I Found Peace at the Danjugan Island Sanctuary in the Philippines

It was a safe haven in the country that I’m from but could never call home

Last month, I experienced a peace unlike any I had ever known.

I had been to the Philippines several times before, but this was my first visit to Danjugan Island, a sanctuary focused on ecotourism and protecting its many native species of plants and animals. Visitors to the island give back to its conservation efforts to help preserve local wildlife and plants. It is a travel experience that focuses on connecting people with nature, rather than offering luxury and comfort. There is no air-conditioning or Wi-Fi on the island and cell service is limited.

I am Chinese-Filipino but never lived in the Philippines, having moved to Hong Kong when I was three months old, and later to Canada when I was fifteen. I always felt alienated from my country and culture whenever I visited, being unable to speak the language and unfamiliar with life there. While it’s been nice to connect with family every time I’ve visited, I am constantly reminded of how I don’t see it as home and never will.

But coming to this island and meeting the passionate staff members who were so knowledgeable about every single form of life that created the beauty that surrounded me had me floored. I could simply be and appreciate the beauty of this sanctuary, and feel an immense sense of pride being Filipino and having roots in this place.

The trees didn’t care that I didn’t speak the national language, that my home was elsewhere. The fish didn’t judge my awkward in-betweenness of being part tourist and part local. That beautiful blue starfish and giant clam I saw while snorkeling happily coexisted in that same ecosystem.

I couldn’t remember the last time that I had been to a place so unassuming. It didn’t aim to please, to satisfy its visitors. It knew its worth and its beauty.

I could just wake up and look at the clear blue water lapping the shore. I could see deep into the depths of the ocean floor, at the generations of species that were there long before me and would be there long after me.

I went with family, and that peace from being away from the city truly allowed us to connect with one another. Real conversations were shared over the meals that the island staff prepared for us. We laughed, we danced, I held every moment in my heart.

The incredible sustainability work they’re doing on Danjugan Island deserves to be noticed. We need to remember that we exist to take care of Mother Nature, and she will take care of us in return.

I also now have a different view on what being a tourist could look like. It doesn’t have to include a jam-packed itinerary of sightseeing and shopping. This trip gave me permission to put my to-do lists down.

There is nothing wrong with giving time to let yourself simply be.

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