THIS is not a travel guide for all those who plan to explore the enchanting and magnificent El Nido, Palawan. You’ve got plenty of resources for that and they are just a google away.
Rather, this will be a read of why, among all the beautiful destinations in the Philippines, El Nido transcends in every traveling soul’s bucket list.
Diverse spots within a tourist spot
Philippines is gifted with countless destinations worthy of everyone’s visit. But some areas only offer one to four destinations. El Nido is an exception to that. This spot located in the north of Palawan Island is a combination of wonders.
El Nido has diverse treasures to boast: islands, snorkeling, cliff climbing, waterfalls, beaches, lagoons, kayaking, cave exploration, and windsurfing, among others.
Tourists can choose from what the place offers, but if you wish to experience all of these? A three-day or two-night stay in this paradise won’t be enough. It requires one to spend maybe a week-long vacation to experience more of El Nido.
Also, if you know how to explore away from the crowd, make sure that you can have a more serene experience of the island, because some great places are less travelled.
Island-hopping capital
For some good reasons, El Nido can be named as the “island hopping capital” of the Philippines as it offers different island-hopping routes.
It maybe because the best way to discover El Nido is through these island-hopping activities which enable tourists to swim, hike, snorkel and eat. Yes, eat on the beach.
At present, it has four island-hopping tours, listed as Tours A, B, C, and D.
What I took, during my visit last summer was the most popular – the Tour A. (For hassle-free tour packages in El Nido or any other tourist spots, I strongly recommend www.wayph.com, they have various types of tour packages catering to different needs of clients.)
I asked some tourists and the tour guide himself why this tour set is the most-availed package among the four. And based on my own experience, I can vouch that every single positive word they said is indeed true.
It’s the quintessential El Nido tour with focus on lagoons, mix of snorkeling and couple of beaches. The tour takes us to the Small Lagoon, Big lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island, and Seven Commandoes Beach.
Visiting multiple spots can be done through combination tours. Two different tours can be done in a day but only hitting the highlights.
Picture perfect
It is a common thought that some places only look good on photos but take El Nido, again, as an exception. What you see is what you get, or maybe more. It is simply as mesmerizing and awe-inspiring as it is in photos and videos. Promise, El Nido deserves a space in your Instagram feeds.
I guess it is everyone’s goal to strike a pose with El Nido’s limestone karst cliffs serving as dramatic backdrop.
People
What makes this place dear to tourists, especially foreigners, is the hospitable and all-smiling traits of its locals. They all served as tour guides to everyone. In my case, where I stayed (Desert Rose Hotel) the staff were very accommodating and mindful of your needs. They also made me feel alone (respects my privacy) but never lonely (as we had hours-long chat about random topics).
The nature’s last frontier
This scenic archipelago of 45 islands located within the majestic Bacuit Bay is a nest of nature’s best – powdery white sand beaches, marble cliffs, enchanting lagoons, and rich marine biodiversity. There is, indeed, a bunch of good reasons why this and its entire province that is Palawan is protected as a Unesco Biosphere Reserve.
Given these reasons, who wouldn’t want to explore and experience the beauty of El Nido?
While it is more of a dream destination, it is also best to expect that the place is nothing perfect, at least for some, as it owns problems of frequent power interruptions and limited potable water. But witnessing its natural grandeur, I choose to see nothing but unspoiled wonders.
I believe there are plenty of reasons why El Nido captivates the hearts of every tourist who visited this paradisiacal gift of the heavens to mankind and why it leaves visitors with wistful hope to return in this nest-of-wonders kind of destination someday.