Enjoying the Maldives of the Philippines: El Nido

Dear traveler, 

This isn't a blog post about tours and packages. 

This will be a diary narrating how we enjoyed the entire zone of El Nido. More or less, I will be showcasing some of the photos in my iPhone in both day time and night time. (I have previously mentioned how Samsung phones work BETTER in daylight). 

I took this photo above around 6 in the morning. You can surely read in my previous post about El Nido that we docked at around 10 in the evening and all we ever saw were silhouettes of these mountains surrounding the Poblacion (Spanish word for town). 

Me and my friend luckily took shots at these cliffs knowing how these can support tourism and make mother nature happy; the entire stretch showed how the people of Palawan preserved the ecosystems thriving and made sure they can be both modern and backward. I remembered Los Banos, Laguna in this breezy area where the Mt. Makiling heights covered this mini urban zone. 

There was a pit stop where our van was thoroughly checked for any local mangoes being exported. With how the locals are strictly monitoring these, Palawan as a region is a beautiful desire island to wander and be lost--all at the same time. 

As a traveler, you seek out those breezy places where all you will ever do is breathe in and out. Inhale and exhale the fresh mountain wind that you'll never ever find in modern areas. 

As a present to fellow travelers, this photo near the coast houses the boats used for its main livelihood: island hopping tours. At this very hour, you'll see various locals selling pearls and sadly, some try to lure you to buying the fake ones. (this remains a warning since they carry around IDs to make sure they are valid vendors but some are tricky). They went from a pearl earring worth 1,000 pesos down to 500 and this convinced my colleague (the one in the photo) to buy it. 

This should be good information to everybody that buying pearls in El Nido is a good business. Other travelers make this as their bow and arrow to finance their travels. Pearls in Puerto Prinsesa are more expensive but you'll find a couple few individuals disparaging Pearl sellers in El Nido who sell the fake ones and add colorful descriptions just to lure their buyers. Who are we to judge by which we all know fire melts plastic and all their merchandise tolerate the 2-second flame. Local ordinance in El Nido disallows the selling of fake pearls so you be the judge. 

The early morning stroll marks a good traveler's hunch. The crowd walks at 8 so better be here as early as 5 or 6 to witness the morning by the beach spectacle. These kayaks near me are colorful and vibrant. Some locations like the Small Lagoon offer 300 pesos for 2 people and 500 pesos for 4 people. 

The same goes to the boats queued as the low tide is evidently beautiful in El Nido. It's quite unfortunate for a tropical country to welcome the rain showers but that's just the beauty of it. 

I took another shot hoping you'll see the rest of the island hopping paraphernalia right behind me. This is unlikely in Boracay where you'll see every other tourist walking down the aisle and occupying large spaces. 

PS: Welcome to the Philippines. 

Don't forget to share once again and put in your comments. 

El Nido's 7 Commando Beach

Dear traveler, 

As you can read in my previous posts, we've chosen to pursue Tour Packages A and C. Our overwhelming gratitude to Tay Miloy's Inn for the good rapport and frugal packages for our first ever El Nido Island getaway. 

If you are still clueless on the legwork for this travel, see this link. 

If you feel the seemingly hustle-bustle commuting time difference, you can feel inspired by clicking my previous post. 

Most of the tour packages have their own share of ups and downs. It depends on your genre; some are beach-bummers, some adore caving and the rest of the pack love climbing (most especially Taraw Cliff). In our case, we got a mixed group: I personally love sand castles (YES) and the lovely beaches and my other colleagues planned in climbing up the Taraw Cliff. 

Note: Taraw Cliff is no longer accommodating hikers due to some security issues (by which had been reported in various social media). However, the second highest peak is still a good hiker's den for all of you. 

Moving forward, we decided to capture two birds with one awesome day that we have allocated for this tour. (We had no regrets for choosing A and C) 

I have personally no history about this beach and the tour guide was barely instructional on this part of Tour A. I was imagining this beach to be another isolated island far from land but seeing the map above, I was scammed. 

I know that as you plan to check the photos in google, you will be more amazed by this beach which is the front runner of Tour A package. 

Just a short review, Tour A is all about: 

• Big Lagoon
• Small Lagoon
• Seven Commandos Beach 
• Secret Lagoon

Nearest to the point of origin was the 7 Commandos Beach (the first pitstop). 

Dear traveler, you will be expecting to see this photo below while you're on your way. Everything we saw were magnanimous and glorious in our sight. Tour A is a fun choice and a favorite choice among tourists (both local and international). 

I have a video of this and you can fully check my Instagram (IG) account and try following my adventures @eldeee143. 

