How to Be a Regular in a Place You’ve Never Been Before
There’s a certain kind of happiness only travel can give.
The kind that fills your lungs with salt air and your soul with wide-open wonder. It’s in the laughter shared with strangers who feel like old friends. It’s in the smell of grilled fish curling through a beachside alley, or the way the ocean greets you like it’s been waiting all along. To be a “regular” in a place you’ve never been is about how deeply you feel when you arrive. How quickly you say yes to the unfamiliar. How bravely you fall in love with moments you’ll never forget.
But what if you’ve never been to the place before?
The good news is: You don’t have to be born somewhere to belong. The best travelers aren’t the ones who visit the most countries, but the ones who blend into a place with care, respect, and presence. So here’s your gentle guide on how to become a “regular”, even if you’re new to the island.
Slow Down First
Being a regular starts with being present. You can’t rush your way into familiarity.
Take the long walk instead of the trike ride. Sit by the same sari-sari store every morning. Let yourself settle into the rhythm of the place.
When you stop trying to conquer a place like a checklist, and start living in it like a chapter. You’ll notice how quickly it opens up to you.
Return to the Same Spots
Yes, it’s tempting to try every bar, every cafe, every breakfast spot. But if you want to feel like a local, pick a few favorite places, and keep coming back.
That fruit stand with the sweetest mangoes. That corner table at the beach bar. That tiny bakery in Boracay that smells like childhood.
Familiarity breeds connection. When the vendor recognizes your face and remembers how you like your pan de coco, that’s when you stop being a stranger.
Learn the Names (and Use Them)
Names are powerful. When you remember someone’s name, you’re telling them, “I see you.”
Ask for names. Remember the kuya who drives the tricycle every afternoon. The ate who serves you halo-halo with a smile. The dog by the surf shack who always rolls over for belly rubs? Give him a name too.
And don’t forget to introduce yourself, too. You’re not just a guest. You’re a neighbor—if only for a little while.
Offer to Help, Not Just Take
The world doesn’t owe us experiences, we co-create them. So instead of just asking, “Where’s the best spot?” ask, “How can I support this place?”
Buy local. Tip generously. Carry a reusable water bottle. Volunteer for a beach cleanup if there’s one happening. Even the smallest gesture adds up, and locals feel the difference between someone who’s consuming the place and someone who’s contributing to it.
Your presence can either leave a footprint or plant a seed.
Create a Ritual
Rituals create roots. Something you do every day or every other day, something that becomes yours in space.
Maybe it’s a morning swim before the tourists arrive. A sunset beer with the same bartender. A walk to the lighthouse with your journal and no phone.
Your ritual just has to be true. Eventually, the people around you will start to recognize it too. You’ll become that person who always does that thing. And that’s the essence of becoming a regular.
Speak with Curiosity, Not Authority
You might have Googled the island. You may know where the top-rated restaurant is. But a real regular doesn’t show up as an expert—they show up as a student.
Ask questions. Stay curious. Accept that you don’t know the best lumpia in town until someone’s lola invites you into her backyard to try hers.
Let yourself be taught, and you’ll earn something more meaningful than a five-star review, you’ll be trusted.
Leave Room to Come Back
Being a regular is also about returning. It doesn’t mean living in one place forever—it means being remembered when you come back.
Leave something behind. A thank you note. A favorite book. A promise to visit again. When you return to that café a year later and someone says, “You came back!”—that’s when you know you did it right.
You didn’t just pass through. You were here.
You Belong Where You Are Kind
To be a regular is about how you showed up.
Here in El Nido, Siargao, and Boracay, we’ve seen travelers come and go. But the ones we remember? They’re the ones who smiled back. Who helped carry a cooler. Who danced barefoot even when they didn’t know the steps.
They’re the ones who made the islands feel just a little more alive.
So, wherever you land, take off your shoes, look people in the eye, and live like you’re already home.
Welcome to the islands.
Welcome to Happiness.
