On to Palawan in the Philippines!
After a short night in Japan (sleeping in a horrific love hotel in Osaka … brr) we start our journey to the Philippines. Via Manila, we fly on to the island of Palawan, where we land in Puerto Princessa. There is a lot of delays, but after a full and warm flight, we finally land in Puerto Princessa.
Once in our hotel, Blue Lagoon, we are exhausted. We have a bit to eat, call home to tell we’ve arrived, book a massage (we’ve been looking forward to this all day) and then fall asleep like babies.
Looking for an itinerary for Palawan? Read here our two-week Palawan itinerary!
On to relaxed Port Barton!
The air conditioning helps us sleep very well, once outside we notice how warm it is. Gosh, this is really different from Japan where it was 2 degrees in the morning. After breakfast, we are picked up by a van that will deliver us after 4 hours in Port Barton, the destination for the next few days. After a lot of horror stories about these vans (car sickness, extremely bumpy roads) we are fully prepared. Travel sickness pills and salty biscuits in our hands, that’s how we’re going to survive this trip! It turns out to be not too bad, we arrive in Port Barton just 3.5 hours later.
Port Barton is a small village on a bay. There are some tourists, but it is still fairly undiscovered. We stay at the Deep Moon Resorts, wooden huts a few meters from the beach. All night we hear the waves crashing against the surf, a wonderful sound.
Click here to read all about our favorite hotels in The Philippines!
Green hills with palm trees around Port Barton
Port Barton turns out to be stunning, so quiet, with such a relaxed atmosphere. The village is surrounded by green hills full of palm trees and if you look at the sea, you see green islands in the water in the distance. The sea is light blue and the beach nice and white. In short: we have arrived at the perfect place to rest after Japan.
We explore the village and the beach. There are 4 other dutchies here, so while having a snack we start talking, exchanging travel experiences and tips. We do not make it very late, the travelling of the past days and the sounds of the waves makes us fall asleep in time.
Learning how to dive in Port Barton on Palawan!
Today we are going to test dive all day. We plan to get our diving license during our trip and that is possible here in Port Barton. So today we are going to try diving and if we like it we will get our diving certificate. After a large pancake breakfast, we get on the boat. We are joining the team of Aquaholics, the diving school here in Port Barton.
First, in shallow water, we are taught how to take off the mask, breathe through an oxygen tank and help another diver in need. Then we will make our first dive. This goes well for me, but Ries has some trouble popping his ears (removing pressure from your ears). He also keeps getting a bleeding nose.
A unique experience: going on an island hopping tour in the Philippines with Buhay Isla!
The last dive goes wrong …
We take a boat to another place where we dive a little deeper. Things are going a lot better here at Ries. We see beautiful fish and beautiful coral. The underwater world always impresses me! Back on the boat we have lunch with the other people (4 French tourists and the crew). The last dive has started, we are now going to a depth of 13 meters, which means that you cannot go up in one go if something happens. For 9 meters in ascent, you must take at least a minute of break to be safe.
Where Ries had problems with clearing in the morning, in the afternoon there is some setback for me. Unfortunately, my mask leaks and the pressure on my forehead increases with every meter. In the end, I signal the diving instructor and we break off the diver earlier. I feel not well and the rest of the evening I am having a big headache. Ries decides to continue for his diving certificate, but I am not sure. I feel insecure and reluctant to go out into the water again…
Yoga and relax in Port Barton in the Philippines!
We wake up early and put on our sports clothes, off to yoga. Our yoga class is given on the roof of our hotel, the entire building is open and from your mat, you can look at the beach and along the palm trees out to sea: to sum it up, we found heaven on earth. After an hour of nice exercises, we are finally a bit less stiff and we are ready to have breakfast.
And that was it for the activities today. We lie on the beach all day, Ries studies for his diving exam tomorrow, we lie in the hammock reading and sometimes we jump into the sea. I find the best American Pancakes ever at restaurant/hotel Besaga, drink a beer with some the dutchies, make plans for tomorrow and in the evening we have the best vegetarian pizzas ever at restaurant Gorgonzola. Wow, life is good.
Ries gets his diving certificate at Port Barton!
