By now, through a series of posts and photos, I think I have established the fact that I absolutely love El Nido and that it's a beautiful place with dramatic limestone cliffs and pristine beaches. If I were given a chance to spend a paid month-long vacation in a local destination, I'd definitely go for El Nido. It's my kind of town - laid-back, quiet and gorgeous beyond words. Two days in El Nido was too short of a stay but it's been a wonderful experience. I'm sure this lovely town has more to offer than island hopping tours. And I can't wait to be back in paradise (Yes, my friends and I are traveling to El Nido this coming summer, first week of May to be exact.)

The first thing you'll notice in El Nido is the abundance of foreign tourists. They're literally all over the place. The chance of not seeing a foreigner when you're in El Nido is close to none. Whether you're walking down the beach in Bacuit Bay, or having a stroll along Calle Hama or Rizal, you're bound to meet and see White people, that's for sure. So if you're the type of person who's afraid of foreigners or have something against them, you better think twice before going to El Nido because they dominate the place. Not in a bad way though.
When you're alone in a far-flung but beautiful town like El Nido, it's hard to play the I'm-alone-so-don't-talk-to-me game. I traveled here all by myself but having been surrounded by hundreds of people who were mostly foreigners, I didn't feel so alone anymore. Despite the unpleasant part of my stay at La Banane, I don't regret the fact that I spent two days at the hostel. If anything, it let me meet cool foreign travelers and mingle with them. I threw the introverted persona in me out of the window and let my guard down. In a place I didn't know a single soul, there's a danger of becoming out of my element but there's also an exciting possibility of experiencing something different - something that I wouldn't have gotten to experience if I were with a company of friends.

I met Den at a friend's wedding in Lopez, Quezon late last year. He traveled to the town solo, which wasn't a problem with him since he likes hitting the road all by himself. He could have joined us on the way back to Manila but he preferred taking the bus alone so he went off with only his bag and phone for company. Den is no stranger to solo traveling because he has in fact gone outside the country on a number of occasions alone. He has been to Thailand twice. Just recently, he spent a 7-day holiday in Phuket.

For the latest edition of Meet the Young Blood Traveler Series, Den shares with us his itinerary and experience in Phuket. 

It's my second time in Phuket and I'd say that overall it has been an absolute fun. Philippines and Thailand are like twin sisters and so Thai hospitality reminds me of our Filipino hospitality. Phuket is famous for its beautiful beaches, its wild (and sleazy) nightlife and exquisite scenery but there's definitely much more to this island than that. Its plush history has left a legacy of vibrant temples, spicy foods, and those familiar warm smiles all wrapped up with Thai’s mixed and tolerant culture.

Okay. So it's the month of love and your heart is broken. The timing couldn't have been more dramatic. I mean it's fine to have your heart broken on some random days of the year but certainly not this month, right? Just the thought of spending Valentine's Day all alone is downright sad and simply depressing. Ah... what are you going to do on the 14th, eh?
Telling all these may feel like putting salt in your fresh wound. My apologies. It's not my intention to hurt you. To hurt someone who's already messed up is sheer cruelty. What you need right now is some cheering up because you look like you're in terrible pain. Listen, let's pretend I've been down the same road before and I know how hard it is to be in the same situation as yours. Makes you want to do all sort of crazy stuff that only a depressed person can think of. But don't you ever lose it - the pain, the heartache, it will go away. It will just do. I'm not sure when and how but believe me, it's just temporary. You'll get over it. And someday, you will reminisce this whole thing with a smile on your face.

I prefer staying at hostels when I go out of town alone because I don't really feel comfortable sleeping inside the hotel room without any living company. My previous solo escapades forced me to spend a night or two inside a room all by myself. First was during my solo trip in Legazpi and the second was when I went solo in Boracay. Both stays were possibly the loneliest experiences I've had so far. While I enjoy every peace and quiet I get from spending some alone time inside a silent space, the absence of noise can be painfully deafening and an unpleasant reminder that going solo does have its drawbacks.
Staying in a hostel is an adventure in itself because you get to mingle with its occupants, especially if you're staying in a dorm. My 2-day stay at La Banane, a relatively new hostel in El Nido that's already making a buzz among travelers, was quite an experience, not necessarily the great kind. The people I met, the staff I interacted with and the hostel per se were all part of such adventure, making my El Nido sojourn highly memorable.

I was able to mingle with the hostel guests all right, but I also had an unusual experience, which I'm calling an adventure, with one of the hostel staffs. It started with an inquisitive greeting ("Yes?" instead of "How may I help you?") when he saw me standing near the gate of La Banane. He was sitting on the steps in front of the reception area. At first I thought he was a she, because he wore a dress (and a revealing one at that). His deep and husky voice soon told me he wasn't a woman. Right from the get-go, I could sense his indifference toward me.

When D, a traveler I met in El Nido, told me he wanted to see the Manila Chinese Cemetery, I wasn't sure I was ready to jump on board. Seemed like a sad, creepy site but after doing some online research about the place, my curiosity suddenly got tickled. D's flight back to Amsterdam was scheduled at around 12 midnight so he had a few hours to spare. He certainly didn't want to spend his free time doing nothing. We met at Robinsons Mall in Malate where we deposited his stuff. From there, we took a cab to the cemetery.
[An elaborate mausoleum]

I initially planned on going to the Chinese Cemetery by taking the train, so D can also experience how Manila trains work but a little hiccup he encountered at Terminal 1 took some of his precious time so we opted for a much faster transport option. En route to our destination, D shared with me his awesome experiences traveling in the Philippines (mainly Palawan and the Visayas region). He only had great things to say about the country - friendly people, great beaches and cheap but decent accommodations - which made me so proud about my homeland that I almost cried (kidding).

Ipil Beach was dominated by young and energetic holidaymakers that lazy afternoon. You could see them having swell time by simply lazing on the sand, reading books and listening to music. I think our arrival on the island might have momentarily disturbed their reverie. Like beavers peeking out from their lodge, they looked at us with faint interest and once the engine had died, they went back to what they were doing, doing nothing, that is.
The beach was ideal for this type of activity or more aptly, the lack thereof. You can take a spot on the beach, just sit or lie there, do absolutely nothing and you'd still feel great. I tried mimicking what the others were doing but the ADHD in me simply couldn't stay put in one place. The less crowded part of the beach looked interesting and worth-venturing out.