A Tropical Paradise
When arriving in Puerto Princesa the city was full of beautiful lights hanging from all the trees. It was a nice way to see the city. The tryc driver at the airport had set prices for set distances, to the bus station seemed fair. About one block away he pulled over to say take this local van, it's leaving now. I tried to explain that I want the bus but it was no use, and the cost was almost the same for a much shorter distance. The van was similar to the experience to Banaue, but had other travellers this time and in the end I learned that it cost me double the price the bus would have. The trip was long and bumpy. The road is terribly unkept and unpaved. We had a flat tire in the middle of nowhere at about 1 am. The night was warm, the moon full and about as many stars as I've ever seen at one time. A beautiful short stop before we were on the road again.
The feelings of excitement, relaxation and anticipation are bounding when you're heading to a tropical sandy paradise, so you can imagine my sadness when I woke up to rain on my first morning.
To my surprise it didn't last long and the clouds parted to the brightest blue sky meeting the brightest aqua ocean. I ate a western style breakfast in a nearby cafe and then set out for a walk on the beach to take some photos. El Nido is located right on the water, a beautiful bay which almost anywhere you stay, you're close to. After about an hour or two the sun was scorching so I decided to retreat.. On my way back through the alleys to town I found a sign, 350 peso 1 hour massage. Can't get much better than that.
In El Nido it seems every tryc you walk past asks, "Las Cabanas ?"
I said no, about 1 thousand times. Then I realized maybe yes, so I hired one and headed to the beach. It was south of town, not far, the roads were paved and palm trees all around, the sky still blue, no rain clouds.
When I arrived the trail to the beach is thin and a short walk. Once through the trees there's a beautiful palm tree plantation to the right that looks like it's from a magazine with the white sandy beach in the background.
The beach was long and flat, all soft, warm sand. Many places to sit as there were surprisingly few travellers. Hardly anyone tried to sell me anything on the beach. It was peaceful and warm laying in the sun. The water was crystal clear and felt like a bath tub. Swimming in the waves all afternoon and back to relax on the sand.
El Nido is a very small town that anyone can walk the distance of on the stoney paths that run through it. The people are very helpful and friendly, always smiling. Shops and tourist info centres line the streets among the guesthouses and restaurants. Cuisine from anywhere in the world can be found here, there is an incredible amount of options.
While on my tropical vacation I went on an 'island hopping tour' which had been recommended to me by many at home and locally. Typically, I was told to arrive early to the place I'd booked the ticket and no one knew of me or about my tour. This didn't surprise me. Eventually it all worked itself out and I was headed to the beach with other travellers. We set out on a narrow, long wooden boat which had long thin wooden beams jutting out either side, perhaps for balance. It looks like a spider. The ocean was calm, the sky dark with clouds and the air pretty chilly. As the day went on the sky cleared and the sun came out.
We travelled to hidden lagoons and small coves. To a passerby the rock formations looked like large islands with slate rock walls but as we swam closer off our boat, we swam through small holes into 'secret' lagoons that were absolutely breathtaking. The 30 meter flat rock walls held small trees and plants with sharp rock formations at the top. The lagoon had many other tourist groups but was warm and sheltered and we were able to swim and explore for some time. Each place we visited was equally as beautiful in it's own way.
Before lunch the boat anchored and we snorkelled around. The amount of fish to try and remember was overwhelming. Big fish, small fish, black, blue, striped, solid. Some schools swam so close they surrounded us, others stayed far away. Some blended into the sand to be faintly recognizable. The coral pieces were very large some seeming the size of me. We were hoping for sea turtles but didn't see any that day.
For lunch we anchored and swam to a remote beach where our local guides cooked us an incredible feast over a fire. Garlic prawns, tuna, rice and salad. We had fresh fruit for dessert. While on the beach we had a view of the sea and our awaiting boat bobbing along. A large lizard slowly waddled it's way onto the beach, about a meter in length we were all pretty surprised by it. Once seeing us he changed his mind and retreated back into the forest.
The trip was a success as I headed back to Puerto Princesa on an overnight bus that evening to start my journey to Manila and on to India the very next day!!!
