The Palawan you want

MANILA, Philippines - This looks like a Richard Gere movie,” my companion said, as he sized up the beach in front of us. Whichever movie that was, I would’ve fully agreed had he also alluded to Lost, to describe the vast, secluded expanse of Honda Bay’s smooth brown shores. Villa Leonora’s restaurant — the entire property, in fact — opens up to this scenic view. A lone boat sat out on the horizon and I couldn’t help comparing it to the resort’s isolated feel. No souvenir stores, henna tattoo shops, or streaking French tourists were in sight — it was Palawan, stripped of any overdeveloped crap.

This is where the Wimdu experience comes in. A global marketplace for various forms of accommodation, Wimdu allows travelers to book properties from over 2,000 cities in over 100 countries. If you’re the type who favors a less commercialized, more personal cultural experience of a certain destination, Wimdu has the answer. It aims to offer rented-out housing that caters to different tastes, experiences, and budgets.

Fresh sesh: Be it shrimp, pork liempo, or crab, the local boatmen can cook them all for you.

And in the case of Palawan’s Villa Leonora, it’s only here where travelers are assured of front-row seats to nature’s best. Less than an hour’s trip from Puerto Princesa City Airport, the resort is situated right along Honda Bay in San Rafael. “Villa Leonora has been around for only two years, but the property goes back as far as 20 years ago,” recalls British owner Arthur Stilgrove, who named the place after his Filipino wife. The resort boasts of eight fully air-conditioned rooms, each furnished with double beds and fitted with a bathroom (with hot water) and an attic, where you can put additional beds. Their ranch-style fan rooms are available as well, should you want to rough it a little and let the sea breeze lull you to sleep.

Island hopping from Honda Bay to the nearby islands can also be arranged here and should be high on your to-do list from day one. My group sailed to Snake Island, where our boatman doubled as our cook. Served atop our bamboo table were plates of steamed crab, sinigang na talakitok, and shrimp boiled in salt and ginger — all freshly caught. The pork liempo was literally a cut above the rest. Rubbed with sea salt — just salt, no pepper — the meat was grilled using coconut husk charcoal, the fumes of which boosted its flavor. After stressing myself out, trying to capture decent underwater photos of the coral reefs and swordfishes nearby, enjoying such a meal afterwards felt nothing short of moan-worthy. We paired every dish with rice and ate with our bare hands. It was a kamayan meal no Metro Manila dampa could top.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site: Puerto Princesa’s 8.2 km subterranean river looks like a museum of nature’s art.Wikimedia Commons

The underground river is another must-visit in Palawan. You’ll see all kinds of massive, hipster-shaped stalactites and stalagmites, from a giant mushroom to the Three Wise Men on a cliff, from a line of crooked vegetables to a few overt genitals. Exploring its chambers with a flashlight 25 meters of water below us in pitch black, bat-filled darkness was suddenly worth the scare.

Once you return to Sabang Beach, make sure to try the tamilok or mangrove worm. Knowing how Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods once tried this kilawin-like Palawan delicacy, I went straight for it and ordered a bowl — much to my well-deserved dismay. Gooey and absurdly long, the worm felt like I was slurping down, well, phlegm. But try it just so you could say you “manned up in Palawan.”

You’ll finish a lifetime trying to cover everything the long and narrow island of Palawan has to offer.

Heading back to Villa Leonora was a welcome change of pace. Its restaurant is spacious and breeze-ventilated, making dining a pleasant experience. Highlights here include the grilled squid, shrimp, and wild boar (baboy damo) adobo. Before retiring to your room, you can wind down with a game of billiards and darts while enjoying a chilled bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale, imported from Stilgrove’s hometown in Northern England. If you’re staying longer, other day-trip tours you can arrange in the morning include trekking to a Batac tribal village, the Tarau caves, and the Olanguan waterfalls. Each tour comes with a tour guide and packed lunch.

Though rough around the edges, Villa Leonora partly embodies what Palawan stands for: more than just a tranquil alternative to Boracay’s commercialized shores, it gives travelers a chance to trade the usual luxuries for some intimacy with nature and the raw culture within it.

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Check out more destinations at Wimdu at wimdu.com and facebook.com/wimduphilippines.

The tamilok or mangrove worm: Bizarre Foods’ Andrew Zimmern once tried this Palawan delicacy.