It was time for our holiday within a holiday 🏝️ a couple of days somewhere a bit different and in this case, off grid. Darocotan Island is a bit of a faff to get to. Or at least it was for us as we decided to make our own way there rather than opt for the transport pre-arranged by our accommodation. Exploring by scooter is one of our favourite things to do in Asia and we spent the day working our way up the west coast of Palawan. It’s surprising how long it takes to travel by scooter. We only had time for a coffee at Nacpan beach and to pick up some local snacks as we wanted to make sure we were at Teneguiban Pier well before sunset. Luckily we had time for lunch at a stunning viewpoint before trying to get on a boat without having to pay over the odds. That plan never worked 💵 🥺 but we got to the island in good time and all our troubles suddenly vanished. Darocotan Island is spectacular and our accommodation, Dryft, was super chilled and eclectic with everything made of driftwood. There were plenty of activities to enjoy and of course we had our running gear but we blissfully spent 24 hours doing almost nothing apart from snorkelling and having a massage. The snorkel spot was the best of our trip, a shipwreck just offshore with the most beautiful array of fish, it really felt like we were in an aquarium! The barefoot life at @dryftcamp suited us well and we ended the day with a sunset cocktail on the beach and after dinner, finished our bottle of wine on the sand. Two glasses deep I didn’t notice the sandflies joining us and woke the next morning to plenty of bites! I wish we could have stayed longer but we had to get back for our last night in El Nido. This involved another boat and a two hour non-stop scooter ride - with two people on a tiny bike! - on unpaved rocky roads. It was one of the most painful experiences of my life and not the 52 minutes Google told us it would take! Then it got dark, then it started raining. I was so glad to get off that damn bike. I would highly recommend Darocoton Island, a world away from El Nido, and 💯 worth the journey. #darocotanisland #palawan #dryftcamp