El Nido Tours B and D

To make the most of our two short days in El Nido, our leader was able to arrange for combo tours (on top of arranging transfers and accommodations! Super woman!): A+B and C+D. I will not bore you with Tour A and Tour C since I have already bored you with it a year ago. This time, allow me to show you the Tour B and Tour D spots we visited.

Tour B

What comes after Tour A? Tour B! Two islands and two caves.

Snake Island

When we reached Snake Island, two groups had just had their lunch and were wrapping up. We, on the other hand, still had empty stomachs. It was already 130PM. While our boatmen prepared lunch, we went up to the viewdeck to look for snakes. We found a long, white one—a sandbar connecting Snake Island to the island of Palawan.

The sandbar

The view to the east

Cudugnon Cave

After lunch and two hours of swimming and lazing in Snake Island, we sailed south to Cudugnon Cave. To enter the cave, we had to go through a small hole one by one. Openings in the high cave ceiling let sunlight in and there was no need for flashlights. Our boatmen didn't really say anything about the cave's history. Had we had more time, I would have stayed inside longer to eavesdrop on another group's guide.

 

Left (photo by L Salas): That hole on the bottom? That's the entrance. Right: Inside the cave.

Outside the cave is a small beach with a open cottages

Cathedral Cave

Southeast of Cudugnon Cave is the small island of Pinasil where Cathedral Cave is. Once you see it, you'll know why it's called Cathedral Cave. We could have gone inside and explored the cave if we had a kayak. But, no, we didn't have one and we were left to imagine what was inside the cave.

Pinagbuyutan Island

Our last stop for the Tour B loop was Pinagbuyutan Island. On one end of the beach is fine white sand, on the other are broken corals. The beach is dotted with trees that provide much needed shade when the sun is high.

The fine sandy portion (Photo by R Abastas)

The other end of the beach is covered with coral sand

Tour D

Tour D includes five spots but we chose—actually, our boatmen did—just these three spots since it was getting late (we visited all spots included in Tour C before proceeding to Tour D). The two beaches we missed were Natnat Beach and Paradise Beach.

Cadlao Lagoon

The quiet Cadlao Lagoon is a good area for stand up paddling. If only we had thought of that idea prior to getting on the boat, we could have rented stand up paddles in town. For a few minutes we just gazed in envy at the other visitors on their stand up paddles...then forgot about it and enjoyed swimming in the clear waters of the lagoon. It felt like we were in a huge aquamarine pool surrounded by karst walls covered in green and yellow leaves.

Pasandigan Beach

We were the only visitors in Pasandigan Beach. Unfortunately, we were only given ten minutes to enjoy the serenity and soft sand. It was already 430PM and we had one more beach to visit.

Bukal Island

Nearing 5PM, we reached Bukal Island in shadow—the sun was already behind Cadlao Island, the island facing the small Bukal beach. Photos and last minute dips were in order.

 Photo by L Salas

Each place has its charm, but my favorite of the above would have to be Snake Island...when all the other groups had left. Since I could not put into words the feeling while floating near the sandbar, the main island of Palawan behind me, Snake Island to my left, another island to the right of my frame of vision, some karst mountains in the distance in front of me, and nothing but the sound of the sea, I just drew as best I could the picture that is still etched in my mind.

India has snake charmers. In the Philippines, I found a snake that charms people.

El Nido, A Year After (2014)

We Got Dumped in El Nido

Trattoria Altrov'e
El Nido Island Hopping Tours
El Nido Tours B and D (you're here!) 

El Nido, A Year Before (2013):

Welcome to El Nido

Telesfora Beach Cottage in Corong-corong
Tour A: A Perfect Day for Lagoon Hopping
Tour C: A Perfect Day for Beach Hopping

Palawan on the Pocket

El Nido Island Hopping Tours

Source

There are four island hopping tours in El Nido to choose from. In 2013, tours cost between Php 700 to Php 900. In 2014, you get to be Php 1200 to Php 1400 poorer, depending on which tour you choose. (That's a whopping Php 500 increase for each tour!) In addition to the tour fee, an environment fee of Php 200 per person is collected (valid for 10 days).

