Port Barton

P’s List: 5 Philippine Destinations I Won’t Get Tired of Visiting

Before I started flying to different international destinations, I’ve been going around different Philippine destinations. I remember in 2012, I had 4 trips in 4 consecutive weekends – I went to Cebu, then to Bacolod, Legaspi & Puerto Princesa. I may not have been to all 81 Philippine provinces, but I can say I’ve been to some of them.

Falling in love to a place you’ve been to maybe a cliché but it really happens. I enjoy every single place I visit but I don’t necessarily fall in love with it. It takes jaw-dropping views, fun & exciting inland & island tours, great company & tasty food for me to fall in love with a place. Today’s P’s List will feature 5 Philippine destinations where I can say I fell in love with & I won’t get tired of going back again & again.

Boracay

It may be the most touristy & commercial island destination in the country but it is still Boracay. The island’s white sand beaches, spectacular sunset & relaxing holiday vibe make it a unique beach destination. The island isn’t famous for nothing. I’ve been to the island a couple of times & I keep on coming back. It’s one of those islands where you can fly in, lie down in the fine white sand & just relax thinking about nothing.

Palawan

Continuously hailed as one of the world’s best islands, Palawan stole my heart since I visited the island in 2012. I’ve been to Puerto Princesa once, Coron once, Port Barton twice & El Nido four times & I still look forward to visiting the island again. Palawan has pristine beaches, world-class islands, stunning views & rich marine life. My favorite spots / activities in Palawan include Iwahig firefly watching activity in Puerto Princesa, Malcapuya Island & Kayangan Lake in Coron, Nacpan Beach, Big Lagoon & Entalula Island in El Nido & Turtle Point, Twin Reef & Maxima Island in Port Barton. It has everything an island destination can have; it is hands down my favorite domestic destination next to home.

Siquijor

I went on a spontaneous weekend trip to Siquijor with friends in July 2017. I feel in love with how simple & untouched everything is in the island. The island is relatively unknown compared to its neighbors but has the beautiful Paliton & Salagdoong Beaches, the one-of-a-kind Cambugahay Falls, the interesting Balete Tree & the old but preserved Lazi Church. I instantly feel in-love with the island on my first visit & I want to go back & explore it again.

Siargao

I may not be a surfer but I surely fell in love with Siargao on my first visit. The beautiful tour locations (in the morning) & the crazy party vibes (at night) made this Siargao a great place to visit. I fell in love with Sugba Lagoon, enjoyed Magpupungko’s tidal & rock pool & liked the tour around Sohoton. The jellyfish sanctuary visit was really cool. I also loved Cloud 9’s island vibe. Ahh, I want to go back to Siargao soon!

Albay

Nothing beats a place called home; Albay will always be my favorite. You may find it biased but hey, you can’t blame me for being one. It’s where I grew up & where my family is. Add to it the spectacular view of Mayon Volcano, which I can see from our house’ gate. I miss home, I can’t wait to go back when this pandemic is over. Albay is the place which I’ll never get tired of visiting.

I honestly can’t wait to visit these places again. I know international travel won’t be allowed in the next few months but I hope the government will allow domestic tourism as soon as it’s already safe for everyone. How about you? Which Philippine destinations do you always keep on visiting & why? Share your own list in the comments section below!

Do you have any questions about the destinations mentioned above? If yes, you may send them via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Feel free to follow me on my social media channels for more information on cheap fares, thrift hacks & fun lists & itineraries – Facebook & Instagram. Thank you for joining me in today’s list. Until the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11 & HTC Re.

2018 Run-Through: Reuniting & Travelling With Friends

Hey, you! I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday with your families & friends. 2019 is just a few hours away. Another year will soon pass. Before we go into 2019, join me as I look back on how another year of travels went by.

2016 was all about going solo & exploring places by myself. 2017 was about exploring both known & relatively unknown places. 2018’s theme is about reuniting & travelling with friends. After months & years of travelling alone, I reunited & travelled with friends in all of my trips this year.

Let me share with you where my friends & I went to this year. It was a fun & memorable year exploring with friends!

sapporo🇯🇵

Last February, Shane & I went to Sapporo for a week. We flew in to Tokyo & took another domestic flight to Sapporo. We explored Sapporo city on our 2nd day – walked around historic buildings & structures plus tried the famous Genghis Khan meat for late lunch. We tried the world-famous Hokkaido king crab in Nijo Market on our 3rd day, then went to explore the port city of Otaru in the afternoon.

Shane & I went skiing on our 4th day. We took a beginner’s ski course in the morning & skied on a downhill slope in the afternoon. It was tiring but a fun experience. We enjoyed it & we plan to do it again on our next winter trip. We chose to relax on our 5th day & tried a traditional Japanese onsen on a snowy day. At first, it was weird walking around naked but hey, everyone’s naked so there’s nothing to worry. We flew to Tokyo on our 6th day & do some last minute pasalubong shopping before flying back to Manila on our last day.

Believe it or not, we only spent less than ₱45,000 each including airfare & hostel accommodations. It was a trip of many firsts (my first legit winter trip) & also an affordable one. Check out the Sapporo blog list below.

