Port Barton

February 06, 2024

Port Barton

I spent five days in Port Barton and I enjoyed them very much. Port Barton is smaller than El Nido and less touristy.

I stayed at Ferranco Tourist Inn for three nights then moved to Dam Dam Place since I couldn’t extend my stay at Ferranco.

I booked an island hopping tour when I was at Ferranco. The tour was the best one I’ve been on and its cost was 1300 PHP (about $24) after a 200 PHP discount. There were only eight other passengers and the boat was in great condition compared to the other tour boats. We didn’t stay on the boat very long since the places we went to were nearby and there were five different places. I snorkeled twice with the help of the boat’s crew. He dragged the life saver while I held on to it. Even though I wore a life jacket I still wasn’t good at swimming. I was able to see some fish and corals. It was the best snorkeling experience I’ve had.

On the tour, I chatted with a British couple, Adam and Emily, who were staying in the inn as well. They are in their 20s and taking six months off to travel in Asia. We had many great conversations. Adam worked in biotech and Emily is a scientist, two very smart people.

We met for dinner a couple of times. We also chilled at Coconut Beach outside of Port Barton, which is a private beach with an entrance fee of 50 PHP, or about a dollar. There were two wild pigs roaming around on the beach, sniffing for food from the tourists’ bags. I also walked to White Beach. It’s a more crowded beach but it has a restaurant. Unfortunately, the restaurant was packed when I was there so I took a boat ride back into town.

I thought El Nido was paradise, but I think Port Barton is even more so since it also has a beach in town. I don’t mind retiring here, but then boredom will kick in and I would want to go to somewhere else.

The food was better this time around since I was able to get seafood and some vegetables. I don’t think I gained too much weight like the last time I was in the Philippines.

I’m in Puerto Princesa now. It’s a big town, but there doesn’t seem to be many things to do from what I’ve heard. I’m staying in Bamboo Nest Guesthouse and there aren’t many restaurants nearby. I’ll be staying here for three night before taking a flight to Cebu.