A PHILLIPPINE FAIRYTALE - A Paradise Called El Nido - 8 December 2022

The flight to El Nido was to depart from Terminal 4 of the Manila International Airport at 5.15 am. At that early hour I would have found it difficult to find a taxi and hence, Alex had offered to pick me up at around 2 am from the accommodation. That plan changed late last night when he was forced due to business reasons to stay overnight in Clarks, about 200 km south of Manila. However, he arranged with two of his friends, Cijil and Vinish, to do the needful. We agreed to meet up at my accommodation at 2.30 am.

The accommodation arranged through Airbnb in Manila was locationally advantageous. The major historical attractions were within 10 km radius of it. The Mall, Robinsons Place, a number of marts and eateries were short walks away. The condo was comfortable and the views were good too. Abigael, who handled the reservation, was always a phone call away for any information or request. On the negatives, a couple of taps in the bathroom need attention and sheets and towels are changed only once a week! A special request was put in for an earlier change and was agreed to at no extra cost. Else, the special cleaning service attracts a fee of 500 PHP. Just two small bottles of water and two sachets of 3in1 coffee are given for the entire stay of five days! I had to lug a 5 litre can of water from a nearby store and fetch coffee and creamer for the 5 day stay in the accommodation.

Cijil and Vinish came earlier than agreed to pick me up. Both of them are natives of Alleppy, Kerala and work in the airline industry as pilots. We had an interesting chat right up to the airport. Thanks to Alex's network the transit to the airport at that early hour was hassleless. The NIAI Terminal 4 is a domestic terminal for Air Asia, Cebu Pacific, Royal Air and AirSwift. I was booked to travel by the last named. I had checked in online the previous night.

When the check-in counter opened 2 hours before scheduled departure I was the first to present my documents. Vaccination certificate too had to be presented. There were two levels of security, one at the entrance and the other to get to the departure gates. They were quickly done and was non-intrusive. I was enjoying a cup of hot coffee when I heard my name being announced to report to the AirSwift check-in counter. After special security permission I reached the counter where I was shown some damage to my bag. I had to indemnify the airline for it to be put into the baggage hold of the aircraft.

Boarding was announced at 4.45 am and the ATR aircraft took off before time with a full load of passengers. Smudged windows and mist presented challenges in taking clear and good photos. The flight landed at 6.10 at Lio airport in El Nido, a good 35 minutes ahead of schedule. The cute airport constructed with ecologically friendly material was very welcoming.

Once the baggage came to the claim area the passengers left for their accommodation. Outbound passengers started arriving in good numbers too. When the AirSwift staff saw me waiting she enquired as to which hotel I was headed to. As I had arranged with Aqua Travel Lodge for a pickup and they had specifically asked me not to engage anyone else I had no option but to wait. The young and helpful AirSwift staffer called up the hotel and confirmed that the pickup was on the way. Once it arrived she saw me off with a singsong 'Enjoy' and a wave.

The hotel was about 6 km from the airport and I was at the Aqua Travel Lodge in about 15 minutes. The El Nido beach was possibly just 15 steps away from the Lodge, which was in a narrow lane full of eateries, pubs, souvenir shops, accommodation and vendors. The views were divine. Since check-in was only by 2 pm I requested for breakfast prior to embarking on Tour C, an island hopping tour prearranged with the Lodge. The pickup for the tour was slated for 9 am.

When I was taken to the dining area my eyes left their sockets for a while. The magic of the views combined with excellent weather elevated my spirits like I hadn't felt in a very long time. Breakfast was on an elevated deck with the beach, limestone cliff and boats in full view. The toasts, eggs sunny side up, bacon and hot coffee were taken in slowly digesting the divine views from the deck.

Though not fully sated with the views, I returned to the reception of the Lodge and changed for the tour. I had opted to do Tour A and C on two days, which the Lodge had arranged, at a cost of 3000 PHP that included the Eco Fee and some other miscellaneous charges. I was also given a towel and a snorkel kit gratis with threat of a heavy penalty if they were lost or damaged in any way! A little after 10 am our group of 9 were asked to wade through chest deep waters into a boat that would be handled by four crew, including a guide. A family of four Filipinos settled in Australia, two Americans and two Spaniards made up the group, besides the author.

