After an emotional goodbye with our families at Sydney International Airport, and taking the scenic (read: long) route to the Philippines, we finally met up with Nicola and Jake in El Nido, Palawan, late on Tuesday, 14 January 2025. We made it!

We had an action-packed three nights in El Nido, which stole all our hearts. On Day 1, we woke at 3:30am to prepare for a “hike” up Taraw Peak. The night before, we’d met with our tour guide at The Couch El Nido to get the lowdown on what to expect. “It’s more like a climb—like bouldering—and for beginners, it’s a 7/10 difficulty,” he said. He wasn’t lying.

Doused in insect repellent, the four of us kicked off the two-hour climb in the pitch dark at 4:15am, tackling four cliff faces along the way. It was intense and so. goddamn. humid. By the time we reached the top, we were sweaty and scratched, but waiting for the sunrise made it all–I never thought I’d say this–worth it. Watching the sun peek over the Palawan coastline was stunning. We were able to take some amazing pictures, but they just don’t do the view justice. The descent down the same treacherous path was far less beautiful. It resulted in many cuts and bruises, albeit lifelong memories. I was glad when Pat said it was the hardest “hike” he’s ever accomplished, too… In all honesty, if you are fit and able to complete the climb, we highly recommend adding it to your Philippines bucket list.

As if that wasn’t enough for one day, we rushed back to the hostel in a tuk-tuk, threw on clean clothes and swimmers, and within five minutes were off on an island-hopping tour with the guys from The Couch El Nido again—all before 7:30am. We completed Island Tour D (El Nido’s tours are named A through D, each with different attractions), which took us to some incredible places like Cadlao Island, Small Lagoon, Nat Nat Beach, Paradise Beach, and Bukal Island.

The water was the clearest, bluest we’ve ever seen, and we kayaked at almost every stop. In between snorkeling, backflipping off the boat, reapplying SPF 50+ many times, and living our best lives, the boat crew whipped up an amazing Filipino lunch on the beach. We stuffed ourselves with honey soy chicken, sweet and sour pork, Filipino spring rolls, barbecued prawns, noodles, rice, fresh pineapple and watermelon, and, of course, Red Horse beer. Perfection. By the time we got back to Spin Designer Hostel (AKA “Spin”) at 2:30pm, we were absolutely wrecked. While a nap was mandatory, we may have gone a little overboard and nearly missed the sunset. That night, we wandered to a nearby rooftop bar for dinner and drinks and gathered around a phone to cheer for Haz as we watched him debut for the Strikers! We hit the hay soon after.

Day 2 = Island Tour A, and we all agreed it was even better than Tour D. We visited the Big Lagoon, the Secret Lagoon (yes, it’s hidden), Shimizu Island’s secret beach, Payong-Payong Beach (where we had another epic lunch), and Seven Commandos Beach. Between beach volleyball, kayaking, sunbaking (for Nic) shadebaking (for me) and swimming, it was another perfect day. Once we arrived back to Spin, Jake and Pat decided to try and do laundry in the hostel’s washing machine (not sure if the clothes are really clean, but not their fault). Despite this, Spin is an amazing hostel and we would easily stay there again (as long as the four of us can share a four-bed dorm again. lol). After hanging our clothes out to dry, we headed to Vanilla Beach for sunset. In the Philippines, it’s very hard to predict whether the sunset will be sunsetting (on this day it wasn’t). Thankfully, we salvaged the evening with some cards (Presidents and Assholes) until it started pouring rain. We ended up sheltering in a bar for a few beers and sensibly calling it an early night.

Sadly, we departed El Nido early on Friday morning. We left on what was meant to be a “fast” ferry to Coron, but was a journey we’ll have PTSD from for the rest of our lives. The swell was so big, and people around us (meaning Jake) began to look queasy within minutes of setting off. The crew handed out plastic bags to everyone like party bags—because they knew. For the next 4.5 hours, the boat turned into a floating vomitorium. Nearly everyone on board was throwing up, and you couldn’t escape the sound of retching, no matter how loud your AirPods volume was. It didn’t matter whether you focused on the horizon (which was largely covered by curtains inside the cabin), took deep breaths, or prayed to your god of choice—nothing helped. When we finally made it to Coron, we were pale, dehydrated, and defeated.

Moments like these remind you just how unpredictable travelling can be (although we could’ve easily read the ferry reviews and decided not to get on the boat). Weather and travel in Southeast Asia can often throw surprises your way. Despite this, the charm of the Philippines wins. The beaches, lagoons, and landscapes are breathtaking, but it’s the Filipino people who truly make the experience unforgettable. Their kindness, warmth, humour, and generosity are unmatched. We can’t recommend the team at The Couch El Nido enough–we are grateful for their patience, care and expertise when taking us on all three tours. We also can’t stress how much we recommend you NEVER take the ferry from El Nido to Coron (or back). Fly instead.

Here’s to making even more memories in Coron!