Our 2nd day starts with us waking up slowly at El Nido, still very very sleepy due to the long trip. But we had no choice since our tour starts early, and the electricity is out so our room was really hot. We explored the nearby stores at around 6am but they were all still close and we were only able to buy some pandesal (20php) for our breakfast and then headed back to our room to wait for the tour.
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There are 4 sets of tours in El Nido, tour A, B, C, or D. There are also some combination tour which you can do the whole day. For us, we availed of Servant Tours' tour A. According to one blog, this is the best island hopping tour. We got it for 600php per person c/o Kuya Gerald. Others offer it for 700php per person. The tour includes lunch, goggles, and snorkeling gears. The tour was beautiful. The islands were magnificent. We literally had open mouths while looking at the islands all around us. Thanks to our tour guides Kuya JR, Kuya Rogie, and Kuya Gerald who made the trip fun with their funny, witty remarks and ensured we had a safe tour. They even took the time to get our cameras and take pictures for us. They were also so patient especially to those tourists who were a bit afraid to swim (aka, us) and assisted us, even pulling us afloat in deep waters. So, thanks Kuyas! They are highly highly recommended if you want an enjoyable and safe tour!
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SMALL LAGOON
Tour A consists of 5 places to tour to. Before starting the tour, you have to pay an environmental fee of 100php per person. This is better compared to the per island entrance fee of Honda Bay. The first place we went was called the Small Lagoon. According to our guides, they placed this first in our itinerary since it is the most tiring of all the places we would be going to. And yes, it was tiring! To be able to go inside the lagoon, you would have to swim a bit far. There were lots of rocks so aqua shoes are a must. For those who are scared and does not know how to swim, the Kuyas have this "salbabida" which you could just hold on to and they would pull you haha. Once you do get inside the lagoon, you still have a lot of swimming to do, this time in deep waters so it's a bit scary at first but since you have life jackets on, it was ok. At the edge of the lagoon, there is a small cave you could go inside also but, again, lots of swimming and pulling would have to be done. Which you would also have to repeat upon going back to the boat. But it was a great experience and the lagoon was just so beautiful with all the rocks surrounding it. Unfortunately, our camera is not fit for underwater experiences so we were not able to take pictures of the lagoon itself, just the entrance.
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BIG LAGOON
The next stop was at the Big Lagoon. As the name implies, it is big so the boat could easily go inside so you wouldn't need to do any long swimming. We just passed through it and admired the scenery ahead of us. We did not stay too long since it was just the same as the Small Lagoon, only bigger. Again, the rock formations are just mesmerizingly beautiful!
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SNORKELING SITE
The next tour we went to is the Snorkeling Site. Basically, the boat just stopped in the middle of the sea and they told us to just jump in the waters if you want to do some snorkeling haha. The corals weren't that pretty compared to Pambato Reef but the water was refreshing though a bit scary since it is the middle and the waves are just dragging you along so it was an adventure in itself haha. This is also where we had our very scrumptious lunch which is a first time for us to have a lunch in the middle of the sea. Unfortunately, due to severe hunger, we were not able to take pictures of the food but believe me it was delicious!
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SECRET LAGOON
After lunch, we headed to the Secret Lagoon. Again, you would have to swim a short distance to get to the entrance of the lagoon. The opening is small and it can only accommodate 1 person at a time. Also, the rocks are sharper here compared to the Small Lagoon so be very careful. Once inside, you would again see beautiful rocks and waters and just amazing nature scenery which would leave you speechless. And again, unfortunately, we had no pictures of the inside of the Secret Lagoon (it really is time for us to buy an underwater cam). Also there is a beach beside the Secret Lagoon which we also went to and took some pictures. There was a small site there where they held one of the previous Survivor tribal thingy episode.
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7 COMMANDO BEACH
The next itinerary was the 7 Commando Beach which was our last stop so we stayed there for a long time to rest and just relax. You could also do some snorkeling but again, the corals are just so-so. There's also a bar there where you could buy drinks but it is expensive. One coke in can costs 60php. It was a beautiful beach but there were just a few shaded area so some of us just stayed at the boat to not get burnt by the sun haha.
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On our way back we passed by the Helicopter Island which was not included in the tour. It is shaped like a helicopter, hence the name (duh, haha). We also passed by some really pretty rock formations again.
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El Nido is a very beautiful place. We do not regret making such a hectic itinerary to accommodate the El Nido tour. It's such a small town that you can explore it by foot. Not only did we enjoy the trip, we met so many wonderful people, both locals and foreigners. This is the best part of our Palawan trip. We regret that we did not have the time to stay longer since after the tour we went back to PPS at 6pm (see, really hectic sked haha). We also got to explore the town a bit before going back, brought some souvenirs and mango shake (still does not rival the one in Pandan island) which costs 50php. We also bought a burger at 25php. We noticed that the town comes alive at night, they have a "mini banchetto" in front of the municipal hall. We don't know if this is an everyday thing or it is just because its their town fiesta that time. We will definitely go back to El Nido, try a different tour, and maybe stay a little longer.
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We arrived at PPS at 12:30 am. I will not bother writing about our trip back because it was uneventful and long. We had an argument with the driver because he dropped all of us in the San Jose terminal which is far from the city. From there you still have to take a tricycle to the city proper which would cost about 100php. We asked to be dropped at the junction where we hailed a tricycle (20php) to bring us to mcdo to grab a quick snack and then back to Duchess Pension to grab a quick sleep in preparation for another tiring day tomorrow. And here ends our El Nido tour.
Up next: Puerto Princesa Underground River
Summary of Expenses for Day 2
Tay Miloys Inn - 480php/night
Pandesal - 20php
Toothbrush - 25php
El Nido Tour - 600php/person
Environmental Fee - 100php/person
Coke - 60php
Mango Shake - 100php
Burger - 50php
Keychain - 100php
Tshirt - 400php
Magnet + water - 138php
Van to Puerto Princesa - 600php/person
Tricycle - 20php
CR - 10php
Duchess Pension House - 350php/night
TOTAL for Day 1: 4,353php for 2 persons
Servant Tours
Mobile No: 0915-4157245
Email Address: servant_tours@yahoo.com
Tay Miloys Inn
Contact Person: Kuya Rodrigo
Mobile No: 0929-7955756
Read more:
The Palawan Trip: Honda Bay Tour
The Palawan Trip: Puerto Princesa Underground River
The Palawan Trip: Baker's Hill and Mitra's Ranch
The Palawan Trip: Crocodile Farm, Binuatan Creation, and Balinsasayaw Restaurant
The Palawan Trip: Plaza Cuartel and Baywalk
The Palawan Trip: Summary Of Our Trip
I really enjoyed reading your blog - very informative, complete with photos and all...very nicely posted. Great job!
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