Take me back to El Nido!

A few weeks ago Mbali and I escaped the Korean cold and travelled to the Philippines for our winter break. Initially, I wanted to travel to Thailand but because it was Lunar New Year (also known as Chinese New Year) that week, flights were way more expensive than they would normally be. So, we decided to find other options that would not be too costly and would be visa-free for South Africans. The visa-free part is important when planning a trip in a short time as countries that require a visa could take a much longer time to process. We opted for four days in El Nido (a Philippine municipality on Palawan island) and three days in Manila. But knowing what I know now, I could have spent the whole week in El Nido! Known for white-sand beaches and coral reefs, the surrounding islands were incredible and nothing like I have seen before.

6:45 flight to Manila. We were so happy to leave the cold for a bit!

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Travelling to El Nido was pretty intense. Two flights; one from Incheon International Airport to Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila and the second from Manila to the coastal city of Puerto Princesa. Because of an hour's delay in Korea, we had to run for the second flight. By the time we reached the gate, they were calling our names to board the flight. But what is travel without a bit of the Amazing Race in it?! From Puerto Princesa, we then had to take a van (airport transfer) to El Nido which was a 5-hour drive! By the time we left, it was already around 17:00 so most of this long drive took place in the dark. I honestly couldn’t wrap my head around a drive on an island for five hours. Eventually, we arrived after 22:30 in El Nido, having to walk through seawater (high tide) to get to our hotel. We dropped our bags and then explored a bit, checking out some of the bars.

Look at that gorgeous blue sky. Can feel the sunshine from here. :)

Our driver to El Nido was a hustler of note; a man with all kinds of plans and deals. He asked if we had already booked an island hopping tour, which we had not. So he gave us his deal and set the time for the next morning. Island hopping is pretty much the main tourist attraction of El Nido so I was excited about the experience. The next day we had our breakfast in front of a magnificent view while watching all the boats get ready for the day’s activities. We then headed to the beach to meet our driver from the previous night. But he was not there and neither was he answering his phone. Having paid a deposit the night before we thought we got scammed! But he called after a while and said someone else would fetch us at the hotel. We then learned pretty quickly that nothing happens on time in the Philippines! You go when the host gets there and everything is ready. Growing up with 'African time,' this was not too difficult to accept.

Both the breakfast and the view were wonderful! 

Island hopping and discovering you're an island girl at heart

There are beautiful views, and then there are beautiful views. The island tour was magnificent. We went on the infamous Tour A, which takes you to the Small Lagoon, Big Lagoon, 7 Commandos Beach, Secret Beach, and Shimizu Island. The only one we could not visit was Secret Beach because it had become windy and the entrance to the beach was a very small opening. Almost every place took my breath away. As soon as we would get near the next spot of the tour, you’d hear everyone go 'wow!'

The joy is palpable. :)

The island tour package includes visits to all these spots as well as lunch. Besides the guests, there were three staff members: the tour guide, the captain, and the braai master (the person doing the barbecue… on a boat nogal!) Our tour guide, Doby, was very charismatic, entertaining us with information about the area and what to expect. The lunch was delicious, with different meats, fish, salad, rice, and fruit.

The braai (barbecue) master! I did not know one can braai on a boat. Amazing! :)

Doby, our charming tour guide and assistant chef explaining what we'd be having for lunch. It was delicious!

My favourite part of the tour was definitely the big lagoon, where we got to kayak. Kayaks are rented out by other locals and the guide calls them over to secure boats for their guests. This was something that I had never done before and what an amazing experience. Kayaking is not easy so Mbali and her gym-built arms were working hard! Eventually, we found our rhythm but I was definitely more the photographer than the assistant kayaker! We also went snorkelling, which I could not get the hang of. My mind did not want to accept only having to breathe through my mouth so definitely need some training before trying that again! The water was lovely though, with none of that icy Atlantic Ocean water that chases you back home in Cape Town!

In awe of 'Big lagoon'. The scenery is unbelievable.

I tried my best with the kayaking!

How wonderful it is to share new experiences with a friend.

