4 days in Palawan

Started packing almost as soon as we arrived in Manilla for our trip to one of the most remote islands in the Philippines, in the Palawan region near Coron island. Short flight, bumpy jeep ride and half an hour on a local 'banka' boat and we had arrived.

Less than a square mile in size and surrounded by glassy seas, we moved into our visitors huts, made from woven bamboo, and felt we had settled into the garden of Eden.

The spacious huts, which have electricity at night and toilets that flush with a bucket, stand in a grassy glade, hammocks swinging from the palms trees, which lead on to a small white sanded beach. This is not just beauty constructed for the tourist dollar, but an overwhelmingly naturally gorgeous region. While many people living in Manila don't visit these 'provinces' and the lure of the city is all-consuming, one cannot help thinking that subsistence farming in a place like this would be a better option than inner-city poverty.

Theo in his element, swimming off the boat in the deep ocean (with armbands), collecting giant starfish and making friends/ fighting with the local kids. We have toured the local islands by banka boat, snorkelled to a wreck and explored the coral reefs.

Night times are not so pleasant - Theo is jet lagged and awake every 3 hours, this feels like looking after a 2 week old rather than a toddler. The heat and loud noises of the tropical night take some adjusting to. But an improvement last night- slept 9 until 5 and Dylan has taken him up the ridge in the sling where you can admire an astonishing view of the islands, thickly carpeted in lush vegetation and scattered across the translucent seas. Things can only get better as he adjusts to the rhythm of life in the Philippines.