Well if you think all beaches are equal, then think again. No amount of words could prove justice to how beautiful and scenic El Nido is, you have to go there yourself. Being as popular of a tourist destination as it means there will be a lot of fellow tourists, and honestly, there are hordes, cramped in small trimarans but fret not, the tours are well regulated to ensure everyone gets to enjoy their vacation.
Don’t worry too much about the prices for tours as they are strictly regulated and enforced by the local government, all tours have the same prices regardless of which tour agency you book at, however, regulation stops there, As a local from another island, I can definitely tell you that food is much more expensive in their island than ours but as with everything, you get what you pay for and paying a little extra for freshly cooked seafood is definitely great, just don’t do it every day, think about the handcrafts and exotic souvenirs you could have bought. Coffee? well, it is expensive as usual.
- You get to have an entire day filled with island hopping and adventure.
You get to choose between tour packages offered. Tour A , B ,C and D. each tour takes a day. Each package sends you to different islands and beaches. You will get wet as most all activities require you to swim. Bringing a DSLR or any expensive electronics is at your own risk if there was a light squall your boat offers little protection but we did bring our DSLR though and tucked it safely into a Dry Bag but it’s a risk you must be willing to take. This isn’t a travel guide this is an inspirational guide, a sort of justification for why you should buy an airplane ticket and journey 6 hours to A Beach too far, on the Palawan Island.
Island hopping takes you to different islands and consequently, you will spend time traveling but worry not because the cerulean waters will surely mesmerize you. Bringing a waterproof speaker helps pass the time. The boat trip takes you to some amazing landscapes. The shallow draft of the trimaran means that you can go deep inside a lagoon flanked with towering cliffs, the waters in these waters are tempting but heed the warnings of some boatmen as box jellyfish are sometimes seen here.
2. You get to swim with the fishes, in a good way.
You literally just have to look down from your boat to see the fish. The waters are invitingly clear. You can go snorkeling around your boat as your boatman gives you time to explore. The snorkel is provided for free but I decided not to use the breathing tube. Careful not to drop the goggles though, they charge you for that.
3. Free dive to pristine blue waters.
Not a registered Scuba Diver but still want to mingle with the fishes? You still can for as long as you can hold your breath that is. Don’t get too fixated on the beautiful corals or you’ll forget that you’re holding your breath!
4. Paddle to a pristine lush jungle
Paddling in a kayak in the middle of towering cliffs. Well navigating in a kayak is easy but you have to remember there are other tourists who are with you who are doing this for the first time so it’s like survival of the fittest at first, battling with other tourists to get to the cove, you might wonder why it’s survival of the fittest?, for one thing, starboard and port side doesn’t mean anything, right of way? out of the window too, hey remember, it’s their first time on a kayak but being rammed by another kayak abeam is a good way to reminisce about the battle of Artemisium, except you are the Persians.
5. Enjoy real island grill.
While you’re busy with your adventure, your boatmen are busy looking after you and cooking your lunch, and being in the water for almost half the day, it really brings up the appetite. So when your lunch is ready the boatmen simply stop at a random beach somewhere, set up a couple of tables, and lay out the dishes.
I can definitely tell you, that nothing gets you closer to native cuisine than this, even I who is also an islander of another island have never eaten on a random beach after half a day of island activities and ate my food with my bare hands on top of a random rock.
Not yet inspired to visit? follow us and get updates as soon as we finish the El Nido Guide. PS: I shouldn’t write this here but I’ll just write it here, busy with cram school so it might be delayed.
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