The four El Nido island hopping tours are:

Tour A (Php 1200) : Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Simizu Island, Seven Commandos Beach

Tour B (Php 1300) : Snake Island, Cudugnon Cave, Cathedral Cave, Pinagbuyutan Island

Tour C (Php 1400) : Helicopter Island, Matinloc Shrine, Talisay Beach, Hidden Beach, Secret Beach

Tour D (Php 1200) : Cadlao Lagoon, Pasandigan Beach, Bukal Beach, Natnat Beach, Paradise Beach

All tours include lunch. It is best to bring a waterproof camera on these tours (if you don't have one, you can rent one in town).

Tours can be booked through any of the tour agencies scattered in town or through your inn/guesthouse/hotel (most inns/guesthouses/hotels in El Nido can arrange island hopping tours). Rates are standard. If you're one big group, you might be able to haggle and request for combo tours. Like we did.

We did tours C and D on day one, and A and B the next. The disadvantage of doing combo tours is that you will not get to visit all spots...unless you speed through each spot.

El Nido, A Year After (2014)

We Got Dumped in El Nido

Trattoria Altrov'e
El Nido Island Hopping Tours (you're here!)

El Nido Tours B and D

El Nido, A Year Before (2013):

Welcome to El Nido
Telesfora Beach Cottage in Corong-corong
Tour A: A Perfect Day for Lagoon Hopping
Tour C: A Perfect Day for Beach Hopping
Palawan on the Pocket

Trattoria Altrov'e

Why did my friends and I find ourselves eating pizza and pasta while in El Nido? Put the blame on the restaurant and its strategy... Trattoria Altrov'e smartly placed its pizza making area where it can be seen by everyone walking Calle Hamma, the street parallel to the beach in the town of El Nido. It was the man making pizza that we saw through a plastic cover and the smell of pizza emanating from a brick oven that made us stop in our tracks and stare at the pizza dough smothered with tomato sauce and getting emblazoned with meats, greens, mushrooms, olives.

 

Here's why. Looking thru the plastic cover and smelling the pizza. (Photo by R Abastas)

One second we were glued in front of this mesmerizing sight, the next second we were walking barefoot (slippers have magically been left on the shelf by the entrance of Trattoria Altrov'e) on the wooden floor of the second level of the restaurant. It was dinner time and the restaurant was packed but we luckily got a round table and some pillows for our butt at the far end of the restaurant.

Trattoria Altrov'e

Calle Hamma, El Nido, Palawan

0927 741 8016

Daily 5PM–11PM

 

 Photo from Trattoria Altrov'e's facebook page

I left the task of choosing the food to my three friends and they decided on two pizzas and two pasta dishes. That's like one for each person. Big appetites? Or big wallets?

Peperoni has...pepperoni (Php 390) and Quattro Stagioni has mushrooms, artichokes, ham, and olives (Php 445)

Gamberi e olio d'oliva has shrimps and sun-dried tomatoes (Php 310) and All'arrabiata has bacon, garlic, paprika, and parmesan cheese (Php 230)

More like big wallets with nothing inside. But, it's proven, we have big appetites. We finished everything. It was that good. Or we were very hungry. No, I think it was just really good, and we could not let anything go to waste.

El Nido, A Year After (2014)
We Got Dumped in El Nido
Trattoria Altrov'e (you're here!)
El Nido Island Hopping Tours
El Nido Tours B and D

El Nido, A Year Before (2013):

Welcome to El Nido

Telesfora Beach Cottage in Corong-corong

Tour A: A Perfect Day for Lagoon Hopping
Tour C: A Perfect Day for Beach Hopping

Palawan on the Pocket

We Got Dumped in El Nido

What did we get by booking four rooms (for three nights) in Anang Balay Turista four months in advance and making a downpayment of Php11400 (50% of the total)? We got Jhanna's Inn.

