately, for most citizens, existence in the Philippines is a daily struggle to stay afloat, which effectively eliminates their interest in the cleanliness of their immediate surroundings. Large corporations that supply stores with products packaged in “garbage-generating” cans, foils and PET bottles in every possible size, starting from XNUMX grams, do not help either. Recycling is an unknown word here, and those who use it will probably be directed to a bike rental.

El Nido

Night time silence in Corong Corong…

We are also slightly disappointed in the evening, when at nine o'clock the guard locks the gate leading to the beach and turns off some of the lights. You can still order in the restaurant and bar, but the service is so sluggish that it irritates most of the customers, who leave the hotel en masse and head to town on tricycles. We follow their trail and are in the center of El Nido in a few minutes.

…and the city is having fun

Dozens of restaurants, bars, and shops are packed with tourists, and just as many are walking the streets looking for free seats or doing typical cruising around the venues. In the evenings, concerts or sports competitions are organized (we came across street ball). Small and large grocery stores are open, as are currency exchange points. In supermarkets and larger restaurants, there is no problem with paying by card. We “rule” the city only until midnight, because the next day at nine we have to be at the port on the island – hopping. The return trip takes a few minutes and costs the same as during the day – PLN 2,60 for the entire trip.

The night passes peacefully – the roosters, by way of exception, do not wake us up all the time during the night, so in the morning we are eighty percent fit for use. A quick minibus ride to the port, another two blocks on foot, signing the Cruise Rules in the organizer's cubicle, collecting snorkeling masks in another one, a short corridor leading to the beach... We get out and rub our eyes...

Corong Corong at dusk

Great Armada, great crowd…

As far as the eye can see, from left to right, boats are bobbing on the waves. On the beach, hundreds of people with bundles are waiting for the signal to board the boat. After receiving it, they wade chest-deep, even chin-deep, in water to get on board. Oh boy, we know it's Chinese New Year, but we didn't expect a reenactment of the Dunkirk evacuation... 🙂 Will it be possible to disperse such a number of people at sea? We don't want to snorkel in a school of several dozen people, like some sprats...

It's our turn to board. We carefully maneuver our feet along the bottom and without capsizing, and the waves are quite large, we reach the gangway. Almost all the places on the boat are already occupied, some Chinese guy excited about his gadget launches a drone on the bow of the ship, the crew receives containers of food from suppliers circulating in kayaks between the ships... In a word - things are happening! Finally, we set off to sea. The trip is interesting, but unlike Port Barton, there is not much snorkeling here - most of the time is taken up by visits to the nearby islands. Most of them involve renting a kayak, which you have to sail to the islands. This significantly increases the cost of the trip and, in sum, is not entirely fair to those who decided not to go kayaking due to lack of swimming skills, high waves or traffic at the islands. They are condemned to sit in the boat waiting for the return of those who set off to conquer the lagoons and atolls. Taking advantage of the stopover, the boat crew attaches mature palm trunks to the floats – they will serve as replacements for the old ones.

El Nido – Island Hopping

El Nido – at the gates of the lagoon

Some snorkel, others work

This piece of the lagoon is mine…

We pay for the kayak and after a few attempts (the wave is quite high) we sit in the kayak. After a few minutes we reach the lagoon, where we try to find "our piece of floor". Without much success - every corner is occupied by smaller or larger groups of rowers. We circle the lagoon, then return to the ship. The next stops, apart from the beautiful, wild and palm-covered Commando Island, look similar - lots of people, little time. On Commando Island we quench our thirst with buko (coconut), which was picked in the morning from one of the palms deep in the island. A few precise cuts with a machete and a paper straw lands in the hole - the drink is ready to drink!

We return from this sea expedition very tired and we agree with those who praised Port Barton as the most untouched, non-commercial and friendly place to travel in Palawan. We return to the hotel and spend the afternoon in the local bars by the beach in Corong Corong – we have had enough of the crowds for today.

El Nido – Commando Island beach

El Nido – Commando Island

Buko – straight from the palms

Farewell to paradise?

The next day, we wake up early in the morning – the hotel is still asleep. Our minibus arrives on time and takes us to the airport, which is about seven kilometers away. When we arrive, we are very pleasantly disappointed – the airport building is picturesquely immersed in the jungle, modern, serves free coffee and tea with snacks and has some of the coolest bathrooms we have seen during our Palawan escapade 😉 The service is friendly and professional, and can also show mercy to those who, with tears in their eyes, have to give up their precious underwater treasures – beautiful Palawan shells. All of them have to be put in special baskets, which, even at this early hour, are almost half full of finds. Some of them, certainly pulled from the bottom of the sea by scuba divers, are real dragons – as big as drum cymbals, and bristling with ten-centimeter protrusions!

How does the airport guard show mercy to the tearful tourists forced to give up their loot? Well, they let you take two or three items, as long as they are no bigger than a matchbox…