Travel: Exploring El Nido

I have been to Palawan 3 times to date (2X in Coron (just recently this summer with family) and once in Puerto Princessa) but I haven’t really visited El Nido, mainly because of the travel time.

Star Beach El Nido Palawan Philippines

After deciding on El Nido, I hurried online to book rooms and check out tour options. Ofcourse, Agoda is my go to website for booking rooms and was able find good deals (I got modest rooms since I knew I will be out all day and exploring). Also I was able to find El Nido Adventure (www.elnidoadventure.com) where I was able to book an overnight camping tour (inclusive of 2 tours already) and great thing about it was that you can pay via PayPal or credit card.

It was rainy weather because unfortunately we had a typhoon (local name Karen), but that didn't stop us anyway. We arrived in Puerto Princesa with a slight drizzle but good thing our ride going to El Nido was already waiting there (c/o Mirujo Transport also booked through El Nido Adventure).

We left Puerto Princesa about 1PM already and we were on our 5 hour journey. Don't worry, there are stop overs along the way (lunch and for potty breaks). Since we already had McDonalds Drive thru at the start of our journey we mostly slept through the ride (especially me and according to my friend I was even snoring at times, oh my, hahaha). We did wake up for some snacks at one point.

Beautiful scenery

Halfway there

The journey was long and honestly I was already feeling some motion sickness (literally the curvy roads coupled with the fast driving didn't really help). I was already at the corner of pukeville when I was relieved that we have already made it to the town. I was still dizzy and all and unfortunately we were the last ones to go down but I was happy to be steady and not inside a moving van anymore.

It was already around 6PM when we arrived, and 1st thing we did was settle in for the night. I booked a place called Ricgem via Agoda. The place was a not in the center of the action (which may be good/bad for some people) and we walked around 2 - 3 minutes to get to the center to buy some groceries (water and chips). Since it was almost 8PM and we headed back to Ricgem for dinner. it took sometime for it to be served and a little pricey however portions and taste were good.

We called it a night after dinner since we were already tired and we needed rest since we'll have the entire day of exploring the next day.

Unfortunately the next day since we had a typhoon all tours were cancelled. Andoy, the tour operator, was kind enough to book us another option which was exploring the inland beaches of El Nido.

A tricycle ride away (or motorbike if you prefer to explore on your own) was Nacpan beach (the road is a little rough since most of the way is not paved).

It was a cloudy day and the swell of the waves were there but still the scenery was gorgeous. You have a lot of places where you can take that perfect Instagram or Facebook picture.

With the waves as my background



Nacpan Beach





Admiring Nacpan beach

They also refer to the place as twin beach as there are 2 beaches. You can hike up a hill to have a good vantage point and admire the place from above.

Twin beaches of Nacpan

Nacpan beach

Selfie



Nacpan beach



We tried to swim however the lifeguards said we should swim closer to where the people were (we were at the far end) so they can watch over us (they have a point though).

There are places to eat at Nacpan beach so you have the option to have lunch there. There's also a place to lounge with beach chairs however it costs Php400. I just had a coconut for Php50 (which I thought was a bargain because it had so much juice).

We tried swimming for a while (where the people were and close to where the lifeguards) but soon got tired because of the waves. We were told by our tricycle driver that in summertime the water is very calm.

Walking at Nacpan beach with my coconut

Since there were a lot of people eating there, we decided to pack-up and head over to our next destination which was Las Cabanas beach. Good thing we had some snacks and water so we were able to curb our groaning tummies for a bit.

Going to the beach, you have to hike down (cardio exercise) a flight of stairs which will also give you a nice vantage point. Unlike Nacpan, Las Cabanas has more of beach club vibe going. I've noticed that there are more foreigners there and the place had restaurants and bars (not many though) and walking farther are cottages.  

The dog is having a chill time at the beach

Las Cabanas beach

Cottages at Las Cabanas

We settled for lunch at the Beach Shack which I loved because you have some chill music playing while you enjoy the view.