How did this happen? After we have been duped and dumped, we were told that this happens often with Anang Balay Turista. Sounds like the owner of Anang Balay Turista is a bit of a sigurista (hey, that rhymes!) and overbooks her place. When everyone who has booked rooms shows up, the owner of Anang Balay Turista asks Jhanna's Inn (a stone's throw from Anang Balay Turista; both are on the south end of the beach) to take some of her guests. Lucky for Jhanna's Inn.

Jhanna's Inn

Serena St., Brgy. Buena Suerte, El Nido, Palawan

+63 947 452 4842

And lucky for us, too—Jhanna's Inn is newer and more comfortable than Anang Balay Turista. Before we were led into Jhanna's Inn, the caretaker of Anang Balay Turista took us to the second floor of Anang Balay Turista to show us one of the rooms...which turned out to be occupied. The alley and the staircase leading up to the second floor was narrow and steep; the child we were with slipped. The hallway between rooms in Anang Balay Turista was narrow, making the place rather cramped. Yup, we were lucky to be dumped in Jhanna's Inn, where the rooms were bigger (though only three: Quad Php 2500 / Triple Php 2000 / Twin Php 1500), and there was no staircase (narrow or not) to worry about.

 Jhanna's Inn has three rooms only.

The common area has a couch, some chairs, and a dining area (not pictured).

On the downside, Jhanna's Inn does not provide free breakfast, whereas Anang Balay Turista does (one of the reasons we chose Anang Balay Turista in the first place, so we didn't have to worry about breakfast). Thanks to the angry powers of one of my companions, she got Anang Balay Turista to provide free breakfast (rice, egg, ham/hotdog, coffee/bottled water).

We arrived in El Nido around 10PM and it took angry companion an hour and several phone calls to the owner of Anang Balay Turista (who wasn't around) to get everything settled. After all the furor and confusion, each one of us went into our assigned cold (AC was on) room in Jhanna's Inn, freshened up in the clean bathroom (each room had its own bathroom), and jumped in bed to sleep for the next six hours.

 Triple (left) and Quad (right) rooms. The quad sharing room is spacious (though the photo doesn't show so) that it can accommodate one more single bed. Each room has an air conditioning unit, a flat screen TV, and its own toilet and bath. Towels, toilet paper, soap, and shampoo are provided.

How we reached El Nido from Puerto Princesa:

We rented a van through Northern Hope Tours. They charge Php 6000 per way, but angry companion (who wasn't angry at the time she booked the van) was able to haggle and we paid Php 11000 roundtrip (50% downpayment required). Their van can accommodate 12 passengers. We were dropped off at the inn in El Nido and picked up at the appointed date and time.

The year before, we rented a van through Trip@Palawan Travel and Tours (trippalawan@yahoo.com / 0908 376 4933). They charged Php 11000 roundtrip (van waited in El Nido and we were able to use it to/from town since we were staying in Corong-Corong) plus Php 1500 for the sidetrip that we requested to Sabang for the underground river. Their van can accommodate 12 passengers.

Just this year, groups that rent a van have to pay Php 100 (per van) upon entering El Nido town. Those who take the bus or shuttle van are dropped off outside of town and have to take a tricycle to go to their hotel/resort/inn.

Jhanna's Inn can also arrange van transfers to and from Puerto Princesa and island hopping and inland tours in El Nido. Had we known Jhanna's Inn existed, we could have booked with them and not gone through all that hassle with Anang Balay Turista. Next time we shall dump ourselves directly to Jhanna's Inn.