Let me just say, in closing, the Philippines was an incredibly real, kind, refreshing country. The people; amazing. The food; amazing. The scenery and all else; also amazing.
There's enough poverty and diversity to have impact and give reason to reassess our values and desires in life but enough good and beauty to leave a guest to this country longing for more. I recommend it to anyone considering it.
The feelings of excitement, relaxation and anticipation are bounding when you're heading to a tropical sandy paradise, so you can imagine my sadness when I woke up to rain on my first morning.
To my surprise it didn't last long and the clouds parted to the brightest blue sky meeting the brightest aqua ocean. I ate a western style breakfast in a nearby cafe and then set out for a walk on the beach to take some photos. El Nido is located right on the water, a beautiful bay which almost anywhere you stay, you're close to. After about an hour or two the sun was scorching so I decided to retreat.. On my way back through the alleys to town I found a sign, 350 peso 1 hour massage. Can't get much better than that.
In El Nido it seems every tryc you walk past asks, "Las Cabanas ?"
I said no, about 1 thousand times. Then I realized maybe yes, so I hired one and headed to the beach. It was south of town, not far, the roads were paved and palm trees all around, the sky still blue, no rain clouds.
When I arrived the trail to the beach is thin and a short walk. Once through the trees there's a beautiful palm tree plantation to the right that looks like it's from a magazine with the white sandy beach in the background.
The beach was long and flat, all soft, warm sand. Many places to sit as there were surprisingly few travellers. Hardly anyone tried to sell me anything on the beach. It was peaceful and warm laying in the sun. The water was crystal clear and felt like a bath tub. Swimming in the waves all afternoon and back to relax on the sand.
El Nido is a very small town that anyone can walk the distance of on the stoney paths that run through it. The people are very helpful and friendly, always smiling. Shops and tourist info centres line the streets among the guesthouses and restaurants. Cuisine from anywhere in the world can be found here, there is an incredible amount of options.
While on my tropical vacation I went on an 'island hopping tour' which had been recommended to me by many at home and locally. Typically, I was told to arrive early to the place I'd booked the ticket and no one knew of me or about my tour. This didn't surprise me. Eventually it all worked itself out and I was headed to the beach with other travellers. We set out on a narrow, long wooden boat which had long thin wooden beams jutting out either side, perhaps for balance. It looks like a spider. The ocean was calm, the sky dark with clouds and the air pretty chilly. As the day went on the sky cleared and the sun came out.
We travelled to hidden lagoons and small coves. To a passerby the rock formations looked like large islands with slate rock walls but as we swam closer off our boat, we swam through small holes into 'secret' lagoons that were absolutely breathtaking. The 30 meter flat rock walls held small trees and plants with sharp rock formations at the top. The lagoon had many other tourist groups but was warm and sheltered and we were able to swim and explore for some time. Each place we visited was equally as beautiful in it's own way.
Before lunch the boat anchored and we snorkelled around. The amount of fish to try and remember was overwhelming. Big fish, small fish, black, blue, striped, solid. Some schools swam so close they surrounded us, others stayed far away. Some blended into the sand to be faintly recognizable. The coral pieces were very large some seeming the size of me. We were hoping for sea turtles but didn't see any that day.
For lunch we anchored and swam to a remote beach where our local guides cooked us an incredible feast over a fire. Garlic prawns, tuna, rice and salad. We had fresh fruit for dessert. While on the beach we had a view of the sea and our awaiting boat bobbing along. A large lizard slowly waddled it's way onto the beach, about a meter in length we were all pretty surprised by it. Once seeing us he changed his mind and retreated back into the forest.
The trip was a success as I headed back to Puerto Princesa on an overnight bus that evening to start my journey to Manila and on to India the very next day!!!
Let me just say, in closing, the Philippines was an incredibly real, kind, refreshing country. The people; amazing. The food; amazing. The scenery and all else; also amazing.
There's enough poverty and diversity to have impact and give reason to reassess our values and desires in life but enough good and beauty to leave a guest to this country longing for more. I recommend it to anyone considering it.
