El Nido: Lost in Words (Part 1 of 3: El Nido in Focus)

Hello dear reader, I'm back again for another travel blog! Let's explore one of the most famous tourist destinations in the Philippines and around the world: El Nido, Palawan!

I chose the title Lost in Words because it's hard to express in words our overall El Nido experience! Part One of my El Nido blog series will be all about the place they call El Nido!

El Nido here we come!
(Photo by Janella)

Let's go...

The Town Proper

El Nido is a small but busy town located at the Northern part of Palawan, Philippines. If your starting point is Manila, the cheapest route is via a 1.15 Hour plane ride from Manila to Puerto Princesa (either Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific or Air Asia) and then a 4-6 Hour ride (either van or bus) from Puerto Princesa to El Nido. An expensive but quick alternative is via Airswift (previously ITI) which lands at LiO Airport and then a 10-15 Minute tricycle ride to the town proper.

An Airswift two-way plane ticket starts at Php 13,000.

We took the normal route via Philippine Airlines...seat sale price of course lol.
(Photo by Janella)

Towards the town, you will be welcomed by Taraw Cliff (I think), a tall and steep Limestone mountain--a suitable warm-up for things to come! El Nido is mainly urbanized particularly near the shoreline. Business is all tourism-related in nature: food & drinks, small dry markets (aka sari-sari stores), travel & tours, board & lodging and motorbike rentals.

El Nido Beach during noon.

An alternative view of the town proper.

The Locals

The people are friendly in nature. The residents are very proud of El Nido's natural beauty and their preservation measures. They speak Tagalog dialect and basic English--foreigners will have no difficulty communicating. Several reviews in the Internet mention several cases of theft. So far, Janella and I have no such experiences...only positive ones! The item that we forgot at the boat during our first tour was returned to us the next day.

Where to Eat

Be ready because the price of food at El Nido is quite expensive (except for foreign travelers). There are several exceptions in the list though. One is Silog Republic which serves Silog (variety of processed meat plus Fried Egg and Garlic Rice) and other meals starting at Php 85. A few steps away is Midtown Bakery which has a variety of local pastries! We recommend their Banana Cake which is pretty tasty. For a taste of deadly cholesterol, try out Bulalo Plaza located a few meters away from the wet market. Their specialty is Bulalo (Beef Bone Marrow) and other Filipino dishes like Pinakbet and Pork Sisig.

Inside Bulalo Plaza

Bulalo (Far Left & Right), Pinakbet (Middle Left), Kinilaw na Isda (Middle Right)

Erland Fresh Fruit Shake & Crepes is our favourite fruit shake vendor!
(picture taken from my latest site work visit)

They sample first to make sure that the taste is right.
The shake also looks fancy because of the straw.

If you have a decent amount of money, explore some of the expensive options. For fresh seafood dishes, Sea Jane Resto Bar tops on the list! Situated at the scenic beachfront area, Sea Jane Resto Bar serves a variety of fish cooked to your liking. The price is based on a per kilo range and the type of dish. A Php 300 worth Grilled Fish with Rice is good for three people (additional two Rice at Php 30 ea.). They also sell local beers to flush down that hearty meal! For grilled fish, we recommend Pulang Maya Maya and Unicorn Fish.

Sea Jane Resto Bar

You can choose from a selection of
fresh seafoods from fish to lobsters!

An established institution and a local attraction in some respect is Art Cafe located along Serena Street. They offer European dishes using local ingredients in a native but classy ambiance. Some dishes has a delectable twists like Art Cafe Pizza which Janella and I adores!

Inside Art Cafe

The fresh flowers are a nice touch!

Seafood Paella (Left) and Art Cafe Pizza (Right).
The Egg on top of Art Cafe Pizza was a delicious surprise!

Transportation

The cheapest mode of transportation around El Nido is by foot. The town is so small you can leisurely roam around in an hour or so. For transit at nearby tourist sites such as Marimegmeg and Nacpan Beach you may either rent a motorbike or ride a tricycle.

A typical tricycle at El Nido

A motorbike rent cost Php 400 and 500 for 12 and 24 hours respectively (fuel not included) while a tricycle ride (5-passenger max. capacity) costs Php 50 per ride. A motorbike rental requires a passport for foreigners and government-issued ID for local tourists.

Our motorbike for a day!

The Island Tours

El Nido--or Bacuit Bay to be exact has lots to offer--breathtaking Limestone islands, thriving marine life, awesome caves and picturesque beaches! One may experience such awe-inspiring attractions via island tours which has its own respective features. The price varies per tour ranging from Php 1,200-1,700. All tour packages are inclusive of a hearty lunch, snorkel set and life vest. Other items like aqua shoes and waterproof camera requires an additional charge.

Here are the tours and corresponding attractions:

Tour A-Small Lagoon, Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island, Seven Commando Beach

Tour B-Snake Island, Pinagbuyutan Island, Entaluta Beach, Cudugnon Beach, Snorkeling site

Tour C-Helicopter Island, Matinloc Shrine (Php 100 entrance fee at the time of our visit), Secret Beach, Star Beach, Hidden Beach

Tour D-Ipil Beach, Paradise Beach, Pasandigan Beach, Natnat Beach, Bukal Beach, Cadlao Lagoon

Words are not enough to describe the mesmerizing charm of El Nido islands! Pictures barely scratch the surface--you really have to see it for yourself! The deep sea is pitch Royal Blue with a faint view of corals at the bottom! The Limestone formations are fascinating to look at--a testament to Mother Nature’s handy work over time! The close encounters with the marine habitat are a far better cry from Finding Nemo movie scenes and marine parks combined!

