Luzon and Palawan

The volcanic spine of Southern Luzon is certainly a beautiful part of the country. The near perfect cone of Mount Mayon is the highest of the volcanic peaks at around the 2500m mark. It last erupted in 2006 and continues to pose a threat. You can trek up the lava flows and get within a few hundred metres of the summit, if conditions permit. My guided trek up through the mossy forest took me as far as camp one, around 800m up, where you get a magnificent view both of the cone itself and the surrounding coastline.

My main reason for travelling through this part of the country was to pay the whale sharks of Donsol bay a visit. Sightings are virtually guaranteed from February to May (assuming the sun is shining as it helps spot the shadows of the worlds largest fish as they swim just under the surface). It was a cloudy morning and it took almost 3 hours for the sun to break through and the first whale shark was spotted. We swam four times with this amazing creature. I must admit, the experience was initially overwhelming yet ultimately exhilarating and once I'd got used to his presence, was able to snorkel alongside the eight metre male for about 10 minutes. The sharks can grow up to around 16 metres and live for 80 years or more, the one we followed was perhaps 30 to 40 years old. It was quite a unique experience and something I will never forget. WWF estimate there are around 130 sharks in the bay, although new ones are arriving each year (each whale shark has unique markings which allows their numbers to be estimated with some accuracy). Three of the creatures have been tagged and they have been shown to swim as far as Australia before returning the following season. The Philippines is one of three areas of the planet, where this activity is currently possible (the others being Ningaloo reef off Western Australia) and the Mesoamerican reef off the coast of Mexico and Belize. I would strongly recommend you give it a go, if you find yourself in the right part of the world at the right time of year.

Moving northwards by bus and directly through Manila, I reached Baguio, a cool mountain retreat where forested suburbs fringe one of the countries nicer towns. From here, the epic Haselema highway runs along a high mountain ridge, peaking above 2200m connecting the smaller towns and villages of the cordillera which are famous for their incredible rice terraces, carved out of the steep wooded hillsides. I spent a few nights in the quiet hillside retreat of Sagada, where the pace of life moves slowly, trekking around the nearby peaks and rice growing villages. Moving onto Bontoc, I visited the impressive Malingcong terraces which were yet to be planted and had a stark translucent beauty in the blazing sun. But most of the real action centres around the town of Banaue. The 2000 year old mud walled terraces here have often been called the eighth wonder of the world. However, the reality these days does not compare to the black and white photos taken decades ago. As the terraces are not reinforced by stonework like those at many of the surrounding villages, erosion has made them particularly difficult to maintain, they are overgrown in places and not looking their best. It seems the locals who have turned to woodcraft to make their money, have a real dilemma on their hands. If word gets out the terraces are no longer world class, will the visitors still come to buy their wood carvings ? Admittedly its not the best time of year to view them (they look at their best 1-2 months after planting, which takes place in March) but its also hard to believe they will ever look as good as they once did. UNESCO now list this site as endangered.

These days, the attention seems to be focused on the stone walled amphitheatre of rice fields found in the village of Batad to the east of Banaue. The village is not connected to the outside world by road, so you have to trek in, which for me, adds to the appeal. Its a pleasant 3 hour trek in via the scenic route around the steep sided valleys. A quite staggering sight greeted me as the sun reached its midday zenith. I shall aim to do this some justice by uploading a photo but recommend you try and see them for yourselves one day. Traversing the fields by the stone walled edges of the fields is a great way to best appreciate the geometry and feats of engineering here. I trekked back to Banaue along the trails that connect Batad with Cambulo and Pula. It was great to be out in the mountains, breathing the fresh air and enjoying the simple pleasures of life in these parts. A few hours tricycle ride from Banaue takes you to the Hapao spider web rice terraces, which are also very impressive and well worth a side trip. But I was beginning to experience rice terrace overload and the conservative nature of the locals made the place seem quite unlike the rest of the country. Indeed the cordillera seems caught in some kind of time trap. It seems odd to me that country music is all the rage here, (anyone for country music videoke?) Its how the locals pass the cold evenings here, although things do wind down by 9pm and most towns and villages have an informal curfew at 9 or 10pm. Anyway, it was time to head way out west to the remote thin island strip called Palawan, which seemed to be getting rave reviews from other travellers. Had I saved the best til last ?

