Saturday, February 11, 2012

El nido: I've fallen for you

If I were a paid blogger, matagal na kong nasipa sa trabaho. Nilangaw na naman tong blog na to. hahaha! Even before I list down all my travel plans this year, I already crossed out one. Galing lang naman kasi ako sa El nido kamakailan. Bumida kasi ako sa Bourne Legacy. E dun yung shooting location namin kaya ayun. (Charot!)

Hep! Preview muna...

hailed the best beach! well.. for me ^_^ longest and widest white sand I've seen so far

gusto mong malaman kung san to? read this series to find out! hihihi!


Actually, hindi ako umabot sa Bourne. Dumating sila the day I left. Pero ok lang. Kung hindi baka hindi ko nakita ang big lagoon. Magpipiket talaga ako. hahaha! I want to thank my boss for allowing me to have an effin' Looooooong break. Oh and yeah, I just love the fact that I haven't receive any phone calls from that 6-days trip. Sana ganyan lagi ha. Hahah! sa uulitin! (Naalala ko nung nag-Coron ako, tatambog na dapat ako sa tubig nung may tumawag. May problema daw sa office. Badtrip. hahaha! Kating-kati na ko e.)

El nido is one of my dream destinations. Bonggang banat sa unang buwan ng taon. I went there solo by the way. At ayoko na sanang iblog pa kung pano makapunta dun para hindi nyo dumugin. hahaha! Selfish lang. Pero dahil nga wala na kong maisulat.. ito na siya. Brace yourselves. hahahahah!

Day 1
Papa: Ano na naman to?! Bakit mag isa ka na naman lalayas?!!
Mama: (quiet lang)

Me: E nakakabalik naman ako e. Chaka may tutuluyan na ko dun at susundo sa airport.
Papa: Kababae mong tao e... ang lakas ng loob mong lumayas!

Pero hinatid din ako sa airport. hahahah! Feel niya lang mag sermon.

I chose Manila-Puerto Princesa-El nido route rather than taking direct SEAIR's flight which costs 15,000 round-trip. Mas gugustuhin ko ng sumakit ang pwet ko. I left Manila around 8:00am and arrived in Puerto Princesa at 9:30am. Nakawasiwas na ang pangalan ko sa labas ng airport. I already called Fort Wally Shuttle beforehand to pick me up. We left the airport at around 10:00am. By the way, El nido is 5-6 hours away from Puerto. Puro KAMI foreigners sa van.. Char! hehehe! 3 lang kaming pinoy. Alien invasion. Ang daming nag-akalang taga dun ako. Akala nila uuwi lang ako samin. hahaha! Sa biyahe, may mga parts na smooth lang, meron din mga bumpy at dusty. Kung nag bus ako, malamang walis na naman ang buhok ko pagdating.

Natuwa ako nung naaninag ko na ang Cadlao Island. yihiiii! Eto na siya! We arrived at the terminal at exactly 4pm. Pagdating ko pinagkaguluhan ako ng mga tricycle drivers. "Uhm.. mga kuya. Hindi po ako artista." Yun sana ang gusto kong sabihin. hahah! Lumayas lang sila sa harap ko nung sinabi kong may susundo na sakin. I checked in at Marina Garden Beach Resort. P20.00 ata ang binayad ko sa tricycle papunta dun. Nagtulog lang ako hanggang alas 6 ng gabi, tamad lang, then went out for dinner.

View from the resort

Big Brother house? Engk! Mali ka... Marina yan. hihihi!


Ako ng makalat! I availed their standard room for 1 night

Nagulat ako at nagising dahil pinatayan ako ng kuryente. Leche! hahaha! Electricity in El nido runs from 2pm to 6am by the way. Pero tama lang din kasi start na ng island hopping ng 9am so kailangan ng mag-kumahog kumain at mag change costume..palikpik mode.


Day 2: Island Hopping - Tour A

El nido offers 4 island hopping tours which composed of several islands to choose from. But the most popular ones are Tour A and C. E magpapahuli ba ko?! Since the rates for every package is standard, I just availed the one being offered by Marina.


Right here waiting...

limestones are abundant in El nido. Mapapagod ka kakalingon
Small Lagoon

Clear turquoise water welcomed us
 
Entrance to Small Lagoon

Tara! Pasok tayo!

twin towers inside the lagoon
The water is deep according to our guide. I really can't tell because I'm always wearing a lifevest ke malalim ke mababaw. hahah! I can't see what's underneath so I guess may tama si kuya. hihihi!

"silip" (yup we found a small creepy cave inside the lagoon)
I just hate staying in the water while inside the cave. Kahit anong cave pa yan. Baka may kung anong humila pailalim. hahaha! Hindi ko makikita kung sino ang salarin. lol!

Let there be light
 Bago pa ko magkasakit sa puso lumabas na ko.