* In the confusion upon our arrival, I forgot to take photos. All photos above are from Jhanna's Inn's facebook page. *



El Nido, A Year After (2014)
We Got Dumped in El Nido (you're here!)
Trattoria Altrov'e
El Nido Island Hopping Tours
El Nido Tours B and D

El Nido, A Year Before (2013):

Welcome to El Nido

Telesfora Beach Cottage in Corong-corong
Tour A: A Perfect Day for Lagoon Hopping
Tour C: A Perfect Day for Beach Hopping

Palawan on the Pocket

Palawan on the Pocket

I did not write about the trip chronologically. I was moving backward, writing about Puerto Princesa first, then Sabang, and, lastly, El Nido. The real sequence of events is found below:

Our six-day itinerary

The above itinerary can be squeezed into four tight days if you really want to. It's possible, just travel from Puerto Princesa to El Nido at night and from El Nido to Sabang early in the morning. And be really tired during the tours.

Since I am not an "Amazing Race" kind of person, I took it slow with nine friends, consumed six days, with a wallet that got thinner by the day.

Palawan on the pocket. Figures are all in Philippine pesos.

Note:

• Meals in restaurants in El Nido go from Php150 to Php250, based on the handful of restaurants whose menu I checked.
• Expenses shown do not include plane fare (to and from Cebu) and tips. 

Puerto Princesa and El Nido:
Puerto Princesa: Zzzzs, Wheels, Meals
Vietnam in Palawan
The Gypsy's Lair
Puerto Princesa Underground River
Welcome to El Nido
Telesfora Beach Cottage in Corong-corong
A Perfect Day for Lagoon Hopping
A Perfect Day for Beach Hopping
Palawan on the Pocket (you're here!)

A Perfect Day for Beach Hopping

Four island hopping tours to choose from. Two days to explore. Tour A done. Tour C next. Tour C costs Php900 per person (inclusive of lunch) and will visit the Helicopter or Dilumacad Island, Matinloc Shrine, Talisay beach in Tapiutan island, and two beaches in different parts of Matinloc Island. These beaches are secret beach and hidden beach (very original names, yes? Hehe).

 Click to enlarge (Source)

The day we had planned to go beach hopping (tour C) was just perfect... perfectly rainy. It was pouring from start to finish and we were freezing most of the time. We were soaked but the rain did not weigh down our high spirits.

Secret Beach

Just like the secret lagoon, the only way to get to the secret beach is through a hole. You couldn't spot the hole from the outside, except if you look closely. If the tide's high I think the entranceway would be underwater. It might also be difficult to get into when the waves are strong... you wouldn't want to smash onto the limestone, would you? Not to worry, the boatmen will know if it's safe to go there or not.

Whether high tide or low tide, one has to swim through the hole, and once through, walk on slightly sharp seafloor. Aqua shoes will be your best friend.

When we were there the tide was out and the water was just up to our shins. A foot high water and slightly sharp seafloor is not conducive for swimming. Despite that, I still found secret beach awesome.

The only way in and out is through that hole

 Talisay Beach

Our boatmen took us to Talisay beach for lunch. I was hoping we'd have the beach to ourselves, but it's a long stretch of beach, and boat by boat, other people claimed their place on the beach. By this time the rain was more than a drizzle and so I only have one photo of the beach. We spent most of the time in the clear water to keep warm. We only got out of the water to chow on lunch of fish, squid, cucumber salad, and bananas. Our excellent boatmen managed to do some grilling under a rock outcrop. :-)

We claimed this spot: Under the Talisay tree with logs as our benches

Matinloc Shrine

We didn't spend much time in Matinloc Shrine, the rain was coming down hard and we were getting cold. Some friends opted to stay in the boat while the rest of us had a look-see. Our boatman-slash-guide led us to some steps up on the rocks for a view of the sea and surrounding island. No umbrella or anything to keep cameras from getting drenched, we just stored the view in our brains. Here's how it would have looked on a sunny day.

