El
Nido, situated at the northeastern tip of Palawan, is one of the most sought
after destination in the Philippine Islands.
El
Nido has that raw beauty, referred endearingly as the country’s ‘last frontier’. The November-December 2007 issue of the
National Geographic Traveller’s Magazine has chosen Palawan as one of the best
travel destinations in the world together with the Calamianes group of Islands,
also in Palawan. Last year, CNN Go, the travel news website of CNN (obviously!)
declared El Nido as the Philippine’s Best Beach and Island destination. Now
what is it in El Nido that drew all these attention and accolades the world
over? Longing to see its splendor first hand for the longest time, my friends and I finally headed out to Palawan to finally have a taste of what
it’s like…
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Mornings
at El Nido is a misty, quiet hush broken only by the rhythmic splashes of
its waves. The quiet mornings belie a hectic day – towering limestone cliffs, caves, white sand beaches, secret coves, hidden lagoons, snorkeling...and more. But first, savor the temporary tranquility of dawn, the calm before the tours,
just before the boatman arrives. #elnido #bacuitbay
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| The wonders of El Nido mainly lie in its geological character. Its 45 islands and islets are scattered all over Bacuit Bay bordered by the Linapacan Strait in the north, the Sulu Sea in the east and the West Philippine Sea on the other side. Seen here is the highest point of El Nido, the peak of Cadlao Island towering at 640 meters above sea level. #elnido #bacuitbay |
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| The islands feature uniquely different geological formations and attractions. A paper cited by wiki about the “North Palawan Block, Philippines--Its Relation to Asian Mainland and Role in Evolution of South China Sea” described these formations as part of a tectonic plate called Sunda, which are entirely separate from the rest of the Philippine Islands. That explains why the limestone cliffs, which are characteristic of the Sunda plate, found in El Nido are also similarly found in Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, Guilin in China and Krabi in Thailand – all of which are connected to the same Sunda Plate. That done, now back to English….#elnido #palawan |
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| While first class accommodations and exclusive resorts are all over El Nido where swimming, kayaking, snorkeling and basking in the sun are done in style, the real fun is really in the tours offered by its operators in town. My assessment? definitely for the adventurous spirit, the strong swimmer, the rough rider....those not afraid to crawl, swim towards a hidden cove, explore a cave, cook and eat lunch survivor-style, never cringe on strong waves...well, doesn't sound a bit like me! but what the heck! only the waves made me cry, the rest made me stronger....#elnido #secretbeach |
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| Sunsets at El Nido...of course the sunset is its crowning glory. Situated in the western side of the Philippines made it picture perfect even more at the end of the day. Warm summers bring forth fiery hues. This is the beachfront facing Cadlao Island where most of the accommodations are thankfully located. Be sure to get lodgings near the beach, lots of good food and late night parties here, though quieter and tamer than in Boracay. #elnido #bacuitbay #cadlaoisland |
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Boats at Bacuit Bay….the fisherman’s friend right beside the
rich guy’s toys, what a contradiction, anchored on the same seas….#elnido
#bacuitbay
Remote and ruggedly pristine, such is the beauty of El Nido. I just
tought that in its seclusion, who discovered this part of the world? The El
Nido Tourism offered a story on the discovery of El Nido. It says that “a tuna
line disable a dive boat’s propeller in the middle of the night forcing it to
drop anchorin an inlet. The following morning, the divers woke up to an amazing
scenery of skyscraping dark cliffs, thick green forest, white sand beach,
sparkling water and, rising above it, a series of magnificently sculpted jade
islands”. #elnidotourism
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There's more than a grain of truth there. Navigating the whole bay allows you to see the magnificently sculpted jade islands. For the most part, the boat ride was easy. Just cutting through small waves rocking you to sleep. But sleeping through this waterworld is a travesty...even as the sun sets, the red fiery light gave different characters to the granite, marble and limestone cliffs. #elnido #sunsetinelnido
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Beautiful sunsets, beautiful
waters, imposing towering cliffs...it’s an extraordinarily magnificent world. There
is no other way to describe it. #sunsetsinelnido #elnido
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A wonderful beach and your wonderful friends…Paradise! #elnido #sunsetinelnido
When time permits, explore the island’s unique ecosystem. There’s more to this place’s geological playground. The Philippine government declared the entire area of El Nido as a turtle sanctuary in 1984, then a marine reserve park in 1991. Finally in 1998, its status was elevated to a managed resource protected area (El Nido Tourism). #elnido #sunsetinelnido |
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| Yep, this is me courtesy of my friend Jhun. Tired but happy. |
Well, this is just a start...of my El Nido story. My gigaton of pictures still did not give justice to the beauty of its islands. Flip through my next posts on our 3-day journey in Palawan's top islands....and enjoy! better yet, go to El Nido and tell your own story!
A Piece of Heaven on Earth: Getting There and Other Things
Images of El Nido, The Island Series Part 1: From Helicopter to Snake with a Star in Between
Images of El Nido, The Island Series Part 2: Matinloc Shrine with a Hidden (Lagoon) and a Secret (Beach)
Images of El Nido, The Island Series Part 1: From Helicopter to Snake with a Star in Between
Images of El Nido, The Island Series Part 2: Matinloc Shrine with a Hidden (Lagoon) and a Secret (Beach)
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