A Sweet ‘El Nido Corner’ for Good Food | El Nido, Palawan

Mar 01, 2012

by The Poor Traveler

3 Comments

The Danish flag was flirting with the wind that evening as my friends and I discussed where to have dinner. We had seen this restaurant before — on our first afternoon — and our initial impression was good. The day before, we were just enjoying the view of Bacuit Bay when we were approached and greeted by a Danish man, who owns and runs the place.

The signage in front of El Nido Corner

The Danish flag dancing with the wind

“My name is Ole,” he said to us. “Are you looking for good food? I can show you our freshest catch of the day!”
Ole Jakobsen had a sweet, friendly smile and he was really accommodating. Unfortunately, the Happy Hour sign hanging in front of the restaurant next to his  was too tempting for us to pass up. We had to decline Ole’s fresh catch that day but we promised him to be back the day after.
The day had come. We were surprised how packed the place was that night. There seemed to be no available tables. But Ole walked towards us as soon as he saw us approaching and led us to the second floor (balcony set-up) and gave us a table for seven. Unlike some of the more popular restaurants in town, El Nido Corner does not have a live band or play loud music. Candles and faint lamps illuminate the place — a nice, practical touch. The atmosphere really allows customers to enjoy nature especially when one hears the sound of the waves rolling only a few feet away.

Faint lamps add an almost romantic element to the experience

When we were handed the menu, the first impression we had was that it was pricier than most restaurants in El Nido but we hoped that the food and service would be worth it. It took us so long to pick a dish because everything on that menu sounded delicious. At one point, I whipped out my phone to check in to Foursquare and found a tip that the “Fish with Butter and Herbs” was really great and the poster sounded really excited recommending it. And then another commenter replied and said it wasn’t that great. I was sooo intrigued so that’s exactly what I ordered and rice and fried potatoes, which I shared with two of my travel buddies to divide the cost.
Several minutes later, the food was served and without saying anything, we just dug in. Haha. It was that automatic.
The first thing we noticed was that each plate came with a slice of watermelon, which was a pretty welcome surprise because I looooove watermelons.

Watermelon on each plate!

There was nothing spectacular about the Fried Potatoes. It was simply potatoes cut and fried. But I liked how it was perfectly cooked. The potatoes were soft and tender but not mushy. It wasn’t crispy like French Fries. It was just right. You know they’re real potatoes and not some powder whatever shit we usually see at the supermarket. I actually liked it very much. And of course, it’s fried so it’s a little oily.

Fried potatoes!

Fish with butter and herbs

Now, the main course — Fish with butter and herbs. It was AWESOME. At first glance, it was just an ordinary cut of fish — no garnish at all. But from the get-go, I knew the fish was fresh. It looked and smelled fresh. There was no nasty smell to it or anything. The butter and the herbs made it so much appetizing. The aromas were mixing beautifully straight to my nostrils. I should have ordered one for myself alone was all I was thinking that time. Haha.
It was war when we tasted it. All three of us loved, loved it. And remember, we’re sharing ONE serving of the dish. We didn’t know what kind of fish it was but we didn’t care because it just tasted so good. The meat was soft and each bite was flavorful. In  minutes, the fish was gone. We were left with the butter and herbs mixture on the plate yet we continued eating. It tasted really good that I had to pour my rice on the plate and let the flavor of the butter and herbs mix with the rice.
Overall, it was a great dining experience. As we left the place, Ole was going around, hopping from one table to another with a plate with two fish on it. “These are today’s fresh catch,” he said to customers who seemed to be enjoying not just the place but the hospitality of its owner.

How to Get to El Nido from Puerto Princesa (Palawan)

Dec 10, 2011

by The Poor Traveler

6 Comments

El Nido is a town in the northern part of Palawan. Comprised of 45 islands, El Nido is popular for white sand beaches, snorkeling and diving sites, and steep Karst cliffs. Although famous, reaching this tropical paradise can be quite a challenge to travelers because of its remoteness.
For the Poor Traveler and his friends, however, its location is not an issue. I had been to Puerto Princesa several times and Coron once and nothing would stop me to visit El Nido. As early as booking our flights, I already knew how I would want to get there.

Choose Your El Nido Gateway

There are several ways to reach El Nido and here are three of them.