Blog List:
Hokkaido Winter Series: The Ultimate Japan Winter Experience Without Breaking The Bank (7 Days For Less Than ₱45,000 all-in)
Hokkaido Winter Series: SAPPORO – A Winter Paradise City
Hokkaido Winter Series: OTARU – An Afternoon In The Nearby Historical Harbor City
Hokkaido Winter Series: SAPPORO TEINE RESORT & HOHEIKYO ONSEN – Recommended Day Trips From Sapporo City
Hostel Of The Day: THE STAY SAPPORO – Budget Sapporo Accommodation With Top-Notch Amenities
Hostel Of The Day: OAK HOSTEL ZEN – My Favorite Tokyo Hostel
Tuesday Tip: 7 SAPPORO Eats You Shouldn’t Miss

Hong Kong🇭🇰

My high school friends & I went on a weekend trip to Hong Kong last March. We left for Hong Kong on a Friday late afternoon & arrived back in Manila Sunday night. It was a quick 48-hour trip but we managed to visit a number of interesting places. Jericho & I explored went to Victoria Peak, Quarry Bay Monster Building, Nan Lian Garden & Kowloon Pier while our friends went to Hong Kong Disneyland. We met them in Mong Kok for dinner & went shopping together.

The following day, the whole group went to mass at St Teresa’s Church in Kowloon Tong in the morning. We all went to Ngong Ping via the cable car in the afternoon & went last-minute shopping at Citygate Outlets. We headed back to our accommodation to pick up our bags & went straight to the airport for our flight back to Manila.

Blog: High School Squad Weekend: 48 Hours In HONG KONG

Nacpan Beach🇵🇭

Maanne, a friend who is now based in Vancouver, went home for a few weeks & asked us to join her visit Nacpan Beach in El Nido. I’ve been to El Nido & Nacpan Beach a number of times. It was Maanne’s 1st time in Nacpan. We spent a whole day at the beach area. The weather didn’t cooperate so we found ourselves having a good time (having lunch + free drinks / shots) at Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach. Our stay in El Nido & Nacpan was mostly spent in our hostels, Mad Monkey & Outpost Beach Hostel due to rainy weather.

Blog List:
Hostel Of The Day: MAD MONKEY HOSTEL NACPAN BEACH – Beach & Party In One Place
Hostel Of The Day: OUTPOST BEACH HOSTEL – Social El Nido Hostel By The Beach

Port Barton 🇵🇭

After spending 2 days & 2 nights in El Nido, we headed down south to the small coastal village of Port Barton. I’ve been to this place in 2017 & had the best times so I decided to bring my friends to this paradise. We spent another 48 hours here, went island hopping, relaxed on the village beach & had great times with old & new friends.

Blog: PORT BARTON Revisited – 48 Hours In Palawan’s Next Popular Destination

Siargao 🇵🇭

My colleague & friend, Shiela, & I went to Siargao for 4 full days last July. We booked our tickets a few months back before I left for the airport for my Sapporo trip. Another friend in the name of Geof (from Siquijor 2017 trip) was also on the island with friends. We met up on our 1st day for dinner & decided to go together for crazy party nights & inland tours. We took the Sugba Lagoon & Magpupungko Rock Pool tour together & met a new set of friends. This marked the birth of the Siargao Squad. Half of the group left the island on our 3rd day while we took the Sohoton Cove & Tri Island Tour.

Shiela & I also had crazy nights with our roommates at Bravo Beach Resort & our ex-colleague Vanessa. This trip was all about exploring the island in the morning & drinking / partying at night – typical Siargao getaway. I look forward to flying back to Siargao to do the same time.

Blog List:
4-Day Siargao Weekend: It’s All About Epic Tour Days & Crazy Party Nights
~~Hostel~~ Resort Of The Day: BRAVO BEACH RESORT SIARGAO – Reasonably Priced Shared Luxury Accommodation in Paradise Island

Sydney 🇦🇺

Last August, I flew to Sydney with my N9 buddies, Shane (from Sapporo trip) & Leng. It was my first trip outside Asia (finally lol). We took the free walking tours & explored Sydney by foot. The weather was not too hot & not too cold (well for me) so it was perfect for walking. My friends & I also went to see Bondi Beach & Coogee Beach, 2 of the many suburban beaches of Sydney.

We took a wine-tasting day trip to the mountains of Hunter Valley. We went to 3 wineries, tried different kinds of wine & had lunch at a fancy country club. We drowned ourselves with free wine that same day. We took another day trip to Blue Mountains National Park in Katoomba. The place is about 2 hours by train from Sydney. We walked around the peaceful rainforest of Jamison Valley plus enjoyed the thrilling rides of Scenic World. It was a perfect day out with the nature. Check the N9 in Staya Series blog list below.

Blog List:
N9 In Straya Series: Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 1 – Heritage Sites Within The City
N9 In Straya Series: Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 2 – City Icons, Alleys & Harbours
N9 In Straya Series – BONDI BEACH & COOGEE BEACH – A Short Trip To Two of Sydney’s Suburban Beaches + BOUNCE SYDNEY HOSTEL Tribute
N9 in Straya Series: HUNTER VALLEY Day Tour – Australian Wine Tasting At Its Finest
N9 in Straya Series: SCENIC WORLD BLUE MOUNTAINS – Nature & Adventure In One Place
Hostel Of The Day: THE POD SYDNEY – Minimalist & Contemporary Hostel In The Middle Of A Busy City

Brisbane 🇦🇺

I left my friends in Sydney & flew to Brisbane to spend a weekend with my relatives & cousins. My uncle, aunt & cousins took me around the city. We went to the koala sanctuary, had lunch at Mount Coot-tha overlooking Brisbane CBD, walked around South Bank, rode the Brisbane Wheel & drove around the central business district. They also took me to Gold Coast to see the famous beach, to go up Gold Coast’s highest view deck & to have lunch in a revolving restaurant.