By the shrine is a new-ish looking building, but upon closer inspection, we found that it was abandoned. Broken glass windows. Bunk beds with no mattresses. It looked like a scene from a suspense movie. Gilbert, our boatman, told us that people only go to Matinloc Shrine once a year, during the fiesta. Rest of the year, it stands by its lonesome. In early years, a guard was always stationed in Matinloc Shrine, for some reason this stopped. Some ghostly reason perhaps? :-)

Hidden Beach

Our boat slowly approached karst walls and then dropped anchor. I surveyed the area and couldn't figure out where the beach was. All I could see were karst walls surrounded by water. 

The most excited ones got off the boat first and walked around a towering, almost black, karst rock in waist-deep water led by one of the boatmen. The slow ones, including me, were led towards a rock. It was only when we were a few meters from it did we see a hole big enough for a person to go through. We walked through, stooping low, and found this...
 

I didn't care if the camera got wet, I just had to take a picture

Helicopter Island

The last stop was Helicopter island aka Dilumacad island. Just as we arrived, one boat was leaving. And the entire time we were bumming in the island, no other boats came. Perfect.

The shore was long but not a long, uninterrupted, sandy one. There were portions with large rocks. My friend and I walked along the beach but didn't reach the other end. We were just lazy ;-)

Can you spot Helicopter island? Does it look like a helicopter to you?

Which spot was my favorite in this tour? I cannot make up my mind. I am torn between hidden beach and Helicopter island. Those two somehow made my pupils dilate.

PS My photos do not do justice to amazing El Nido.


Puerto Princesa and El Nido:
Puerto Princesa: Zzzzs, Wheels, Meals
Vietnam in Palawan
The Gypsy's Lair
Puerto Princesa Underground River
Welcome to El Nido
Telesfora Beach Cottage in Corong-corong
A Perfect Day for Lagoon Hopping
A Perfect Day for Beach Hopping (you're here!)
Palawan on the Pocket

A Perfect Day for Lagoon Hopping

El Nido has four island hopping tours (A, B, C, and D) with a standard rate of Php700, 800, 900, and 700, respectively. Rates are inclusive of lunch.

 Click to enlarge (Source)

Two days were all we had for island hopping. We decided to take tour A first and tour C on the second day. Both tours were booked thru Telesfora.

Tour A will visit three lagoons (lagoons with very creative names: small lagoon, big lagoon, secret lagoon), Simizu island, and Seven Commandos Beach. The tour is from 9AM to 4PM.

Small Lagoon

To get to the small lagoon, one has to swim and pass through a space between rocks. It is mostly shallow going to the small lagoon but better bring life jackets for it can get deep in the lagoon itself. Watch out for the fish, even the small ones can get vicious — some of us got bitten several times.

The small lagoon is beyond those karst walls
(Photo credits:  Dennis Unchuan)

Even the small lagoon is too wide for the camera's lens

(Photo credits: Paupau Alvarez)

Secret Lagoon

The only way to get to the secret lagoon is through a hole. When you find the secret lagoon, take a look at the towering walls and spot the Last Supper. By the secret lagoon is a beach.

Only way in and out of the lagoon

(Photo credits: Carla Adlawan)

 Can you see the Last Supper?

(Photo credits: Carla Adlawan)

The beach outside the secret lagoon

Lunch at the beach

We had lunch on the beach next to Miniloc Resort's beach. Our lunch spot was a small patch that we had all to ourselves. Our boatmen prepared lunch of veggies, pork belly, rice, fish, fish, and fish. A huge lunch for the troop.

 Bunch of lunch

Simizu Island

Where is it? We skipped it. It's a snorkeling spot, that's all I know.

Big Lagoon

The tide was low and all of us were asked to stand on the boat's bow to avoid letting the rudder scrape the seafloor as we entered the lagoon. It was indeed big. We decided to forgo dipping in the lagoon and only went around the big lagoon in our boat. Again we stood on the boat's bow as we exited the lagoon... we did the job — we scraped the bow and not the rudder. :-D

 Just 1/15th of the big lagoon

A private bar owned by one of the resorts

Careful with your rudder as you enter and exit the big lagoon

(Photo credits:  Dennis Unchuan)

Seven Commandos Beach

The beach with a bar of overpriced drinks was our last stop for the day. I think it was everyone's last stop. It got pretty crowded. Seven Commandos Beach is a long stretch of fine white sand. If you want to know why it was named such, google it. There are different versions to the story and I have no idea which one is correct.