Big Lagoon


Wala naman bumaba sa boat. Mukang pagod na lahat kakakawag. Kaya inikot lang kami sa loob. Isa pa maraming ganito...

nagmistulang mapa sa dami ng sea urchin. hihihi!



Secret Lagoon (?) hindi sigurado!? hahaha!


First glance of the beach. Wow na wow!
Sabi ni kuya may secret daw ang islang yun. Samahan niya daw kami. "Weh? E bakit alam na ng lahat ng tao kuya?!" hmp! hahah! Tumawa lang siya. Napaisip din siguro. May hidden beach, secret beach, secret lagoon... pero alam nilang lahat. Kainis. hahah! Fish tayo. Anyway, ayun na nga, sha sumama na lang kami.

lead the way..


ang lagusan! hahah! spirit warriors?! (pag hindi naka-relate, gurang!)



Yan na yun... medyo it fell short of my expectation. Parang stagnant na rin yung water sa loob. Hindi kasi kalakasan ang waves sa labas. Nakakatuwa lang na maraming nakatagong spots. It's what makes El nido unique from other beaches I've been.

The tour is inclusive of lunch. Our boatman decided to prepare our lunch there. That gave way to cam whoring galore. Yihiiii!


finger power


I just love candid shots! hihihi! thank you ___ !

Natapos ang nakakaumay na photo shoot ko nung tinawag na kami para kumain. hihihi! (Yaan nyo marami pa ang karumal dumal kong shots sa mga susunod na entry. lol!)

Gutom na ba kayo?
Not your ordinary lunch.. Ang ganda ng backdrop, malamig ang simoy ng hangin, malambot at pinong buhangin ang upuan, masarap sa tenga ang hampas ng alon, fumo-food art si kuya... what an inviting scene isn't it?

Kuya prepared grilled fish, chicken barbeque and fruits na oh so sweet. Bukong pinayungan na lang ang kulang.


Fish feeding at Shimizu Island

It's their turn! I never thought that a single fish will come out since the water is so clear and I can't seem to find any corals in the area. Alam ko kasi dun sila nagtatago. I was surprised when our boatman threw in a spoonful of rice in the water and the group of fishes came rushing around our boat. Gutom na gutom? hahaha! I didn't jump into the water because the waves at the time was not permitting. Yung iba bumaba. Sige na kayo na marunong lumangoy! Marunong nga wala naman underwater cam. hahaha! Panis! lol! Joke lang yun a. hahahaha! Ganyan talaga pag inggitera. bitter!

Again, thanks ___ for these lovely shots! Canon D10 was used here by the way. Check out my up coming posts for more under water sceneries.

Dead corals underneath

Finally our last stop for the day, 7 Commandos Beach  
Another long stretch of white sand beach



ganyan kataas ang white sand dun. hanep!

I was looking for hammock the whole time. Gusto ko sanang makatulog dun para tumagal ang oras at hindi muna kami umuwi. hihihi! Delaying tactics. I found one but someone occupied it. Ang sarap sabuyan ng buhangin sa mata. hahaha! I don't know the story behind that 7 commando thing. Basta ang napansin ko lang sa islang yun, maraming foreigners na nakabilad sa tirik na tirik na araw. Parang daing lang. lol! The sand may not be that fine but the view on nearby islands from there is just perfect. There's also fresh buko juice being sold pero ginto ang presyo ni Manang Kamahalan. Hindi ko naatim. hahah!

That ends our island hopping tour for that day. I already fell in love with El nido. May lukso ng dugo (anak?! hahaha!) I told you before Coron is on top of my list right? Now my heart is confused. Hihihi! Should I say Palawan won my heart? para safe? hahaha! They have totally different qualities that are incomparable. Yun na!

Fort Wally Shuttle
Contact # 09172762875
Fare from Puerto to El nido - P600.00 (but you can get it at 500.00 pag nasa mood si ate at marunong kang dumiskarte. hihihi! Sabihin mo hindi mo first time dun at pinoy ka naman. Ganung kasimple.) Don't forget to reserve your slot when going back to Puerto. Inform them right away so you can pick a seat. You'll be asked to pay a down payment of 200.00.
Trip Schedule from Puerto to El nido: 7:00am, 11:00am, 1:30pm
Trip Schedule from El nido to Puerto: 5:00am, 7:00am, 9:00am, 1:00pm


Marina Garden Beach Resort
Contact # 09176247722
Standard airconditioned room rate: 2110.00 per night for double occupancy (with free breakfast)
Check out their website for other rooms and rates: http://www.mgelnido.com/


Day 1 and 2 expenses:
NAIA terminal fee - 200
Van fare from Puerto to El nido - 600.00
Lunch -85.00
Water - 40.00
Tricycle from Terminal to Marina - 20.00
Accommodation fee at Marina Garden - 2110.00
Tour A - 700.00
Environmental fee (mandatory for all visitors) - 200.00
Dinner - 185.00
Total: P 4,140.00

Island hopping Tour C, up next na yan!