7 Commandos beach

One more interesting thing about the tour and why I believe we were meant to be on this specific one… there were 13 of us on the boat with about five couples from different countries. While having lunch and chatting, we heard that two of the couples met on Tinder. As someone who joined the online dating world a few months ago, I was very eager to hear their stories! One couple met during Covid and has been together for two and a half years (success!); the other couple is travelling for a year together, visiting different countries. They met on Tinder a month before embarking on this journey together! They learned that each had plans to travel for an extended period so they decided to join each other on the journey. Imagine! I think this is something only very young (brave?) people would do. Travelling is not easy. It challenges you, takes you out of your comfort zone, makes you vulnerable, and can bring you to your knees. Imagine embarking on all this with someone you don’t really know! And they’re still smiling and cute and lovely, which is incredible! Who knows, we may too find love through dating apps! Will blog about it when there’s a successful ending.

We spent the next few days doing other activities such as the canopy walkway tour, which made me question my decision-making. Taraw Cliff is the highest peak in town overlooking El Nido. In order to get to the main viewpoint you have to cross a hanging (read wobbly) suspension bridge that gave me achy thighs for a few days because I was so tense crossing it. The climb to the view was really scary, with rocky cliffs and an iron stairway. I'm definitely swiping left for anyone who says they like adventure in their online dating profile! Not for me, thanks. We visited Nacpan beach, which was very pretty. On one of the evenings in town, we met two American friends who also came on holiday together and went to an entertaining Falipino-style karaoke place with them.

Scary!!! If only you could see how high this was and the surrounding cliffs. 

I'm smiling but inside I am crying and swearing really badly because of this bridge... haha

Singing Endless Love with Jorge at a karaoke bar... So much fun!

The gorgeous Nacpan beach... it's about 17kms outside of El Nido so we took a tuk-tuk.

El Nido was just lovely. I even took the opportunity to get a hair treatment at a salon as I’ve been unable to do so in Korea. My curly hair was a challenge but the ladies managed. The funniest part (maybe not for them) was the power cut (load shedding) while halfway through with my hair! About 10 minutes later someone came to switch on a generator. Thank goodness! El Nido has huge energy problems so they also experience blackouts from time to time. The first time it happened, both Mbali and I just said, ‘load shedding!’ We were obviously used to it so it was not annoying but it was a reminder of what people are experiencing at home as well as the impact it can have on a small business!

We returned to Puerto Princesa on Wednesday afternoon so we could catch our flight back to Manila the next day. We’d have liked to stay longer in El Nido but because of risky weather conditions, which could change rapidly and impact how long it takes to get back, we had to schedule it this way. So, if you ever decide to travel that way make sure you have lots of time, which includes at least a day just for travelling.

Another breakfast view that I fell in love with...

Taking a last dip before heading to the capital!

Manila... a sight for the senses!

Manila is a bustling capital. The first thing you notice is the traffic and the nonstop movement of people throughout the day and night. We stayed in Makati, which is technically its own city but could also be viewed as part of Manila. It was a bustling touristy area with lots of nightlife. On Friday, we visited Rizal Park, an historic urban park, and Intramuros, which is a historical part of Manila with old-style buildings. 

Rizal Park, Manila... The park is named for José Rizal, a national hero killed during the Spanish colonial period. 

The park also has a Chinese garden...

Reading our Lunar New Year fortunes as it's the 'Year of the Rabbit' (1987)

A Japanese-style garden too...

Intramuros is known as the Walled City and is where the Spanish government set up when they colonized the Philippines. Famous sites like Fort Santiago, San Augustin Church, and the Manila Cathedral are found here. Because it's such a huge area we had to take a tuk-tuk to get around. There are many drivers around who offer to take you to all the major sites for a price. Lastly, we also checked out Manila’s Chinatown, known as the oldest Chinatown in the world (established at the end of the 16^th century). 

Entrance to Intramuros, 'a centuries-old historic district'

Though a historical area, it's a bustling area with churches, markets, housing, universities, schools, cafes, etc.

One of the universities in the area...

A typical busy street in Intramuros.

'San Agustin Church' was one of four Philippine churches constructed during the Spanish colonial period to be designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Fort Santiago... a defence fortress built in 1571 by the Spanish

Prison dungeons for criminals used by the Spanish officials.