Blog: N9 In Straya Series: BRISBANE Weekend – Quality Family Time In QLD

Bohol 🇵🇭

My high school friends & I went on a quick weekend getaway to Bohol last September. We flew in Saturday morning, went straight to the countryside tour. We saw both the chocolate hills & the tarsiers on our first few hours on the island. We decided to skip the Loboc River Cruise & went to Bohol Bee Farm to have lunch. We passed by a few more places before heading to our booked accommodation near Alona Beach. On our 2nd day, we chased dolphins, swam with the turtles & snorkelled in Balicasag Island. We flew back to Manila the morning of the 3rd day. The trip was just right for a small island like Bohol.

Blog: High School Squad Weekend: 48 Hours In BOHOL

Penang 🇲🇾

Both planned trips in November got cancelled so I booked a last-minute trip to Malaysia. My initial plan was to spend 3 days in Penang & another 3 days in Kuala Lumpur but I had to cut short my trip for another last-minute invite. This 36-hour Penang stopover was the only ‘trip’ of the year when I was alone.

I flew in to Penang via Kuala Lumpur on the 1st day, explored Kok Lek Si & Georgetown (plus the murals) on the 2nd day & left for Singapore on the 3rd day. I stayed in a very cool shop-turned-guesthouse property called The Frame Guesthouse. I haven’t posted about my Penang trip, but watch out for the article soon.

Blog List:
Penang Blog – To Follow
(~~Hostel~~) Guesthouse Of The Day: THE FRAME GUESTHOUSE PENANG – Beautifully Restored Heritage Property In The Heart Of Georgetown

Singapore 🇸🇬

As mentioned above, I had to cut my Malaysia trip for another trip in Singapore. I flew into Singapore a day before the event. I headed my hostel near Haji Ln & Arab St & met up with my friend Lord who is now based there. We first had late lunch in a Japanese restaurant at Bugis Junction Mall then headed to ATLAS Singapore to have afternoon drinks.

I sneaked in a quick trip to Marina Bay Sands & Gardens By The Bay before heading over to Zouk Singapore for the pre-sailing party of Its The Ship 2018. Check out how I managed to spend by 24 hours in Singapore. It was a quick one, but hey, I’ve been to a lot of places in such a short span of time.

Blog List:
SINGAPORE Stopover: Quick & Packed 24 Hours In The Lion City
Tuesday Tip: SINGAPORE Tipid Hits – 9 Ways to Explore On A Budget

Its The Ship 2018 🇸🇬🇹🇭

Its The Ship 2018 was the main reason why I had to cut short my Penang / Kuala Lumpur planned trip & why I flew to Singapore on the 3rd day. Lord, my friend based in Singapore, invited me to join him in this party cruise. Thank you, Lord! Double meaning, I know. LOL.

This yearly 4 days / 3 nights cruise trip to Phuket (from Singapore) & back is Asia’s largest festival at sea. This year, the cruise turned into a massive party boat with international DJs over 3 stages. The cruise also had scheduled fun activities with the artists, plus an international buffet (which runs almost 24/7). This was my 1st cruise experience & will definitely be not the last.

I haven’t posted anything yet about my Its The Ship 2018 experience. Make sure to wait for that post next month.

Blog: To Follow

Cancelled Trips 🇨🇳🇲🇳🇯🇵

I know I have a long list of trips that pushed through this year, but I also had 2 international trips that didn’t push through. First is the 10-day trip to Beijing, China & Mongolia. My friend & I booked tickets to Beijing for less than ₱1,800 each & planned to go to Ulanbaatar by land. Unfortunately, we had to forego of this trip due to visa restraints. Apparently, the Chinese consulate does not grant double entry visas to first time applicants. We need this type of visa because we planned to go back to Beijing to catch our flight back to Manila.

Another cancelled trip was another set of flights to Japan. I was supposed to fly to Tokyo & Nagoya with my high school friends (from Hong Kong & Bohol trips) but I had to cancel. I had to attend an important family event that falls in the middle of that supposed to be 11-day trip. These China, Mongolia & Japan trips might have been cancelled, but I know I’ll visit these places soon. I’m still thankful most of my planned trips pushed through.

This pretty much sums up my year full of travels with friends. It was a year of many firsts – first winter trip, first out-of-Asia trip, first cruise experience & the list goes on. It was a year full of unforgettable experiences & memorable laughs. I may not have a clear plan on what’s in store for 2019 but I am positive it will be another year full of travels. Thank you very much for joining me. Happy new year & cheers to more fun travels in 2019!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

PORT BARTON Revisited – 48 Hours In Palawan’s Next Popular Destination

A little over a year ago, I went on a weekend trip to a less known-place called Port Barton. This small fishing village in San Vicente, Palawan is located 3 hours by land from Puerto Princesa & about 4 hours from El Nido. I shared with you all the details of my trip – click this link to take you to that article. That Port Barton blog is actually one of the most read posts in this website.

Inaladelan Island at its finest 😍

Last month, my friends & I went to Port Barton for 2 full days or 48 hours – that’s after a quick visit to El Nido. We only went to El Nido for Nacpan Beach & that’s it. It was a good call to go to Port Barton after because weather in El Nido was pretty bad. It was raining all day & all night.