These photos do not do justice to the lovely lagoons and beaches of El Nido. In this tour, my favorite would have to be the big lagoon. It was quiet and calm in the big lagoon.

We wouldn't have gotten to these places without our three excellent boatmen. Because they were kind and never hesitated to lend a hand, we requested for the same boatmen for the next day's tour (tour C).

 

The excellent boatmen: Jun, Gilbert, Jobert
(Photo credits: Carla Adlawan)

Our boatmen and their friends hanging out in our boat during our stop at Seven Commandos Beach

(Photo credits: Carla Adlawan)

Puerto Princesa and El Nido:
Puerto Princesa: Zzzzs, Wheels, Meals
Vietnam in Palawan
The Gypsy's Lair
Puerto Princesa Underground River
Welcome to El Nido
Telesfora Beach Cottage in Corong-corong
A Perfect Day for Lagoon Hopping (you're here!)
A Perfect Day for Beach Hopping
Palawan on the Pocket

Telesfora Beach Cottage in Corong-corong

Telesfora Beach Cottages

Corong-corong, El Nido, Palawan

Chat Fabregas-Jaboli 0917 731 8036

Robert "Bobot" Jaboli 0917 731 8034

Email: elnido.telesfora@gmail.com

 

Telesfora's beachfront cottages

Relax in a hammock in Corong-corong beach

Sunset in Corong-corong
(Photo credits: Dennis Unchuan)

A simple breakfast (I love the wheat bread!)

Corong-corong is just before El Nido town coming from Puerto Princesa. Telesfora Beach Cottage is one of the resorts in Corong-corong beach, a ten-peso tricycle ride away from El Nido town.

Telesfora has two beachfront rooms (Php2500), three double rooms (Php1500), and a barkada room (Php3500) for eight persons. We occupied the two beachfront rooms and one double room. One of the beachfront rooms can accommodate up to four persons, the other can accommodate up to five, though the price is only good for three. Extra head will be charged Php250. All rooms have AC (note that electricity in El Nido runs from 2PM to 6AM only) and its own bathroom. Towels are provided.

Telesfora has no restaurant. But breakfast, which is included in the price, is served between 7AM and 9AM. Breakfast is only bread, butter or jam, eggs, and coffee.

I have to give it to Chat who kindly agreed to serve us breakfast very very early (530AM) on our last day since we had to leave at 6AM. That means she had to wake up early to cook the eggs and prepare the food. For ten people. Thank you Chat, you did not have us endure a five-hour journey with empty stomachs.

There are four island hopping tours (A, B, C, D) in El Nido which can be arranged thru agencies found in town or thru the resorts. If your time in El Nido is limited, you can request for combination tours. We availed of tour A and tour C thru Telesfora. More about those tours in the coming posts.

Find accommodation in Corong-corong beach if:

• a sunset view is important to you
• you want to stay away from the madding crowd
• you don't mind taking the tricycle to El Nido town for dinner. The only restaurants in Corong-corong are those in the resorts...could be pricey.

Go straight to El Nido town and find some place else if:

• you don't care much for sunsets
• you like staying close to restaurants, bars, and crowds
• you are looking for a dorm room or hostel

*Prices as of January 2013


Puerto Princesa and El Nido:
Puerto Princesa: Zzzzs, Wheels, Meals
Vietnam in Palawan
The Gypsy's Lair
Puerto Princesa Underground River
Welcome to El Nido
Telesfora Beach Cottage in Corong-corong (you're here!)
A Perfect Day for Lagoon Hopping
A Perfect Day for Beach Hopping
Palawan on the Pocket