Arriving by boat on the sparkling waters of El Nido’s Bacuit Bay always makes me catch my breath. We’d been to Palawan several times in recent years, and I thought that perhaps this time it would feel very matter-of-fact. But no. The limestone cliffs, some bare, others covered in canopies of green, are as spectacular as ever. For the nth time, the sight of them makes my heart dance. And it signals the start of a few wonderful days away from the hubbub of Manila. This time, we’re also back at Lagen. We make our way into the familiar cove embraced by vertical limestone and lush ancient rainforests, with thatch-roof villas hovering over the water. It looks the same, and yet different. And we realize there is now a wide stretch of sandy beach where cottages used to be. The minute we dock, we are enveloped in a melody of..
