Chasing after the Sun in El Nido

I laid in bed that night debating with myself if I should just forego my trip to El Nido. What could be worse than heading to the beach of all places when a storm was brewing, threatening to hit Palawan in two days? I didn’t want to risk it, not when the storm has already left thousands homeless, and worse, killed more than 500. There would be many more opportunities to visit El Nido and I would rather err on the side of safety and caution.

But as it happens, news reached me that the storm left Palawan a day before I was to leave. I didn’t want to rely on the forecast alone so I called up the cottage where I was booked in El Nido and inquired about the weather. “Maulan pa din, pero mukhang pawala na din ito.”

On the way to El Nido via a 5-hour van ride, it rained. I said a quiet prayer and asked for better weather. I’ve been praying about this trip for weeks now, and especially during the storm. I had some business I needed to do in El Nido which I couldn’t forego, and I also wanted to enjoy the place and go on a year-end retreat. El Nido, after all, is one of the best beaches we have in the country. I always feel proud talking about our beaches because they’re really beautiful and idyllic. I was looking forward to a relaxing time at the beach. I needed El Nido to be as dry as possible!

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El Nido is a town northeast of Palawan’s capital city, Puerto Princesa. The assets of El nido are not in the town itself, but in its many little islands, lagoons, limestone cliffs and Paleogene rocks scattered throughout El Nido. I would suggest you take tour A if you are pressed for time and spending only 3 days in El Nido. If you’re there for a whole week, by all means go explore everything and let the beauty of the island captivate you!  

Getting to El Nido

There are two ways to get to El nido: by air and by land. Land travel is cheaper, of course. One way is around 500 if you take the Garage terminal service of van transports like Fort Wally. But I wouldn’t recommend you taking them because of the very bad service both my sister and I got after patronizing them on two separate occasions. I just think there’s a more professional transport service out there and unfortunately for us, we’re stuck with them meantime. Even the tourists I was with complained of their service, or lack thereof. Shirtless drivers? Check. Rude-does-not-know-how-to-say-please-drivers? Check. An hour’s delay? Check. Traveling like Japan’s bullet train? Check. Cramped like sardines? Double check. I tell you: one would need to extend patience with the current system. The only stopovers for the trip would be an hour away from Roxas for a CR-break, and lunch at a restaurant in the town of Roxas which, incidentally, is owned by Fort Wally. Food wasn’t so great, either. Monopoly, anyone?

But in true blue backpacking fashion, I guess the land travel will do. I did note that there are two kinds of foreigners that come to El Nido: the backpackers, and the tourists who don’t mind paying a little more for better service. I was somewhere in between, admittedly.

Where to stay

There are many resorts, cottages, inns and pension houses in El Nido. Even if you do not book ahead of time, you can always try your luck by walking in and coming out with a booked room. But I didn’t want to do that. I opted to book mine a week before I left, which was actually a little bit late considering it was already Christmas time and tourists are booking resorts here and there.

I went for a cottage resort called Hadefe’s, which was a good 15 minutes walk from the beach front or from the jump off point at Lally and Abet’s Beach cottage. It didn’t bother me at first that the cottage was far; but it did when nighttime came and it wasn’t so fun walking that long stretch in the dark, not to mention passing by a cemetery and some barking dogs. If you ever find yourself booking into Hadefe’s cottages, make sure to bring headlamps or flashlights. Other than that, the place, at least to me, was ideal. It was quiet, secluded, and the single rooms are good enough for a budget of 700 a night, with breakfast.

Rooms in El nido go for 700 to as much as 4,000 a night. There’s a new resort beside Hadefe’s which intrigued me. It was called Cadlao Beach resort and they had stunning interior and exteriors. But they were also a bit far from the beachfront.

The reason you want to book somewhere close to the beach front is because the restaurants are all lined up parallel these cottages. Daily food can go as cheap as 80 to as much as 450 per meal. I’d say a meal of 150-180 is big enough. I would recommend that in your stay in El Nido, you try The Alternative, a restaurant that offers big servings for healthy food. It can be a little pricey, but their food is really good.

I was blessed with 3 sunshiney-days in El Nido. I also accomplished what I went to El Nido for, and I got to enjoy the beauty of the place.  By the time I was to leave, I felt a little sad. If I could only extend my stay for a few more days, I would. It was quiet, serene, and I liked that I can just lie on the sand and read a book all day. At night, I’m lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves, and in the morning, these same waves would wake me up, beckoning me to come closer, get my feet wet, frolic in the sand. The sun gleams through crystal-clear waters and I take my place at the hammock, marveling at all this beauty around me. I also made new friends in El Nido which made my stay more memorable. This is a place I would visit over and over again.