We just got back from a holiday with Luke, Lisa, James and friends in southern Palawan, Philippines.

We stayed near Narra at Crystal Paradise Resort, which was very friendly and tranquil, with excellent food. The beach was about 8km long, lovely and apart from the local fishermen we were almost the only people on it.

We walked along the beach before breakfast most mornings and stopped to see what the fishermen had caught. One of them (Bong) caught some lobsters one day, so we arranged to go back there and have them for lunch on his verandah. He has a beautiful hut on stilts over the beach (see photo) which he offered to rent us for 200 pesos (about £3) – toilet, but no running water. Apart from the 4-6 people staying at the Crystal Paradise we never saw any other tourists.