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Don’t be fooled by anyone that compares long term travel to a holiday. If they feel this way then it becomes clear that they have never experienced it. Holidays don’t tend to consist of hauling your belongings from one place to another. Having to deal with visas and flights. Finding new places to stay and spending countless days and nights on buses, trains and, more recently, boats. It can leave you mentally and physically worn out. That was why I was so happy to be getting off the grid in El Nido, even if only for a few days.
A holiday is supposed to relax you but long term travel can, at times, have the opposite effect. It will leave you feeling in need of that break, that opportunity to switch off from what has become your reality. Arriving in El Nido on a very choppy boat from Coron, I was in need of this R&R. I have just passed the halfway point of my 8-month trip with my girlfriend. We are 8 countries in and with an estimated 6 to go. I definitely felt the need to switch off from the road and the world around me, if only for a few short days.
Palawan is a tourist hot spot in The Philippines and El Nido is on nearly every traveller’s itinerary when they arrive on the island. With incredible hills surrounding the beachside town and plenty of boat trips and excursions on offer to take you around the area, it’s not hard to see why. The weather had been turbulent in the days leading up to our visit. This only reassured me that we were about to do the right thing. We were in El Nido for 15 minutes before jumping on a tricycle and making the one hour long, very bumpy journey to the other side of the island.
We arrived just outside of a very small village called Sibaltan. Here I had booked us into Erlittop Garden, our switch off point. Located on top of a hill, with sea views one way and the countryside the other, Erlittop offered nothing more than wooden huts with cold water. There was limited electricity between the hours of 6 and 11 pm. Very minimal WiFi if any, and some hammocks and a table outside of our hut to relax in. Thankfully, they provided free breakfast and a reasonably priced restaurant. This meant there was no reason to leave if we didn’t want to.
On the first day, we took the short walk to a nearby ‘beach’. We passed more goats on the road than people. After spending a quiet hour strolling along the shore, we made an attempt to get to the village. This plan was foiled by the torrential downpour that left us sprinting back to our room. It was decided then that we were more than happy to bed in for the next few days, with the mosquitoes and flying cockroaches, plus our new pet dog who decided that we were going to be friends and proceeded to follow us everywhere.
I was more than at peace with spending the following days there waking up to an amazing view, reading, writing and drinking as much Calamansi juice as I could. (Calamansi is a delicious citrus fruit resembling a cross between a lemon and an orange). With very few other guests staying there, it felt at times like we had the place to ourselves. No noise (apart from the geckos and chickens) and nothing to spoil the tranquillity we felt there.
It might not be the ideal way for the majority of people to spend their time in El Nido. But it was the perfect escape at the perfect time for us. As the weather was inconsistent, it was likely that no boat tours were running from El Nido and the beach would not have been a viable option. So, by making our own path and doing something different, we reaped the rewards. I move on to Puerto Princesa with my batteries fully charged. Refreshed and ready for the next leg of my travels.
This was a reminder to me that there is no place you have to go to, nothing you have to do. Instead, forge your own path and create your own journey. Decide what you feel is best for you at that moment and do it. Forget what other people may think, any criticism that comes your way for the choices you make only comes from a place of insecurity and a person who feels that there is only one way to travel. Enjoy your journey and your choices! It is, after all, your journey and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!
To read more about my time in The Philippines, click here.
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