The islands in the north of Palawan between El Nido are some of the most stereotypically idyllic tropical beach paradises you can imagine – hundreds of islands surrounded by perfect white sand, gorgeous clear turquoise water, tropical reefs, and only occasionally sprinkled with tiny villages along the shoreline. Whilst there are many places around the world, and even in the Philippines, that can offer trips through very similar settings, it is the ease of access to these trips (multiple trips leave every day), reasonable price (think less than US$1k for 6 days vs minimum x4 for an equivalent liveaboard), and focus on interacting respectfully (and genuinely) with the local communities that makes the Palawan experience stand out. A must if visiting Palawan . . . and almost a must if visiting the Philippines
Top tips:
- Go with Tao Philippines. Whilst there are around 10 companies offering these type of trips, Tao are the pioneers, have the scale, and everyone I’ve spoken to has raved about them. Put it this way – I can see they consistently have 9+/10 ratings
- Expect it to be fairly basic. The Tao Philippines site gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect and tries to manage the expectation (www.taophilippines.com) – basically don’t come if you’re a princess, but in summary:
- The boat – you’re on a large Philippine-style bangka boat for the day – plenty of areas to lounge around on. Nothing private. Up to 25 on the boat (we had 24 and didn’t at all feel crowded at any stage)
- Sleeping – you sleep in village bamboo huts by night. Think a 3m / 3m (10ft x 10ft) bamboo platform on stilts, with a roof covering by two bamboo sides leaving an entrance and exit either end, a thin single mattress surrounded by mosquito nets. Goes without saying – no aircon
- Food – surprisingly good
- Showers – cold water, shared bathrooms
- Electronics – half the evening stops have charging (helps to bring a powerbank), none have wifi, cell coverage is patchy depending on network
- Expect a backpacker vibe. For anyone who has travelled through South East Asia, you know what I mean. Chilled out, not expecting 5 star (or 3 or 4 star!), probably doing this as part of a bigger trip, respectful, up for fun. Age is only one of many factors that reflect the vibe, but typically the age range is 18-45
- What do you do? Expect a lot of sailing through tropical paradise, snorkelling, chilling out on distant beaches or beaches you’ll be sleeping on
- November was PERFECT. Not too hot, very little rain, very few mosquitos, and fewer fellow tourists at this time of year
- 3 days / 2 nights or 6 days / 5 nights? It completely depends on your appetite for chill, how much time you have and which route you are doing. I booked 3 days / 2 nights (from Coron to El Nido), knowing I could change my mind and extend on the 3rd day, which I didn’t do. After meeting up with my group on their 6th and final night, and after discussing with many who have also done the 6 days, I would summarise as:
- 3 days / 2 nights – I left thinking I’d had a wonderful time, fantastic group and it was one of the highlights of the Philippines. I’d “done it” and didn’t need another 3 days of the same tropical island experience, and was able to use the remaining 3 days for scuba diving in the same islands, sleep in a nice hotel (it feels soooo good after sleeping a little rough) and generally explore other areas
- 6 days / 5 nights – you get the full chill experience, get to stay at “The Farm” (which was the best place to stay) and experience the highlight of the trip which was the final day in the Bacuit Archipelago
- If going El Nido to Coron, go for the 3 days / 2 nights. If Coron to El Nido, go for the 6 days / 5 nights
Isla Mujeres is one of the those super pleasant, pretty, small tropical Caribbean islands that are hard to dislike. But it’s the island’s contrast with nearby Cancun that just gives you a feeling of ahhhhhhhh . . . this is more like it 🥰
I’d actually suggest that, unless you’re in Cancun for lash / partying, and assuming you have more than a couple of days, to stay in Isla Mujeres instead. It’s just so much more pleasant and the ease of access, with ferries leaving for Cancun every 30mins and only taking 15mins, means you can easily pop to the mainland . . . if you want to leave. We were planning on staying in Cancun for 5 days at the end of a 6 month travelling trip and very quickly left for Isla Mujeres – sitting watching the sunsets from the west coast with practically no fellow tourists around, we had no regrets
Top tip – the northern tip of beaches along the spit is beautiful, but can get a little busy because this is the port for the ferry from Cancun. Instead, try to stay on the west coast. We loved staying at Casa Coco by Coco B Isla and eating at Zoetry Villa Rolandi
Once you creep over the Transylvanian Alps, you’re into a wide lowland area of rolling hills that is dotted with picturesque Fortified Saxon Villages, well preserved Old Towns and, of course, the famous Dracula castle of Bran Castle. Whilst some parts of more worth visiting than others, the whole area easily allows you to dream back to what it must have been like in a bygone age untouched by the modern world
The Citadel of Sighisoara, Bran Castle and the fortified church of Viscri are must sees. The rest is more about the slow paced vibe of the Transylvanian lowlands. Total of 2-3 days is probably enough, and I’ve listed some tips below
