But for this month’s postcard, I want to tell you about the island of Siargao, which is one of the nicest places I’ve been anywhere in the world, and the Philippines’ best kept-secret.
My Filipino friends will chastise me for calling Siargao a “secret” at all, since it’s well-known here as the surfing capital of the country and an island paradise.
But for the rest of you, enjoy this little trip to Siargao!
From there, it was only an easy 1-hour van ride to General Luna, the coastal area where I stayed.
It's always best to be polite to a fault to locals, show respect, and make local friends. You don't want to steal a wave from a local surfer or start talking to the wrong girl at a bar or you might end up getting stomped by 10 angry guys. It's the same fiercely protective localism that exists in just about every surfing town, village, island, or beach around the world.
I even rented a board and got out there one morning. Trying to get up on the bigger waves, I wiped out hard seven times in a row and was ready to give up and crawl back to my hotel and sit in a hammock instead. But when I moved over to the smaller waves, I got up seven times in a row! I still suck as a surfer, but it was fun and I'm glad I didn't give up. Now where's that hammock?
Thank you, Siargao! You are truly the Philippines' best kept secret and one of the best places I've been in the world.
-Norm :-)