El Nido Palawan

Paradise: (noun) A very beautiful, pleasant, or peaceful place that seems to be perfect. Where is this place on earth? This paradise can be found at El Nido, Palawan Philippines.

Palawan ranked #6 on the list of 15 Best Island in the world according to Travel+Leisure Magazine. These destinations was made top by their readers to help some serious wanderlust. With its beautiful natural scenery, dreamy white beaches, amazingly beautiful lagoons, prestine clear water, and abundant marine life, who will disagree?

Right after our Puerto Princesa Underground River adventure, we headed immediately to El Nido for our dream summer destination. We booked our El Nido tour package at Hadefe Travel & Tours with the help of our new friend, Katee Reena. Package inclusion: Van pick up and drop off ( Puerto Princesa City) , accommodation, Island hopping and lunch. Package price: 3,200 pesos per adult, 1,600 pesos per kid 11 y/o and below. It is 238 kilometer which is approximately 4 to 5 hours drive from Puerto Princesa City.

Accommodation

Our accommodation at Hadefe Cottages has a breathtaking view from our room. The place is very peaceful, clean and relaxing. Staff are very nice and accommodating. The room is small yet clean with a flat screen TV and air conditioning unit. Toiletries and towels are provided.

Included is a complimentary breakfast cottage (hotdog, fried rice and egg and coffee.

Island Hopping

Off to paradise, we were called to get inside the boat at 9:00 AM. Our group opted to get the package tour C for our Island hopping. Tour C is mainly visiting beaches. Other tour activities available big lagoon and small island tour.

Joining in as our travel buddies are some of our office mates, Gladys, Ushan and Tess with their respective families. We are 14 joiners in this tour with my brother Romer, niece Angel and daughter Chelle.

Our first stop was at the Helicopter Island. The island shaped like a helicopter without a propeller from afar. Does it look like one? To me, yes.

This enticingly beautiful island has a crystal clear water and rocky white sand. Things we did include water wading, snorkeling, took lots of pictures and admire the view.

Hidden beach is our next stop. This place is simply paradise in a secluded location. A Tower of limestone will leave you breathless as you look around. Our boatman/tourguide stopped the boat a little far from the Hidden beach. We have to swim and wade in the water to see what’s in store for us at the Hidden beach.

We were amazed at how our Creator made this place for us. Indeed, God is one perfect artist.

We enjoyed swimming while marvelling at the stunning limestone sorrounding it.

Our next stop is Matinloc Island. this is another awe-inspiring sight where beautiful gray karst formations sorrounded the island.

A picturesque destination, a tranquil hideaway wherein you can relax, wade in the water, go on snorkeling and have a photo shoot with nature as your backdrop.

There’s a Secret beach inside Matinloc island. As we approached the sandy shore, mini rocky pools are found along the way.

Our last stop is at Talisay beach. We had our lunch at the boat prepared by our boatmen/guides at the back.

There is a floating vendor who sells bottled juices, sodas, beers and chips.

Snorkeling is the best thing to do here since stepping into the corals is prohibited.

Feeding these marine life is one unforgettable experience. The feeling of being one with them is truly priceless.

Our El Nido adventure ended here. We are thankful for this opportunity and to our guide who have been very patient and helpful.

We only had an overnight stay here and we admit that we did not explore the other side of El Nido since we have to return to Puerto Princesa City for our flight going back to Manila.

If you plan to visit El Nido in the near future, I suggest that you come here during dry season (December to May) to fully enjoy your vacation. Three to five days might be enough for the other tour activities.

Travel tips:

Safety first… Make sure you are in good condition, always wear your life vest specially if you are not a good swimmer, listen to the boatman’s instruction before getting off the boat. Snorkeling rental is 100 pesos per head.

Things to bring:

• Bottled water
• Action camera or cellphone with waterproof case
• head cap
• money
• sunscreen protection lotion
• waterproof bag.
• Biscuits or crackers for fish feeding

Thank you for reading our story!

God bless always!