I may have been an urbanite since birth. But not by heart.
Surround me with shrubbery and trees or place me somewhere where the sea is just a few steps away (throw in a reliable Internet connection for work) and yay is me.
The truth is, island living feels home for me. Seafood and vegetables every day. Fruits as snacks or drinks. And a daily dose of Vitamin Sea and Sunshine for exercise coupled with the calming swaying of the waves for a mental health boost. AH!
Luckily, I live in a country with over 7,000 islands. And so, having even a taste of that dream wasn’t far off. I just had to pick the right one.
By right, I mean one where I can tick all the boxes above, was relatively near, and not as expensive as a full-blown vacation requiring airspace invasion.
That one was Puerto Galera.
Just 150 km southwest of Manila, this beautiful island in Oriental Mindoro is just a bus and boat ride away. On the Klook app, I found a service that took care of both my land and sea travels to the island for just PHP 1,500.00.
Tip: If you’re unsure of your return date or simply don’t have a return ticket yet, you can book it directly at the concierge of the bus and ferry service in Ermita, Manila. It’s cheaper by about PHP 500.00. Important: If you’re on an open-ended vacation, you must text the concierge’s number a day before your final day in Puerto Galera so they can schedule your ferry ride back to Manila accordingly.
While many opt to stay at White Beach where hotels and tourists abound, I chose an accommodation close to Talipanan Beach. If you didn’t opt to rent a car, you’ll have to ride a tricycle from the port to Talipanan, which costs about PHP 200.00.
I stayed in a house complete with a garage, backyard, garden, and its own water tank. All its rooms were also air-conditioned. But the best thing about it was its proximity to the sea, which was just about a three-minute walk.
I had a blast!
I cooked and ate whole foods only, no ultra-processed snacks, not even rice (not that it’s bad for you) for an entire week. I cleaned up after every meal and maintained the cleanliness of the house. Other than that, I just enjoyed the laid-backness of it all.
I watched a show or a movie for like 1 hour during the first day only. The rest was virtually a disconnection from the digital world. I did have about one or two days when I still clocked in for remote work, but even in those times I swam in the sea during lunch breaks and as soon as I clocked out.
I even met and played with a few kids while on a swim one day. One of our games was pick up trash from the ocean floor, while the other was seahorse back ride, which nearly drowned me (kidding). They borrowed my goggles at some point. We had fun. Lots of fun.
Island living was amazing. My most amazing experience however was during the penultimate day of my vacay.
I commissioned a fisherman who also did island-hopping tours on the side to guide me in exploring small islands nearby where I could go snorkeling and do some sightseeing. I also asked him if we could eat lunch on an island and if he could buy some fish from another fisherman since we would leave early that day.
And what a day it was.
We began the day by traveling to an island near amazing rock formations and with an even bluer water than in Talipanan’s side of the sea.
There, the fisherman set up a small cooking station to cook the fish he brought. I, on the other hand, eagerly explored the beach on that side and swam about in the sea. After which, I took a short but very nice nap under the shade of a tree and the comfort of my rock pillow.
After our sumptuous lunch of freshly caught fish, we ventured onto another island where a famed beach resort is in Occidental Mindoro. (Talipanan is actually at the very edge of Oriental Mindoro.) The fisherman took me there as he said that the sea there is better for swimming. He was right!
As I swam in the area, I saw a blowfish! I know it’s no dolphin nor whale, but I came face-to-face with it. I felt as if a fan who saw a celebrity they’ve only seen on NatGeo or the Discovery Channel.
Our final stop was snorkeling on an island near White Beach. I saw that the coral reefs were damaged, which I hope will benefit from a rehabilitation program someday. Still, there were lots of fish with each school seemingly having their own business to attend to. And I believe they did.
I ended the day hanging around and having fun at White Beach with tourists and locals alike. Speaking of tourists, I saw a lot of French families enjoying the island during my visit. I even greeted a family (with a probably butchered version of) Bon soir!
All in all, I really had a good time. And although it was just a taste of living a few steps away from the shore, I can still very well savor the experience.
Cheers,
Fork with No Name