Mindoro, Philippines: A Weird Little Stop on the Way to Nowhere
Mindoro. Never heard of it? Neither had I until my ferry got delayed and I found myself stranded on this island for three days. The kind of place where you check the weather and it's 23°C with 67% humidity and you're like, 'cool, guess I'll sweat through another shirt.'
First thing I noticed: the air smells like salt and something sweet, maybe mango trees or just the general tropical rot that hits you in the face when you step off the boat. My Airbnb host, a guy named Boyet who looked like he hadn't slept in a week, handed me a warm Coke and said, 'You're lucky, tourist season just ended.' I didn't feel lucky.
Wandered down to the beach that first afternoon. Not the white sand paradise you see on postcards-more like brown sand, trash here and there, but the water was ridiculously clear. I met a fisherman named Lito who was untangling his net. He asked if I wanted to buy fish. I said no, I don't even have a kitchen. He laughed like that was the funniest thing he'd heard all week.
"You white people come here to take pictures but never buy anything," he said, still laughing.
That night I ate at a place called Mama Linda's, which had exactly three items on the menu: grilled fish, adobo, or rice. The adobo was so vinegary it made my eyes water. But I ate every bite because I was starving and also slightly afraid of offending Mama Linda, who kept staring at me from across the room.
Next morning, I rented a scooter from a guy who assured me it was 'brand new, 2010 model, very good.' It died three times on the way to Tamaraw Falls. But the falls were worth it-water crashing down into this green pool that looked too inviting not to jump in. I met a couple from Manila there who told me about a 'secret' beach on the other side of the island.
"Secret" in the Philippines apparently means 'everybody knows about it but tourists don't bother.' I went anyway. It was beautiful in that untouched way that makes you wonder why more people aren't there. Then I saw the jellyfish and remembered why.
If you get bored, *Boracay and Palawan are just a short flight away, but honestly? Mindoro's got this weird charm that the bigger tourist spots lost years ago. It's like stepping into a place that forgot to update itself for Instagram.
I heard from a drunk Canadian at a beachfront bar that the diving around here is incredible-something about WWII wrecks and coral gardens. He also told me the bar owner's wife was having an affair with the guy who rents out kayaks. Take that for what it's worth.
Last day, I sat on the dock watching the sunset, thinking about how I'd probably never come back. But also thinking how glad I was I got stuck here. Some places work their way under your skin even when you're just passing through.
Need a place to stay?* Check out Booking.com Mindoro or Agoda Mindoro. For food recs, Yelp Mindoro has a few options, though most places don't even have a sign.
Bottom line: go to Mindoro if you want to see what the Philippines looked like before the influencers arrived. Just bring cash, mosquito repellent, and patience for things that don't work the way you expect.
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