Manila Cathedral

Manila's Chinatown... the oldest in the world!

The Philippines is really interesting in terms of its language and culture, with widespread Spanish influence and most people speaking English. Thus, both the Spanish and the British influenced the Philippines massively. On the other hand, there's also a huge Chinese Filipino community so there are influences from a diversity of cultures. 

When greeting strangers bring joy

One of the loveliest parts of travelling here was the hospitality and friendliness of the people. While people are nice and helpful in Korea (especially if you’ve been here for a while), unlike at home (in South Africa), strangers very rarely greet you, nor look directly into your eyes (culturally, it’s considered rude, especially if the person is older). Generally, heads are bowed for greeting or when acknowledging someone. So, arriving in the Philippines and having people smile and greet us was comforting. Whenever you caught someone’s eye, they’d say hi, or even strike up a conversation. Everyone calls you mam too; in El Nido, it sounded a bit like 'mom,' which took getting used to. 

Honestly, I didn’t know much about the Philippines before the trip. Through my previous work and research on Southeast Asia, I learned about its unique biodiversity and environmental challenges. I also knew a bit about their politics and issues surrounding drugs, etc. but I did not know about their economic status, energy crisis, pollution, the way Manila is built and just the very visible poor conditions in which many live. Having lived in such an advanced country for the last year, where convenience is a given, one tends to forget how privileged you are to experience such basic luxuries, be it fast and comfortable public transportation to open and walkable sidewalks. Thus, visiting the Philippines was a bit of a humbling experience too.

The unseen lessons and blessings of travel

International travel is not easy, even if you’re experienced. So to do it with a jet setter like Mbali is really lucky because she’s spent the last 15 years living abroad and travelling all over. She’s street-smart and knows how to haggle with everyone, especially taxi drivers. I am in awe of how she does this; not wavering till they meet her halfway. When travelling alone in countries where English is hardly spoken I have been known to panic a little when it comes to trying to get taxis (especially late at night) but this was the first trip where I was not stressed because I trusted Mbali and her abilities. As the expert traveller, Mbali planned the whole trip with me just giving input when asked and following along. So, if you need someone to plan your trip and find all the good deals, she’s the one to ask!

She takes me to places I did not know I needed to see... Dankie sis!

Yet again, travel has shown me a different part of the world and how people are living elsewhere. There were many things I saw that are hard to explain here without giving them proper context and reflection, for instance, the phenomenon of ladyboys and older white men with young Filipino women. It’s very easy to judge from afar but once it’s directly in your face and there’s context, it hits differently. It’s not as simple as it seems.

What I love about travelling is the kindness one finds; in a smiling face, a helping hand, a taxi driver’s story, a fellow traveller’s advice on where to go or what to avoid, strangers offering you a sweet treat, and a hairdresser who shows no fear at your knotty curly hair! Also, our attitude determines everything when travelling. It's very easy to get annoyed because of a power cut while on holiday (which lasted for a few hours), when things don't happen on time or irritation with your travel buddy because she refuses to accept a taxi ride after the whole day on your feet because it's too expensive so we must wait and wait and wait till we find a driver with the right price! (My patience cup runneth over!) When you've been friends for so long and know each other well enough, this is the stuff you laugh about later because ultimately we're here for good vibes only so the purpose of the trip is more important than a moment of annoyance!

I found something I wrote in my journal recently that sums this up quite nicely...

‘[…] by focusing on joy I’ve truly done an amazing thing. I’ve made my world joyful because I see life through a joy-filled perspective. Who would have thought it’s as simple and as hard as that?!'

Our last night in Makati... Cocktails and live music. :) 

Thanks for keeping up with me if you made it this far. My posts are getting longer and longer! It's okay though, we're building a reading community over here. :)

One final thing... this last week we lost one of our beloved family members, my uncle, Brian Arendse (mom's eldest brother). At the funeral, my uncle Jeff did the tribute and said that one of uncle Brian's last thoughts to everyone was 'don't learn to live without me, just learn to live.' So that's what we need to do... just live and if we can, live joyfully. Everyday.

Uncle Brian, always the one taking the lead at family celebrations. ❤

Your island girl in the making,

Meryl Joy Burgess