• Direct Flights. El Nido has its own airport but its short runway prevents most airlines using relatively big planes to land here. There are direct flights to El Nido but tickets are expensive (compared to other destinations in the country) most of the time. There are also other companies offering chartered flights but the rate might be a little too much for many travelers.
• Via Coron. You may also consider flying to Coron. From there, big outrigger boats that travel to El Nido. The catch is that travel time is around 8 hours. And it also proves more expensive as you will have to fly to Coron first and then shell out a couple of thousand pesos to boat to El Nido.
• Via Puerto Princesa. For me, the wisest choice have to be the Puerto Princesa route. From Manila, there are several cheap flights to Puerto Princesa City, Palawan’s capital. From there, there are buses and vans that can take you on a road trip to El Nido. Travel time is five to six hours.

Our choice was obviously via Puerto Princesa because we had already booked a flight with Airphil Express when they slashed their base fares to only P100 last March for their anniversary sale. We took the 7:30am flight and we arrived at 8:40am, as scheduled.

Airphil Express A320 at the Puerto Princesa airport

Upon arrival, we approached the Tourism Booth near the Baggage Claim section of the Puerto Princesa Airport and asked for their recommendation on the best way to reach El Nido. The two friendly staff manning the booth explained the bus and shuttle options to us.

Bus vs Van

If you’re traveling to El Nido via Puerto Princesa City, you may choose to take the bus or van (shuttle). According to the guys at the Tourism Booth, there are trips to El Nido every hour from 5am to 8am every day. The bus ride takes 6-8 hours because there are at least two stops, usually in Roxas and in Taytay. The fare is around P350.
Fort Wally Shuttle Services, on the other hand, carries passengers to El Nido every day at 5am, 7am, 9am, 11am and 1pm. It usually takes 5-6 hours and stops only once. It is also more comfortable by van but the fare is double — P700 per person. The best part about the van is that they are willing to pick you up at the hotel or wherever you are in downtown Puerto Princesa.

Fort Wally Shuttle Service contact numbers

The Fort Wally staff who entertained us offered us a deal — P1200 for roundtrip, which we gladly took. We asked them to pick us up at the Balinsasayaw Restaurant where we planned to have brunch. We also got their number so we could inform them where they would pick us up in El Nido for our return trip to Puerto Princesa.
At 11am, the van picked us up at the restaurant, made a quick stop at their office to pick up more passengers and then we were on the way to El Nido.

The Long Road to El Nido

Six hours. I knew exactly how I would spend the six hours that we would be on the road to El Nido — SLEEP. Because I did not have enough sleep, trying to look for a place to stay online the night before, I decided I’d sleep the entire time. And I did, almost. When the van pulled over in front of an eatery, I grabbed a quick lunch. And once we were back on the road, I slept again. Up until the rough road started to rattle my slumber. I wasn’t able to sleep since then.
Don’t worry, though, because the rocky part wasn’t that long. The paved road made a comeback several minutes later but then the scenery caught my attention.

View on the way to El Nido from Puerto Princesa

If you’re on the left side of the van like I was, you’ll have a great view of the sea and other islets playing hide and seek with you as trees cover and reveal them every now and then. It was a fantastic experience having a glimpse of what was in store for us!

Arriving in El Nido

The sun was nearly kissing the horizon when our van stopped at a small terminal. I knew it was time to hop out. We were there. Hey, El Nido, nice to meet you.
The first thing I noticed was the imposing limestone cliffs surrounding the quiet town. While our driver was helping us with our bags, I was busy falling in love with this giant wall-mountain as though it was etched by the gods. The holes in the wall were not flaws but signs of life as birds flew in and out of them like little children running around at a playground.

The steep Karst cliffs surrounding the town of El Nido as seen from the terminal

As soon as we got our things, we were approached by tricycle drivers who offered to take us to our hotel. There were seven of us in the group and it took two trikes to get us all to the Cliffside Cottages.
“It has started,” I said as I stared at this giant cliff towering above me. The break that I had always wanted, “It has started.”

Planning a Trip to El Nido, Palawan | Itinerary, Flights, Hotel, Tours

As our boat glided through the waves into the Big Lagoon of Miniloc Island in El Nido, Palawan, I couldn’t help but think about how much I needed this break. The limestone cliffs that surround the clear, turquoise water reflecting the sunny skies were more therapeutic than any massage or cigarette I had. It was the perfect moment. A classic corporate-slave-meets-paradise moment.

Bacuit Bay, El Nido at low tide

Every stress that work had brought me in the past few weeks was blown away by the wind, washed away by the waves of El Nido. Who would have thought that I would still find myself enjoying this trip stress-free given that there was no extensive planning whatsoever that happened.
Yep, no planning. Whatsoever. I’m a bad traveler.

