Exotic island hopping
Palawan Island is known as the ‘last paradise’ of the Philippines.
Creeping plants and vines spill down limestone cliffs on both sides of the boat. Sprawling lianas spread their tentacles downward, almost touching the water.
It’s early evening on the Philippines island of Miniloc and most of the other tourist boats have left for the day.
Our guide, Jose, shuts off his small outboard motor. Silently, the bangka, or fisherman’s boat, glides into a dream-like lagoon that cuts deep into the shore of the tiny island.
Jose steers the boat into a small bay. “The Big Lagoon – welcome to paradise,” says the 26-year-old as he drops the anchor in the emerald-green water.
Sean, his assistant, tells the passengers, “Jump in and freshen up while we get dinner ready.”
It’s something that Andres and Patricia Lopez, a couple from Spain, don’t need to be told twice. The air is tropical and humid, the cool water a welcome relief.
Wearing snorkels and masks, the pair plunge into the lagoon’s depths. After a few minutes, Andres emerges and cries to the others: “Come quick. There are loads of stingrays here.” The others jump in the water, scaring the rays away.
This exotic setting, with a soundtrack provided by colourful tropical birds, is like something out of a James Bond film.
Sean soon announces that dinner is ready: two huge freshly caught fish, grilled and served with rice, fresh tomatoes and onion. For dessert, there are tropical fruits.
“We’re lucky that we left later than the other boats. Otherwise we would have had to share the lagoon with dozens of other tourist boats,” says Andres, an engineer who has been working in Tokyo, Japan for the past two years. He and his wife are keen to explore Asia from their base there.
“Palawan was at the top of our list,” he says.
Palawan is the largest province in the Philippines, containing many of the country’s most beautiful islands. The largest, Palawan Island, is roughly 400km long but only 30km wide.
It has long been regarded by experienced travellers as the most scenic, exotic and authentic of the country’s some 7,000 islands.
Until a few years ago, the town of El Nido in the north of Palawan Island was still a secret tip – but word has gotten around, and now it is a favourite among international island-hoppers.
And it’s not the only Philippines destination that has become more mainstream in recent years. Excursion companies now offer to take guests to any number of islands – including Miniloc.
After the meal, Jose starts the outboard motor and the bangka heads towards our next destination, Matinloc Island, with its Secret Lagoon.
But on arrival, we are disappointed to find that the place is anything but secret, with a whole fleet of bangkas lined up next to each other.
Asian tourists, their faces smeared with white sun lotion, are taking selfies, grabbing exotic Europeans to appear in the pictures with them. But there is no doubt about it: The beach is a dream.
The same is true of many of the beaches in this region. In El Nido, vacationers can take a motorcycle taxi, or rent a moped themselves, to seek out the long beaches of Las Cabanas and Nacpan.
North of El Nido is Coron Island, a popular backpacker destination. Coron Island is like El Nido was 10 years ago – simple lodgings, barely any mobile reception, and many smaller islands within easy reach, with superb beaches.
These smaller islands are heaven for scuba divers, who can explore lush coral reefs and even sunken Japanese ships from World War II.
South of El Nido, heading towards the centre of Palawan Island, travellers encounter dense jungles, as well as mountains rising nearly 2,000m above sea level.
In the centre of the island is Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan. It has the longest underground river in the world, and tourists fitted with flashlights can explore its magnificent stalagmite and stalactite formations.
The national park, with its famous caves, was declared a World Natural Heritage Site in 1999.
For a long time, Palawan has been known as the “last paradise” of the Philippines. Even today, despite the many tourists, it remains one of the most beautiful, wild and unspoilt travel destinations in the world.