10 March 2023
Canigaran Beach is just a short ride from our temporary home-base in the barangay of Bancao-Bancao. Located at the end of Rizal Avenue, running through the old airport, it is literally just minutes away from the bustle and hustle of downtown Puerto Princesa. But here the contrast could not be greater.
Nestled beside the lush vegetation of a mangrove forest sat a flotilla of rustic and colourful floating huts, bobbling gently by the shoreline. We had come to rent our own for the day, prices start from as little as 1000 pesos (USD 20), depending on the capacity. A motorized banca towed us through the azure waters for about 1km into the calm and sheltered bay, where we anchored. From there we could wade through the warm, clear water to a small sandbar of fine, white sand. In front of us, a clear, blue sea up to the distant horizon and behind us, the shore of Palawan and its mountainous skyline shimmering in the heat.
The floating huts (the word “cottages” being somewhat misleading) are made of bamboo and of simple construction. The roof is made of dried coconut leaves (pawid). Seats are set either side of a table in the middle of the hut. This being the Philippines, and food never being far away, another corner is dedicated to a makeshift-kitchen while in the opposite corner stood a cubicle for changing.
Enough food had been brought for a week and everyone was soon tucking in to a feast of improvised Pad Thai, crab, grilled fish, mussels and fresh fruits. The little hut shook from side to side on the waves, heightened by the wind and tide, forcing a few members of the group to temporarily abandon ship due to dizziness, and continue their meal standing in the gentler waters beside it.
The children searched for starfish (the water was not deep enough for snorkelling) while others swam further out to bigger waves. The only sound was the that of the waves breaking on the shore and intermittently, that of a jet plane taking off from the nearby airport.
This haven of peace and beauty is undoubtedly one of the best ways to relax for a few hours far from the agitation of Puerto but without ever having to leave town.
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