The spidery pump boat took off at full clip parting the blue waters of the South China Sea with craggy, karst formations standing guard as it fiercely guarding the clean environment. About twenty minutes later the Dilumacad Island, a larger island on the island hopping route from El Nido Town, came into view. The island is popularly known as Helicopter Island because it is shaped like a helicopter. Many boats were anchored there and people were wading and snorkeling. The island has beautiful, long sandy beaches surrounded by jelly-colored waters and tropical forests behind the sandy beaches.

One of the things about island hopping tours is that there is plenty of getting in deep and shallow waters. Hence, clothing has to be appropriate, as also the footwear. Photography is difficult, unless one has protection to keep the mobiles. I did not see a single DSLR being used in the entire trip. The crew helped us get to the sandy shore, helped us with snorkelling kit and demonstrated its use. The waters were crystal clear and the waves quite huge. After trying my hand at some snorkelling, drinking in sea water and filling the nasal passage with it, I spent some time walking the beach. The mobile was in the boat and my eyes became my lens to capture the pristine beauty.

Located on Mantinloc Island, the Hidden Beach, El Nido can only be reached via boat. That was the next halt. As one gets off the boat it is extremely deep. Not knowing swimming, one of the crew held me by the life jacket and asked me to float while he pulled me to the shallow part of the beach. The waters were amazing with the bright sun dancing on them and making all sorts of designs. The sea bed in the shallow area was sharp and uneven; footwear is a must. The steep rocks, the awesome waters and the hidden beaches make this an eminently enjoyable part of the tour. The hidden passageways and caves are so photo worthy that the entire stop, as someone out it, is Instagramable. While on the way back to the boat we saw one baby shark and many schools of fish.

The name of the Talisay beach comes from the Magtalisay trees that can be seen in the area. It is at that beach that we anchored for lunch. Many groups were already feasting when we got there. We waded through, some swam, the clear water to the sandy shore. The boat crew asked us to enjoy the beach while they got the lunch ready. I had seen them cleaning up meat and sea creatures on board. I learnt that the government had mandated that every full day tour must include lunch. They had even stipulated the items that had to be served. While I enjoyed the sandy beach, broken coral pieces and craggy crevices I could see miles and miles of turquoise waters.

After a half hour lunch was announced. They had set up a sumptuous buffet lunch, presented extraordinarily, for the group. Frankly, I thought there was too much food. There was, and despite the best efforts of most, lots got left behind. What appealed to me was that the crew members handed over the left over food to fisherfolk who lived in the island. We were told that they sometimes went without food for days! Back to the lunch. Greeting the eyes first were exceptionally melon carved Merry Christmas. Grilled fish, chicken, pork, calamari, oyster, crab, shrimp, eggplant salad, yellow watermelon, banana and pineapple. And, in humongous quantity. I tried most of them and found them quite well done.

Another beach on the Tapiutan Strait, apart from the Tsilay Beach, is the Star Beach. The awe inspiring rock formations, white sand, deep blue water, vegetation and natural layout of this place are unique. We were told that it is a great place for snorkelling. I had no stomach for that because it was inside of 15 minutes after that stuffing lunch. The surrounding had a surreal feel about it. I sat in the boat and took in the amazing beauty and fell asleep till departure was announced a half hour later. The rest of them who swam around and snorkelled shared their experiences of viewing corals.

The last stop of Tour C was the Cadlao lagoon which was primarily meant for kayaking. With my bulk and being totally out is shape I requested one of the crew members to take me around in a kayak. It was my first experience in a kayak. What looks so easy and syncretic from a distance is indeed taxing on the arms, legs and the paunch. The Cadlao lagoon is indeed one of the many beautiful attractions in El Nido. The emerald waters, towering limestone cliffs surrounding the lagoon and short sandy beaches make it a picture-perfect destination. Many swam, dived, snorkelled and kayaked for over an hour. I kayaked for a while, my body was not up to it, and then waded around in the shallow warm waters.

When we got back to the El Nido beach it was time for goodbyes. I had been allotted a room on the third floor of the Lodge, quite proximate to the dining deck. It took some time getting cleaned up. Beach sand has an uncanny way of finding its way into the most unusual orifices and folds.

Later in the evening, after scouting the street I settled for a Greek dinner of Beef Gyros and a couple of pegs of rum and coke. Gyros is a pita wrap of meat, tomato, onions, potatoes and sauce. The local Tanduay dark cane rum was quite good, but not as good as the Old Monk, I must admit. The day had been well spent in a most awesome part of this planet.