Since my last visit, Port Barton has remained to be ‘relatively’ unknown to the Filipino traveling community. There has been already a handful of Filipino visitors; but the majority of the tourists are still foreigners – mostly those who are traveling around the Philippines for a few weeks. I loved the fact that this place is still untouched, unpopular & very basic.

Instagram-worthy photo in one of the beach huts in Inaladelan Island 😍

In this post, I will talk about how we spent 48 hours in Port Barton. I’ll talk about how we went there, where we stayed & what we did there during our stay.

El Nido To Port Barton

The most comfortable way to go to Port Barton from El Nido is to take the scheduled van trips. There are 2 to 3 scheduled trips per day – 7:00 am, 8:00 am & 1:00 pm. Fare per person ranges from ₱500 to ₱700, depending where you book your ticket.

In our case, we booked it through Outpost Beach Hostel & the fare per person from the hostel tour desk is ₱700. We took the 8:00 am trip. Travel time from El Nido is around 3.5 to 4 hours. The road to Port Barton has improved since my last visit. There are still parts which are under construction, but most of the roads have now been paved.

Island view 😍

Environmental Fee

As mentioned in the previous post, the local tourism council collects ₱50 environmental fee from all guests visiting Port Barton. This environmental card is given to the visitor after signing the guest log book & paying the small fee. This card is valid for 10 days & is required in taking the boat / island tour.

Deep Moon Resort

Welcome to Deep Moon Resort!

My friends & I stayed in a beachfront resort named Deep Moon Resort. I have a friend working there so I asked for his help in getting a place to stay. We stayed in fan bungalow for 3 people for ₱1,100 per night. The bungalow features a double bed in the ground floor & a single bed in the mezzanine. Both beds have mosquito nets. The bungalow has a private toilet & shower & a balcony. It is located at the back of the beachfront bungalows.

Our fan bungalow for 2 nights

Deep Moon Resort offers free Wi-Fi in the common areas. They also have an on site bar & restaurant which we weren’t able to try. The resort is located right in front of the Port Barton village beach. The staff were nice & helpful, they helped us & our new-found friends book our island tour.

Inside our fan bungalow – I slept in the bed located in mezzanine

The resort recently opened their dormitory rooms under the name Dragon House Dorm. They have 8-bed & 10-bed dormitory fan rooms for those who are traveling on budget. All guests also have access to the facilities of Deep Moon Resort. A dormitory bed costs around ₱400 – ₱450 per night. Not bad, right?

Port Barton Village Beach

Port Barton village beach – right outside your doorstep!

Port Barton is a fishing village that is located by the beach. The first to-do when visiting this beautiful place is to enjoy the village beach. My friends & I immediately went swimming after check-in. This place is very quiet & relaxing.

View from Deep Moon Resort’s Moon Bar

Island Hopping Tour

Jump shot with the whole island tour crew!

Just like El Nido & Coron, Port Barton also has its set of island hopping tours. We asked the help of my friend working in Deep Moon Resort to secure our spot in the sole Lonely Planet-recommended tour guide. The whole island hopping tour still costs ₱700 per person – no price change since last year. The rate includes picnic lunch & boat fees. It doesn’t include the ₱100 per person entrance fee in Inaladelan Island (formerly German Island).

Inaladelan Island from the beach 😍

This island tour had a slightly different itinerary from that of last year’s. Instead of having lunch in Paradise Maxima & Exotic Islands, we spent more time & had lunch in Inaladelan Island. We still visited the Twin & Paradise Reefs & still swam with the famous turtle (now two of them so turtles!). We didn’t go to the I-forgot-the-name-of-the-island & instead went to Long Paradise Island. We were the only visitors in this island. The experience was quite cool. The tour’s last stop is still the Luli Island, now known as Starfish Island. The tour started little past time & ended around 4:30 in the afternoon.

What’s for lunch? 😋 This meal is included in the island tour fee

Let me share to you some photos my friend & I took during the island tour.

Twin Reef

Turtle Point

Inaladelan Island (formerly German Island)

Long Paradise Island

Paradise Reef

Starfish Island

Sunset Watching

The ‘best’ sunset we had during our stay – weather was not at its best!

Port Barton boasts a very beautiful sunset. I’ve witnessed what sunset view this village has to offer last year. Unfortunately, the weather during this trip was not at its best. Nonetheless, this is one of the best things to do in this very relaxing place.

Native Bo Reggae Bar

Spent our last night in Native Bo Reggae Bar – had a fun night with these people!

Last year, my friends & I went to Jungle Bar & had a great time. I’d love to bring my companions to this place but we didn’t have the luxury of time. We opted to enjoy the night at Native Bo Reggae Bar. It’s the reggae bar located by the village beach. This bar offers affordable drinks & a very social atmosphere. They even have a buy 1 get 1 on selected drinks from lunchtime until 7:00 pm. My friends & I plus the ones we met in the island tour went here on our last night in Port Barton.

Other Things To Do

48 hours in Port Barton is not enough to visit everything this place has to offer. Just like my trip last year, I missed out on a few places like the White Beach (because we already a lot of white beaches in the trip?), Pamuayan Falls (again) & the San Vicente Long Beach (this is really far). I also found out that they now offer a tour to the nearby mangrove conservation area.

Port Barton After A Year – ANYTHING NEW?

