Starting in Iloilo City, I went to Cuyo Island and several destinations in the northern half of Palawan Island including Puerto Princesa City, Honda Bay, Sabang (St. Paul Underground River), Port Barton, San Vicente, Taytay, and El Nido. This is the itinerary I did during my 12-day “do it yourself” (DIY) backpacking trip to Palawan including a summary of my budget and expenses:
While backpacking may be my traveling style of choice, I also get the urge to take a break once in a while so I can relax and clear my mind especially after a long backpacking trip. Despite the thousands of tourists flocking to Boracay every summer, there’s still a lot of space for relaxation. It’s only a matter of looking for the right spots.
Puka Beach, Boracay Island
Taoist founder Lao Tzu was immortalized by saying “every journey starts with a single step”. Well, that ancient Chinese proverb didn’t exactly apply to me during my recent trip to Palawan. I was out of the house with my overstuffed backpack and enthusiastic vigor on my way to ride the ferry to Puerto Princesa City, Palawan from Iloilo City. When I got to the ferry terminal, the guard told me that the boat was already fully booked and I had to wait a few more days to catch the next one. Total Bummer! So I had no choice but to go back home and postpone my trip.
After four days of recuperating, I was out of the house again with a renewed fervor and the same unopened backpack, except this time, I have already secured the reservation for the ferry. I was really looking forward to visiting Palawan for a few months already. No other place comes to mind to do my first solo backpacking trip than in Palawan, which is definitely on my top places to travel in the Philippines.
Courtesy of Cebu Pacific’s Zero Fare last year, I’ve had the chance to book dirt cheap round trip Iloilo-Davao flights for July 2010 (next month). It’s going to be my first time to step foot in Mindanao, so I’m really excited about that! Initially, the trip was intended for South Cotabato and Sarangani only but Davao is just so irresistible, I decided allot some time to tour the city as well. Some of the places I’m eyeing to visit are: Lake Sebu, Koronadal City (Marbel), and General Santos in South Cotabato; Glan, Sarangani known for Gumasa Beach – the Boracay of Mindanao; and the multifarious attractions of Davao City and possibly Samal Island.
First Time in Mindanao: Davao City, Samal, South Corabato (General Santos, Koronadal, Lake Sebu), Sarangani (Glan)
While on an island hopping tour of El Nido (Palawan), I chanced upon this lonely kayak lying idly on a small beach cove. The setting was perfect! The high noon heat was glaring mercilessly upon the bay with low lying trees sheltering the shore. The shallow waters were painted with a refreshing aquamarine and in the distance with lurky deep blue colors. The verdant foliage was lit up like emeralds bordered by jagged rocks and tall limestone cliffs accentuated by sinister shadows. Images of “Survivor”, “Lost”, and “The Beach” suddenly filled my mind and from than moment on I was relieved of satisfying what I was longing to experience for my visit to Palawan. During my sojourn, I got to see a lot of Northern Palawan … it was definitely worth more than my initial expectations. Here’s my photo story of my 13-day backpacking trip:
I just got home from an amazing trip to Palawan and my first attempt at solo backpacking. I had such a great time exploring the island and took with me a lot of memorable experiences, misadventures, new friends, healthy exercise from walking around so much, loads of great photos, and a not so flattering tan from all the sun exposure.
While on the flight from Manila to Bangkok, I was able to get myself to sleep past my pre-trip anxiety, which has always bugged me in each big trip I’ve had. It’s like an anticipatory anxiety mixed with the thrill of adventure and fear of the unknown … more pronounced if I’m traveling solo. The only way I get rid of it is actually setting foot in my destination and shifting my mental thought process into the mode where my sleepless nights of itinerary planning is slowly being realized. When I woke up, the plane was already turning in circles, which means that it’s already preparing for landing.
Siem Reap City in Cambodia was the primary destination for my trip. Since there are no direct flights to Cambodia from the Philippines, I had to choose another nearby country/city to fly into with direct transportation links to Siem Reap. There are quite a number of ways to go at it but I ended up buying a plane ticket from Manila to Bangkok, Thailand and then traveling overland (by bus) to Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Cebu Pacific International Check-in Counters in NAIA Terminal 3
Now for the Thailand Leg (Part 2) of my Thailand and Cambodia Itinerary. If you haven’t checked out the first part yet, I suggest visiting the Cambodia Leg first.
Watching the sunset with the view of Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn) at “The Deck” of Arun Residences
Ambot-ah is a blog about my life as a travel blogger, nurse, and freelance photographer. I'm Marcos and I like to post about my travels around the Philippines and South East Asia, blogging pursuits (making money online), photography tutorials, and personal life. Read More | Contact Me »