I flew into Puerto Princesa a bustling mini-metropolis located halfway along the islands east coast and got an air con van share direct to El Nido without further ado. The road north goes through bamboo scrub, past roadside vendors and coconut groves, where virgin rainforest once dominated. Its not until the surfaced road turns to dirt and stone, north of Roxas, that you begin to appreciate the true beauty of the place as it cuts its way through a pristine wilderness. Our van bumped along, slowly counting down the kilometres to TayTay. Some five and a half hours after leaving Puerto and as the sun began to set, a wonderful coastal archipelago came into view. I had arrived in El Nido.

One hour later, I was feeling mildly rankled. The accomodation options along the beach, are overpriced and mostly of a poor standard. 800 pesos here gets you a run down hut with cold shower (when its working), mosquito net (thankfully) and fan (when the sporadic electricity operates). This is normally sufficient for me, I find air con is indeed a con and who needs luxury when you have paradise on your doorstep. However, in Thailand, this kind of accomodation would cost a fraction of the price, elsewhere in the Philippines it can be obtained for half that price and one can usually trade up to get something very decent for around this price. Here your twelve hard earned pounds feel somewhat squandered. Its a real shame, most operators here can't be bothered to maintain their beach huts and the pricing strategy feels like its being controlled by a local cartel.

However, this anger soon faded as I sat on the balcony reading John le Carre as Cadlao island (which dominates the bay here) faded to a silohette. The beach is nice here but the real attractions lay out to sea in and around the many islands that make up the bacuit archipelago, a series of limestone karsts and large jungle covered offshore islands. The following three days were to reveal many stunning vistas, white sand beaches, hidden lagoons, coral reefs to snorkel around, the odd token cave and a lovely sandbar joining two mangrove lined islands. These islands offer an amazing natural beauty that is difficult to beat. It certainly tops Halong Bay in Vietnam, its closest rival might well be the Whitsunday islands of Australia. Met some fun, interesting people on these boat trips and the evenings were almost as good, sampling the fine food at Squidos restaurant, washed down with a San Miguel or three. For me, the real backpacker vibe in the Philippines is split between Palawan and the Southern Visayas. Almost every day it seems, you meet an interesting character or two ! South of El Nido on the main land lies Corong Corong beach, set in a potentially nicer bay than El Nido, with better sunset opportunities. However, I'm sad to report, the best mainland beach appears to be set on a private resort that would price most people out of the market. There are similar resorts out on the archipelago that remain the preserve of those who prefer quiet, secluded exclusivity. I remain indifferent to these kind of places and would refuse to frequent them even if I could afford them.

Palawan is definitely gonna feel like paradise to most. Despite substantial logging of the central regions, there remain large tracts of untouched tropical rainforest which harbour some unique wildlife. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get directly into the forest here but suffice to say, many of the insects I encountered appear quite unique, from giant blue, black butterflies, to bright red dragonflies and unusual beetles. Its certainly something if you like creepy crawlies. Luckily the mosquitos were few and far between (its well into the dry season here), which was reassuring as the island remains malarial, unlike most of the rest of the country. Come prepared, especially if you visit in the monsoon season when malaria and dengue fever outbreaks are more likely. Both Port Barton and El Nido also have a bit of a sandfly problem and feeding time seems to start around mid afternoon. There is nothing more annoying than a persistent sandfly who refuses to leave you alone until its taken a bite.

Five hours boat ride to the south, Port Barton has a fine beach, in a protected lagoon like bay, which is great for swimming. There are also island hopping opportunities further afield, for those still keen to explore. Sunsets here have the potential to veer towards those explosive reds, oranges and purples that some places seem lucky to get under the right atmospheric conditions. I was content to pass a few lazy days here, reading my book and soon the time on my two month visa had run me down. I flew back to Manila and back into the urban anarchy.

Next stop Malaysian Borneo.