It’s been a year & a few months since I first went to Port Barton. Last time, I shared with you some facts about this not-so-famous place. This time, I’ll share with you what has changed after 15 months of not visiting this place.

More Accommodation Choices

Last year, there were only less than 10 accommodation choices available online. Most accommodations can only be contacted via call or text. After 15 months, there has been a boom in the number of accommodation choices in Port Barton. There are already a lot of hostels, guesthouses & homestays available in websites like Booking.com & Agoda. Rates also have increased a bit; though some have retained the rates they had since last year.

More Restaurants & Eateries

There has also been an increase in the number of restaurants & eateries in the village. The growing demand forced the locals to open more restaurants & local eateries. My friends & I still opted to eat at Gacayan Restaurant – they still have the cheapest food in the village. It was not as crowded as it was last year.

Had dinner in Gorgonzola Pizza – one of the new restaurants in the village

Electricity Hours

Port Barton still doesn’t have 24-hour electricity supply. Power supply is only available from 5 pm until 12 midnight & now from 10 am until 12 noon. Make sure to charge all your gadgets & equipment in these power hours.

Still no ATMs

The village still doesn’t have ATMs. The nearest money dispensing machines are located in El Nido, Puerto Princesa & Roxas. Make sure to withdraw enough cash before going to Port Barton. Credit cards can be used here but only for a handful of establishments. Cash is the preferred & the widely-used mode of payment.

Village Clinic for Medical Emergencies

There is a small clinic or health center in the village; it’s located along Ballesteros St near the school. Take note that the nearest hospital in the village is located in Roxas, which is around an hour away. Don’t forget to stack up on medicines before going to the village.

Limited internet connectivity

Port Barton still has limited internet connectivity. The fastest mobile internet connection can be found near the beach & it doesn’t even give you a 4G connection. Plan out all your emails & internet usage before going to this village. Best to also take this trip as a disconnection from the usual internet-dependent routine.

This pretty much sums up our 48-hour Port Barton trip last month. My friends & I made the right decision of leaving El Nido & heading to this paradise where the weather was good. 48-hours was not enough to discover everything this place has to offer. I look forward to staying longer in my next Port Barton trip.

With Maanne & Yana in Palawan. Thanks for the fun weekend! 🙂

Port Barton is starting to gain attention from the local tourism industry. Locals have started to visit this place, unlike last year when it was all foreigners. I hope this place remains the same in the next few years. I can easily say that Port Barton is my current favorite hideout from the busy metro life. I would like to also take this chance to thank my friends, Maanne & Yana, for the fun weekend in El Nido & Port Barton. The trip was short but very memorable.

Can’t get over how beautiful Inaladelan Island is! 😍

Are you planning to go to Port Barton soon? You should! Have you been there? How was your trip? Will you go back soon? Don’t forget to share some details of your past or upcoming trip in the comments section below. Do you have any questions about Port Barton? Feel free to send an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com or contact me via these social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you for reading & until the next 48-hour trip! 🌴

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11 & HTC Re. Shout out to Maanne for letting me use some of her photos.

2017 In Review: Discovering The Known & The Unknown

In less than 2 days, 2017 will come to a close. Another great & memorable year will soon come to an end. Before we welcome 2018, let us look back how this year went. I do not consider this a major travel year because I think every year is a major travel year for me.

My solo travel adventures, which started in 2016, continued this year. I went to most places all by myself & then met amazing people whom I shared good memories with. I also had the chance to reunite & travel with good old friends.

Selfie with Broken Beach in the background 📷

In 2016, I went to places which are known to most of you (perhaps except Koh Lipe). These places gave me unforgettable experiences & different insights. 2017 was a bit different. I’ve been to known places like Coron, Taipei & Ubud, but I’ve also visited unknown places (to many Filipinos) like Port Barton, Nusa Penida & Komodo. 2017 was a year of discovering the known & the unknown.

Let us rediscover the the known & unknown places I visited for 2017.

Port Barton’s village beach

My first solo trip for 2017 happened in March where I spent a weekend in Port Barton. It is a small undeveloped village in the northeast coast of Palawan. It is a more basic version of El Nido.

Enjoyed the tour to untouched islands & pristine beaches 😍

Everything in the village is limited – from accommodation choices, restaurants, electricity to mobile network access. These limitations didn’t hinder me from enjoying a weekend away from the busy city life. I went on an island tour which took me to untouched islands & pristine beaches. I had my first close encounter with a turtle in German Island. I also made good memories with people I met on the tour & in the hostel.

Close encounter with a turtle in German Island 🐢

Blog: PORT BARTON: Palawan’s Secret Paradise

Coron

I had my second Palawan weekend trip for 2017 in Coron. I decided to go there during the Labor Day weekend (to save work leave credits) & booked my round-trip tickets using my GetGo (Cebu Pacific Air‘s loyalty program) points.

Met these amazing people in Coron

I walked around the town & hiked Mount Tapyas on my first day. I took the Ultimate Island Tour on my second day & the Island Escapade Tour on my third day. I flew back to Manila on the fourth day.

Coron’s crystal clear waters 😍

I prefer the escapade tour over the ultimate tour. I think Kayangan Lake, Siete Picados & Twin Lagoon were really beautiful; however, these places were super crowded. I enjoyed the relaxed & laid-back escapade tour to the jaw-dropping Malcapuya, Banana & Bulog Dos Islands.