21 comments:

ayms said...

luv it! can't wait to read more...ikaw na ikaw na talaga maki!

Gabz said...

Hahaha! How i wish may underwater cam na ako nun ng magpunta kami. Haha! More underwater pics pa! :D

Mukhang maganda ang Talisay beach ha. D kasama sa Tour A namin yan dati. At yes! Nag-tour C ka din ala "the beach" :D

Buti na lang d ka inabutan ng shooting ng BL. babalik talaga ako ng El Nido - nag-aabang lang ng promo fare to PP :D

eMPi said...

ang ganda!!!! wot!

John Marx Velasco said...

I can't wait for my first visit in Palawan next next week! Sana next Palawan getaway ko El Nido na!

Chyng said...

whoa, 6 days! ikaw na ang madaming leave!

ang mahal ng accomm, afford mo yun girl? amazing!

aabangan ko ang last post mong el nido vs coron.. pressurel lang icompare. =)

anney said...

Ganda ng mga shots ah! Gusto ko uli bumalik sa el nido ang ganda talaga dyan!6 years ago pa yata nung una akong nakapunta.

Nicole said...

ang ganda!!! :) abangan ko din ang el nido vs coron, gaya2x kay chyng! Hehe!

blissfulguro said...

ikaw na talaga maricar! ikaw na... minsan kasi magsama ka naman di ba?!

fbalgos said...

Wala na talaga ako masabi pag ikaw ang nag sulat..
na naman, binasa ko xa from start to finish with smiles all throughout!
were in the same boat nah ngayon, El Nido or Coron bah??? hahaha!
I've got my answer, but we'll wait for yours first. :)

Kura said...

@Ms. ayms - first time here ah. hehehe! salamat! Sa susunod may kasama na ko. lol!

@gabz- ay indi ikaw pinaparinggan ko sa underwater ha. bitter lang tlaga ako at hindi ako nakababa. inahirap ko na lang yung cam ko sa Shimizu para mapicturan naman ang ilalim. hihihi! As you wish. Marami sa succeeding entries. i'm working on it.

@marc - thanks!

@marx - yehey! magiging favorite destination mo rin ang Palawan promise.

@chyng - di naman. unang araw lang ang galante mode. hahaha! sa susunod pang mahirap na ulit.

pinressure nga ako. mga adik! Sige yun na lang yung finale sa series na to

@anney - wow! ang lucky mo girl. ikaw ata pinaka-una kesa sa mga PTB. Clap clap! sayang sana blogger ka na nun

@nicole - nyahaha! sige sige paghahandaan natin yan

@carla - may text ako sayo.. reply ka dali. now na.

@simurgh - yikes! salamat salamat. ^_^ Nakakatuwa pag may nagsasabi niyan. parang gusto ko kayo isama sa mga susunod kong lakwatsa. chikahan galore lang. hihihi! Can we exchange links? PTB member ka pala. Nice! Pressure ha. pero sige I'll do that.

Christian | Lakad Pilipinas said...

wahaw!!! el nido!! :O

June | Life and Spices said...

wow..i fell in love with the beach. buti ganda ng panahon.

Kat said...

Whee I'm going here next week. Excitedness! haha

Christian | Lakad Pilipinas said...

ayan nabasa ko na! inggit ako! :)

medyo mahal ata yung room na nakuha mo? diba may mas mura pa jan?

Kura said...

@christian - oo maraming mura. First day lang ang reyna mode. Balat kayo.. hahah! sa next days chipipay na room na. gusto lang maexperience ng balat ko ang aircon. hihih!

@juneosidabenitez -thank you!El nido is love! =) I love to go there kasama ang special someone.. yeeekeeeh!

@kat - enjoy your stay! I'm sure maaadik ka sa El nido. hihih!

Unknown said...

Waaahhh ang ganda! Di pa ako nakakapunta dyan, ikaw na nag moment ng 6 days...

Batang Lakwatsero said...

kainggit ang experience. haha. ang ganda masyado. ansarap basahin ng post mo :D

Mitch said...

So far Coron parin on top of my list, kasi di pa ko nakakarating sa El nido. hehe. So nagsolo nga uli..nauna ko kasi basahin ang latest post mo.. Siga lang ang mga post ah. Daming secret "kuno" pala jan ha. hehe. Siguro, tablado sayo si kuyang tour guide..

Ken said...

ang saya basahin ng posts :) nakaka engganyo pumunta... one day someday :)

Kura said...

@glad - hahah! sana magkaron ulit tayo ng lakad together with the other girls

@ivan - salamat. naku pang kanto lang tong posts ko compared to yours. hihihi! but thank you still

@mitch - punta ka na sa el nido. Parehong paraiso,. (nag rhyme? lol!)

@superken - salamat at nagawi ka dito... sana lagi lagi na rin. hihihi! thanks!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the info natutuwa at naaliw ako sa mga kwento mo pero may nakukuwa naman akong idea... I will read more of your blog... :)