Back in El Nido Ten Years After

It's amazing how much a destination evolves over time. The first time I have been to El Nido was memorable. Confined to El Nido Miniloc Island, I had an unexpected treat to nature that truly made me fall in love with the Philippines even more. You can read about these adventures here and here.

I was hooked, and eventually flew back to these islands to experience their other exclusive resorts. Lagen followed and soon Pangulasian.

Back then, our tours to the Small and Big Lagoons were not so crowded. Kayaking the islands was one of the greatest experiences I've had, especially from Entalula Island. I never wanted Palawan to be known. Just as most visitors, they wanted it mostly to themselves. The elusiveness and remoteness of the islands were just enchanting. 

This time, 10 years after, I went back, coming short of a supposed visit in 2017 where I ended up settling in Port Barton instead. Though I've heard so many good things about the recent transformation, I was still weary of how it would look like. 

So, I booked a flight to Puerto Princesa and decided to start my adventure back to El Nido there. Instead of flying directly, I took the other route, hoping I would enjoy much more of my trip.

As soon as I landed in Puerto Princesa, I missed the chance of getting in the shuttle van, so I was forced to ring up a car rental company that gave me a negotiated rate of P1,800 per day for a car. I drove up to El Nido, passing through San Vicente Beach for a snack.

My excitement hurled up as I finally drove up into El Nido Town in the early evening. I likened the experience to Krabi with the limestone formations welcoming us in.

Here's the thing. I have NEVER been to El Nido Town before this trip. My trips were always straight to Miniloc, Lagen or Pangulasian. I think I was in denial with the fact that I never wanted El Nido to be discovered. I must say, I now regret not visiting the town. 

El Nido Town felt different. And I liked the vibe. It was a small town, bustling with cafes and restaurants left and right, much like Boracay, but enveloped in the looming presence of limestone rocks. The visitors were also mostly Westerners. The people of El Nido are reserved, and not as friendly as the Bisayas, but once you get their jive, it'll be easy to blend in.

As you may already know, one can take several of the boat tours around the islands from here. Package rates are from P1,200 to P2,500 depending on the tour. Most are standardized, so try to find the ones that provide better value. 

For this trip, I didn't take any of these island tours, since I have already done them in the past. My goal for this trip is really to explore the mainland, the other beaches that Northern Palawan has to offer, and try to get a feel of what it is like to live here.

I will end this post with breakfast at the wonderful Art Cafe overlooking the main beach. Nothing gets better than this.