There is something indescribably captivating about El Nido. Yes, it’s an incredibly beautiful quaint and small seaside town snugly situated between giant limestone mountains and the calm lapping ocean – but it’s more than that. It’s a finely woven spell of natural beauty, authentic life not completely overrun by tourism, sincere and kind local people, magnificent lagoons and the sense that El Nido could give you enough to fall off the radar completely that makes leaving this part of the Philippines very hard indeed. Although I was only there for three days, I genuinely felt like a lifetime on this small strip of paradise could be my calling. The El Nido effect – the trippy sensation that the rest of the world could be erased with a daily supply of San Miguel beer, fresh squid and swims in the lagoons. My first day on El Nido saw me diving with Palawan Divers. This great team of local and foreign dive masters and instructors ensured we all had a great day sailing from dive site to dive site – with a great buffet lunch to boot. Errol was our dive master, and we dove Nat Nat Reef, North Rock and South Miniloc. I saw some great fish including barracuda, school of Jackfish, school of Yellow Snappers, catfish, scorpion fish, a cuttlefish and some groupers to name a few. Also got to swim with a Hawksbill Sea Turtle, which was a definite highlight of my trip as well as a Blue Spotted Stingray and a Ribbon Eel. The Garden of Cabbage Coral in particular was magical, with huge cabbage shaped corals housing a variety of sea life off South Miniloc. The next day – which also happened to be my birthday – saw me visiting the very thing that put Philippines on my radar in the first place. The Big Lagoon. Stumbling on Instagram pics of this magnificent natural marvel was the very thing that piqued my curiosity over the Philippines many years ago. A combined tour had us sailing from one destination to the next, starting at 7 Commandos Island and culminating at Big Lagoon. In between we stopped at Small Lagoon, a quint and breath-taking lagoon which is a third the size of Big Lagoon. Kayaking and snorkelling are recommended here – you can also swim onto an uninhabited strip of beach just off the lagoon. Secret Lagoon was the toughest to get to – but possibly the worst kept secret in the world as droves of tourist boats anchored themselves to this beach. A short swim later, you find yourself at the lagoon opening. You will need to make your way through a small hole in the rock face to get into this small and hidden lagoon. But the most beautiful part of this lagoon is the beach just past the rock face entrance. Giant coconut trees, white sands and privacy created by the looming limestones really create a sense of a deserted island oasis – if you ignore the droves of Asian tourists snapping selfies on the sand. We had the most delicious buffet lunch on the boat as we anchored just off Shimizu island. I was told that there were giant lizards on this beach, but chose to rather spend my time snorkeling as this spot offered deeper ocean corals than the other snorkeling spots. Making reptilian friends was not very high on the agenda here. Lastly we arrived at the Big Lagoon. Every picture you have seen of this incredible natural wonder undermines its beauty. It’s absolutely exquisite. And pretty damn big. My new friends and I got a kayak and headed (mostly awkwardly and with very little finesse) into the lagoon. Swimming in the beautiful clear water with the giant karst mountains jaggedly jutting out of the water, dripping with lush greenery made me realise how absurdly beautiful Mother Nature is. And how humanity needs to get its head out of its collective ass and find a way to preserve Earth to ensure that places like this don’t get destroyed. Once back at El Nido beach, a quick discussion confirmed that we had enough time to squeeze in a canopy walk before the sun went down. The canopy walking tour, which takes you to the highest viewpoint in El Nido with 180 degree panoramic views of the beachfront, is pretty short and undemanding. It’s from here that you can truly take in the beauty of El Nido, and snap some beautiful pictures of the town and beach below. In terms of food and entertainment, El Nido has a surprising amount of restaurants on offer along the beachfront. Big Mamma’s offered fantastic squid, and Seaview had really good Pork Adoba, a very popular local dish. There is also a chicken and beef option if pork offends your constitution. But when the sun sets, there is only one place to enjoy a beer with locals and tourists alike – Pukka Bar. This reggae establishment dons neon graffiti along every wall and plays the best in reggae, from the predictable Bob Marley to some Fat Freddy Drops and Peter Tosh. The unfortunate commercial fodder makes an appearance later in the evening but Pukka has enough charm to keep you happy – even when the DJ drops a techno Biebs remix. A word of warning to visitors – El Nido will steal your heart. It’s a humble town, much more discreet and naïve than Thailand’s tourist hotspot counterparts, but this is what hooks you. The charm lies in its genuine soul, in friendly locals who are sincere, humble and helpful. El Nido will put a spell on you, and only the unlucky will escape.
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AuthorWriter. Dreamer. Lover. Explorer. Teacher. Archives
July 2017
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