Palawan is an archipelago of 1,780 islands on the western part of the Philippines. It has the most concentration of islands but is the most sparsely populated region in the country. Because of its scenic landscapes and high bio-diversity, Palawan is known as “The Last Ecological Frontier of the Philippines”.
The northern part of Palawan province is blessed with crystal-clear waters, pristine beaches, and a wealth of flora and fauna. It is here that El Nido and Taytay, home of the lovely El Nido Resorts, are located. Spectacular ancient limestone cliffs tower over marine sanctuaries teeming with innumerable species of tropical fish and coral, as well as five species of endangered sea turtles. Lush forests abound with more than 100 species of birds. It is a truly exotic destination. (http://www.elnidoresorts.com)
El Nido is located about 238 kilometers northwest of Puerto Princesa, Palawan’s capital. El Nido is bordered by the Linapacan Strait in the north, the municipality of Taytay in the south, the Sulu Sea in the east, and the South China Sea in the west.
Bacuit Bay is composed of 45 islands and islets, each with its own unique features. Most of the islands in El Nido have pockets of fine white sand beaches and coves – perfect for sunbathing and picnic lunches. Within some of the islands of El Nido are ancient caves with fascinating dripstone formations formed by millions of years of weathering action by rain water trickling into crevices and cavities. In other islands, stretches of limestone walls conceal a world of calm lagoons.
El Nido’s most fascinating features are the majestic karst limestone cliffs which stand guard over clear waters. Crevices in these limestone cliffs are home to swiftlets (Collocalia fuciphaga) after whose edible nests (“nido” in Spanish and the main ingredient for the gourmet nido soup) the town takes its name. (http://www.elnidoresorts.com)
I never thought, not in a million years, that I will be able to set foot to the beautiful island of El Nido, Palawan. Visiting El Nido is in my bucket list and I am so proud to scratch it out from that piece of paper. When we arrived at Puerto Prinsesa, my excitement went up. Thinking that in about 4 to 5 hours I will witness the beauty of that famous island.
I've been hearing great things about visiting El Nido from friends and fellow travelers. The original plan is to tour only part of Puerto Prinsesa but since my girl friend Aisa was so eager to visit El Nido, we booked a flight via PAL Express (nice cabin crew by the way!) as early as December 2012 then our hotel accommodation was arranged by Bryan. We arrived at the airport at 8:30AM and our contact person who will transfer us to El Nido was waiting outside. It was a 5 hour drive from Puerto Prinsesa to El Nido and almost 2 hours of it is driving through rough road. We set foot at El Nido at exactly 2PM.
We stayed at Marikit Pensionne House. Once you stay with them, 2-Day Island tour is already included on the package. They serve breakfast in the morning, free Wi-fi, great facilities and accommodating people. Lunch will be served during the Island tour as well. No need to think about where to eat during lunch. One thing that you have to know about El Nido is that electricity starts only from 2PM and it will be disconnected by 6AM. So make sure to charge your gadgets especially camera and phones before lights out! We were also lucky because on the time that we stayed there, it was El Nido festival. They have this dampa style along the street and the food is very affordable.
Let me show you the Islands that we visited in El Nido. :D
ISLAND TOUR DAY 1
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| El Nido beach front. |
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| Small Lagoon |
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| Big Lagoon |
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| Passing Big Lagoon |
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| Shimizu Beach where we had our lunch. |
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| Enjoying Shimizu Beach |
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| 7 Commando Beach |
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| Shimizu Beach |
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| 7 Commando Beach |
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| Ready to enter the Secret Lagoon |
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| This one is at the Small Lagoon |
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| Shimizu Beach |
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| Small Lagoon. The foot of Brandon!!! |
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| Pictorial peg at the Shimizu Beach |
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| People gathered in front of the small hole to enter the Secret Lagoon. :) |
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| Enjoying the sun in Shimizu Beach :D |
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| At the Secret Lagoon |
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| The four of us at the Secret Lagoon |
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| YAY!!! ;) We made it at the Secret Lagoon! |
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| My photographer! Haha! At the Shimizu Beach. |
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| With my friend Aisa at the Shimizu Beach |
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| Big Lagoon |
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| At the 7 Commando Island |
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| We were the first group who went to the 7 Commando Island that day. |
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| I love you Mr. Sunshine! |
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| Passing Big Lagoon |
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| Who wont say NO to this beauty? Shimizu Beach. |
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| Shimizu Beach |
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| After the amazing Island tour. :) |
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| We shared the boat with other 2 tourists - Mommy and Earl. They are so nice. |
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Lunch at the Shimizu Beach
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This is an amazing trip! Small and Big Lagoon are located in Miniloc Island. There are still so many beautiful islands to see in El Nido. I’m definitely not done with it yet. :D The second part of our Island tour is up next! :D
Wow! : D
ReplyDeleteMaka-WOw naman, wagas! haha! :)
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