Town is a big magnet for backpackers and individual travelers. The place is small, but is already geared towards tourists. Many fishermen have switched to taking visitors to diving areas or navigating through the picturesque tropical island world. There are thousands of islands here, big and small. There are wrecks and corals to dive or snorkel to. But you can also enjoy the warm, turquoise water, the sand under your feet and the tropical fruits.

At first we only found accommodation for one night and have to realize that we would like to stay longer, but cannot. The room was already reserved the next day.

The island world of Palawan is the region of the Philippines with the greatest biodiversity, the greatest vegetation, the fewest people and the only occurrence of malaria.

We had taken prophylactic malaria pills with us, which we had been taking for a week in order to be prepared for the tropical fever. After the first night in El Nido, I wasn’t feeling well at all. I was sweating profusely, was exhausted, and constantly had to get rid of something from my body. By the afternoon at the latest, I was convinced that I had malaria, but what should you do? The only option for the disease was the pills that we had been taking all along.

We also had to look for new accommodation. Weakened, I struggled through the place and wondered around. Eventually we found something that wasn’t quite as nice as our previous accommodation – not right on the beach – but good enough. Lo and behold, the next day I was in top shape again.

We borrowed two small scooters and drove them across the island. We came through the bustle of the city into the bushes and villages. We witnessed the notorious cockfighting directly on the roadside. This “sport” is the favorite pastime of the Filippinos. The roosters are extensively bred and trained. For the fight they get metal claws on the already sharp ends of their toes. The bird that loses the fight is usually dead. The stakes are a lot of money for the owners and those who bet on the animals.

The road full of potholes soon dissolves into gravel and mud. Sometimes we also have to drive through rivers that cross the road. We cross the island once from west to east until we have the view of the island world and the ocean in the direction of the rising sun, until we decide to return.

In El Nido we have another opportunity for an incredible sunset on the beach.