The Beach Shack

Only thing is that this relaxed chill vibe might be a little pricey for some (meal pictured below is around Php 400). Nevertheless I was on vacation and the chill atmosphere was something I welcomed.



Fish & Chips and Mango shake

 


Someone is already hungry

 After munching down on my food (you have no idea how much I wanted to eat it already but I still ha to take a picture), we transferred to the lounge chairs and enjoyed the afternoon. Music playing, drink in hand and the view of the beach was the perfect way to cap the day.

 

We were so relaxed that we easily forgot the time. We went back to Ricgem to get our stuff and book a room for the night (we didn't book a room for that night since we should have our beach camping however tours were cancelled). Good thing they still had a room available. For dinner we wanted to check out the beach scene at night which was nice. You have restaurants where you can have dinner by the beach as well as bars if you want to have some drinks.



Beach scene at El Nido town at night



The next day, the rain clouds seemed to have disappeared and the sun came shining out, it was a perfect day for the beach. We were excited because of the nice weather and it meant that tours can already resume. I was advised by Andoy that we will have our Tour C today which was exploring the different beaches of El Nido.

It was a busy day since all tours resumed, meaning everyone was now out and about and everyone was already at the beach area waiting to board their respective boats.

Time for Tour C

First on the list was Hidden Beach. The beach as the name suggests is hidden at the back of large limestone rocks/min islands. It took us about an hour I think to get there but it was all worth it. Swimming there was quite a challenge because of the waves but once you get there, just gorgeous. Clear water, white sand and just unspoiled beauty make the place special.



Enjoying Hidden beach



Taking pictures

After swimming and taking a million selfies (and this was just our first stop), it was back to our boat to go to our next activity, which was some snorkeling time. We went to a nice snorkeling area near Star beach. It was a nice snorkeling area but after a while it made everyone hungry. just in time since the next stop was lunch!

Someone is enjoying snorkeling

Star beach is a small stretch of sand surrounded by limestone rock. There, a boy was selling cold drinks and coconut which was perfect for a beach day. So while our guides were preparing our lunch, what better time than to take pictures.

Enjoying some coconut by the beach

Just drinking my coconut by the beach

Our lunch was yummy, grilled fish, some barbecued pork chops, seaweed (locally called lato) and fresh fruits. Oh boy, when lunch was ready everyone was already around the table and getting their share, everyone was just so hungry!

Lunch for the day

After lunch, what better way than to relax by the beach and take more photos ofcourse, duh?!



Perfect time to get a tan


After a hearty lunch, everyone was just sleepy, but after a few we were already on our next destination which was Matinloc shrine. To be ale to get in, you'll need to pay Php100. There's a small shrine but the highlight is the view from above. We climbed up to be able to appreciate the view however I got a little scared since its a makeshift viewdeck and you'll need to be extra careful not to slip and plummet to the water below.



View from the top

 

Boats docked at Matinloc



Coconut trees

After Matinloc, it was time to head back and go to our last stop for the day which was Helicopter Island (because from afar it looks like an Apache helicopter, but for me I see it as a whale). It was quite a ride and after the hearty lunch and all that swimming in the morning, made me doze off for a little bit. A nice way to wake up is when you see a beautiful beach on the horizon and you're going to it.

The beach at helicopter island was nice. There were already a couple of boats there however it didn't feel crowded because the beach was long and had a wide shoreline. For some reason, there were goats there, and it was funny and scary at the same time. Why? I was eating ice cream and I guess they knew I was eating something so they kept following me around and when I was trying to shoo them, one got up to me and tried to eat my shorts! I was wearing floral shorts with big flowers so I guess the goat thought it was actual flowers and tried to eat it. Good thing I was able to shoo it away because I freaked out a little.