Upon arriving to this beach, I personally felt that I needed to attend to my call of nature and it was a good thing that the beach had its own comfort room with another donation box. 

It stood strong to its fame and scent since tourists were fondly taking photos and sandbathing. Near the comfort room was a beach volleyball court and good thing nobody was playing at that very hour. My colleagues were way behind me since I was tending to my own call of nature. 

The photo above was to my left and what was to my right is this photo below: 

It's a haven for beach-bummers and the fine sand is worth dying for. There are also hotels and inns where you can stay for a night (and this would be at an incredible price for sure). 

And I made sure that with or without my friends, I enjoy the beach. Take a look at my crazy photos down below. 

Photo above reflects the crazy shoreline from my point of view. Thanks (once again) to my colleague who lent me her waterproof jacket and this made sure my iPhone was water-free. 

This photo above narrates the three people whom I went with and the other international tourists we came along with. 

Here are other epic photos that we took while we bathed for 30 minutes at this beach. 

Lastly, save the best for last. My selfie shot. 

To sum it all up, I enjoyed every single amenity this beach had to offer. Unfortunately, there were some which didn't reach my sight since other tourists were taking advantage of it like the swing and cartoonified standing wallpaper where you insert your head at either one of the six facial slots for you. 

Thanks for reading my travel journal. :) 

If you have questions, feel free to send me an email or just give me a thoughtful comment below. 

Please share the good news to fellow travelers. 

Dumaguete for travelers

You know what,  writing this down induces electricity down my spine.

Cutting to the chase, Dumaguete was a beautiful place. I admired the distance (167.0 km) and the cultural remnants which are photogenic and charismatic. Surely, yes.

But the memories I've had? An eye sore. I've put the holy red flag in that place that never will I ever go back again. NEVER AGAIN.

Being a traveler makes you bubbly and you make the best bubbly words in town. You can raise the dead and you can surely water the plants practically.  In my own little way, I've managed to write this post amidst flashing montages of a failed relationship.

Yes. A failed relationship and a failure to step on the break. Breathe in and out. Think. Meditate. Drink coffee. Wander once and for all what the next 5 years will be without that TOTGA (the one that got away).

Pain and disappointment were emotional registers of Dumaguete. 

YEAH you're right. The Boulevard makes you dine in and out and the luscious pastry shops never failed me an inch. I have loved the place in a span of a 100 meter radius. The old churches and the elliptically swiveled long chairs were picture-perfect spots. 

When you travel, you will embrace anonymity. Being a nobody mattered a lot to the genetic make-up of a traveler. I have never dreamed to be a public figure. Not in my wildest dreams. 

In Dumaguete, it became evidently true. My presence became a minuscule. The crowd was too hot to handle being the last one to know that it was the Buglasan Festival. A simultaneous event with Bacolod's Masskara Festival made me floating. I could've booked a flight for the next day to Bacolod and bathed in the remaining hours--then go back to Cebu the next day. 

The good days were expected but the bad days fought for its glory. My two-year relationship was vigorously shaken. We yelled at each other at the middle of a long queue of vehicles wanting to park near the town center. I called it 'quits' since I walked out the car, and walked furiously far from the epicenter. 

It was a first time. I acknowledged my ego and refused to communicate with them. My anger got the best of me and it opened my eyes that I was indeed that lone molecule trying to find my way back to the hotel where we packed up. I lacked the time to put scrutiny with geographical cues and good thing it was near the port to Cebu. 

At that instant, I stayed long enough in the middle thinking all at once what life would be by traveling solo. The tricycles, the primary mode of transport in Dumaguete, were moving only to one direction and I may have the language advantage but it did not sway them to deliver me back to Cebu or to the hotel.

I was in a completely different place with a soul filled with anger and disappointment. Calling my mother would be also futile since science limits teleportation and wormholes. 

The loud music coming from the town center made me reflect at how loneliness felt. The entire province rejoiced with each of its amenities and delicacies and I was staring blankly amidst Bayawan City's tarpaulin (where my mother grew up and where I spent childhood years happily). 

The night was young and it tempted me to think of riding the best bus to Bacolod and forget everything. It made me scatter and think of a midnight train to a distant planet where my presence will be too tiny to notice. I wanted to shrink and forget the moment. 

A brokenhearted traveler and a loosening wanderlust made me decide to go back home the next day. All the party thoughts of traveling to Bacolod diffused in a glance and the night was enjoyed with a deep slumber in a boat labeled 'homebound'. 

Dumaguete remains to be a vicious contestant in the middle region of the Philippines--but not for me emotionally.