I’m hesitant to write about the island oasis we found in the Philippines. I sense that the ‘under the radar’ reputation it has is fast fleeting.

While I think about whether or not to share the exact location and contact details about where this slice of paradise is, let me tell you a little about the best weekend getaway of our lives (…and also apologize for the obviously low quality photos. We forgot our camera at home for the first time ever!!! #packingfail).

It started with my sister and her boyfriend, randomly booking a late winter vacation to the Philippines. When she called, they had booked flights, and ‘you’re so close, would you and Drew be willing to meet us for a few days of our holiday?’ Why yes, dear sister, speak no more. (As these things happen, my sister also doesn’t adore travel planning, and she knew that by roping in two pros that can’t help but plan everything, she’d be getting her own little private travel agency along with family visitors.)

Drew and I have long had the Philippines on our radar, and in recent years, Palawan Island keeps showing up on various lists that feature best islands to visit, best places you’ve never heard of, and the like. We also have Asia-based friends who claim that Palawan is literally the best place to vacation (three different groups have told us this individually), and why haven’t you already been?

We actually considered Palawan for Chinese New Year, but worried that being in a fairly remote place for so long would be boring. Looking back on my injury-filled vacation to Bali, maybe I should have thought twice. Anyway, a sister visit to Palawan was the perfect way to rectify all sins and Drew and I flew down to Palawan for a long weekend.

The Journey to Port Barton

With only a long weekend at our disposal, we made sure to plan our activities in the most convenient way possible, which is to say, not at all conveniently. In the end, from China, we took two planes, highlighted by a lovely 5-hour layover in the domestic terminal in Manila with no air conditioning (seriously, Manila? No AC!?) and no lounge access (only for international travellers).  On Palawan, we stayed overnight at a Puerto Princesa airport hotel, before embarking on a three-hour early morning drive to the town of Port Barton where our 30-minute boat ride to paradise awaited.

Side note: If you are prone to carsickness, this is NOT the drive for you. An hour of our drive was on unpaved switchbacks, up and down a range of small mountains.

Now that we know all of this, and how amazing our little paradise near Port Barton actually is, next time we will take 6 total days to do this trip, spending 4 nights at camp, and 1 night at the airport hotel.

Our arrival to the beach that would be our home for the next few days was out of a movie. The water was crystal clear, the perfect shade of aqua blue that I didn’t think existed in real life. The sand was white, soft, and groomed. Within 1o minutes of arriving, we swapped out our traveling clothes for beach gear and hit the water. Of course, even the water temperature was perfect. Warm, yet still a refreshing break from the hot Filipino sun.

Pure Paradise

So, what did we do on a perfect beach for 3 days?

We kayaked to the tiny island offshore to snorkel, we kayaked to another area with a hidden waterfall. We took a three-hour snorkeling tour to the three best snorkel spots nearby (for a whopping $6US per person), which included a vibrant coral reef, swimming with majestic sea turtles, and holding the creepiest starfish we’ve ever seen. We went swimming with bio-luminescent algae. We hung out at camp, reading in our hammocks, watching sunsets, chatting with other guests, drinking beers and cocktails next to a daily campfire, and eating three meals a day (included in the room rate of $30/person per day)  in the company of new friends.

You may be wondering how Drew and I, a couple of hotel enthusiasts, managed with the straight-up camping here in Palawan.

Hopefully you’d be unsurprised to know that we loved it. For a few days, my cell phone and computer were no more than expensive doorstops. Electricity was available for five hours in the evening, but we would have been fine without it. Our un-air-conditioned ‘room’ was too warm for my taste, and I missed fancy pillows and an ensuite bathroom with rain head shower just like anyone would. But the daily epic sunsets and send of the waves from bed made up for the lack of pillow perfection.

Without the daily trappings of typical resort life, a new sense of freedom emerged. I didn’t wear shoes for three days straight. Dumping cold fresh water on my salty skin was the closest to a shower that I got. The people in the surrounding tents were interesting adventurers from all walks of life. I itched to join the ranks of long-term travel once again, as we heard story after story of months of Southeast Asia exploration, budgets and backpacks.

That said, I am honestly plotting to return to Palawan, and hopefully this year. We will head straight to our tents on the beach, maybe with other friends in tow, and we’ll throw our useless phones and shoes to the side and really (really!) get away from it all.

(Here’s a link to where we were located in Palawan, if you must know. But now that you do, shhhhhh!)