El Nido Island Hopping: Discovering Hidden Beach

I've been to El Nido, Palawan gaya nga ng sabi ko sa una kong kwento.. Mangyari lang na basahin ito para hindi naman masayang ang effort ko ha. hihihi!

Dati, I thought of El nido as a luxurious destination. I think everyone would agree na yun ang perception ng tao sa kanya. Yung tipong kailangan pang magbenta ng kabuhayan para lang mapuntahan. (Or pwede rin namang laman kung ayaw mo ng kabuhayan. Malaki ka na, alam mo na yan. haha! biro lang.) Grabe! hindi ko talaga nakita ang sarili kong makakatungtong sa ganitong ka-pomosong lugar. I never imagined na kaya pala siyang marating kahit garampot na budget lang. I guess it's merely because there are no cheap flights being offered by the only airline that has direct flights to El nido. I browsed SEAIR's site to check the regular rate at ako'y nagimbal. Hahah! P15,000.00?!?! No way!

I would like to thank all the bloggers who posted their El Nido experience. You all made my dream come true. Woot woot!

I already mentioned I chose Tour A and C for the island hopping packages because it's the more popular ones. I don't want to miss a thing here so let's go check out the latter.

breakfast at the beach? anyone?

I saw pearl vendors roaming around while I was eating and tried a few pieces. Hmmm.... I wonder where "The Proposal" will take place? hihihih! Could you please tell him I want it here.. choosy ako e. hahah! Baka hindi pa siya nagsasalita "Oo" agad. hahah! (hopya! wag mag isip, nakiki-Valentine post lang hmp!) Hindi masamang mag ilusyon. hahaha!

"Yes!" (ewness sa maugat na kamay.. pang construction hahah!)

Day 3 outfit - (spell R-E-U-S-E. Hulaan kung san ko ito huling sinuot..)

fail SMART advertisement! hahah! Nice try Pinky! (my phone)

We started the tour. I was with a couple and 1 male solo joiner as well. I was so shy to take a picture of them. hihih! They're all foreigners by the way. The 2 came all the way from Columbia. Yung isa, ewan ko kung san lupalop galing. Actually they were surprised this it was actually my first time there. Ang lapit ko daw bakit ngayon lang. hehehe! Hello! hindi lahat ng tao kasing yaman nila. Merong din mga slight na yaman lang. Charot!

Hidden Beach

Our guide told us to bring our goggles and life vest because it's been said that the under water that surrounds the beach offers quite a view. Masunurin kami.

Entrance to hidden beach

We need to pass a small cave that has knee-deep water. Basically, the water came from the waves the sea created. Hindi naman siya stagnant like the one in Secret Lagoon kaya keri lang magtampisaw. Hindi ka matatakot na lintain. haha! I was so excited to see what's on the other end. *Giggling*

it really is hidden..

I felt my jaw dropped the moment I saw it. Para akong batang nakakita ng magic na walang tigil ng kasasabi ng "wooow! woooow! woooow!" hahah! I want to stay there forever.

The sand is white and fine. Cliff walls adds to the picturesque view. Water is super clear. It's so clear that you don't even need to wear snorkeling mask. Naked eye is enough. There's no kubo or any place to hide from the sun aside from the shadows of the bouldering karst limestone. O kaya balik ka sa cave pag masakit na sa balat. hehehe!

and I don't know them.. Kung maka pose ah!

Woot! Whew! That's the couple I was talking about

Let's check out what's underneath...

Hey Mimo! You miss me baby?

I found out when you touch their sanctuary, it's really soft ... and it folds. Amazing!

WARNING! Nanunuka siya promise!

Parang panucha lang..

snake-like creature.. scary!

 

Pano kaya kung ganyan ang lips ng tao? lol!

No other star fish

Pwede ng pang Foot spa

Loner

I was shocked when this red creature hide after I touched it.. it's alive!

Palaboy

fail macro shot of a sea slug

 

Ang pagpupulong

at ang Dyosa... hahah! Charot! Naka cross legs talaga

Akala ko babalik lang sa pinanggalingan cave, aba kailangan palang lumangoy palabas ng hidden beach. It was fun though. Sumakay lang ako sa likod ng guide. hahaha! Magkakawag siya diyan. lol! Ok naman ako, siya ewan ko. hahaha!

Since I have tons of pictures to share, I might as well create another entry for that. Kaya nga ba may series na tinatawag. hihihi! More of the hidden treasures of El nido sa aking pagbababalik! Watch out for that.

Expenses:
Breakfast at  Sea Slugs - 310.00
Island Hopping Tour C - 900.00
Environmental fee - 200.00 (mandatory for all visitors upon your 1st island hopping tour)


If you want to know how did I get there, kindly read the first part of this series.
                      El Nido: I've fallen for you

Succeeding entries..
Secret Beach Revealed
Talisay Beach, Matinloc Shrine and Helicopter Island
Calitang, I love you.. BEACH!

Til next time!
 

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!