 

Booking a Flight to El Nido

It all started when Airphil Express celebrated their first anniversary last March and cut the cost of many of their seats to only P100. After a brief consultation with friends, we decided to book flights to Puerto Princesa. My friends had not been to Puerto Princesa but I had been there several times before. So before they could be overly excited about touring Puerto Princesa, I quickly brought up the idea of traveling 6 hours by van/bus to El Nido.

Airphil Express A320 at the Puerto Princesa airport

Everyone loved the idea. It was my turn to get overly excited because I had never been to El Nido before and it was my ultimate dream to see what this North Palawan town has to offer.
By the way, we got our roundtrip tickets for only P200 (base fare, P100 one way) plus P153 taxes and other applicable fees. That’s P353, total. Spell CHEAP. I loved it!

Finding Cheap Hotel/Hostel in El Nido

This trip could not come at a better time. Work load had been horrible in the past few weeks that I wasn’t able to plan the trip — not even look for accommodations. Our flight was at 7am and at 1am, I was just starting to look for a cheap hotel or hostel to stay in. I browsed several websites and blogs and texted all the contact numbers I could find. Unfortunately for me, only a few replied and those who did said that they were fully booked.
It didn’t help that we were a group of 7 people. One hotel had a vacant room but could only accommodate up to 3 people.
We were already at the airport at around 5:30 am when I received a call from Cliffside Cottages, telling me that they had rooms for all 7 of us. Thank Heavens! We asked about the rate and we were surprised that it was really cheap — P500 per room per night. Each room could accommodate up to 2 people. That’s only P250 per person. We immediately had 3 rooms reserved and gave our word that we would stay for one night. (By the way, the rate is P600 per room per night if booked for only one night, which was completely fine with us.)
We decided that since we would have ample time to kill on our first night in El Nido, we’d look for other hotels in the area as soon as we got there. In the mean time, we would be spending our first night at Cliffside Cottages.
We would end up staying at the El Nido Waterfront Hotel and the Garnet Hotel on our second and third nights.

Cliffside Cottages (Left) and Garnet Hotel (Right)

The takeaway here is: Book in advance. We were lucky that we were still able to find vacant rooms for all seven of us. We have asked almost all beachfront hotels at Bacuit Bay and they were all fully-booked considering that it wasn’t peak season when we were there.

What to Consider Before Your Trip to El Nido

A number of things have to be considered when preparing an El Nido itinerary.

1. First, what is your gateway to El Nido? While some choose to fly directly to El Nido, others are thrown off by the expensive direct flight tickets. Spending much on airfare was not an option for me so I was left with two options: via Coron or via Puerto Princesa. I chose the latter.
2. Second thing to consider was the time of flight to Puerto Princesa. Ours was scheduled at 7:30am. Why is it important? Because it takes approximately 6 hours to get to El Nido from Puerto Princesa. That’s an entire morning and afternoon, if you ask me. We landed at 8:40am at Puerto Princesa airport, stopped at Fortwally Terminal/Office to book a shuttle trip to El Nido, and had a quick brunch in the city. We finished brunch minutes before 11am, just in time for the shuttle (van) to pick us up. If you plan on doing the same and everything goes right, then expect to be in El Nido by 5pm. (Yep, that’s almost an entire day lost on the road but you’ll find a way to enjoy the journey.) The guy from Fortwally Shuttle Services who entertained us said that their last trip to El Nido was at 1pm so make sure that the flight you take is scheduled to arrive by that time.
3. Third, the return flight. If your return flight is via Puerto Princesa, too, then make sure that you arrange the timing perfectly. Always remember that the travel time between El Nido and Puerto Princesa is five to six hours.

At least that we planned when we booked our flights. For everything else since then, we just went with the flow.

The El Nido Packaged Day Tours

We didn’t book any packaged tour before the trip. Hours before the trip, we just browsed through several websites and learned that there are usually four major boat tours that await tourists who visit El Nido. There are many establishments in the town proper and along Bacuit Bay that offer such tours and there isn’t much difference between their rates because the local government standardizes them (Yay!). You can also haggle and some of them can even pull the price lower.

