Depression, Life and Love on the Road, Life on the Road, Travel Tips

Five Tips for Coping With Post Trip Depression

 9 Comments

I’ve got the post trip blues

I’ve been back in Australia for just under two months now, but I’ve only really started to feel settled since coming to my family home in northern NSW. There’s something about unpacking your suitcase into a chest of drawers, setting up your PC, and putting your passport someplace safe that feels terribly final.

I returned home after two and a half years away knowing that there would be post trip blues and that, if history was any indication, I’d be bouncing off the walls with cabin fever within a few weeks of being home.

The flurry of activity surrounding my best mate’s wedding, the bachelor party, and all of the catching up delayed the onset of it for a while, but it’s safe to say that I’m starting to feel the first few pangs of… how to describe it?

It’s a confusing cocktail of regret and sadness and happiness. A mix of nostalgia for the past and fear nervous anticipation for the future. Sadness for what has passed, but tinged with more than a little happiness for having had those experiences. 

Jumping for joy in the Philippines. Good times, good times.
Jumping for joy in the Philippines. Good times, good times.

An Expert Opinion

It seemed fateful, then, that I read Post-Trip Depression over on Nomadic Matt. I went over expecting to find some handy tips on how to overcome the monster that is post-trip depression, but found it was a more introspective and emotionally open piece about his own experiences with the dreaded post-trip blues.

When the initial hugs are hugged out, the stories told, and the reunions over, many of us find that coming back home isn’t really coming home at all. Our true home is being surrounded by the unknown.

The road is where we belong.

And, because of that, our gaze will always be on the horizon, looking, dreaming, and wishing for another opportunity to get away again. – Nomadic Matt

One thing that stood out to me, though, was how different our experiences were. I’m not quite as well traveled (or well read) as Nomadic Matt, but I’ve learned a thing or two about being away from home for extended periods of time over the past seven years, so it was with genuine surprise that I read that Matt (and others) have found that they return home to find things largely unchanged.

While their travels have changed them a great deal, they’ve come home to largely unchanged friends. There’s this frustration and sadness as the traveler comes to realize that the faces and places that used to feel like home don’t exist anymore. Not because they’ve gone, but because the person observing them no longer exists.

I can certainly relate to the feeling that I have changed a great deal, but for me every trip home has also meant learning about the people in my life all over again. The shops and bars I used to frequent may still be there, but my friends and family have had the gall to go ahead and change while I’ve been gone.

They’ve gotten married or ended long relationships. They’ve had kids or promotions or career changes. Some have lost weight, while others have lost interest in something I’d previously defined them by. As they’ve grown up they’ve drifted away from the games we played together in high school.

God as my witness, some of them have even started to enjoy AFL.

Maybe this is exacerbated by the fact I’ve got four younger siblings.

My family and I on vacation in 1999. We've all grown up!
My siblings and I on vacation in 1999.
The family in 2014. We've all grown up!
The family in 2014. We’ve all grown up!

I left with two of them just out of high school and one of them still in primary school. One of them now owns a house and seems well on the road towards a married happily ever after. Another has become such a gym junkie that it’s hard to believe we’re related, and the other has gone ahead and gone through puberty without me around.

I left him talking about cartoons and video games, and I’ve come back to a 15 year old boy who likes Dungeons & Dragons, girls, and video games.

Some things haven’t changed so much, I guess.

And don’t even get me started on the big changes. Two grandparents passed away in my absence, and the squalling babies that my sister proudly introduced me to are now running around grabbing things and saying words at me.

When I left, Ally was tiny! Now she's walking and talking and chucking tantrums!
When I left, Ally was tiny! Now she’s walking and talking and chucking tantrums!

What Makes it Hard

The point is, there’s change on two fronts.

While home might not have changed a great deal, it’s naive to think you’ll come back to things exactly as you left them. Unless you made a superhuman effort at maintaining friendships while you were gone (no easy task), you’re going to find friendships have cooled off a bit.

