Palawan is a beautiful place and my friend Anj and I have been there last July for a mere four days to finally have some mid year rest, relaxation and adventure. I will tell you more about how we got there and what we did but for now here are 7 things you should remember if you plan on going to Palawan or if you're hitting the beach anytime soon:
1. Buy your own snorkel. We bought our own snorkels for the main reason that (I'm a bit of a germophobe, really) we don't want to share something you put in your mouth with all the other tourists that previously used it. We got a Mares brand that has tempered glass and a mouthpiece that's easier to use than usual ones. I must say it's a bit expensive but it's a really good investment when you have mermaid life goals.
2. Get your own aqua shoes. Same concept with things that you put in your mouth, I suggest you buy your own aqua shoes. Mine was only worth P350 and has been really useful especially if you're paranoid of urchins and rockfishes or basically afraid of all things underwater other than water and sand.
3. Buy your tickets early. We got our round trip tickets for our Palawan tour for only P600 each from AirAsia albeit we bought it a year early.
4. DIY your trip. You don't need packaged tours you get from the Internet. It helps to plan your own itineraries or in our case, not plan at all so you have time to adjust if factors affect your travel plans. We only had a list of things we wanted to do and places we wanted to go to during the 4 days but we had no specific plan. We didn't book tours until we got there and we were able to get discounts as well since we were able to do some haggling. We also only booked accommodations for our first night so if we didn't like the service we can move anytime.
5. Check in at backpackers' hostels. Speaking of accommodations, we opted to check into backpackers' hostels so we could meet fellow tourists, most of which are foreigners. Also, these types of accommodations are way cheaper than the expensive hotels. This was particularly useful because there was only 2 of us for our trip and we wanted to ask tips from fellow backpackers.
6. Get a dry bag. Seriously, you need a dry bag to put all your tissues, wet wipes, extra shirt, phone and sunscreen in. Also, it acts as floater that you can lug around without worrying about your things getting wet.
7. Look for food you can't eat at home. No, you don't have to try the exotic cuisines, but I advise that you don't go to those overrated and overpriced restaurants that serve the same type of food you can get in the city. Opt to look for fresh and local food that you don't get to try often. We didn't choose expensive restaurants for our trip but we instead tried the paluto. We picked fresh squid and shrimp to be cooked for us and had a cheaper and delicious meal.
El Nido is really a wonderful place to visit. I must say, it's a place I'm willing to go back to. Every Filipino should be able to see the beauty that Bacuit Bay offers. The whole time, I was amazed that such a place exists in the Philippines.
I'll chika more about our trip on my next post. Until then, keep dreaming of sun, sand and surf and beautiful, beautiful beaches.
Island girl for four days,
Mikee
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