Helicopter Island Beach

Seems like the goats enjoy the beach too

A perfect way to end the day, ice cream and the beach

After that "goat attack" and a snack, we went back to do more swimming/snorkeling (there a designated area). The beach is not shallow and after a few steps (like 4 or 5) its already chest deep (well for me). As much as we wanted to stay a little longer to swim and just chill by the beach, it was time to call it a day and head back to town.

All in all I enjoyed Tour C. I was able to meet new people not just from our country but visitors too!

Tour C might have ended but we weren't done yet. We still had beach camping that night so once we were back, we hurried to El Nido Adventures office (they were kind enough to keep our bags since we checked out at Ricgem already), and we hurried to El Nido Viewdeck cottages. We booked the room in advance however since our plans got screwed because of the typhoon and the cancellation of tours the other day, we were left with a room that we won't be able to sleep in (unfortunately). But on the flipside, we were able to take a shower and a place to keep our bags while we were off to camp.

Our room was the topmost

Humble room

After a quick shower and change, we were off back to the El Nido Adventures office so they can bring us to the camp site. The beach was near the town and just took around 10 minutes to get there.

Our campsite

We joined a couple from Germany whom we met earlier since they were part of our tour group (well not formally, we saw them the night before too since we were at the same restaurant). They are a couple from Germany and I guess they were relieved to know that there's more company instead of just the two of them.

It began as a slow night. I guess we were still trying to break the ice. We had dinner early around 6:30 PM and finished eating like 30 minutes after. It soon picked up when our guides brought out the overflowing booze (it did mention on the pamphlet that there was unlimited rhum and coke so tadaaaaa!). They weren't kidding when they said unlimited, it was too much booze for us to handle.

It helped a lot that we were drinking because we started to open up and started talking, and I mean talking. It was nice because we got to laugh, share stories and learn from each other. We were discussing everything from technology, music even reality shows which was funny. We also got to share stories of our different travel experiences which was nice.

We called it a night already around 11PM since we were already tired, while they still drank and played music.

Around 12AM, suddenly they were singing happy birthday outside the tent. It was a nice surprise because they remembered that my friend is celebrating his birthday (he mentioned earlier that night). Once we heard it, we went out and celebrated with booze and with night swimming.  We continued with the celebration until it was about 2AM until everyone called it a night.

The next day (and with a sore back), we woke up to a beautiful day. The water was calm and it was a nice morning for one last dip before we got back to town.

  

Tours provided by El Nido Adventure

Nice morning for a dip

We got back around 8AM and we realized we wre slowly getting back to reality. We settled our bill and went to our room at Viewdeck cottages. Even though we weren't able to spend the night there, atleast we had a place to take a shower (which we needed) and we also took advantage of the free breakfast that our room had (who wouldn't say no to food right?).

One reminder if you want to book at Viewdeck cottages though is that be prepared to walk a lot of stairs, I mean its a sure cardio workout. I mean I was sweating just climbing back up when I went back to the room to see if we forgot something.

View from our room at Viewdeck Cottages

After checking out, we headed to the terminal to catch our van back to Puerto Princesa city. We were sad to go as we wanted to stay for another day. All in all, as expected, Palawan did not disappoint. And I guess readers of Conde Nast Traveler would agree as they voted Palawan as the 2nd best island in the world for 2016 (next to Boracay which is also in the Philippines. Palawan also held the title previously as #1).

Some things I learned from this trip - be flexible. Its true that we need to prepare, have places booked already before hand so that everything is settled when you get to your destination. In our situation, since our overnight camping didn't push through Sunday night, we didn't have a place to stay, good thing Ricgem had availability. When our camping did push through Monday night, it coincided with our reservation at Viewdeck cottages. I learned that during the lean months or rainy season, next time I'll try not to book rooms ahead of time so that whatever happens, we won't have issues with reservations etc. Also since its the lean season, most likely there will be availability.

Read the next part of my trip - our stay in Puerto Princesa.

Follow me on Instagram at @cjsohot.