A PHILLIPPINE FAIRYTALE - Tour A in El Nido - 9 December 2022

I had booked the accommodation in El Nido through booking.com. Despite being a regular with the booking sites like Airbnb and booking.com I am generally a bit apprehensive when it comes to touristy places. Sometimes what you see on the site is not what you get. In all fairness, I must say that the disappointments have been few like it happened on the Canada expedition in Toronto and Saskatchewan and Siberian expedition in Mogocha and Novosibirsk.

As far as El Nido is concerned I need not have worried because the en suite room was comfortable, neat and clean. The only issue was with respect to the pressure of water in the shower and bathroom taps. The staff are friendly and helpful, the location is too good to believe and the views are stunning. Moreover, I was greeted by bright sunshine yesterday and I had a wonderful tour of the islands yesterday. This morning, however, the weather was different. It was a bit cloudy and windy with no sign of blue skies.

I had time last evening to wash clothes and hang them out to dry in the room and in the balcony. Thanks to the dry weather they dried by morning. I had chosen to have the same breakfast I had yesterday of bacon and bulls eye eggs. The dining area was full and the beach was more populated than the previous day, signifying the long weekend that may have begun with the holiday yesterday to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception.

Naturally, for Tour A today there was a larger group of 15 guests and a crew of five. Shortly after the appointed time of 9 am I was escorted to a place on the beach to congregate with the other guests who would be on the same tour. A towel and snorkelling kit was given gratis. Tour A is one of the most sought after because it takes you to see two beautiful lagoons located around Miniloc Island, the Big Lagoon, and Secret Lagoon.

Either the boat was anchored a bit further away than the previous day or it was high tide. The water was about neck deep to wade to the boat. The boat crew offered to take me on a kayak to board the boat. I preferred to wade in the water. Two accessories that are wise to buy for such tours are the waterproof bag and a mobile protection cover. I bought the latter today before I boarded the boat.

About 40 minutes after we started we came to the first stop of the day, the 7 Commandos Beach. It is named after seven commandos who lived there, stranded from the WWII, or so it is said. A beautiful, white sandy beach, it is ideal for swimming and exploring. The coconut tree lined beach is very popular and guests love to linger on because of the ambience and photo opportunities. I did some swimming without knowing how to, walked around the sandy beach and watched some folks play beach volleyball. We were at the beach for about an hour and then moved on.

We passed the Maniloc resort, which the guide said costs 18000 PHP a night. Pricey, indeed. Within a short while we were at a location, south of the Shimizu Island for snorkelling. My experience with that activity yesterday was not that successful. But, I decided to try it out again today. That's when I remembered that I had left my GoPro behind. That was a big blow for there was plenty of coral and marine life there. It was thrilling, the colours, the size of the growth and the crystal clear water that enabled a magnificent outing. I snorkelled for about 20 minutes and finally got the hang of breathing through the mouthpiece and keeping the pipe above water.

Lunch halt was at the Shimizu Island. We were warned that only good swimmers should go overboard. That made me stick on the boat. The views from there were so amazing that movie scenes came flooding from memory. The sun was just right too. It is said that the island is named after a diver went missing and many days after the body was found on an island with imposing rock formations and fine white sand. The deceased diver's last name was Shimizu and the island was named after him.

The lunch was set on board because there were a lot many turn groups on the shore. We didn't mind the slight inconvenience of moving around for the buffet table because the sights were glorious. As it was the day before, the spread was awesome, except that the veg salad, crab and calamari were missing. There was a lot more fish and chicken, though.

The Secret Lagoon was the next on the tour itinerary. The Secret Lagoon in El Nido is one of the most special areas in Palawan as it offers impressive limestone cliffs, secluded white sand beaches, and of course, a secret lagoon. The Secret Lagoon can only be accessed by boat on the Tour A of the El Nido Island Hopping Tours. The water was not so deep where the boat anchored and we walked on to a small entrance through the sheer limestone cliff. We were told to be mindful of the sharp rocks.

Guests went in though the small entrance, one at a time because it permitted no more. It was a struggle for me and I did graze my finger on one of the sharp edges of the rock. But, when I got on to the other side, the Secret Lagoon, I was awestruck. Calm waters surrounded by lovely limestone cliffs and depth of water not too imposing. We were given limited time there as guests lined up from the outside to get in. There was lot more time to explore the beach and cliffs after we got out of the Secret Lagoon.

The last stop in the day's itinerary was the Big Lagoon, which is also the best feature of the tour. The boat is docked a fair way away from the mouth of the lagoon and one has to hire a kayak for 300 PHP for a one hour tour of the lagoon. I did not quite enjoy the kayak ride yesterday and hence, decided to stay on board and enjoy the fantastic views from there. Other guests who went on the kayak tour told of the superb views and the million photos they took. So that was the end of the tour and the ride back was a bit choppy because of the wind. Finally, we got back to El Nido before 4 pm.

The evening witnessed a sharp shower and a few drizzles. After a couple of beers, San Miguel of course, I went out for a meal and ice cream. I also made the booking to travel to Puerto Princesa by van the day after. El Nido island tours are fascinating and a miss not.