Have you ever dreamed of traveling to El Nido, Palawan? I know you do, and I certainly know the feeling. El Nido easily became one of my dream destinations the first time I heard about it from my college professor way back then, but the impression as an expensive destination had always scared me off. Anyway, I still placed it on top of my bucket list while wishing and hoping that I could set foot in this place someday.
What an exciting second day we had! If you read my previous post, I described how the beauty of El Nido captivated me so much. We felt blessed because God has literally placed us in the middle of paradise to experience its magnificence and appreciate His amazing works.
The first time I watched the film "The Beach" starred by Leonardo DiCaprio, it became an instant favorite. I just couldn't help myself wishing I could see the place at least once in my life! This made our decision to choose Tour C over B for our second island hopping day tour. The tour includes the visit to a secret beach which is said to be one of Alex Garland's inspirations for his novel "The Beach". It may not be the "beach" featured in the movie but the idea excited us!
Day 3 - Island Hopping Tour C
Just like on second day, the third day started with heavy rain. Our excitement meter was absolutely pretty high so the weather failed to dampen our desire to see the islands waiting for us. The family of 19 members who was with us the previous day was scheduled for tour B. We were supposed to go with them but since we chose tour C, our guide from Hadefe had to look for another boat operator where we could join.
Kuya Loloy, our tour guide since day one, actually tried to convince us the day before to go with them on tour B. The reason was that he can personally watch us over. He had to be with the family because the children needed more attention in terms of safety. We appreciate their concern for us but we insisted on going on with tour C. We thought we're fine without him. So he booked us to another boat scheduled for tour C the next day, and even made assurance that we're gonna be safe with our new guide. The boat that picked us up that morning was a small one and aboard it was a couple who eventually became our friends.
1. Hidden Beach
Simizu Island was the third destination on our first island hopping day tour. The massive limestone mountain range spreading over the island makes it one of the picturesque islands we've seen that day. The island plays host to a number of activities like kayaking, snorkeling, swimming or simply strolling down the beach. My most favorite among them was fish feeding.
After a delicious lunch and siesta, the boat left the island and took us to a spot a few hundred meters from the beach. Just off the shore of Simizu Island live a great number of vibrant corals and literally hundreds (or thousands?) of tropical fishes. As soon as we threw small pieces of bread into the water, shoals of diverse and colorful fishes surfaced and swarmed the bread like it was their last meal for the day. It was an absolutely incredible day of snorkeling, probably one of the best I've ever had.
Also, I wish I had a waterproof camera to capture the fascinating underwater scenery. Next time, I'll make sure to use a travelocity coupon and use the money I save to buy a good underwater camera. The teeming marine life in this part of El Nido overwhelmed me.
The real beauty of El Nido rests in its pristine and unspoiled islands scattered all over the Bacuit Bay. With two full days to spend in this tropical paradise, we had the opportunity to visit ten of them. It's the ultimate reason why I'd want to stay in El Nido forever. :-)
El Nido is composed of 45 islands and islets making island hopping an essential activity. The island hopping is grouped as tour A, B, C and D (ranging from P700 to P900 per person). For each island hopping tour, you'll get to visit at least five islands (see map here). Tours A and B are the most common ones and recommended for first-time visitors. On the other hand, tour C covers the farthest islands among the group. Tours A and C got our interest.
Day 2 - Island Hopping Tour A
We woke up to a heavy rain on our second day in El Nido. For a while, bad weather threatened to spoil our island hopping activity. We know July is a rainy season in the Philippines but there was no news of incoming bad weather days before our trip. Sometimes, Mother Nature likes to play a little game with the weatherman.
At 9 AM, a big boat picked us up from Hadefe Cottages. The sun hiding behind the dark clouds began to show up. The weather had cooperated this time. Our boat headed to El Nido town beach where a family of 19 members (from infant and kids to adults) were waiting to be picked up and join us. My friend and I suddenly felt out of place. What the heck, we were there to enjoy ourselves. :-P
1. Big Lagoon