• Tour A – Small Lagoon and Big Lagoon on Miniloc Island, Simizu Island, Entulala Island, Payong Payong Beach, and 7 Commando Beach, P700/person
• Tour B – Snake Island, Cudugnon Cave, Pinagbuyutan Island, Cathedral Cave, P800/person
• Tour C – Matinloc Shrine, Matinloc Island, Secret Beach, Hidden Beach, Tapuitan Island, Helicopter Island, P900/person
• Tour D – Nat Nat Beach, Pasandigan Cove, Paradise Beach, Ubugon Cave, Bukal Island, Cadlao Lagoon, P700/person

Note that a minimum of 4 people per tour is required. Lunch is also included but you might want to clear with the tour operator if water is included. Otherwise, bring water, lots of it! Lunch usually includes grilled fish, grilled pork/chicken, rice, vegetables, and fruits.
Snorkels, masks and aqua shoes are not included.

Helicopter Island, El Nido, Palawan

Again, you can still haggle and bring the cost down especially if you’re a big group. Our group of 7 was already considered a big group and we were able to get Tour A for only 550/person and Tour C for only P650! What is awesome?

Preparing an El Nido Itinerary (4D/3N)

So now, let me present to you our initial 4-day, 3-night El Nido itinerary:

Day 1: PUERTO PRINCESA TO EL NIDO
05:30 am – Check-in NAIA Terminal 3
07:30 am – ETD NAIA Terminal 3 – Manila (via Airphil Express)
08:40 am – ETA Puerto Princesa Airport
09:00 am – Fortwally Shuttle Services Office/Terminal Booking
09:30 am – Breakfast somewhere in Puerto Princesa
011:00 pm – ETD: Pick up by Fortwally Shuttle/Van
01:00 pm – Stopover at an Eatery in Roxas, Palawan
05:00 pm – ETA El Nido Terminal
05:10 pm – Check-in: Cliffside Cottages
06:00 pm – Walk along Bacuit Bay, Dinner

Day 2: TOUR A
06:00 am – Wake up call
07:00 am – Breakfast
09:00 am – TOUR A
05:00 pm – Change clothes, rest
06:00 pm – Dinner
08:00 pm – Drink at a bar (Yep, I said it)

Day 3: TOUR C
06:00 am – Wake up call
07:00 am – Breakfast
09:00 am – TOUR C
05:00 pm – Change clothes, rest
06:00 pm – Dinner
08:00 pm – Drink at a bar (Yep, I said it again)

Day 3: DEPARTURE
03:00 am – Wake up call
04:30 am – ETD Fortwally Shuttle to pick us up at the hotel
11:00 am – ETA Balinsasayaw Restaurant, Lunch
12:30 pm – Check in at Puerto Princesa Airport
02:00 pm – ETD Puerto Princesa Airport
03:10 am – ETA NAIA Terminal 3 – Manila

As you may have noticed, although it’s a 4-day/3-night itinerary, we would only be spending two whole days in El Nido. Two days were to be spent on the road. Bummer, yes, but that’s what makes El Nido all the more special. It’s playing hard-to-get. But it’s the kind of destination you’d want to marry.
Note that this is just the initial itinerary. What actually happened on this trip is a different story. Stay tuned for my next posts as I narrate what happened on this trip every step of the way.

El Nido, Palawan Getaway

El Nido, Palawan Getaway | Summary and Expenses

My wallet had a pleasant surprise for me when I opened it after my El Nido trip — money! I had always thought that El Nido was an expensive destination. My recent trip, however, proved that it is anything but expensive. In fact, it is one of the cheapest four-day vacations I have had.

Bacuit Bay during low tide

The only expensive thing about El Nido, Palawan is the cost of direct flights getting there but no one is forcing anyone to take direct flights. Taking a flight to Puerto Princesa and then catching a bus or shuttle to El Nido proves to be much more pocket-friendly although it demands more time. Hence, taking the Puerto Princesa-El Nido route takes more effort as far as preparations are concerned.

Planning a Trip to El Nido via Puerto Princesa

Booking a flight should be on top of your list if you’re planning to visit El Nido via Puerto Princesa. Airphil Express offers some of the lowest fares to the Palawan capital. We booked the 7:30am flight to Puerto Princesa so we’d have more time to explore El Nido when we get there. Remember, El Nido is five to six hours away. Also, there are no shuttle services to El Nido or back at night.

That’s the thing about El Nido — it’s playing hard-to-get. But it’s the kind of destination you’d want to marry. When you’re in this paradise, you will never want to leave. El Nido is pure beauty.

Airphil Express flies to Puerto Princesa from Manila, Clark, and Cebu! Visit www.airphilexpress.com to book tickets!