Malcapuya Island – the highlight of this Coron trip 😍

Blog: CORON – Paradise Beyond Words

Taipei

Taipei was my first international trip for 2017. It was also my first time to use my renewed passport. I’ve been to this city in 2015 with my high school friends. This time, I went on another weekend trip with my work colleagues.

Taipei ’17 buddies – Rona & Shiela 😎

We went to the usual places like Taipei 101, Ximending, Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, Liberty Square, Shilin Night Market & 228 Peace Park. We also went up north to the countryside to visit Shifen & Jiufen.

Colorful vibe of Jiufen 😍

We loosened up a bit by joining TourMeAway‘s Pub Crawl Activity. It was a long fun drinking night with people from all over the world. Our pub crawl photo even made it to the activity’s Klook page. I also got my new HTC U11 during this trip – definitely worth the investment.

Got a new phone in Taipei -the HTC U11

Blog: TAIPEI Revisited: 3-Day Weekend in the Heart of Asia (Less than ₱15,000 all in!!!)

Siquijor

I went on a last-minute weekend Siquijor trip with friends last July. I flew to Dumaguete with a friend & boarded the next ferry to Siquijor. We then met another friend in Siquijor & started exploring the island.

Reunion with Geof & JE in Siquijor

We had lunch at Larena Triad Restaurant overlooking the island, went exploring at the Guiwahon Mangrove Park, (they) had fish spa in the century old balete tree, walked around the Lazi Convent & Church, jumped off (a number of times) the famous Cambugahay Falls & enjoyed some lazy (except me who tried the cliff diving) afternoon at Salagdoong Beach.

Cambugahay Falls – the highlight of my Siquijor trip 💦

We had a short Dumaguete side trip; we stayed there for a night before our flight back to Manila. Our friend, who is based there, took us on a late night city tour (?? haha) just to see how it looks like.

Blog: Last-Minute SIQUIJOR Weekend (For Less Than ₱7,000 Including Airfare)

Ubud

Explored Ubud with Mary Ann & Lyza

I spent half of my annual birthday month trip in Ubud in Bali, Indonesia. I’ve been to Ubud in 2014 but I didn’t have enough time to explore the place. I went back for 3 full days to explore different temples, hike up & down the rice terraces, eat the famous crispy duck, walk around the town, tried the luwak coffee in a coffee plantation & go to the waterfall.

World famous Tegallalang Rice Terraces 😍

I also attended a cooking class with Paon Bali. I learned to prepare local dishes & ended up eating them as well after. This Paon Bali Cooking Class was the highlight of my Ubud visit.

Local food we ate after the cooking class 😋

Blog: The Wonderful Indonesia Series: UBUD – From Temples To Rice Paddies

Nusa Penida

Instagram-famous Broken Beach 😍

The other half of my week-long birthday trip was spent in a relatively unknown off Bali called Nusa Penida. For 2 straight days, I hopped on a motorcycle & explored this untouched island.

Atuh Beach – a cove between 2 cliffs 😍

I went to ‘Instagram-famous’ places like Angel’s Billabong, Broken Beach & Kelingking Secret Point. I also went to the hidden Crystal Bay for swimming & relaxation. On my 2nd & last day, I spent the whole day in Atuh Beach, another ‘Instagram-famous’ cove that is between 2 high cliffs.

Another Instagram-famous – Kelingking Secret Point 😍

I stayed in Kuta for a night before my early flight back to Manila. I’ve been to this place in 2015 but I still walked around the crowded beach & waited for the beautiful Kuta sunset.

Kuta sunset – what a beautiful view to end this week long birthday trip 🌅

Blog: The Wonderful Indonesia Series: NUSA PENIDA – Hidden Paradise Off Bali

Komodo

Kanawa Island 😍

Two months after spending a week in Indonesia, I decided to fly back & sneak out a short weekend trip to Labuan Bajo. This small village / town is the gateway for the more famous Komodo National Park (Komodo Island).

Worth the 30-minute hike up the mountain 😍

I took the shared overnight boat trip to the islands. The islands were hours away from each other by slow boat. On the first day, we went snorkeling on Kanawa Island, swam with the manta rays in Manta Point & hiked up Padar Island for some amazing views. We parked somewhere near Komodo Island & stayed there for the night. The boatmen prepared all our meals while on the boat. We slept under the stars & clear skies.

Ha, once in a lifetime photo with a Komodo dragon 🦎

The following day, we walked around in Komodo Island to spot Komodo dragons, went snorkeling & swimming in Pink Beach & spotted some wildlife on Rinca Island (more Komodo dragons lol). Our boatmen allowed us to snorkel & jump off the boat in a random snorkeling point right before going back to Labuan Bajo.

Met up for dinner with the people I was with in the overnight boat trip

Blog: To Follow

Tokyo & Kawaguchiko

Dinner in Tokyo with Laura & Leon (former HTC people) & Kristin

The week-long trip to Japan was my last trip for 2017. It was not my first time (I’ve been there in 2015 & in 2016) so I decided to explore the not-so-famous areas like Kawaguchiko. I flew to Tokyo in the morning, then I met Laura & Leon (people I met in HTC Elevate years ago) in late afternoon until evening.

Picture-perfect Mount Fuji 🗻😍

The following day, I took the bus to Kawaguchiko where I stayed for 2 full days. I met good friends in the hostel which I went around the place with. We went up to Mt. Fuji 4th Station, walked around Kawaguchiko town & we even went cycling around Lake Kawaguchiko. I saw Mt Fuji at its finest (a lot of times!!) during my short stay in this quiet town.