A noteworthy item to also mention is the abundant lunch! It consists of at least two to three seafood dishes (Grilled Fish, Boiled Shrimp and Mussels to name a few), either Roast Chicken or Pork, plenty of Steamed Rice (can't eat without it) and fruits such as Watermelon, Pineapple, Papaya and Banana. The seafood absolutely tastes the catch of day--delicious!

Our lunch at Tour A...

...and Tour C!

Janella and I were able to take Tour A and C which are the most popular of the four. Tour B was also in the back-up itinerary but sadly only Tour A and C was available since it was lean months (March-August).

Here are some of the pictures that we took from Tour A and Tour C!

Inside the Small Lagoon

I'm good at drowning so...lol

Another view inside

Outside the Small Lagoon

Entrance to Secret Lagoon

A closer look. It was low tide so entry was a bit easier.

Limestone formations inside the Secret Lagoon

You may think that Secret Lagoon is no-good beacause of the murky waters.
It looks bleak due to the distrurbance caused by the tourists and the low tide,
thus there's no water circulating inside.

Secret Lagoon has a neighboring beach where some of the tourists ate lunch.
Be careful since you will encounter many sharp rocks below.

Shimizu Island was named after the Japanese diver who died exploring
its underwater caves.

We ate lunch at the middle of the two islands! There were also lots of fish beneath!

Towards Big Lagoon
(Photo by Janella)

Inside Big Lagoon approaching the entry/exit.
We chose to admire the view so no pictures to share lol.
(Photo by Janella)

A common photo composition at Big Lagoon--less the photobomber lol

Seven Commandos Beach

This is where I learned how to swin (with a life vest obviously lol) all thanks to Janella!

Entrance to Hidden Beach. This is where my swimming skills was tested.

Did I make the cut? My smile in the picture says it all!

Inside Hidden Beach

View towards the exit

Matinloc Shrine from afar. We never visited the spot since our fellow tourists
doesn't want to pay the Php 100 entrance fee.

Outside Secret Beach. This is where my swimming skills and
fear of drowning was REALLY put through its paces!

The entrance is like an inverted "V". Good thing that it was low tide during our visit.
The bottom is sooo deep I recommend looking down below AFTER the tour.

View of the entrance from the inside. As you can see, the water
is already shallow beyond the opening.

Inside Secret Beach

The Limestone formation at the small beach area is great for picture taking! 

We ate our luch at Talisay Beach

Don't miss out the sea creatures below but be mindful of the
abrupt change in depth for non-swimmers out there.

A Moorish Idol

Snorkeling at Star Island: the replacement for Matinloc Shrine.

Wear that live vest properly because the water is very deep!

Last on our Tour C was Helicopter Island

We thought to ourselves that what a dull way to end our tour...a routine beach walk
and snorkelling again. That changed when we went snorkelling at the end of the beach....

We were wrong...absolutely wrong!

The marine life is so diverse...every view is amazing!

We also saw a pair of Clown Fish...one of the inspirations
of the movie Finding Nemo.
(Photo by Janella)

There was a bonus rainbow towards the town proper--a worthy end
to our island tour experience!

Inland Tours

If you love the beach (Janella does), El Nido has two options to choose from: Marimegmeg and Nacpan Beach! Marimegmeg and Nacpan Beach is a 10 Minute Southward and a 45 Minute Northward ride respectively from the town proper. Both have fine sand, pristine coastline and clear waters--not to mention a small number of tourists particulary at Marimegmeg Beach.

Plane window view of Nacpan Beach!

Marimegmeg Beach at noon!

Marimegmeg Beach is also known as Las Cabanas Beach.

Our friendly guide at Marimegmeg Beach!

Depeldet Island

The sunset view at Marimegmeg Beach!

You may visit both spots in one day via a two-way tricycle ride which costs about Php 200 for Marimegmeg Beach and Php 1,200 for Nacpan Beach (both origin is the town proper). Our recommended itinerary order is (1) Nacpan Beach early in the morning, (2) back to town proper and (3) Marimegmeg Beach late in the afternoon (the best place to see the sunset). For a short boost of adrenaline, Marimegmeg Beach has a zip line which costs Php 500 per head.

A new player in the tourism scene is LiO Eco-tourism Estate (LiO for short) located 10-15 Minutes North of the town proper. It boasts a long stretch of scenic beachfront with several hotels, food & bar and retail establishments. Take the opportunity to visit LiO before it's full of tourists--entrance is absolutely free!

The popular landmark at LiO

Bathaluman Manggugubat: a new landmark somewhere
near the future Seda El Nido

LiO's beach

Tours Off The Beaten Track

El Nido is also famous for other spots such as sea and cave diving, Taraw Cliff, Nagkalit-kalit Waterfalls and many more. Nagkalit-kalit Waterfalls is along the Nacpan Beach route. It may be a part of  your inland tour itinerary--simply allot an ample time for trekking. If you want a view to die for, Taraw Cliff is for you! Taraw Cliff is full of sharp Limestone formations and deadly steep climbs--not to mention no safety harness whatsoever. It may be a treacherous climb but the reward will be the bird’s eye view of the town proper.

This is all for Part One dear reader! I will update this blog when we visit El Nido once more--definitely!

Also check out Janella's take on our El Nido experience here!

Looking for a place to stay at El Nido? Click here for Part Two!

Ikimashou!