Some friendships – not the strongest to begin with – might have fizzled completely. Maybe it’s resentment at you for not making more of an effort, or maybe it’s just that people do change and grow apart as they grow older. Maybe the person has a much more demanding job now or maybe they’ve got a spouse and kids.

Some friendships stand the test of time and distance. My best mate and I catching up while he was in China.
Some friendships stand the test of time and distance. My best mate and I caught up while he was in China.

You may have left behind friends who got drunk every weekend and could play all day sessions of Halo at the drop of a hat, but you come back to find you need weeks of notice to get even the tiniest of social engagements locked in.

If those changes at home were all you had to deal with, you’d be laughing.

But it’s not just the people at home who have changed. It’s you as well.

Through your experiences abroad, you’ve changed more than you could possibly have imagined at the outset. You’ve learned about new cultures, broken down old suppositions, seen and done things that have altered your perception of the world, and (hopefully) grown into a more mature and rounded person.

The things that used to seem like the highlight of your week suddenly seem small and petty in comparison. The food you’d glorified in your head the whole time you were gone doesn’t quite measure up. Has the recipe changed? Or has your pallet been refined or expanded by the exotic tastes it has been exposed to?

It can all begin to feel like a bit too much. Whether you’re home for good or just for a brief visit, the post-trip blues can set in and the spiral into depression could very well follow.

Dealing with Post Trip Depression

This is my third time coming home after an extended period of time away. I’d like to say I’ve got post-trip depression licked, but that would be a lie. That being said, I have learned a couple of things that help a hell of a lot.

5. Start planning your next trip

A few people commented on Facebook to say that their favourite way to cope with post-trip depression is to start planning the next trip.

Solution? Book another trip, forget about these so called savings and run away to Australia for the next holidays. Right, I’ll be an adult another day. – PADIAlly

It can certainly help keep your mind off the past you’re missing so much if you’re planning for the future, but I’m of the belief that doing so robs you of the opportunity to fully experience the present. It’s all well and good to look towards the future, but don’t let the present and the opportunities it presents (pun intended) pass you by.

4. Catch up on all you’ve missed

The lovely Brianna, an expat who successfully made the return after years abroad, argues that it’s important to really make an effort to catch up with old friends. If you’ve been away a long time, many of these friendships may have been neglected – so take the time you now have to begin the process of building back to where you were.

The high school gang reunited earlier this year for my best mate's wedding.
The high school gang reunited earlier this year for my best mate’s wedding.

If you spent months or years pining for a certain food or a favourite place, go there! 

Break up these happy reunions and homecomings so that you’ve got things to look forward to not just for your first days back in the country – but your first weeks or even months.

While I’ve caught up with my family and many of my best friends already, I’ve got other friends and favourite places that I’ll be visiting over the next three to five months. Spacing them out like this, I’ve given myself small things to look forward to – meaning that the big thing (moving abroad to teach someplace new) isn’t all that occupies my mind.

3. Explore your backyard

It’s a sad fact that so many of the globetrotting set have explored precious little of their own country. Before you traveled, perhaps it didn’t interest you so much or it seemed too expensive; but now you’re back and you’re a much more worldly and adventurous person (hopefully), so use this time to have new adventures!

I’ve really enjoyed reading yTravel Blog’s recent updates as Caz, Craig, and the girls make their way around Australia. It’s inspired me to want to see more of the country so many people seem jealous of my having grown up in, and which I’ve often taken for granted.

A weekend trip to a new beach or National Park might not quite match up to the dizzying heights of seeing Angkor Wat or spending a day in London, but if you’ve got the travel bug, it ought to keep the little bastard satisfied.

Exploring at home might be more expensive than a backpacking budget has prepared you for, but use that newfound nous for sniffing out a bargain to make it work for you!

