Way back in September, I was poking around on Kayak.com
looking for flight deals for Chinese New Year.
I regularly look for cheap flights, a little hobby of mine, and my jaw
dropped to the floor when I saw a ticket from Hong Kong to Manila for $55
during CNY. This was unbelievable. And I immediately booked it. I figured if my plans changed I was only out
$55. I then started looking around for
something to do in the Philippines and found what looked like a great boat trip
in a New York Times Travel article. One
of those has never led me astray before, so I booked a 5 day trip from Coron to
El Nido in the Philippine province of Palawan with Tao Philippines (www.taophilippines.com). I contacted a friend in Manila, who
graciously offered me a place to sleep while there and my trip was planned.
I gave it little thought until a couple of days before
leaving. I’ve met many people from the
Philippines over the years, especially during my time in Dubai, where the majority
of employees working in service industries come from the Philippines. I knew it was a beautiful country with
well-educated people and that I should eat mango pancakes while visiting. Beyond this, I didn’t know too much.
I arrived at Clark airport in Manila and immediately hopped
on a shuttle bus to Mega Mall. The bus
ride was fume filled and bumpy. I
arrived at the mall feeling a little car-sick and in need of fresh air. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this
mall looked like it had been plucked from the streets of suburban America. That’s a good thing when you haven’t been
home in a while. I sucked down a Jamba
Juice and did some shopping for essentials for the trip.
I spent two more days exploring the wilds of Manila. I ate at the exotic restaurant P.F. Chang’s
and had dessert at the equally exotic Krispy Kreme Donuts. I saw a couple of movies. I did visit Intramuros, the old Spanish
colonial part of Manila. I hired a
pedi-cab driver who pedaled me around the place and then tried to overcharge
me, which I didn’t have any of. If you
like old churches and forts, Intramuros is a place for you.
After a few days of Manila, I was ready to get on a
boat. I hopped a flight to Coron and
from there made my way to the Tao office.
I was told to come back at 7 p.m.
I decided to return to my hotel for a little nap, which was an essential
part of my vacation plan. When I arrived
the power immediately went off. Coron,
like much of Palwan experiences daily power cuts. I would guess there is too much demand on an
overloaded system. Whatever the case,
Coron and El Nido experience power cuts from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day (or
anytime, really, just depends on the day).
After meeting my ship-mates, 16 other people that thought a
boat trip in the Philippines was a good idea, I returned to my hotel, got a
good night’s sleep and prepared to set sail.
It’s hard to do justice to this experience. If I told you how blue the water was
(turquoise, clear and teeming with
aquatic life) it wouldn’t do it justice.
The pictures sure don’t. We spent
each day pulling up to pristine beaches and reefs snorkeling, beach combing and
waiting for our lunch to be prepared by the most wonderful chef ever. He produced beautiful meals on a hotplate
that many Michelin starred chefs would have been hard-pressed to create in
their shiny kitchens. Each night we
pulled up to an island with no hotels, restaurants or even roads for that
matter. Most had a beach, a few locals
and a couple had karaoke bars. It is the
Philippines, after all, and where would the Philippines be without
karaoke? Most nights we swam to shore
from the boats, and the Tao crew would bring our bags and mattresses and
mosquito nets ashore while we swam, walked on the beach or sat taking in the
beauty of each new island. Each night
brought dinner, lively conversation and star gazing. The last night as we pulled up to camp, Romy,
our guide told us that we could have massages on the beach. What?
If you have never had a massage lying on a Philippine beach listening to
the waves lap on the shore, you are missing out on one of life’s more sublime
experiences.
I can’t say enough about this trip. I met great people, ate great food and saw a
part of the world largely untouched by human development. If you want to experience something
authentic, this trip is definitely worth any travel you need to experience to
get there. I spent a few more days in
the Philippines, but none as glorious as my five days navigating the beautiful
seas of Palawan. I can’t wait to go
back. I’m keeping my eyes open for
$55 plane tickets…
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