Big fan of Budapest. The city itself has a certain unusual quality compared to other well known European cities just because of its history in the Austro-Hungarian empire and strong Eastern European (and Middle Eastern) influence. This combined with the bath culture and great energy from the easily accessible night spots (think beer gardens rather than clubs) make it quite a gem for a long weekend trip
Lisbon is a supremely elegant city stepped in history and with atmospheric neighbourhoods to head off and explore, but I actually found the two surrounding places of Sintra and Cascais to be the real gems of the visit
I would suggest staying in Sintra or Cascais rather than Lisbon. Staying in Lisbon you are always going to be surrounded by fellow tourists, day or night. Whereas places like Sintra and Cascais offer a very different experience when the crowds have left for the day (or before they arrive if you’re an early bird). And the trains / Ubers make it so simple to pop between the 3 of them. I had some magical times in the likes of Sintra wandering around in the early morning having the place to myself, and enjoying the quieter evenings in Cascais. Be bold and stay outside of Lisbon for the better experience
Phuket is a beautiful spot to chill out at for a few days. It has the full range of accommodation and eating options, some good opportunities for partying / lash, diving to the south and enough scale to head off on trips all around the peninsular
Yes, its touristy, but it ticks the chill out vibe after a few weeks of travelling or as a simple break from any of the nearby Asian cities
Only a very brief travel entry, so a few high level tips:
- Even if there for full on partying/ lash – try not to stay in Patong. It’s great for the nights out, but there are just so many wonderful options slightly further away in the hills and on the beaches for the same prices
- When in Patong, even if not there for a giant night out, make sure to head to Tiger Bar. It kind of sums up the Patong vibe with something like 50 different mini bars each with their own theme
- There are a bunch of islands off the east coast of Phuket that you can visit as part of day tour with a variety of operators leaving from Yamu Pier. The islands are great, but you just need to be careful who you book with because it is very easy to get rammed into a full tourist boat that won’t quite hit the paradise vibe you’re looking for
- There are some great spots for scuba diving all around Phuket, in particular the ferry reef dive off Raja Yai in the south is superb, with heaps of large cleaner fish that come up very close
Chilling – Go Slow is on the street signs, used when people say hello to each other, and just the general culture of the place. Such a wonderfully laid back Caribbean beach town
Diving – some fab dive sites no distance from the shore, and of course access to the world famous Blue Hole
Drinking – the Spit, the narrow channel that splits Caye Caulker in two and with a series of beach bars to allow you to chill in the water whilst having your drinks, makes for one of the best drinking spots you can dream of
Caye Caulker – a must if in Belize
The most beautiful place I saw in Central America and, quite possibly, the most beautifully idyllic place in the world. Think Lake Como in Italy, but with volcanoes and indigenous villages dotting the side. Think originally scheduling for 1 night, but extending to 3 nights after one look across the lake. Think finding that spot nestled in the trees just above the water with a view looking across the lake and the volcanoes, and knowing your whole day will be happily spent there as you swing in the hammock only leaving for occasional swims
Ok, you get it, idyllically beautiful. A must if in Central America
If you’re a diver, its also worth doing a couple of dives here. Whilst the visibility is poor and not a huge amount of wildlife to see, its a good experience to be diving at altitude (1560m / 5100ft), plus checking out the now-underwater hotel and finding hot spots on the lake bed where the volcano heats the lake
Visiting the Colca Canyon is a great 3/4 day trip from Arequipa – you’ll see some stunning scenery as the canyon is the second deepest in the world (twice the depth of the Grand Canyon) with majestic condors flying overhead, see plenty of traces of the old Inca construction along the valley; and end it with some adrenaline pumping zip-lining
If you’re going to hike one trek in Peru, it will very likely be the Inca trail, which is indeed stunning (see Hiking the 4 days Inca Trail for more details). But the Colca Canyon trip is one that will cost a fraction of that, be far less busy and allow you to go at your own pace. I really rated it
The Inca Trail is a 43km hike that snakes its way majestically through a combination of stunning Andes mountains, Peruvian countryside, near perfectly maintained Inca ruins, thick cloud forest mists and ending at the Sun Gate, the mountain entrance to the world famous ruins of Machu Picchu. It is one of those rare travel experiences that really lives up to the hype
As you can see in the tips below, there are a few things to consider before heading off on the trail, in particular your level of fitness, the cost and going at the right time of year. It can also get a little busy at times, but this is all relative – 200 hikers per day spread over the 43km rarely feels crowded compared to Machu Picchu and the various Inca sites in the Sacred Valley. If you have the time, the money and the stamina, you’ve got to do it. The combination of the mystery of the Inca ruins, the truly breathtaking mountain scenery and its world fame makes this one of the must do travel experiences in South America and, in my opinion, the world