2. Get active

This holds true for major depressive disorder as much as it holds true for the post-trip blues. Exercise produces endorphins, and those wonderful bastards do a better job of cheering you up than comfort food, medication, and therapy combined.

It’s amazing how good you’ll feel after working up a sweat, be it from a social sport or something solitary like running.

It’s often hard to summon up the motivation to exercise when you’re feeling blue, but I cannot stress enough the healing properties (however temporary) of getting out and getting your blood pumping. I’m far from peak fitness, but the best I’ll feel on any given day is right after I’ve gone for a run or played sport.

Team sports are also a great opportunity to meet other people, and new friends are never a bad thing.

Go zorbing. Is Good.
Go Zorbing. Is Good.

1. Continue your growth

Traveling had a profound effect on you, I’m sure. You grew as a human being and learned so much about the world, yourself, and your capabilities.

There’s no reason that being home needs to mark the end of your development. Far from it!

Whether you enroll in a course, start learning a language in your free time, or take advantage of the stable location to revisit an old passion – it’s good to continue your growth.

While exercise keeps your body happy, it’s this kind of activity that keeps your mind occupied. Rather than sit and let it dwell on all you’ve left behind, exercise it with challenging tasks and engaging hobbies.

While home between Korea and China, I took a TEFL course to open more doors for me in the future.
While home between Korea and China, I took a TEFL course to open more doors for me in the future.

If you’re planning to get back out on the road, start studying the language or the customs of the places you’ll go. If you’re home for good and at a loss for what to do, start building up skills that interest you and/or improve your job readiness.

Doing something is infinitely better than doing nothing.

So, your friend has the post-trip blues…

We travelers are often so caught up in our own post trip malaise that it’s easy to forget that those around us might not understand how to help.

Or, worse, they feel responsible for our sadness. I know I feel bad when my mother takes my sadness at being home as a slight against her or the wonderful family I have.

It’s very rarely the present that has a recently returned wanderer upset. It’s the past they left behind and the fact that, in many cases, ‘here’ is not their natural habitat.

That doesn’t mean they don’t love being home or that they don’t care about the people who they’ve been away from .

A traveler does not hate “home” any more than a fish on land hates the air. They just belong to a different world.

Like all mental illnesses, depression – whether post-trip or full time – spits in the face of logic. I could come home to nubile nymphets and a pile of video games, and still yearn for the open road. No amount of cajoling, good-natured encouragement, or  tired pleasantries can change that.

The problem isn’t the people at home, even though at times it may feel that way.

Your traveler is lovesick and – as anachronistic as it sounds – homesick as well.

The best thing you can do for them? Indulge their nostalgia from time to time, try not to take it personally (although that’s like telling them to try not to be so sad), and get them out of their head. Whether it’s a board game night, a visit to an old favourite, or a weekend trip – get them out and about and they’ll thank you for it.

Remember, though: it’s not your job to “fix” them. Don’t beat yourself up if they take their time coming out of their funk or decide to jet off again. We’re a capricious breed.

Your Say

Have you ever dealt with post-trip depression? What methods did you use to cope with feeling down and out?

If you’re having issues with depression, don’t be too proud to seek help. Services like Lifeline and Beyond Blue are tremendous resources.

You don’t ever have to cope alone.

Life on the Road, Philippines, Travel Writing

The Time I Got Pissed On in Manila

 10 Comments

And then, as I drifted back off to sleep, I felt my face being sprayed… nay, christened, with a hot, stinking torrent of some Norwegian asshole’s piss.

Intrigued? Horrified? A little turned on?

I can honestly say that participating in ‘water sports’ or taking a ‘golden shower’ is one of the few things not on my ever expanding bucket list, but I became an unwitting and entirely unwilling participant on one fateful night in Manila.

I went into that dorm room an idealistic travel blogger with a week in beautiful Boracay awaiting me.

I came out the next morning stinking of another man’s piss, and the thing I was most excited for was a long, hot shower and using every last drop of my body wash.