Cliffside Cottages, where we spent the first night, and Garnet Hotel, where half of our group stayed for the rest of the trip

The next challenge is to find a place to stay in El Nido. The town has a long stretch of hostels and inns parallel to the beach that are very, very affordable. You will find rooms that you can rent for as low as P300 per night but most of the rooms this cheap do not have air conditioners. You will find a dense concentration of hotels along the shore. If you can’t find a beachfront hotel, don’t worry  because they can never be too far from the beach.

Preparing an El Nido itinerary is easy. The local Tourism Office of El Nido standardizes the rates and destinations of every tour. You just need to choose among El Nido’s four major tours — A, B, C, or D. However, you may ask any travel agency to help guide you if you wish to go off the beaten track.

Read more about this in detail here: Preparing a trip to El Nido | Creating an Itinerary, Booking Flights, Finding Hotels, and Booking Tours

Day 1: On the Road to El Nido

Once we arrived in Puerto Princesa, we immediately booked tickets to El Nido at the Fortwally Shuttle Services Office. A couple of hours later, the shuttle picked us up at a restaurant in the city proper. It was a full six-hour drive with one stop-over at an eatery in Roxas, Palawan. We left at 11am and hit the El Nido terminal at 5pm. We took a trike to our hostel, watched the sunset at Bacuit Bay, and grabbed dinner and some booze.

Day 2: Tour C – The Beaches of Matinloc Island and Helicopter Island

We were supposed to take Tour A that day but our boatmen noticed that the weather was pleasant and suggested that we prioritize Tour C because it’s farther. After all, we can do Tour A even when the weather isn’t as favorable but not Tour C. Usually, it costs P900 per person but since we were a group of 7, they cut off a good chunk of the cost to only P650 inclusive of lunch. All seven of us had the entire boat for ourselves.

Helicopter Island

Tour C is all about beaches. Basically, we should have explored three islands — Matinloc Island, Shimizu Island, and Helicopter Island but we had to skip Shimizu because of time constraints. Here are the specific places we visited as part of this tour.

We moved to another hotel, El Nido Waterfront Hotel, after the tour for a change of scenery (and because some of us really wanted beachfront accommodations.) Once everything was settled and upon seeing recommendations online, we had dinner at El Nido Corner Restaurant that evening and went to a bar afterwards for a round of beer.

Day 3: Tour A – The Lagoons of  Miniloc Island and the 7 Commando Beach

The gorgeous and rocky Miniloc Island took the spotlight on our third day in El Nido. Miniloc Island is home to several lagoons and some of them are difficult to access.

The beach near the Secret Lagoon of Miniloc Island

Tourists kayaking from Small Lagoon to Big Lagoon

It was a much easier tour than Tour C primarily because Miniloc is nearer than Matinloc and the waves at the lagoons are hardly there. Haha.

After the tour, we chose to spend the night at the lobby of Garnet Hotel, where half of our group were staying, and just watch TV. We were just so exhausted after two days of island-hopping. We also ditched the initial idea of drinking and getting wasted that night since Fortwally would be picking us up at 4:30 am in front of our hotel. That was too early. But we needed to catch the 2pm flight the next day.

Day 4: Back to Puerto Princesa to Manila

Our last day in El Nido started as early as 3am. We had a cup of coffee by the beach after packing and at 4am, we were along the road waiting for Fortwally to pick us up. They arrived on time and in the next 6 hours I was asleep in the van. I woke up past 10:30 and we were already in Puerto Princesa. After a quick brunch at Balinsasayaw Restaurant, we headed over to the airport and checked in early to catch our flight back to Manila.

Budget and Expenses

As mentioned before, this has been one of my cheapest 4-day/3-night getaways. Here’s the breakdown of the expenses.

• P353 – Airphil Express roundtrip fare to Puerto Princesa (P100 SALE)
• P1,200 – Fortwally Shuttle roundtrip fare
• P300 – Cliffside Cottages (P600 per room/2 pax)
• P1,000 – El Nido Waterfront Hotel (2 nights at P2000 per night/4 pax; air-conditioned)
• P600 - Total food expenses
• P200 – Eco-Tourism Development Fee (ETDF)
• P550 – Tour A (El Nido Corner, with group discount)
• P650 – Tour C (El Nido Corner, with group discount)
• P240 – Terminal fees (Manila and PPS)
• P100 - Incidentals (water, trike rides, snacks)
  P 5,193 – TOTAL EXPENSES

I brought P7000 in this trip for pocket money (with the airfare being paid way before the trip) and I was pleasantly shocked that I still had so much left. I guess it pays to bring snacks with me, too. And for breakfast, just buy a pack of pandesal from any of the bakeries there and divide the cost among the group.