TRULY A HEAVEN PLACED ON EARTH.
When my eyes met the nature of Palawan.... i have to say that I was really stunned by the beauty of the Province. 45 minutes travel by plane bound for Puerto Princesa and 4-5 hours travel by land bound for EL NiDO..all those rocky road trip and heart pumping zig-zag mountain travel is all worth the wait no matter how tired you are. Special thanks to Board Member Gil Acosta and family who accommodated us all through out our stay in Puerto Princesa, i salute all the hospitality of Palwenos.
To cut it short, EL NIDO was the placed i long to see and undoubtedly my expectations where beyond my imagination.. The beauty, the breeze, the aura, the people, the heat and the peacefulness of the place are just but few things you will truly love and will make you go back soon.
For those who wanted to experience "EL NIDo adventure" here are some shared moments about our adventure that might be a tip for you guys especially for those who have limited budget.
Some facts: EL nido got only 2 private resorts (take note: these resorts are posh private resorts which costs 10,000 pesos a night/per person) If you got some bucks to spend with why not.. For some reasons the MINILOC ISLAND (one of the private resort in el nido) invited us to see the place and offered some snacks courtesy of Brod/Board Member Gil Acosta. Good thing we were able to enjoy and tour around the resort that we don't need to check in [super thanks!] Me and my friends decided to stay in a cheap INN for 2 nights which costs 3,000 pesos per night [its discounted from fraternity brothers]
Whether you stay in a cheap INN or decided to stay in MINILOC or LAGEN resorts..still, they share the beauty of EL NIDO's lagoons and islands.
Once you arrived and found a place where to stay, the next step is to find and rent a pump boat and a boat man which will serve as your tour guides and your means of transportation for your island and lagoon hopping adventure [goggles and life vests are provided] EL NIDO is composed of many lagoons, islands and islets so you better start early to maximize your whole day. And, be sure to bring some food/snacks/drinks and disposable utensils that you bring along good enough for the tour. [camera's are sacred! you don't wanna miss a single shot] You'll enjoy snorkeling and feeding the fishes, swimming and diving the serene beaches of EL Nido and also some sight seeing moments that you don't wanna miss!
The pump boat rent costs around 1,500 pesos.
After day break. Time to relax and enjoy reggae, country and The Beatles music @ BALAY TUBAY bistro asta galeri. The bar is filled with relaxing music sang by the great musicians of El Nido. The cozy place is surrounded by great portraits of Kuya Jun Acosta (my friend's cousin and also a fraternity brother) with his various portraits of great and popular people around the globe. The food and drinks are quite expensive but the cozy place and music compensates the money you spent.
Back to Puerto Princesa is another hell ride of 5hrs travel and another 2hrs travel bound for Sabang, Palawan. There the famous underground river is situated. It features spectacular limestone formation that contains an Underground River that is reputed to be the longest navigable underground river in the World. Your Palawan vacation wont be complete without taking the chance to capture those moments inside the cave.