Cycled around Lake Kawaguchiko with these guys 🚴

Blog: To Follow

Takayama & Shirakawa-go

Takayama Old Town 🏠

After spending 2 days in Kawaguchiko, I took a 5-hour bus ride to Takayama. Takayama is a city that is located in the rural, mountainous Hida region in Gifu Prefecture. Just like any other Japanese rural centers, the city retains traditional character. This is shown in the preserved old town. I walked around the old town & the city for one whole day. I was able to visit various temples & museums along the way. I also tried the famous Hida beef in one of the restaurants near JR Takayama Station.

Hida beef for lunch 😋

I went on a half day side trip to Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage site located at the foot of Mt. Haku-san. Located about an hour away from Takayama, this old village is characterized by gassho-style farmhouses. I spent 3 hours walking around the village, hopping from one house to the other.

Shirakawa-go from the view point 😍

The visits to Takayama Old Town & Shirakawa-go were the highlights of my stay in Gifu Prefecture.

Gassho-style farmhouse in Shirakawa-go 😍

Blog: To Follow

The list above doesn’t account the number of times I went to my hometown in Albay for family functions & random weekends. I plan to continue going home (every few months) to my parents in 2018. There’s definitely no place like home.

Picturesque Mayon Volcano 🌋 There’s no place like home 😍

The trips above pretty much sum up my 2017. It was a year of discovering known places like Coron, Taipei & Ubud, to not-so-known places like Siquijor & Kawaguchiko & to relatively unknown places like Port Barton, Nusa Penida, Komodo & Takayama. It was another year full of memories I will cherish for the rest of my life. I already have a few trips planned for 2018 & I look forward to exploring more of what this beautiful world has to offer.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC Re & HTC U11.

PORT BARTON: Palawan’s Secret Paradise

A few weeks ago, I went on a weekend trip to Port Barton, Palawan. This remote place is still unknown to the local tourism scene, but is starting to gain attention from foreign travelers & backpackers. Let me share with you how my 3 days & 3 nights in Port Barton went.

Disclaimer: My goal when I went to Port Barton was to relax from the busy city life. I got lazy most of the time & I didn’t go around much to explore.

In case you missed it, I went back to Port Barton in June 2018. Check out the latest Port Barton blog post here. Enjoy!

Where is Port Barton?

When I first mentioned Port Barton to my friends, they were like, “In what country is that?” They don’t believe me when I told them it is located here in the Philippines. Well, yes it is.

Port Barton is a small coastal village in San Vicente, Province of Palawan. It is 23 kilometers away from the town of Roxas, about 3 hours land trip from Puerto Princesa City & about 4.5 to 5 land trip hours from El Nido. The peaceful village is characterized by simple lives of the locals, beautiful beaches & unspoiled nature.

Crystal clear waters between Maxima Island & Exotic Island 😍

How to go to Port Barton

The nearest airport to Port Barton is Puerto Princesa International Airport. From Puerto Princesa City, one needs to take a van to Port Barton. There are several van companies operating between the 2 places, with a few scheduled trips leaving every day. The first trip from PPC leaves at 7:00 in the morning & the last trip is at 5:00 in the afternoon. A cheaper option is to take the local bus from San Jose Terminal.

I did not make it to the last van trip because my flight arrived a little past 5:00. I decided to stay in the city for a night & got a bed in Sheebang Hostel. The hostel is located a little bit far from the center, but it has everything you need. There is an on site restaurant & a 24 hour bar. Yes, the bar operates 24/7. I spent hours of eating & drinking in the bar with new-found friends from some parts of the world.

The following day, the van picked me up at the hostel at 8:30 in the morning. We dropped by for a while in San Jose Terminal to pick up more passengers then headed straight to Port Barton. The first 2 hours of the trip were normal, but the last hour was through rough unpaved roads.

Sheebang Hostel’s Bar

Environmental Fee

Upon arrival in Port Barton, the van dropped us off at the tourism center. All guests are required to register & pay the ₱50 environmental fee. The local staff gave me an environmental card which is needed every island hopping or boat trip. The card is valid for 10 days.

Accommodation

Port Barton has a limited number of accommodation choices. Most of these hostels, inns & homestays are not available online & can only be secured via text message, phone call or most of the time upon arrival.

I’ve read some online reviews & blogs about possible accommodations & found out that Princesa Michaella Guesthouse is the best place to stay. The hostel is 2-minutes walk from the beach, but is centrally located. A private room with toilet costs ₱600 – ₱800 while a bed in a 4-bed dormitory room costs ₱300. Since I was on a “vacation mode,” I got myself a private room for 3 nights.

The guesthouse has a spacious communal area where you can meet & talk with the other guests. What’s nice is almost all guests know each other. People also drink almost every night (or literally every night) in the common area. I’ve met a lot of amazing people during my stay. I definitely had good times with awesome people.

My private room for 3 nights in Port Barton

The guesthouse also has free Wi-Fi, but don’t expect it to be that fast. They only rely on a broadband & the area’s mobile data network isn’t as fast as Puerto Princesa’s or El Nido’s. The staff were super nice & accommodating. I also met Mama Lucy, the super duper nice owner of Princesa Michaella Guesthouse. She makes sure that all guests have a great stay in Port Barton. She greets everyone in the morning & even shares food to everyone. I personally met her during my first day. The planned brief encounter became 3 hours of non-stop storytelling.

