Papaya Beach: A Fitting El Nido Finale

After a short and docile time at the Cathedral Cave in Pinasil Island, El Nido, we were off for what would be the final destination of our 3 days of island-hopping in Bacuit Bay. As we sailed pass Lagen and Pinagbuyutan Islands and onto the coast of mainland El Nido, we would pass by the towering karst landscape that characterizes this part of Palawan. In less than an hour we would arrive at a gorgeous beach that would eventually become our favorite for this El Nido stint.

Cudugnon and Cathedral: The Caves of El Nido

Our boat slowly glided towards a gorgeous white sand beach, the crystal-clear turquoise waters revealing a rich growth of corals underneath, a very tempting setting for yet another snorkeling opportunity. But while this beach was undeniably stunning, it was not the primary reason why we came here.

Laid Back and Uncrowded: Entalula and Snake Islands

Most visitors at El Nido go for 2 tours, namely Tours A and C, unless they are able to go on a longer break and do 3 tours or more. Consequently, they miss out on Tours B and D. We were not particularly excited about Tour B, and were looking forward to Tour D and the beautiful Cadlao Lagoon instead. We were in for a delightful surprise.

The Big Lagoon: El Nido’s Highlight?

In a previous post, we mentioned that Cadlao Lagoon was one of the two destinations we were anticipating with excitement on our second El Nido visit. The other destination? The Big Lagoon of Miniloc Island, often heralded as the place to go to if you were to visit only one of El Nido’s many scenic spots.

Payong-Payong, Talisay and Star Beach: El Nido’s Lunch Beaches

“Is the eye of a fish really edible?” asked a group of young Brits from another tour boat. Nina replied in the affirmative and then turned to Leo, “my hubby will show you.” As onlookers raised eyebrows and held their breath, Leo proceeded to extract, then munch on the gelatinous eye of the grilled tuna in front of us. “I’m not sure I would be able to do that,” remarked a stupefied blonde.

Surprise at Cadlao Lagoon, Reprise at Secret Beach

“Sorry, no Tour D available sir,” our El Nido resort manager told us when we were arranging for our 3-day island-hopping tours. And so, we were resigned to completely missing out on Cadlao Lagoon, one of two destinations we were excitedly anticipating on our second El Nido visit. This lagoon is a beautiful body of turquoise water surrounded by towering karst cliffs and was supposed to be one of the highlights of Tour D.

El Nido: Taking It Slow at Corong-Corong Beach

Since we last visited El Nido, Palawan seven years ago, the town proper has mushroomed into a jumble of hotels, resorts, restaurants, bars, and art and souvenir shops. Activity at this town center explodes further at night, with hordes of tourists descending on the town after nearly 3 years of restricted tourist arrivals. So, when we motored into El Nido very recently, we decided to stay at a relatively quiet location not too far from the town proper.

Remembering Coron

As the ferry slowly glided into a channel towards our destination, primeval towers of limestone rising out of aquamarine and turquoise waters greeted our eyes that cold June morning. It was our first visit to Coron in northern Palawan 18 years ago. Soon we were talking to a Danish woman who rented her boat to...

El Nido: A Virtual Tour

Here we are at home entering the third week of an enhanced quarantine/lockdown that was extended to include the whole island of Luzon here in the Philippines and with no clear end in sight. We were supposed to be at El Nido, Palawan for island hopping at Linapacan and the Bacuit Archipelago this past weekend....

Paradise, Smart and Coral Reefs: Port Barton’s Islands Part 2

Our first day of island-hopping at Port Barton Bay had been a revelation of a secluded and not-so-well-known locale in Palawan. More was to follow however, as we set about for our second day of island-hopping off the beautiful shores of Port Barton, a fishing village in the town of San Vicente. Similar to our...

Exotic, German and Starfish: Port Barton’s Islands Part 1

Itaytay Beach is an ideal place for chilling. But wanting to enjoy the best of what nature had to offer at Port Barton, we started our second day on this peaceful fishing village by embarking on a day-long boat trip to the islands and reefs at Port Barton Bay. The itinerary of our first boat...

Port Barton: Paradise Off the Beaten Path

It wasn’t our original destination on this balmy December week. But after our trip to the Linapacan islands in northern Palawan didn’t push through we found ourselves chilling at this remote, peaceful coastal village of San Vicente town in Palawan. Port Barton may not yet be that popular with local tourists but foreign travelers have...

Banana Island, Coron

After a nerve-wracking morning boat ride from Coron town in Palawan and an exhilarating stint at Bulog Dos Island, it was time to slow down and take our lunch. Just 10 minutes away by boat from Bulog Dos, Banana Island was our lunch stopover and second island destination for the day. Also known as Dicalabuan...

Clean and Green Kayangan Lake

It used to be an almost deserted cove when we first docked here 15 years ago. This time around our boat jostled for space with almost two dozen other motorized outriggers in a now-busy parking lot. The same boats practically blocked the view of the cove at ground level – a mild disappointment. The docking...

Coron’s Banol Beach

We were the only visitors during the first time we came to this white sand beach in the early 2000’s. Part of the Coron Island loop tour even back then, Banol Beach was our lunch stop for the day. It was practically deserted with no human-made structures in sight. Resting after our exhilarating snorkeling experience...

Seven Commandos Beach

We're not exactly sure how it got its name but if the origin of its label is a mystery, the reason why it got included on this tour wasn't a question for us. The last stop of Tour A before heading back to El Nido town, the Seven Commandos Beach looks attractive even from afar. The...

Painting the Sky at Corong Corong and Marimegmeg Beach

We didn’t think much about sunsets while preparing for our recent visit to El Nido. Anyway, there was already much to see here during the daylight hours. We were planning on just spending restful evenings at our resort after each day spent touring the islands at the Bacuit archipelago and other spots in El Nido....

Nacpan and Calitang: El Nido’s Twin Beaches

Ever since we returned to the Philippines eight years ago, our preference has gravitated towards off-the-beaten-track, relatively undeveloped travel destinations. Not only are those places devoid of the usual huge tourist crowds, they also tended to be much more pristine. (It’s one reason why we never even considered revisiting Boracay.) Our recent trip to El...

Shimizu Island Stopover

After our morning adventures at the Small Lagoon and Secret Lagoon in beautiful Miniloc Island, it was almost lunch time. Our boat hoisted anchor and headed for Shimizu Island, an islet with towering limestone rock walls and a gorgeous white sand beach that would soon double as our lunch picnic spot. Of all the islands...

El Nido: The Lagoons of Miniloc

If you can only visit one place in El Nido, Palawan this will have to be the one. Miniloc Island, located in the center of the Bacuit archipelago off El Nido town, is a towering karst landscape filled with attractive white sand beaches and hidden lagoons and surrounded by crystal-clear waters teeming with diverse marine...