El Nido ..Perfect Combination of Beauty and Serenity

Imagine a beautiful tropical island blessed with stunning beaches and powdery white sand. The towering cliffs are like tall skyscrapers in a modern city covered with exuberant foliage from ground up. The wildlife residents hovering overhead with birds singing above the trees. To tell you honestly it makes me salivate every time I think of these beautiful islands.

El Nido was the highlight of my Palawan trip last 2012. Most of the islands are uninhabited and it truly defines the word "Paradise". We are scheduled for island hopping activity today but kinda skeptical about the erratic behavior of the weather. The tours are divided into four packages. See the infographics below for details and rates.

On our way to Caa-lan where the tour boat is waiting for us. There is no solid itinerary for our island hopping because of the prevailing weather condition. The private tour cost around Php 2,000 ( $45 ) with free lunch.

The Small Lagoon

Our first destination is "Small Lagoon". Towering limestone cliffs and turquoise crystal waters of the lagoon enticed us to go inside.

This is the entrance to the lagoon. You have to enter a narrow opening about 4 meters wide to enter the lagoon. Unfortunately, we weren't able to take pictures inside because we have no underwater camera. Quite similar to Coron's twin lagoon.

On our way to the Big Lagoon. They were confident enough to let me manned the steering wheel for few rounds.

The Big LagoonThe Big lagoon is enclosed with limestone cliffs towering from 50-100 meters high. The ending of Bourne Legacy film was shot here. 

A blissful feeling of stillness and motionlessness.

After visiting the lagoons, the boat captain decided to have our lunch in a small uninhabited island near Lagen operated by El Nido resorts. Truly an amazing experience.

Lunch at a Secret Beach

Our boat captain prepping our lunch.

Our sumptuous lunch for today. Grilled fish, pork, assorted salad and fruits.

The boat captain and his pirates. From left Jayson ( Boat Captain), upper (tag along and tour guide), right Jayson's younger brother Clark ( tour guide and assistant).

After a sumptuous lunch, Clark brought us in a cave nearby. The cavern looks inviting but I saw movements in the water. That 's when I ditch the idea of entering there. According to Clark, there is a small population of Monitor lizards inhabiting this cave and it will lead you the western part of the island. 

We left the beach past 1:00 pm when the weather suddenly changes. The wind picked and lashes the boat  with 4 to 5 foot swells accompanied by strong rain. The captain hurriedly maneuvers the boat in a small island and took shelter there. Surprisingly, we were not alone. The island is full of tourist boats too who also took shelter from the wind and rain.

After an hour, the rain stop has stopped and the calmness of the sea is back. We decided to visit another island before heading home.
The Honda Beach

They call this place " Honda Beach", the beach was quiet except for the soft crash of waves against the sand and rocks. Spectacular place!

My feet sink in the sand and I can feel the waves crashing on my feet. Mesmerized by the beauty and serenity of this place. Helicopter island in the horizon.

The weather seems angry

I can feel the grainy sand beneath my feet

The shore is surrounded by giant grey rocks forming a fortress. Probably the best spot to pitch your tent and spend the night. After two hours, we finally decided to head home. Happy chatter filling the air as me and my hubby talks about the fun and experiences we have today. Hopefully El Nido's beauty and uniqueness will always be preserved.  
Fun things to do

• Go snorkeling
• Have a picnic at Hidden Beach
• Pitch a tent at Honda Beach
• Rent a Canoe and explore the islets near the resort