The Scene

It’s 10pm on a Monday night and our last night in Manila before jetting off to explore Boracay for a few days. The others have already retired for the evening and I am – as always – on my phone checking Facebook and generally wasting precious time that could be better spent on sleep.

I’m in a twin room, but so far the top bunk remains empty. I am hopeful of a night’s privacy and some good rest after having shared a room with my travel buddy for the last few days.

As I’m dozing off, however, the door opens and my roommate for the evening walks in. We make small talk: He’s from Norway and just arrived in the Philippines a few hours earlier. Do I mind leaving the light on because he’s going out to get a bottle of water?

I don’t mind one bit. I bid him adieu and, knowing I have a 6am start waiting for me, I roll over and go to sleep.

The Plot Thickens

I woke at around 2am to find the light still on and my roommate still absent. Remembering the night of drunken debauchery that greeted me when my mate and I touched down in Makati and discovered a section of the city that never sleeps, I correctly fathom that he’s headed out to indulge in the Manilla night life.

I get up, flick the light off, and go back to sleep.

Wake Up Call

It’s around 4am when I wake again, and this time it’s to find my roommate being helped into the room by the hostel’s security guard. The tiny guy is struggling under the weight of a very drunk and very uncooperative Norwegian, who is borderline unconscious.

Between the two of them, they manage to get the drunk idiot into bed. I’m a little miffed at the rude awakening, but I’ve been traveling long enough to know that I could have had it a lot worse.

At least he’s in bed and sleeping, I think to myself, He could be drunk and wanting a deep & meaningful. Count yourself lucky, CWB

And so I drift off to sleep once again.

THUMP!

I wake up with a start this time. The lights are out, but I know I heard something heavy hit the floor.

As if to confirm my suspicions, my Norwegian friend begins to moan in pain.

The idiot has fallen out of his bunk.

“You alright, mate?” I ask, helpfully.

“Yeah,” he grunts in reply. I hear him getting to his feet and dusting himself off.

I’ll be back off to slumberland soon enough.

It’s then as I drifted back off to sleep, I felt my face being sprayed… nay, christened, with a hot, stinking torrent of some Norwegian asshole’s piss.

Well, not my face (thank God), but my arm and upper torso. Plenty of the stinking liquid bounces up into my beard, however, and that’s a stain that all the perfumes of Arabia could not remove.

Outraged, I shove him away from me as he continues to redecorate the room in yellow.

“Get the fuck away from me, asshole!” I shout, ready to strangle the guy with his own pecker if need be.

“What?”

He manages to sound both offended and confused by my outrage.

“You pissed on me, you fucking dickhead!”

“No I didn’t,” he says, managing to keep a completely straight face despite the fact his flaccid cock is still in his hand and piss is still dribbling fitfully from it. It pools around his feet.

“You’re still doing it!” I point out.

Murder is on my mind, but I decide to go and fetch the security guard rather than land myself in a Filipino prison.

“He pissed on me,” I explain to the guard, indicating the pools of urine scattered about the room and the general reek of the place.

“Listen, friend,” the Norwegian explains to me, his penis still out, but no longer in his hand, “I’m not the kind of guy who goes around pissing on people”.

A reasonable thing to claim. If he’s not that kind of person, I’d hate to meet somebody who did go around pissing on people.

“You’ve pissed on 66% of the people in this room!” I point out, indicating the dark patches on my t-shirt and the piss still clinging to his naked, hairy leg.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about”.

It’s at this point that I begin to wonder if maybe I’m being Punk’d. I expect to see Ashton Kutcher’s infinitely punchable smirk as he enters the room, preparing to take credit for the most disgusting thing he’s done since Two and a Half Men.

“You want another room?” the security guard asks.

No, I think to myself, I’m going to crawl back into the wet, pissy bed and go back to sleep.

