TALES of PAR ADISE

I have been in Palawan for less than a day when I start daydreaming about other places. I can’t help it – tales of paradise follow you wherever you go in the Philippines, an archipelago composed of over 7000 islands. My mind drifts to the cult surfing spot of Siargao off the coast of Mindanao and to the verdant, tradition-rich province of Batanes in the country’s far northern reaches, closer to the tip of Taiwan than to the capital Manila. I catch mention of remote islands like Calayan that are unadulterated in their beauty but not yet ready (if ever they will and should be) for tourism.

But if anywhere in the world is going to quell a wandering mind and pull you back to the moment, it’s here in El Nido, a cluster of islands at the tip of Palawan where secret lagoons and hidden coves await at each steer of an outrigger boat.

At one particularly lovely bay I find myself floating in, I hear the term ‘Gatorade blue’