The Majestic Islands of El Nido
Saturday, October 06, 2018As soon as we set foot on this place, we became besotted to its majestic beauty. No wonder it's one of the world's best travel destinations.
From Puerto Princesa Airport, you can either hop on one of the buses or commuter vans bound for El Nido. But if you prefer a faster option, there are chartered flights to El Nido. But, have your pockets ready as it will cost you more.
We took the cheaper route and endured the 6-hour tiring and bumpy ride. Yet, seeing the beautiful clear waters of El Nido for the first time will surely take all your wearies away.
WHAT TO DO IN EL NIDO?
Not much tourist spots can be found in downtown El Nido. The real beauty of El Nido rests on the surrounding 40+ islands and inlets where each has its own unique beauty to offer.
Planning your island hopping activities, may it be private or joining other groups, would never be a challenge in El Nido due to the brimming number of Travels & Tours offering them. Tours are usually grouped to Tours A-D where each tour costs around 1,000 php - 2,000 php per person. Each tour is comprised of 4 to 5 islands and is inclusive of a complimentary lunch. Diving and snorkeling gears are also available for rent to ensure that you can fully enjoy your island hopping experience.
Since we stayed in El Nido for just 3 days, we chose tours A-C.
DAY 1 - Tour C
First day high! We were already on our toes by 6 am despite the call time set at 9 AM. After a short but sumptuous breakfast, it was game time for everyone.
First stop of the tour was Helicopter island, named after its shape. We were welcomed by its fine white sand and refreshing clear turquoise waters.
Second stop was Secret beach.
Which as per our guide is no longer secret since we found it. LOL
Third stop was Hidden beach
Note: you would need to swim the shallow waters to reach the cove.
Our last stop was a snorkeling area where we stayed for an hour before heading back to the town.
DAY 2 - Tour A
Seven Commando Beach
Along the powdery white sand beach and pristine clear waters are hundreds of coconut trees completing the vibe of a perfect getaway island.
Secret Lagoon
Here you can find spectacular rock formations enclosing a picturesque lagoon.
Small Lagoon
Personally, this is the best part of this tour. You can either rent a kayak or just swim all the way to the lagoon. Camille and I did the latter, and honestly we were exhausted due to the back and forth distance. Thus, this is not something we recommend. But, if you're in for an extra adventure, then this is the way to do it.
Big Lagoon
Here you would need to kayak again to reach the lagoon area. Since we were already exhausted and sun-dried, we decided to just stay at the boat and enjoy the beautiful and serene scenery. We did still manage to get a view of the lagoon though. Majestic ain't it?
DAY 3 - Tour B
Pinagbuyutan IslandA private island where we enjoyed our sumptuous lunch perfectly prepared by our boat crew and guides.
Snake Island
The name though is not because it's a haven for snakes. But, because of the sandbar's shape.
WHAT TO EAT IN EL NIDO?
Knowing that El Nido is a rich melting pot of both local and foreign tourists, it offers a wide selection of cuisines from local Pinoy inihaw to Levantine dishes such as hummus and falafel to you favorite Italian gelato dessert.We started our food hunt by trying El Nido's version of the Falafel sandwich. A traditional middle-eastern food made of pita bread, chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. The verdict - both size and flavor does not disappoint.
We tried their delicious hummus and melted over their malabi dessert (a concoction of cream and grated coconut meat).
If your palate craves Italian then head on to Trattoria Altrovewhich offers a selection of the best authentic Italian pizzas and pastas in town. Don't forget to pair it with a sparkling glass of wine.
We completed our lovely dinner with their best-selling dessert - homemade chocolate gelato.
Nevertheless, if your heart is still with the local Filipino cuisines, lots of paihaw restaurants selections are located at the beach side of the town. We had ours at Angel Wish restaurant which we believe offers the cheapest price among its neighboring paihaw restaurants. The food was not great, but it wasn't bland as well. Dining by the shore though definitely made everything a whole lot better.
El Nido is surely alive at night.
For desserts, you can never go wrong on the gelatos sold in El Nido. Trattoria Altrove's version of gelato may have given us a little taste of heaven, but there are other local contenders.
One of which is L'Assiette's version of pistachio gelato.
Another one is Gusto's chocolate gelato.
So, which one is better? Well, i'll leave it to you to find out.
They say no visit to El Nido is complete without visiting the local Midtown bakery. This is the go to place for pastries such as pandesal, puto, cheesecake and sundries.
On the way to the bakery one early morning, we had the chance to stroll around El Nido while the town sleeps.
WHERE TO FIND THE BEST FOOD IN EL NIDO?
If you are to ask us, we think the best dishes in El Nido are the ones prepared by the boat crew during the tours. Apart from the good food and boodle-fights with fellow travelers, nothing beats having lunch with the scenic views of the islands of El Nido. For us, nothing gets cozier than that.And mind the plating and presentation!
We were told that a week is not enough to cover the full-course meal offered by the wonders of El Nido, and it's indeed true. But, at least it gave us the reason to come back, and definitely someday we'll be back.
If you want to see more of our adventures in El Nido, watch the video below!
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