I’m about to give him a piece of my mind for asking such a stupid question, but a glance at my phone indicates it’s 5.15am. I’m supposed to be up in 45 minutes anyway.

“Don’t worry about it,” I reply sullenly, snatching up my toiletry bag and making for the bathroom.

Enter Fetal Position

I’d like to tell you I manfully shrugged off the moment and went about my day unperturbed, but I felt strangely violated to have been given such a nasty baptism to start my day.

I didn’t quite slip into the fetal position and sob to myself in the shower, but I did use almost all of my newly purchased body wash scrubbing away at my poor, ravaged beard.

Much as it manages to hold onto food that misses my mouth, so too did it hold on to the acrid stink of the Norwegian’s piss.

I swear, it didn’t quite leave my beard until later in the day when I gave it a good, long soak in the ocean.

Your Say

What’s the most embarrassing or traumatizing thing that has happened to you while staying in a hostel?

Australia, Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney

The Ultimate Road Trip: Driving Australia’s Pacific Coast

 2 Comments

The Ultimate Road Trip: Driving Australia’s Pacific Coast from Sydney to Brisbane

An anonymous woman getting her road trip on.
An anonymous woman getting her road trip on.

If you’re looking for a stunning coastal drive to take on your next holiday in Australia, you can’t go past the Pacific Coast road trip from Sydney to Brisbane. One of the most popular drives in the country, the Pacific Coast serves up everything you could want on a car trip — beautiful views, stunning beaches to explore, plenty of quaint towns with cool shops and restaurants, and a multitude of spots to take in breathtaking sunsets. If you’re looking for a road trip destination for yourself, your family or a group of mates, you won’t be disappointed.

Read on for top ideas of things to see and do on a five-day drive along the Pacific Coast.

Day One: Travel from Sydney to Port Stephens

On the first day of the approximately 950-kilometre road trip, head north along the Pacific Highway to the Central Coast. In less than two hours you can be in the beachside town of Terrigal, a top spot to stop for a coffee at a cafe with great views of the ocean.

Terrigal is also home to many great restaurants, ice cream parlours and boutique shops. A short drive away you’ll also find The Entrance, where you and the family can enjoy feeding some of the pelicans who hang out by the water.

pelicans

Alternatively, stretch your legs along The Entrance Coast to Lake Walk, a self-guided walk that covers around 7.5 kilometres of pretty coastline. In the afternoon, keep driving north to Port Stephens, a popular dolphin and whale-watching destination. Port Stephens is also home to lots of great restaurants at the local Marina where you can enjoy a fresh seafood dinner.

If you’re feeling like a pit stop, take the opportunity to explore the beautiful seaside town of Tea Gardens.

Day Two: Travel from Port Stephens to Port Macquarie

seashore

Drive around 2.5 hours north of Port Stephens to the laid-back coastal town of Port Macquarie. Spend the day checking out the beaches, shopping up a storm, or getting immersed in local activities. A visit to the Koala Hospital, the first one in the world solely dedicated to the care and preservation of these iconic creatures, is recommended. The hospital features educational displays, as well as the opportunity to see koalas being fed by volunteers each day.

Travellers can also enjoy exploring Port Macquarie’s Sea Acres Rainforest Centre, one or the largest coastal rainforest reserves in New South Wales. At the Centre, you can read about local Indigenous culture; walk across the rainforest boardwalk that’s elevated 1.3 kilometres above the ground; and browse the on-site artist gallery and gift shop for souvenirs.

Day Three: Travel from Port Macquarie toCoffs Harbour

Another great town to spend time at along the Pacific Coast route is Coffs Harbour (around two hours’ drive from Port Macquarie).  Coffs, as it is known locally, is one of the largest and busiest destinations along the route, and is home to the famous Big Banana adventure park.

seashore2

The popular tourist attraction was built in 1964 and has expanded over the years, now including not just the famous “Big Banana” that can be explored inside and out, but also an ice skating rink, a banana plantation tour, a Candy Kitchen, a Wild Toboggan Ride, a multimedia theatre experience, and The Banana Slip Water park, the first three-storey-high inflatable slide in the country.

