Summary
I can’t remember what I expected from the Philippines. To be honest, I can’t even remember exactly why we wanted to visit El Nido in Palawan. I think it’s one of those travel desires that just sneaks up on you and transforms into a potent goal.
I do remember sending a message to friends on Whatsapp with a couple of photos from Coron and Palawan with one word: Philippines?. The answer was a resounding yes, and a few weeks later, we all booked tickets to spend almost a month discovering the Philippines, kicking off with El Nido.
*We began our journey in Manila, but it was primarily downtime there, so not much exploration occurred (although a lot of eating made up for it).
Traveling to El Nido
What no one truly stresses is the amount of travel required to reach El Nido. There’s a small airport in El Nido, but most travelers fly into Puerto Princesa and then embark on a long ride to El Nido. Our flight search didn’t show that airport, so it wasn’t even on our radar as an option.
We navigated almost 12 hours of travel (including lengthy wait times at the airport – we arrived far too early), but as soon as we arrived, we understood why this journey was worthwhile.
El Nido’s Natural Beauty
El Nido is stunning! Not in a glossy, over-polished manner; much of it retains a rustic charm that adds to its attractiveness. Driving up from Puerto Princesa, passing an abundance of coconut trees, quaint villages, lush greenery, and water buffaloes lazily grazing in the fields, it felt just like the tropical getaway we were longing for.
Island Hopping Activities
What truly seals the deal here, however, is the island hopping. This is precisely when you comprehend why people traverse the globe to relish their time here. Although it rained a bit more than we would have preferred, it hardly dulled our enthusiasm (although it did prevent us from visiting certain islands, but that’s a tale for another time).
Conclusion
Anyway, you might be wondering about the significance of this musings of mine. Truth be told, there is none – I simply wanted to share some photos from our time in El Nido (some of which you can see on Instagram) while more will certainly feature in future posts.
For those planning a visit or having questions regarding your trip (or any general inquiries), feel free to send a note here or on Instagram, and we will do our utmost to respond! 🙂
In the meantime, here are the photos from El Nido, Palawan… 😀
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