“Excuse me, Ma’am-Sir.” Travel the Philippines

The Philippines has had a tumultuous history, rarely having its own sovereignty. It has been ruled by Spain, Japan, and America. Spanish and American influences are prevalent. Many Spanish phrases are used alongside Tagalog, the indigenous language, and English education begins in the first grade. The predominant religion is Catholicism, first brought over by the Spanish. Growth has been stunted due in large part to these factors, but a trip is still worthwhile—so long as you visit during the dry season or are prepared to miss some opportunities because of the rain.

Getting There and Around

Our group of seven took a JetStar flight to and from Manila. Seats are cramped and weight restrictions are stringent, but I felt this was tolerable given the low price we paid. We then took Air Asia Zest flights between Manila and Puerto Princesa. There was more leg room on these planes, which was much appreciated.

During our short stay in Manila, we used a large van (a necessity given our large numbers and accompanying baggage) to and from the airport and a shady van/taxi (which we’d said we’d never take) to the Mall of Asia. The fare was extremely affordable there and merely affordable returning to our hostel.

We took a private, air-conditioned van between Puerto Princesa and El Nido. It is a much better way to travel than the bus according to our friends we made in El Nido.

For shorter distances in town, we took tricycles cabs. These are basically motorcycles with a metal sitting cage attached. Although small to begin with, the backwards seat is rather uncomfortable for people taller than 5’3”/160 cm. Also beware of scams. There was an incident where our driver “waited” for 2 hours and charged us an exorbitant fee.

Where to Stay

In Manila, we stayed at the Manila International Youth Hostel. We were greeted by a friendly procession of two cockroaches, which were squashed upon sight beneath a shoe. The beds were not especially comfortable and the bathrooms were questionable, but for the price, proximity, and duration of our stay, it was acceptable.

Hakuna Matata, our hostel in El Nido, was run by a friendly man named Ace. He was helpful and booked tours for us. We also met interesting fellow travelers. The location was relatively convenient. On the downside, mornings found us with mysterious bites, presumably from small ants in our mattresses, the second floor lounge was directly over the bathrooms, lending an unpleasant odor to our conversations, and the rooms had open spaces at the top of the outer wall, admitting a host of mosquitoes and other insects.

The final destination, Sheebang, was by far the cleanest and most aesthetically pleasing of our accommodations. The entire property was gated off, but there were no keys for rooms, and lockers didn’t come with locks. The location was out of the way, with little to see in walking distance. There was also a new restaurant with decent food, but with too many choices and poor management. It took an absurdly long amount of time for dishes to reach diners and cooks refused to work without Judy, the owner, present.

What to Do

We only had time for Mall of Asia in Manila. It was exciting to see so many familiar brands (especially for those of us needing a dose of home) and to people watch. There was also a small marching ensemble, decked out with lights, performing pop music on the first floor. This was especially thrilling for me as marching band was a huge part of my teenage years.

There are many island hopping tours in El Nido, with Tour C being universally recognized as the best one. Unfortunately for us, the rain allowed us few experiences. But at least we had Tour A. We went to four of the five possible locations and snorkeled, seeing many awesome fish and a lot of (dead) coral. A small recommendation: Don’t play soccer/football with the coral, especially not when it begins to storm. Your foot will not appreciate it. To fill our remaining days, we got massages, went to Las Cabanas (the mud on our route from the tricycle drop off point to the beach was pretty gross, but the beauty of the shore was worth it), and hung out with each other and our fellow hostel dwellers. The food was largely unimpressive, but there were three places with delicious fare. These were Trattoria Altrov’é, a Mexican restaurant, and V and V Bagels.

The Underground River outside of Puerto Princesa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The tour was fun and included an opportunity to eat wood worm (a worm-shaped mollusk that we all declined), but I wish we could have seen more of the caves. If there had been more time, I’d have liked to boat down its entire length. Later on the same day, we went on a firefly watching tour with a seafood buffet. The food was good, but the fireflies just looked like Christmas lights strung up in random trees. Our last day was largely taken up by the Honda Bay island hopping tour, which was beautiful.

Last Minute Points

-          Mosquitoes carry malaria, dengue fever, and all sorts of nasty diseases. Make sure you bring strong insect repellant, such as DEET.

-          Bathrooms are usually not equipped with toilet paper or soap. Bring your own. You’ll probably go through a lot of soap.

-          The conversion rate in Puerto Princesa was much better than at KIX.

-          Most places can’t (or won’t) break 500 or 1000 peso bills.

-          English education is very good, so you shouldn’t have any problems communicating.

-          You will be addressed as “ma’am” or “sir.”

-          Tipping is not expected.

-          Keep enough money for departure taxes.

 

Were I to go on this trip again, I would wait for the dry season. We still made many fun memories and friends, however, so the benefits definitely outweighed the costs.

 

 

Brittany Teodorski