“El Nido’s sights and sounds take urbanites on an exciting nature adventure where technology is nowhere to be seen”

Holidaymakers will almost inevitably be enamoured with the rustic and natural allure of El N ido, cited as one of the “Best Resorts in the World” in the 2018 edition of Conde Nast Traveler Readers Choice Awards.

Located in the west Philippine island province of Palawan, which faces the South China Sea, El Nido never fails to endear with its stunning white sand beachs and crystal clear blue waters that are ideal for snorkelling enthusiasts. Explorers willing to travel a little further will even discover small islands comprised of limestone rock formations that jut hundreds of meters above water, forming jaw-dropping natural vistas.

Guided tours of these islands near the El Nido municipality is a staple offered by numerous travel agencies. Tour costs hardlypinch the pocket, starting as low as just 500 Philippine pesos or US$10 per person.

Taking in the sights and sounds of these island affords urbanites an exhilarating and refreshing adventure back to nature, where technology is nowhere to be seen. The tours usually include a sumptuous lunch comprising assorted grilled fresh seafood served on a makeshift table on the sandy white beach in one of the islands on the itinerary. Fresh coconut juice – not canned drinks – often accompany these meals as a refreshing pick-me-up.

Every year, tens of thousands of visitors from Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, as well as the Philippines, troop to El Nido, elevating the holiday resort municipality to the privileged status of being among the top holiday resort  destinations in the world.

For convenience, well-heeled travellers can charter a private Lear Jet or any other aircraft from Manila that will fly them directly to El Nido or to the international airport at Palawan’s capital city of Puerto Princesa. From Puerto Princesa, visitors can then proceed by boat short distances away to any one of the various upmarket island resorts that dot El Nido’s coastline.    

In particular, the Pangulasian Island Resort ranks among the best of the choices on offer, and is often a favourite of high-end jetsetters. A five-star hotel under the Small Luxury Hotels of the World Group, it enjoys a stellar location adjacent to a forest, making it ideal to nature lovers. Each one of the villas at Pangulasian Island Resort is built in contemporary Filipino design. It offers eight Canopy Villas – all perched on stilts above the forest – and 24 Beach Villas facing the beach  and its pristine waters. The latter even offers close proximity to the resort’s infinity pool, bar and poolside grill – perfect for a noon meal or a sunset drink.

The complex is a mere one-minute walk to the closest beach. The quoted daily rate at Pangulasian Island Resort exceeds HK$6,000. Though on the pricier side, the package includes complimentary buffet breakfast plus use of complimentary cabanas, umbrellas and sun loungers. All 42 rooms at the resort are equipped with Wi-Fi service, furnished balconies and flat screen TV sets with satellite channels. Other amenities include iPod docks, minibars and room service.

Matinloc Resort El Nido, another luxury resort option on Matinloc Island, offers all essential amenities, including free Wi-Fi in all rooms, 24-hour security, daily housekeeping, and private check in /check out. Its hotel offers many unique recreational opportunities such as boats, snorkeling, a private beach and outdoor pool. 

Cauayan Island Resort is a third attractive option for upmarket holidaymakers. Its website describes the complex as a luxury resort comparable to a paradise of tranquility and haven of comfort as it provides a perfectly serene lifestyle vacation.

While luxury resorts off El Nido municipality are highly-favoured destinations, first-timers to the island should not miss an awe-inspiring and uniquely magnificent must-see natural phenomenon in the town proper. 

Upon reaching the town centre, the first thing any visitor will see is undoubtedly the towering 1,200m-high limestone rock formation. Rising at an impressive 90-degree angle from the ground, these geological features are covered with lush vegetation and stretch across several kilometres, lying a mere stone’s throw from the town’s residential and commerical hubs.  

“Old folks here at El Nido often say that the rock formation was below sea water several thousand years ago. But as the sea level receded over time, that rock formation steadily emerged out of the water,” says El Nido municipal administrator Rene Jay de la Calzada. “That spectacle is immensely popular among first-time foreign and local tourists. I’ve been told there’s nothing like it elsewhere in the Philippines or even across the world,” he adds.

“ The government prohibits rock climbing, but that doesn’t deter the adventurous…”

Tourist guide Noel Velasco agrees, commenting that the towering limestone rock formation often intrigues and attracts a unique bunch of thrill-seeking and intrepid holidaymakers, specifically of the daring mountain climbing variety.

“The municipal government prohibits rock climbing because of the obvious risks to health and safety,” he says. “But this ban hasn’t deterred adventurous and thrill-seeking tourists, mostly from Western countries, from asking around here for people like us who can guide them up that rock formation,” Velasco adds.

“We don’t mind giving them a hand on the sly because we earn extra bucks. Besides, my fellow tourist guides and I also wish to make their stay here more exciting and memorable.” 

A more legal though no less heart-racing approach to climbing the cliffs, though, is to try the Canopy Walk at Taraw Cliff. Here, the canopy bridge stretches some 74 metres and lies suspeded 30m high. Although it requires some steep climbs, the view from the top affords some of El Nido’s best photo opportunities.

It’s sights like these that have seen the island’s popularity truly soar on an international scale. Calzada says nearly 50,000 tourists, mostly foreigners, visited El Nido in 2018 alone, and he expects the number to go up further, especially after the Conde Nast Traveler boost.

“That kind of favourable publicity in the international media will certainly go a long way in driving up further foreign and local tourist arrivals here. The provincial government is actually gearing up for a further uptrend in visitor arrivals and more and more infrastructures are now being built,” says Calzada.

“For instance, a new airport will be set up in a next-door municipality by 2023 or 2024, and this will vastly facilitate travel here of tourists from Manila and other parts of the country. By then, holidaymakers will be spared the hassle of a tiring long road trip from Puerto Princesa,” he adds.

El Nido town – comparable to Tai Po old town in the New Territories minus all the high-rise residential blocks and Sun Hung Kai Properties’ large shopping mall – provides nearly everything that visitors need. 

Restaurants, though mostly small, are numerous. They include those that offer Western cuisine and popular Filipino dishes. Typical meals are inexpensive and a slightly fancy dinner, for instance, of several popular local dishes for four in a Filipino restaurant costs about 3,000 Philippine pesos or roughly US$60. Fine dining eateries are something of a rare breed on El Nido, as most restaurants, including pizza parlours, are small-scale and family-style. 

This homely appeal, when added to El Nido’s stunning natural beauty and plethora of sightseeing hotspots, it’s small wonder that many include the island as among their top vacation getaway destinations.