El Nido...so this is paradise

Traveling in Palawan is not as straightforward as one might think. The locals don't seem to move much within the region, the roads (where existent) are horrible, and flights are the fatal combination of expensive and and scarce. That left me with nautical transportation as the one option for getting out of El Nido. A boat trip meant dealing with the local boat mafia, which, as I learned, has bribed the cargo ship companies into not allowing tourists as passengers on their vessels. Thus forcing tourists to pay $50 US for a 7 hour boat ride (to put things in perspective, that's about 1/2 the monthly salary of the average Palawanian). I'm not for supporting boat mafias, but I didn't have a whole lot of other options to work with, so James and I went for the boat ride (our friend Bastian got the last seat on the flight to El Nido, Mark returned to Manila and Jesus stayed in Coron). For all of the hassle surrounding the organization of our transfer to El Nido, it actually turned out to be a very scenic and relaxing journey. I suppose that every cloud has its silver lining.

El Nido is one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited, definitely one of the highlights of my trip. It's a picturesque fishing village, tucked into a limestone karst surrounded bay. The town only has electricity at night, but what it lacks in modern amenities, it makes up for in charm and personality.

James, Bastian and I made several "island hopping" snorkel excursions (each one found us on a number of secluded beaches surrounded by pretty reefs). We also rented kayaks and found our own secret beach (not that those are a rare commodity around El Nido). James and I took on the challenge of hiking one of the cliffs right outside of town. What we thought would be a 30-minute hike, turned out to be a 3-hour climbing expedition. A bit of an unexpected surprise, but we had a fantastic time, just the same.

El Nido had surprisingly good food. Maybe not what you would expect from a sleepy little village, but perhaps the relative isolation of the town means that the area's population has to rely on locally harvested supplies (which would mean lots of fresh fish and fruit). Courtesy of one, slightly loopy, local Swedish ex-pat, we found a fantastic little food stall owned and operated by a woman known as "mami". I don't know what her secret is, but her pork adobo was superb. This was also an important find because James has the metabolism of a small horse, and the food was not only tasty, but cheap too.

El Nido is truly a hidden gem. To date, it is one of my favorite destinations on this trip. A place I shall definitely visit again.

Julia


En route to El Nido


Could live here, please?


Relaxing on the way to El Nido


Dolphin-spotting on the way to El Nido


Snorkel lagoon


Jungle-covered lagoon walls


James, standing beside the fire which the boatmen used to cook lunch


So it wasn't totally perfect...we did have a few hours of rain


Bastian and Julia, hiding from the rain


Art cafe, perfect for putting your feet up with a good book and a cup of coffee


Mami


Kayaking to the our own little beach


Self-portrait on the secluded beach


Ahhhhhh....


Snorkeling in 7 commando's beach (Bastian wanted to ask that boat pull our kayaks back to El Nido, but James and I were too tough for that)


El Nido village kids


Yes, I climbed that


Not the best picture, but you get the idea that this wasn't just a "hike"


Look ma, no hands


El Nido


Why did the turkey cross the road?


Tricycles


Snorkel trip #2


More perfection