I will never forget the feeling of awe that overtook me as we approached Busuanga Island. The view from the airplane was like something out of my dreams: clear blue water surrounding round green hills, bald and almost funny looking, and incredibly beautiful.
The Philippines has some of the clearest natural water to swim in. FACT. It has an infinite number of perfect unspoiled beaches. FACT. It has some of the world's best wreck diving spots. FACT. HOWEVER, once you have been there, nothing is more clear than the fact that the Philippines' biggest asset is its people. For Filipino people smiling seems to be as natural as breathing. They tend to live pretty laid back lives and like to make fun of everything. That includes you, me and everyone else.
It would be unfair to speak of The Philippines without mentioning we only visited a portion of its over 7 thousand islands: the Palawan region, which sits southwest of the capital Manila. We landed in the island of Busuanga on a Monday afternoon after a brief stop in Manila (chaotic, loud, dusty) and stayed near the small town of Coron, which consists of one strip of roads packed with travel agencies offering island tours and boat rides, a couple of diving schools, restaurants and small hotels. It was here that we first rode one of the locally popular 'tricycles' which are basically regular motorcycles with a cabin attached to one side fitting about 4 additional people. They are not very fast, probably dangerous and certainly fun.
What makes a visit to Coron worthwhile is the beauty of the island. Its main attractions include the beautiful rock formations and rock inslets around it, Kayangan Lake, and its amazing wreck diving spots (Japanese ships from WWII) which have earned Coron a place on the world's top 10 scuba diving spots (we took advantage of this and got our Advanced Divers License in Coron).
I also found impressive, especially in a country with messy politics and a reputation for a corrupt government, that most of Coron island's land belongs and is managed by the indigenous Tagbanwa, which take excellent care of it and continue to lead their traditional ways of life there while getting a bit of extra money from tourism to build schools and hospitals. I loved this.
The Philippines' Spanish colonial past is not evident, or at least not in Palawan. People here speak mostly Tagalog, a language that doesn't resemble Spanish at all, although it does use some Spanish words, numbers and expressions.
The highlight of our time in The Philippines was the 5-day boat expedition from Coron to El Nido we did with TAO Philippines. We explored remote islands, went to the best snorkeling spots, ate fresh fish every day, sometimes even sashimi from tuna caught on the way; we engaged with local communities, played, sang, danced and had a blast both on board and in the base camps we stayed at overnight. We were a group of 17 people, including the crew, gathering a handful of nationalities, professions, ages and lifestyles.
Our adventure, summed up:
First base camp we stayed at. We called it "Volleyball Island" because we played two very unprofessional, very fun volleyball games there. We were joined by kids from the local community, who were incredibly curious and smart. I complimented them on their English and asked whether they learn it at school and they said no, they learn it from the TAO crew and the groups of tourists they bring along every week during high season. It blew my mind.
At this point the group was just getting to know each other but had a bit of help loosening up from the crew, who kept passing cups of pinneaple rum around while we watched the sunset from a hill. That night, and every night, we dined al fresco. After dinner, a couple of us went midnight swimming and I had one of the most magical experiences: swimming in sea water filled with phytoplankton. It was a starry night and the water was completely dark but as soon as you moved around in it the plankton starter shining like glitter. It was like swimming in the night sky. It was beautiful.
2.Karaoke Island:
3. Paradise Island:
It was, for me, the most beautiful camp we stayed at. It consisted of small huts lit but candle, as there was no electricity. The huts were perfect for two and had no walls, the sea breeze providing the perfect natural ventilation that sent us all into deep sleep, just to wake up right on the most gorgeous beach of all- a couple of steps to the water. Wonderful.
4. Pig Island:
A bonfire was lit and like out of a movie a talented, friendly Filipino guy came out of nowhere with a guitar and started playing the all time favorites. We sang for hours and went on to finish any beer, any rum and any whisky that was left. We cleared the house, or boat rather.
Before reaching El Nido we stopped at the "Big Lagoon" for a quick snorkel and it was incredible. We saw turtles and stingrays, had our last swim together and then parted.
It's funny; when we first arrived on the morning of departure, excited but not really knowing what to expect, we were told by the TAO crew that we would end up becoming friends for life...and to me, it seemed unlikely that 5 days could have that effect on such a diverse group. But they were right! To Debbie and Paul, Anita and Josh, Harriet and Jan, Miranda and Cristiano, Andy, Catherine and the TAO crew: I MISS YOU.
We shared and experience that was made great not by the sheer beauty of the places we visited but rather by the unashamed openness with which we treated each other. Thank you.
The last couple of days we spent in El Nido, making use of our recent Advanced Divers License and getting a couple of more dives into our logbooks. I send most of my time daydreaming about the fantastic and new kind of tourism my eyes had just been open to: so organic, so socially responsible, so eco. I decided I wanted that for Guatemala too and added it to my ever-growing To Do List.
Thank you to all of our Filipino friends...Filipino Power is with us. Forever!
At this point the group was just getting to know each other but had a bit of help loosening up from the crew, who kept passing cups of pinneaple rum around while we watched the sunset from a hill. That night, and every night, we dined al fresco. After dinner, a couple of us went midnight swimming and I had one of the most magical experiences: swimming in sea water filled with phytoplankton. It was a starry night and the water was completely dark but as soon as you moved around in it the plankton starter shining like glitter. It was like swimming in the night sky. It was beautiful. 
2.Karaoke Island:
This island was a lot smaller and a lot more basic. We all had to sleep in one big hut, there were no electric plugs. but there was something better: a karaoke bar.
That night cost us a whole day of good food as our chef got so drunk he was out for the next 24 hours, but it was really fun. I also saw live squid swimming for the first time- haven't eaten calamari since.
We got delayed by strong currents and couldn't reach this island until late at night. By then, it was dark and the water was extra choppy. As each of us put our headlamps on, grabbed a couple of personal things for the night and jumped into kayaks, we were all quietly praying we wouldn't be the ones to flip over.
It was, for me, the most beautiful camp we stayed at. It consisted of small huts lit but candle, as there was no electricity. The huts were perfect for two and had no walls, the sea breeze providing the perfect natural ventilation that sent us all into deep sleep, just to wake up right on the most gorgeous beach of all- a couple of steps to the water. Wonderful.
It was our last night together and it couldn't have been more perfect. We had a camp right on the beach, a speed roasted pork ready for us to feast on and a group of local women TAO had trained ready to give us a full body 60-minute massage right under the stars. Most of all, by then, we were a big group of friends ready to have another night of fun together.
Before reaching El Nido we stopped at the "Big Lagoon" for a quick snorkel and it was incredible. We saw turtles and stingrays, had our last swim together and then parted.
It's funny; when we first arrived on the morning of departure, excited but not really knowing what to expect, we were told by the TAO crew that we would end up becoming friends for life...and to me, it seemed unlikely that 5 days could have that effect on such a diverse group. But they were right! To Debbie and Paul, Anita and Josh, Harriet and Jan, Miranda and Cristiano, Andy, Catherine and the TAO crew: I MISS YOU.
We shared and experience that was made great not by the sheer beauty of the places we visited but rather by the unashamed openness with which we treated each other. Thank you.
The last couple of days we spent in El Nido, making use of our recent Advanced Divers License and getting a couple of more dives into our logbooks. I send most of my time daydreaming about the fantastic and new kind of tourism my eyes had just been open to: so organic, so socially responsible, so eco. I decided I wanted that for Guatemala too and added it to my ever-growing To Do List.
Thank you to all of our Filipino friends...Filipino Power is with us. Forever!
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