Hot footing it out of Sabang, sex tourist capital, before any more fluffy teddies and hearts lined restaurant tables (I could only imagine how that went down here) I went in search of a more acceptable version of paradise, on Boracay island in the Visayas.

With textbook white sand and voted the worlds second best island it’s hardly undiscovered, but after the strange crowd in Sabang I was looking forward to more traditional holiday vibes and rum coconuts. Getting there however sounded epic; two Jeepneys, a mini van, ferry and a small bangka. Leaving Javid behind I set off early doors for my first Jeepney of the day to Calapan.

Was that my jaw?

I’d already witnessed secluded bays, miles of palm and vivid green banana trees the previous day to Puerto Galara and didn’t think much could top it, yet as we left for Calapan it just got more and more beautiful.

It really was ridiculously stunning, like when you look at one of those Victoria Secrets models and think, how?

When we turned a corner to see a tall silver waterfall trickle down the hillside my jaw actually did fall open. How this place has only been discovered by the Koreans and old European men I’ll never know.

“You are alone. Why?”

Yes ladies and gentlemen, if there’s ever a sentence you want uttered to you on Valentines day it’s this one. Not one I was a stranger to of course, but it peaked in popularity today and I was asked about five times, by the old lady on the bus, the port security men, the woman in the coffee shop…

What’s even trickier is answering it.

Yes I have friends, no I don’t know why I don’t have a boyfriend, yes I will think about a Filipino suiter….

The only thing that made it ok was the charming way in which it was asked which followed swiftly with “because your beautiful m’am!” And I couldn’t be mad at that. No it seemed valentines day had brought a cheeky side out of many guys who waved, wished me happy valentines day and joked about me being their “Valentina”.

In all this joviality I felt relaxed about the fact the boat was three hours late and there was a good chance I wouldn’t get to Boracay. Still I held out hope that I’d be able to drown myself in rum before the night was out and settled down to watch the sun set perfectly over a sapphire sea.

I felt very lucky as I watched the scene play out, yet a tiny pang of aloneness crept in, it was just too beautiful to have all to oneself, it would be lovely to share it with someone. And just then as though he had a radar for it man number five landed the final bullet: why are you alone m’am?

“You know I don’t know” came my reply, “But I’m off to find some paradise instead!”. He laughed, “Yes well Boracay is very lovely. Maybe next year, you will have husband m’am?”

Mmm, yes, maybe next year…..