I definitely loved my stay in Princesa Michaella played a big part in it. I recommend everyone going to Port Barton to stay in this amazing guesthouse. Make sure to send my regards to Mama Lucy for me!

Contact details: Princesa Michaella Guesthouse – 0948 236 1099 (Mama Lucy)

What to do / where to go in Port Barton

Port Barton may be a small village, but it still offers a lot of things to do & places to visit. Here are a few things you can do or places where you can go while in Port Barton:

Village Beach

The village is located by the beach. If you are into just relaxing & sunbathing, this area is perfect for you. The beachfront isn’t that busy with very few establishments & people around.

Port Barton’s beach 😍

Island Hopping

Just like El Nido, Port Barton also offers island hopping day tours but with a cheaper rate. The boatmen offer Tours A to D visiting various beaches, islands & reefs. Mama Lucy from Princesa Michaella helped me book my island tour. It costed me ₱700; the rate includes picnic lunch & all other fees. The tour started at 9:00 am & ended at 5:00 pm. We went to the following islands & reefs:

Twin Reef

Exotic Island

Maxima Island

Forgot-the-name-of-this-island-&-reef

German Island

Luli Island

I really enjoyed the island hopping tour. The islands & reefs were beautiful! It was also my first time to swim with a turtle!~ 🐢

Sunset Watching

Port Barton sunset is something one should not miss whilst there. It is one of the most dramatic sunsets I’ve ever seen. The combination of the sky colors makes it so beautiful to watch. Make sure to stay for a few minutes after the ‘official’ sunset time to witness its full glory.

Port Barton’s amazing sunset 🌅

Jungle Bar

All roads to the Jungle Bar every Wednesday & Saturday night. It is a bar situated in a top of a hill, about 30 minutes away from the village center. Around 8:00 in the evening, you will hear van drivers looking for tourists / visitors who want to go to Jungle Bar. All you have to do is pay ₱150 (round-trip fare). What’s also good is the van driver will wait for you, up to what time you want to go back. The bar has reasonably-priced food & drinks. The live music is a plus!

I went to the Jungle Bar with a friend from the guesthouse. We met 4 French people in the van & decided to spend good times in the bar. Initial plan was to go home at 11:00 or 12:00 but we ended up going home at 3:00 am.

Long Beach Day Tour

The Long Beach is a 14.1 km undeveloped white beach in San Vicente. A day trip to Long Beach costs ₱2,500 for 3-4 people (doesn’t include food.) The trip takes about 2 hours per way. I was not able to go to this place because I couldn’t find anyone to share the boat with. I will probably go back to Palawan soon & will stay near the Long Beach before this becomes a busy tourist destination.

White Beach & Pamuayan Falls

This is the famous land trip taken by almost every visitor in Port Barton. The white beach is about 30 minutes walk from the village beach. There is an entrance fee of ₱25 when going to the White Beach. On the other hand, the falls is about 4 kilometer walk from the center. An easier way to visit these 2 places is by motorbike. Ask the people from your hostel / guesthouse for motorbike rentals.

Unfortunately, I missed our visiting these 2 places. I planned to visit this during my last day in Port Barton but the rain started to fall & I also got lazy to go there.

There are still few more beaches, falls & islands to visit if you have the luxury of time. I believe 3 or 4 full days in Port Barton would be enough.

Found Nemo somewhere near German Island 🐟

Facts about Port Barton

There are a few things about Port Barton that you need to know before going there.

⦁ Daily power supply only runs from little past 5:00 in the afternoon to around 1:00 in the morning. That is the only time where you can charge your phones, laptops & cameras. Make sure to bring power banks to help extend your gadgets’ lives during the day. Extension cords would also help charge many gadgets at the same time.

⦁ There are no ATMs or banks in the area. Make sure to withdraw enough cash in Puerto Princesa, San Vicente, Roxas or El Nido before going to Port Barton. Also, do not have high hopes of using your credit card. I haven’t heard of any establishment accepting card payments. It may be also hard to exchange foreign currency to Philippine peso so make sure to do that before going there.

⦁ There are no doctors or hospitals in the village. The nearest can be found in Roxas which is about an hour away. Be very careful in everything that you do. Bringing a small pouch of medicines would be good.

⦁ The village has access to limited internet speed. Yes, both Smart Communications & Globe Telecoms have networks, but the mobile data coverage is not that fast. For Globe subscribers, you can have fast (not like the metro speed though but bearable) internet if you are by the beach.

⦁ Restaurant choices are also limited. If you are heading out for dinner, make sure to go to Gacayan Restaurant early as it is always full. The price of a meal is really affordable but note that food orders take a while to be served. You can also check out the famous Jambalaya Cafe & the other restaurants nearby.

Couldn’t believe I was this close to the turtle! 🐢

I fell in love with Port Barton up to the point I want to go back there as soon as possible. It has one of the most relaxing beach fronts I’ve been to, one of the clearest waters I’ve seen & one of the most quiet islands I’ve visited. I suggest that you go to this place as soon as you can. I have a strong feeling this will be developed in 2-3 years time.

Do you have any questions about Port Barton? Is there anything you want to know about the place? Feel free to comment below or send me an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. You can also send me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter. Suggestions for future topics are also welcome.

PS. All photos above were shot using my HTC Re.