The Clog Barn, where visitors can admire a miniature model Dutch Village and view clogs being made by hand, is also a popular tourist spot in Coffs.

Day Four: Travel from Coffs Harbour to Byron Bay

Roughly a three-hour drive north of Coffs Harbour is one of Australia’s most well-known beachside destinations, Byron Bay. Apart from playing host to a number of great music and cultural festivals through the year that are always worth attending, Byron is very well-regarded for its white, sandy beaches; great surfing; and outdoor and spiritual offerings.

seashore3

Nature lovers are well catered to with the variety of National Parks that are nearby, including Mount Warning, Broken Head Nature Reserve, and Nightcap National Park (all of which feature lots of great walking tracks). Byron Bay is also home to many alternative healing outlets and shops; plus lots of great restaurants and cafes. There is even the Bryon Bay Premium Brewery for beer lovers to add to their itinerary.

Day Five: Travel from Byron Bay to Brisbane

Just around two hours’ drive north of Byron Bay is the final destination, Brisbane. Queensland’s biggest city has a range of sights and activities for all ages to enjoy. Apart from a multitude of both boutique and high-end Brisbane hotels you can relax at during your stay, the city is also home to a very popular Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA); the Queensland Museum; the iconic Suncorp Stadium where you can take in a game; and plenty of top restaurant and shopping strips.

bayshore

Head to funky Fortitude Valley for hip bars and boutiques; quirky West End for vintage stores and vegetarian cafes; or the Eagle Street Pier in the CBD for a variety of top-notch eateries and stores.

Regardless of where you’re stopping or who you’re traveling with, be sure to drive safely and watch out for reckless drivers. According to DingGo, the #1 cause of road accidents is speeding.

Your Say

Have you ever made the iconic Pacific Coast road trip in Australia? What were your favourite stops?

Plans, Tanzania

Operation: Safari in Tanzania

 6 Comments

I’m a Lucky Guy

When I first started this humble travel blog back in October 2010, it was actually just a means to share a closer relationship with my girlfriend at the time. She’d started a healthy living blog and I thought it would give us a common interest if I blogged as well.

Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to make some money through my writing and to do some pretty spectacular things because of my site, but nothing compares to the adventure I’ve got in store for this November.

Thanks to Shadows of Africa Tours, I’ll be going on a four day safari in Tanzania that includes the Serengeti, Lake Manyara, and the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater – all at a time of the year where the annual Great Migration of wildebeests should be in full swing.

I’ll not only get the opportunity to see the Big Five in the wild, though. I’ll get the opportunity to spend a night under the stars and to interact with the local Maasai people as well, and I’m very excited about both.

The Safari in Tanzania

Myself and a few fellow bloggers have been invited to take part in the Four Day Tanzania Express Safari offered by the company. While I’m receiving a complimentary tour, I’ll be sure to give ya’ll the straight dope on my experiences and inevitable pratfalls there.

I’ll not only be providing plenty of photos and stories from my days touring the various national parks, but I’ll also comment on my experiences in cities like Arusha and Nairobi, coming to grips with the unique local culture, the food, the accommodation, and everything in between.

Visiting Stone Town & Zanzibar

I recently published a Travel Daydream about my planned trip to Zanzibar as well. With time and money both tight, I’ll only have three full days to commit to both – so I’m planning a day to explore the historic sites and quirkier elements of Stone Town, and then two days of doing very little on Zanzibar’s white, sandy beaches.

I’m praying there’ll be a new Song of Fire & Ice novel ready for the trip, as I’ll be getting a lot of reading done in between trips to the pool to cool off.

