This week we swapped buses for a ‘bangka’ and sailed through some of the most breathtaking waters we’ve ever seen, joining a Tao Philippines expedition from El Nido to Coron, a few days off-grid, sailing through the remote islands of northern Palawan.

We’ll share more soon about the adventures themselves (think snorkelling, sunsets, and some of the best food we have eaten this year), but here are five things we took away from our time at sea.

1. El Nido is more than just a jumping off point

Before we set sail, we spent a few days soaking in the energy of El Nido, a chaotic but charming little town fringed by towering limestone cliffs. While it’s often seen as a jumping-off point, it deserves a little more credit. We wandered backstreets filled with local eateries, where we picked up snippets of the local Cuyonon dialect mixed with Tagalog. Even just learning how to say “salamat” (thank you) and “masarap” (delicious) brought smiles. It reminded us that language, even in small doses, is a bridge and a way to show respect to the people whose home we’re lucky enough to explore.

Whilst El Nido is undoubtedly touristy and perhaps isn’t what it used to be (at least according to travellers that have seen it change over the years), for us, after having come from cities with millions of people, a little rustic town was the perfect start to our time in the Philippines.

2. Tao Philippines is not your average tour

Tao (which means ‘people’ in Filipino) is a social enterprise that’s been running since the early 2000s, started by two friends who wanted to offer something different, not just a tour, but an experience rooted in community. What makes it special is that it’s all powered by the people of Palawan. We stayed in remote camps built by locals, ate food grown on Tao’s own organic farms, and travelled with a crew who shared stories of their islands, weather patterns, and way of life. It felt like we were guests, not just customers. A rare thing.

And honestly, after having heard about other expeditions from El Nido to Coron or vice-versa, Tao offers something different – it’s the social objectives of the organisation that sets it apart. Whether it’s the locally grown food, or the skills that the local communities are learning to offer this experience, it is truly one of a kind.

You can check out their page here;

3. Everyone has a story – and a tip for your next trip

One of the best parts of our week wasn’t in the itinerary: it was the people we met. Around dinner tables and on deck during long sails, we shared travel stories with fellow explorers and picked up more than a few ideas. A Tasmanian road trip. Jungle trekking in Indonesian Borneo. Slow village stays in northern Thailand. Everyone had a different path, and listening reminded us that we’re never too experienced to learn something new especially from each other. It reminded us that some of the best travel advice isn’t found in guidebooks or blogs, it’s shared over rice and rum, under the stars.

We have no idea how we’ll incorporate any of these tips into our plans for this year but it has certainly opened our eyes to new possibilities on our route to Fiji.

4. The waters of Palawan are like a being in an aquarium

We know it sounds cliché saying it’s like an aquarium but being in places where it’s not you and a dozen other boats offering the same pool of water to snorkel in, meant that it was just us, our fellow travellers and a hundred different kinds of marine life swimming around you.

Each day, we snorkelled in new spots that felt like nothing else we had seen before. Coral reefs bursting with life, sunken WWII wrecks eerily silent below the surface, and lagoons so blue they looked edited. The waters around in Palawan are rich, not just in beauty, but in history and biodiversity. Every swim was a chance to tune into the rhythm of the sea and feel incredibly small in the best way. We’d heard the term ‘paradise’ used before but here, it doesn’t feel like an exaggeration. It made us very excited to get stuck into our scuba diving next week!

5. We’re more resilient than we think

Life on a Tao expedition is simple but it’s not always easy. There’s no Wi-Fi, no hot showers, and sometimes you get caught in a rainstorm in the middle of the ocean with nothing but a dry bag and good humour. But that’s the magic of it. We learned that we’re tougher (and more adaptable) than we give ourselves credit for. A few nights without electricity, sweaty sleeps, a few bugs and the occasional shower in the sea and suddenly, we’re leaning into the discomfort. Living simply for a few days reminded us how little we actually need. A little salt in our hair and rice for breakfast isn’t the end of the world and it might even be the beginning of something better.

Final Thoughts

We’ll dive into more detail soon about the Tao experience, the places we visited, the food we ate, and the lessons we’ll take with us. For now, we’re letting it all sink in (somewhere on dry land, with a proper bed, a warm shower and dry clothes).

Thanks, as always, for coming along with us.

Until next week…

A & S

5 Things We Have Learned ThIs Week… #15