The next morning, we split up. Ries goes diving and exam all day and I go island hopping and snorkelling with the people we met our first day here in Port Barton.
Ries makes three beautiful dives including a dive to a shipwreck. This time his nose doesn’t bother him and when he passes the exam at the end of the day he is very very happy!
A day trip by boat from Port Barton!
Like Ries during his dive, I see two turtles, a very large one and a smaller one. In addition, a ray and beautiful fish. It is fun with the other people on the boat and a delicious lunch is prepared on a small uninhabited island. After lunch the boat sails along a large sandbar where huge pink starfish lie. What a beautiful sight.
Tip: don’t pick up the starfish out of the water. Even just a few seconds can kill them!
In the evening we have a massage on the beach. Then we eat pizza again at Gorgonzola with the group with whom we spent a lot of time the rest of the days, very nice. We walk back to our cabin and prepare some things for tomorrow. Then we leave for El Nido, the next destination.
From Port Barton to El Nido
Our last day again at this lovely spot! If you go to the Philippines and are not sure about Port Barton, do not hesitate any longer, it is amazing here! We wouldn’t have minded staying here a little longer!
We start the day early with yoga again, and luckily we notice that we are already a bit more flexible than the day before yesterday. Then we eat a breakfast of fresh smoothie bowls and pancakes and now we sit together to write and edit some photos. At 13.00 our van leaves for El Nido, where we will arrive four hours later. We are curious, after this sleepy village, El Nido sounds like a busy place to be. There are many more tourists, but apparently, the boat trips are even more beautiful. It is even be said that the area is even more beautiful than Halong Bay in Vietnam. We’ll let you know in the next blog!
Click here to read all about our time on El Nido!
Travel tips for Port Barton in the Philippines!
Below you will find a lot of tips for Port Barton. From (in our opinion) the best restaurants, to good hotels and three fun activities and sights on Port Barton that you should not miss!
Eating out in Port Barton: the best restaurants!
Besaga Cottages: Port Barton’s best American pancakes: You can eat the best American pancakes at the restaurant of Besaga Cottages.
Deep Moon Resort: smoothie bowls and healthy food: Fancy a healthy breakfast? Order a delicious smoothie bowl at hotel Deep Moon Resorts.
Gorgonzolla: the best pizzas in Port Barton: Craving Pizza? You will find amazing good pizza at restaurant Gorgonzolla.
Yoske Restaurant: Israeli and falafel in Port Barton: Falafel and humus in the Philippines? Yes, you can find it at Yoske Restaurant.
Olive’s Crib Restaurant: Filipino cuisine: At Olive’s Crib Restaurant they have the best Filipino food in all of Port Barton.
Five fun activities at Port Barton!
1) Relax in a hammock on the beach of Port Barton!
Doze off in your hammock, lie on the beautiful beach for hours and occasionally jump into the sea. The cocktails taste good here, the people are nice. Clearly, you are in paradise!
2) Get your diving license in Port Barton!
At Palawan, it is possible to get both your Padi and your SSI (which is actually the same thing just a different organization) and make some beautiful dives! Especially in El Nido there are a lot of diving schools, but we can recommend diving school Aquaholics in Port Barton. To obtain your diving certificate you need an average of three days. Also, keep in mind the ban on flying 24 hours after your last dive.
3) Active in Port Barton: hike to the Pamuayan Falls
A free morning in Port Barton? Then hike to the Pamuayan Falls, less than four kilometres from the bay. It is easy to do yourself, but it is also possible with a guide (4 euros per hour).
4) Take a yoga class in Port Barton
Yoga classes are held twice a week on the roof of the Deep Moon Resorts hotel. A more idyllic setting is hardly possible with the sea less than 20 meters away.
5) Must do activity at Port Barton: an island tour!
Do an island hopping tour. For 10 euros per person, you can do a day tour to go island hopping and snorkelling with a group of people. You see beautiful fish, with a bit of luck a large turtle and a lot of coral. For lunch a nice fish BBQ with enough fresh fruit. Easily book on the beach at one of the many sellers. You can choose from tour A to E, but trust us, they are all beautiful. For 50 euros you can also do a private tour and a mix of the five different tours can be made. Recommended!