Travelling is perhaps the best way to enjoy life and everything the world has to offer. It takes you to places near and far, some are totally remote where you will feel isolated from civilization while others seems too familiar, where you feel that you had been there already, one time in your life. Travelling gives you new experiences, like flying on a commercial plane or a two-seater, going smoothly or taking a 360-degree turn in the sky, meeting people who soon become part of your life, eating bizarre foods, discovering places you never knew existed and appreciating a country that you never expected, is a paradise in itself.
For most people, money and time are two of the most important (but the most necessary as well) hindrances to enjoy going places. Some are lucky enough to travel for free, but for those who really need to shell out some cash, the best way to travel is by backpacking. Travelling simply and on a budget is recommended especially when you are visiting places our country, since the Philippines has all the best places for a real bucolic adventure, that is fun, enlightening and relaxing.
On my recent travels, three places lingered on my memories more than the others, El Nido, Palawan, Pandan Island Occidenal Mindoro and Morong, Bataan. These destinations are budget-friendly (which also means, you get your money's worth with the places you see), accessible, safe and to top it all, made me appreciate life, help the indigent, love my country more and do my share of protecting the environment.
El Nido
When the advertisement photographs said that El Nido is beautiful, it is not just a promotional gimmick. After all it doesn't belong to the Top 10 Most Beautiful Beaches in the world for nothing. El Nido is truly your paradise on Earth, where nature is a poetry woven with intricate lines of white sand beaches, colourful marine life, blue green waters and lime stones formation and breath taking sunsets.
Swimming with the sharks, snorkelling in shallow waters abundant with fishes of different and exotic colours, shapes and sizes, sun bathing in the pristine and fine white sand, bathing in crystal clear waters surrounded by huge rocks with overgrown forest, kayaking and rock climbing are just some of the adventures waiting for you in El Nido. The locals are very friendly and are more than willing to accommodate your questions.
Unlike the usual misconception, El Nido is a very affordable place for your sojourn, unless you are staying in the more expensive island resorts. Instead of taking the plane, there are ships going regular to Puerto Princesa for a little more than P1,000.00 From Puerto Princesa to El Nido, buses are P400 while accommodation ranges from P500 to P700 for a simple, beachfront air-conditioned room. Island hopping and rock climbing packages are from P600 to P1500/person with free buffet on the beach. There are restaurants of different cuisines, from Filipino, American, Asian and European.
Squidos, a modest restaurant made of bamboo and nipa, offers the best chocolate crepe, filled with rich and creamy chocolate on the inside and laden with chocolate syrup on the outside, all of its goodness for only P90. There is also the Amplaya Restaurant along the beach, where you could have an affordable breakfast plus a refreshing view of the sea in the morning or a candle-lit dinner as the evening hustles.
The beauty of El Nido made me realize that protecting the environment, keeping it clean and helping to alleviate pollution even in my own little way, will be a big contribution to maintain this paradise. By doing so, not only will the people of EL Nido continue to live their peaceful lives, but I might be able to save it for the children of the next generation.
Morong, Bataan
Three hours away from the chaos of Manila, nestles a quite town that is not very popular among tourists but has everything there is for a backpacker's ideal destination, the town of Morong, Bataan. Only recognized and perhaps visited during the month of November when the sea turtles go back to its shores to lay eggs and the celebration of the Pawikan Festival, Morong's hidden beauty lies in its mountains especially in Sitio Kanawan, Barangay Binaritan. Concealed by dense forest and separated from the rest of Morong by a river, the only way to reach Kanawan is by crossing an old wooden bridge. A 30 minute trek in the footpath made by the Magbikin tribe, a descent of the Aeta tribe living in Kanawan Village, offers a pleasant view of the surrounding mountains that blows a chilly breeze to cool off your perspiration after the exhausting ascend to the village.
Meeting the elders and members of the Magbikin tribe is like looking through the eyes of history. Their plight has been long and hard, having been driven away from first home in the forest Morong in 1954, and being displaced once more from their next home in Sitio Lemon when the Vietnam War broke out. When the government declared their current home as a Negrito reservation area, the Magbikin tribe continued once again to live their usual life for more than a hundred years.