Bucket List Focus

The trip does give me the opportunity to check off a couple of bucket list items. After the dismal failure that was my British trip (of the possible 13 bucket list items mentioned in Operation United Kingdom, I managed just two), I’m hoping I can check off all of my potential Tanzanian bucket list items.

  • Go on safari
  • Witness the Great Migration
  • See a tiger, giant panda, bear, elephant, lion, hyena, bison, blue whale, platypus, rhino, hippo, and gorilla in the wild.

Obviously, there’s no chance of me seeing a tiger, giant panda, bison, platypus, blue whale, or gorilla while on safari – but I’m hoping I’ll be able to check off the giraffe, lion, elephant, hyena, rhino, and maybe even the hippo while I’m on safari in Tanzania.

And I’ve already encountered a bear in the wild, when one scared Nomadic American and I shitless in Yosemite National Park.

‘Go on safari’ is a lock, and I’m quietly hopeful that the timing of the tour (late November) will coincide with the beginning of the Great Migration. Fingers crossed!

——-

It’s a very exciting time for Aussie on the Road, and I can’t wait to share some stories and photos from my time in Tanzania with all of you. All of my flights and accommodation are now locked in, so it’s just a matter of getting visas for Tanzania and Kenya (where I fly in and out) sorted and I’m set!

Your Say

Have you ever been on safari?

Philippines

Riding Motorbikes Around El Nido

 8 Comments

After the world’s bumpiest, least comfortable, and most over-crowded van ride from Puerto Princesa the night before, we’d have been forgiven for choosing to take our first day in beautiful El Nido, Palawan easy. Heaven knows, I argued strongly in favour of the ‘eat breakfast and then lie on the beach all day’ lifestyle, but found myself shouted down by Hogg and my traitorous brother, Leigh.

“Let’s get motorbikes and ride around the island!” came the cry from Hogg, and my brother was all too eager to follow suit.

I’m all about getting off the beaten path and being adventurous, but sometimes you just want to a day to throw yourself into a hammock with a good book and a six pack (or more) of ice cold beer, and just relax.


This is the beach I had my heart set on relaxing on.
This is the beach I had my heart set on relaxing on.

It wasn’t to be, but I can’t say I regret that.

Renting Motorbikes in El Nido

We weren’t the first tourists to think that renting motorbikes and exploring the island on our own might be a good idea, and there is an abundance of places in El Nido who have scooters, bicycles, and motorbikes available for hire for a reasonable rate (roughly $15 or 700 pesos for the day).

Despite not having a license of any kind to my name, nobody seemed at all phased at the idea of putting me astride a bike with my life (and potentially somebody else’s) in my untrained hands.

After leaving one of our passports with the bike hire company; we were handed keys and given a quick overview of how our bikes worked. With me being a rookie rider, we’d opted for gas powered scooters rather than full blown motorbikes; but that didn’t stop me from a few jaw-clenching moments of swerving or too sudden stopping as we made our way out of town.

The Drive to Heaven aka Nacpan Beach

Our first order of business for the day was to make the half hour or so drive north to isolated Nacpan Beach. Our bikes had come with maps that detailed the way as well as highlighting some suggested tourist spots along the way, but we tucked ours away as soon as we’d left town and were happy to let the road take us where it would.

Out of the crowded and warren-like streets of El Nido, we were able to stretch our legs and it was then that I started to realize what a brilliant idea hiring bikes had been. The day was warm and sunny, and the roads were eerily quiet as we flew past idyllic farms, lush green forests, and the backdrop of mountains that framed it all. The sky was impossibly blue. It was just one of those days where it felt damn good to be alive.

The bright blue sky soars over a distant mountain.
The bright blue sky soars over a distant mountain.
Pausing to snap a photo along the way.
Pausing to snap a photo along the way. Photo by James Hogg.
Impossibly green grass and a few snow white cranes.
Impossibly green grass and a few snow white cranes.

