"Don't you dare fall in love with me." If that will be a cry of El Nido and everyone took the challenge, no one will ever win. Because as soon as my feet touched the land, I immediately fell in love with it. And who wouldn't?! The place was magical. It was as if you are somewhere unreal. If you think I'm exaggerating, then go and see to prove me otherwise. :)
L O C A T I O N
We flew to Puerto Princesa from Manila. From there, we took a van for a 6-hour drive to El Nido. If you came unprepared like us, do not worry as there were multiple van just outside the airport that can bring you anywhere in Puerto Princesa. There were also buses outside the airport. It depends on where you think you will be comfortable for a long road trip. Take note that this transportation was shared unless you are willing to pay for all the seats.
Our ride to El Nido had 2 stop over for a short stretching and meals. The road going to El Nido was all paved except of the last 1 km that was under construction. But considering that we went here on the 1st quarter of 2014, I believed that this was now a different story. And FYI, if you get easily dizzy with a zigzag road, better make yourself ready and drink needed medicine before hand since the last two hours ride (if I remember it right) was steep and twisted.
This post is the 1st series of my El Nido travel diary composed of all the activities and photos from Tour A.
Puerto Princesa, Palawan Airport
Me and my hubby at the PP airport, excited to see El Nido.
And this was the view that welcomed us from our hotel's balcony. Amazing work of God! To know more about it, check my post about Bill Tourist Inn.
TOUR A ISLAND HOPPING
We started our island hopping a day after we came since it was already late when we arrived. There are four tours that El Nido offers, Tour A to Tour D. Each tour is good for a day with 4 to 5 islands/spots to visit. The amount of each tour was ranging from P1,200.00 to 1,400.00 ( 2014 rate ) accompanied by a complete lunch meal, life vest and snorkeling equipment (but there were times that the snorkeling equipment are not part of the package and you need to pay an additional P100 for it).
Since we had only 2 whole days to used, we chose the Tour A and Tour C which was according to the locals were two of the best tours in El Nido.
This was the Main Beach. The sand and the water was a little filthy because it serves as a boat docking area where the tourists arrives and departs. Although the locals never fail to clean the shore every morning to remove all the garbage from the night that was, the area was a little spoiled already. But the view around remains stunning.
Assembly time was 8:30 in the morning and departs at 9:00. Boats were also shared and they usually assigned 8 to 10 passengers with 3 guides (1 captain, 1 assistant and 1 tourist guide). More or less, you will be grouped to a mixed of tourists which often to be from different nations and they usually outnumbered the local group. That is how famous El Nido to our foreign friends.
I will try to remember in the best way I can to name all the island and lagoons that we visited. It was all mixed up in my album since I used two camera phones. And fyi, I didn't captured everything since some of the spots were not accessible to the boat and I need to leave my camera to avoid it getting soaked. So remember to bring a waterproof camera to capture every moment. It's a must!
1st Stop | S m a l l L a g o o n
The entrance of the Small Lagoon was a little hole which was half submerged by water so we need to swim under and the entrance was a little far from where the boats stopped. I'm not a swimmer and the water was deep and dark since the area was surrounded by cliffs so imagine how terrified I was at first although I was wearing a floater. But the guide will make sure that you will reach all the destinations safely. They pulled us until we reach the lagoon thru a rope. The water inside was knee to hips deep though beware of walking barefoot because the lagoon's bed was full of sharp corals and stones. There were a lot of small fishes in the lagoon but if you don't like snorkeling, there was a small sanded area where you can sit and wait while enjoying the view.
2nd Stop | S i m i z u I s l a n d
This was where we rest while waiting for our lunch. Our food were mostly grilled fish and pork with fresh fruits. Simuzu Island was good for a swim and snorkeling and the sand was nice and white.
A paradise like this always deserves a selfie.
Captured a lot of photos while food was being grilled.
My plate before I enjoyed it. I didn't got a chance to take a photo of the whole table, we were all hungry so the ravaged immediately begun once everything was served. Lol! I loved how the food was sooo good on my taste buds. It was also the first time that I saw and tasted a yellow watermelon. It was yummy and sweet. I almost wanted to finish all that was served. And of course who wouldn't finish a plate if you were on a paradise. There was something about sitting in the sand, surrounded by a beautiful sky and water that will make you feel good about everything. Just perfect!
3rd Stop | S e c r e t L a g o o n
The Secret Lagoon is a small area that was surrounded and covered by the large limestone. It was not visible from the outside, the reason maybe that it was called it's name. From the entrance, we walked in a dry land for about 20 meters and watered part for about 10 meters which was half body-deep before reaching the door of the lagoon.
Entrance of Secret Lagoon.
If you happen to be part of a large crowd, you need to fall in line because the only way to get through (in and out) was a small hole that can accommodate one person at a time. The water was leg deep on the entrance but deeper on the farther areas and the color was bleary. But unlike the small lagoon, it was much safer to the feet, no sharp stones and corals. There was not much to see inside and not for snorkeling activity so we left immediately. Maybe fishes were claustrophobic. :)
Inside the lagoon
Though the secret lagoon was not as promising, these view at the entrance was more than enough.
4th Stop | B i g L a g o o n
I just didn't have an open view shot but the entrance of the Big Lagoon was so beautiful! The highlight of the tour in my opinion. Most of the tourists just walked going inside since there were a lot of boats coming in and out and the water was just thigh to leg-deep on the entrance. The view was breathtaking. Sadly, photos couldn't justify how beautiful it was.
Snorkeling time! Moments like these are the one that makes me regret on why I didn't buy a waterproof camera. The view from the bottom are sometimes better than above. But in case of El Nido, you can never go wrong with either the two. And even if you don't have a plan to snorkel, you can see a glimpse of underwater view. The fishes and corals were visible from above.
5th and Last Stop | 7 C o m m a n d o s B e a c h
After all of the snorkeling, diving and swimming, it was time to relax and lay in the sand at 7 Commandos Beach. The beach was also a good spot for the sunset but we left before it was set.
There was a store in the island and some sun loungers. A cold drinks will definitely add to the fun.
T r a v e l E s s e n t i a l s
- Waterproof / Underwater Camera
- Waterproof Bag
- Sunblock
- Drinking Water (Better bring your own reusable bottle)
And that was the end of the tour A. That day was one of the best vacation we had. Although quite tired with all the snorkeling and boat rides, we had really a good time. Our eyes and heart was full with the marvelous sights that we saw. Wait until you see the Tour C and tell me what tour would you prefer. :)
To check where we stay in this stunning Island, check my Bill Tourist Inn review.
For other activities in El Nido, check my other blogs:
x o x o
Faith
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