It was a kind of peace I had not felt in a while.

 

Darkness embraced us as our tiny boat glided across the mangrove-lined Ihawig River. I leaned back, as far as I could, to stare straight up at the clear night sky, the kind of sky that’s a rare gift in Manila. The stars were so bright you could make out the constellations. And that’s what we tried to do. Until they appeared. In glowing clusters. Fireflies, lighting up the trees.

 

I gasped. “So beautiful,” we said again and again.

 

I drank the experience in, not wanting it to end—the sound of the waves lapping against the boat, the stories of our boatman-slash-guide, the cool wind in my face, and the fireflies, the fireflies, the fireflies. The moment was so magical I thought I was going to start crying.

 

I snapped out of my reverie when our guide said that we were heading back. “No,” I protested. But it was time to say goodbye to the fireflies.

 

Soon, we were back on solid ground, my head still reeling from one of the best 30 minutes of my life.

 

 

We had landed in Puerto Princesa earlier that day. I had been there before, 15, maybe 16 years ago, but so much had changed that it might as well have been my first time. But I felt instantly at home.

 

“We are thrilled to have you here with us! Welcome to Puerto Princesa!”

 

That sweet note was waiting on one of the two massive beds inside my spacious room at the Canvas Boutique Hotel, a 49-room hotel that is literally just two minutes away from the Puerto Princesa International Airport. We were there to celebrate the second anniversary of Canvas.

 

The warm hotel welcome began with a cool drink—a refreshing mix of calamansi and basil.

 

On the wall in my room was a mural of El Nido by Nice Buenaventura, one of the artists commissioned by the hotel to immortalize the abundance of sights and experiences in Palawan.

 

“The walls tell you a story. It’s the total experience, it’s not only the hotel but the destination itself. Our guests have to discover what Puerto Princesa can offer. That’s what we’d like. That’s why our tagline is Inspiring Adventures,” said Ely Wray Ciudad, head of sales and operations of Oak Drive Hotels and Resorts Inc., which runs Canvas.

 

 

The fireflies were just the beginning of our adventures.

 

That night, I returned to my room to find another note: “Hope you enjoyed your first day! Here’s a taste of Palawan treats for you. Sleep well, Pam!” Beside it was a plate of taro chips, sweet and spicy dilis and banana chips along with a glass of calamansi.

 

“Okay, Canvas, you win,” I thought. “I’m never leaving.”

 

I posted a photo of the midnight snack on Instagram, asking people to bring my dog to Puerto Princesa so we can live there forever.

 

The next day, it was time to tour Honda Bay, one of the favorite spots of Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron. “I bring my family fishing. That’s how we bond,” he told us at Canvas Boutique Hotel’s second anniversary party.

 

Our boat docked at LuLi Island and, being the klutz that I am, I dropped my earphones into the clear waters. But I was so enthralled by the view that I barely noticed.

 

 

At LuLi (as in “lulubog, lilitaw,” which the island does depending on the tides), enterprising men have taken building sandcastles to another level—they’ve created the perfect props for tourist photos and have become quite adept at directing their models. It was entertaining to watch.

 

We skipped the tourist hotspot Cowrie Island in favor of the private Isla Pandan. There’s plenty to do there—enjoy the buffet, get your drink on, snorkel, paddle board, kayak, swim, or you can just drink fresh coconut and lie out in the sun like I did.

 

That’s the thing about Puerto Princesa—your experience can be as exciting or as relaxing and as social or as solitary as you’d like. It’s up to you.

 

Even meals could be an adventure—if you’d like them to be. While delicious Filipino fare was a constant at restaurants like Kinabuchs Grill and Bar, KaLui and Badjao Seafront Restaurant, there were also exotic offerings that more experimental diners could try including crocodile sisig, tamilok (shipworms) and yes, the decidedly phallic dessert at KaLui.

 

“What’s this called,” we asked the waiter, after taking about twenty million pictures.

 

“Naughty,” he said. Naughty. Of course.

 

 

During our tour of the city, we stopped by the Palawan Special Battalion WW2 Memorial Museum, met a really friendly Myna, learned how to weave with the guidance of 11th grader Maricris Lapurga (she weaves part-time when she’s not in school) and dropped by Baker’s Hill, a bakery that has expanded into a theme park. (We loved the revel bars and will need to get our hands on the elusive pork asado buns—they sell out really fast.)

 

Another Puerto Princesa must? Palaweño Brewery, Palawan’s first craft beer microbrewery put up by Ayah Javier and Malu Lauengco, the first female brewers in the Philippines. The refreshing Palawan Wit is my pick. “It’s our citrusy beer,” said head brewer Dave.

 

Each morning, Canvas was our springboard for exploration, and each night, it was our haven for some much-needed rest.

 

But there was plenty to enjoy in the hotel, too. I’m in love with their pool—especially since I discovered that if I place my laptop on the deck, I can sit in the water while writing, which was absolutely amazing.

 

There are a lot of restaurants around the city but don’t miss Canvas Boutique Hotel’s own Painted Table, named after their colorful communal table painted by AG Saño with images of Palawan animals.

 

Guests should order the pork binagoongan, says Ely, adding, “If you’re a vegetarian, try the Wasabi Salad.”

 

We enjoyed the chicken pesto wrap, cauliflower bites and the various shakes and cocktails, too.

 

At breakfast, make sure you get a taste of lamayo (Palawan’s danggit) and their bacon which I’ve become obsessed with.

 

But above the food, the pool and the comfortable room (there’s enough space for a family or a barkada), it was the service I enjoyed the most. It was warm and personal, with each hotel employee making the effort to remember our names. I would wander into the lobby at random hours or run into them around the hotel and always hear a cheerful, “Hi, Ms. Pam.”

 

And on the last morning, a phone call. “Ms. Pam, we’d like to remind you that breakfast is closing in 30 minutes.”

 

They didn’t want me to miss breakfast. I was touched. No hotel in any part of the world has ever done that—and I should know, I’ve skipped more hotel breakfasts than I can count.

 

These were among the reasons leaving Puerto Princesa was hard. But then, I could always return.

 

 

“Here in Puerto Princesa, we have the ‘come back come back’ syndrome,” said Michie Meneses, officer in charge of the promotions and marketing division of Puerto Princesa’s City Tourism Office.

 

And there are reasons to come back, old and new. On top of that list is the 62-hectare Balayong Park which Mayor Bayron describes as “a park within a park within a park.” “Our main attraction will be the Balayong or the Palawan cherry blossoms. We have already planted 3,200 seedlings in the park. Once those trees bloom, the park will be covered in white flowers,” he said, sharing his plans of allowing people to adopt the trees later on, in an effort to generate more jobs. Not only can you experience cherry blossoms in Palawan in around four to five years, you can keep tabs on your adopted tree using its GPS coordinates.

 

But would we really wait four years to return to Puerto Princesa? No, not when there are fireflies to watch, beaches to explore, craft beers to drink and writing to do in that magnificent Canvas pool. Definitely not four years.

 

Canvas Boutique Hotel is at Palawan North Road corner San Juan, Brgy. San Miguel, Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Visit canvasboutiquehotel.com or call 09178071360.