A few rickety bridges, a rough and bumpy back road, and a bit of speed-sapping sand later, and we were at the isolated and beautiful Naclan Beach.

Despite being a pretty popular tourist spot, the beach was quiet – with only about 12-13 people there. Couples were out in the mirror flat, crystal clear water or canoodling on the white sand, so a trio of single lads certainly looked out of place rugby tackling one another into the water.

How's the serenity?
How’s the serenity?
This hammock was my favourite part of Nacpan Beach. I may have caught a few Zzzzs here.
This hammock was my favourite part of Nacpan Beach. I may have caught a few Zzzzs here.

A couple of vendors were on hand with ice cold beers and snacks, and we even splashed out on a BBQ lunch served on paper plates in a rickety old shelter.

It was an afternoon of simple pleasures – good, hearty food, the sun baking the water off us, and a bit of me time in a hammock to wrap it all up.

A simple lunch of pork and rice. Delicious!
A simple lunch of pork and rice. Delicious!

Fair Warning: They don’t sell sun screen at Nacpan Beach, so make sure you have some with you before you leave!

We’d forgotten to pack some, but were able to barter with an Israeli couple in exchange for a couple of San Miguel beers.

Hiking to the Waterfall

Most motorbike hire places will include a map in your bike hire, and this map mentions both a hot springs and a waterfall that are worth visiting. We had no real inclination to find the hot springs, but did think we’d squeeze the waterfall in to our day’s activities.

There are no shortage of locals standing along the side of the road in the heat trying to flag you down and offer to play tour guide; so like any group of single lads would – we opted to take the  tour with the prettiest girl.

After buying a couple of refreshments from a quaint little ‘shop’ they ran out of the shed by their house, we were off into the jungle for the 30-40 minute hike out to the waterfall. It’s not a hard hike by any stretch, but definitely not one I was enjoying attempting with my thongs on. I completed most of the 90 minute round trip barefoot.

James and Leigh beckon me to join them in crossing this raging river.
James and Leigh beckon me to join them in crossing this raging river.

You cross something like 8 or 9 rivers (streams, really) on your way to the waterfall, and they’re a blessedly cool reprieve from the oppressive jungle heat.

Sporting my Finn the Human hat, I slog through the jungle.
Sporting my Finn the Human hat, I slog through the jungle.

The waterfall is worth the walk, though, and we took a few minutes to take a dip in the chill water and pose like idiots beneath the waterfall while our guide watched on.

My ridiculously good looking brother showing off under the waterfall.
My ridiculously good looking brother showing off under the waterfall.
At last! I take a breather after we arrive at the waterfall.
At last! I take a breather after we arrive at the waterfall.

On the way back to the road, I struck up a conversation with our nineteen year old guide about her experiences living in a tourist town. We had a good chat about silly foreigners, but also discussed the darker side of things; the pushy foreigners, the creepy old men looking for young brides, and the realities of living in paradise.

It’s easy for us to get caught up in the romance of a tropical island where we can drink cheap fruit smoothies and get cheap massages, but it was a sobering reminder that the locals don’t have it as easy as we do. This girl completed the 90 minute hike we did about 5 or 6 times a day, and doesn’t get a whole lot of money for her efforts. If this bothered her, I didn’t pick up on it. Like so many of the Filipino people I met, she was cheerful and friendly.

Returning at Sunset

We arrived back in El Nido shortly after sunset. The whole day probably didn’t set us back more than $30 a head including a few beers at Nacpan, the waterfall tour, the bike hire, and our BBQ lunch on the beach.

The sun sets over El Nido as we return from our adventure.
The sun sets over El Nido as we return from our adventure.

We also had to pay to fill the tanks on our bikes before we headed back, but that didn’t exactly break the bank. The town’s only gas station was a tad hard to find, but nothing three burly lads couldn’t handle.

 Your Say

Have you ever rented motorbikes, scooters, or bicycles to get out and see a place on your own? Where?