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

The Three Little Pigs Went to...

One Sunday, the three little pigs—Babe for Food, Baktin, and Pigstachio—got on a jeep and went to...

Colon

They alighted near 138 Mall in Colon Street. They went in the mall, not to go shopping, but to make a shortcut to the parallel street called...

V Gullas Street

...where "Cebu's Original Best Pancit Canton" is said to be found: in Visayan Restaurant. It was already past noon and the restaurant was empty save for two other customers—one was just finishing up his lunch and the other was waiting for her take out. The one who was just finishing up, the pigs were told, was Visayan Restaurant's most loyal customer, a gentleman in his 70s, twenty years older than the current owner (the son of the founder, I am guessing) of Visayan Restaurant.

Visayan Restaurant

V Gullas Street (behind Colonnade), Cebu City

(032) 253 8631

Monday to Saturday 9AM to 8PM

Sunday 9AM to 1PM

Click to enlarge menu

Hams down, special pancit canton (Php 110) for lunch—this is what the pigs came to Visayan Restaurant for. Further study of the menu led to the decision to carbo load: fried Shanghai rice (Php 110). And because rice, the pigs reasoned, should go with meat, they added lemon chicken (Php 155). And, at the last minute, added some vegetables (chou pat chin, Php 155).

As soon as the food was served and photographed, the pigs dug in and offered their opinions. Except for Pigstachio who is no food expert and could only say "mmm..." After tasting "Cebu's Original Best Pancit Canton", Pig #1 wanted to cross out the restaurant's sign...she would still pick Mingnan's pancit over Visayan's. All three pigs, though, agreed that the fried Shanghai rice and the lemon chicken were delicious, though they thought the lemon chicken's sauce was too runny. These three pigs are carnivorous, and the chou pat chin, was there, well, not to wow their taste buds, but to erase the guilt of not having the lowermost part of the food pyramid.

Will the pigs eat there again? Warning: Pig #1 found a short strand of hair on the pancit...so, uhh, Pig #1? Pig #2 said he'd order some take out next time. Pig #3, the most thrifty of the bunch, thought Visayan Restaurant has good Chinese food for a very affordable price. 

Pigs will be pigs. And hair does not and will never make them lose their appetite. It was a hot Sunday and the blazing summer sun prompted Pig #1 to suggest halo-halo for dessert. "Let's have Melton's Halo-halo in Talisay!" Pig #1 said half jokingly (Talisay's about 13 km from the pigs' current location). Pig #2 and Pig #3, always up for food, took the other half of the suggestion—the not joking half—and off they went with nary a clear idea where this Melton's Halo-Halo was (Pig #1 just said she saw it on the side of the road somewhere in Talisay). Out of Visayan Restaurant they marched, looking for a jeepney going south. As luck would have it, the first jeepney driver the pigs approached knew where Melton's was and it was on his route:

Pardo

The jeepney driver dropped the three little pigs off at Kingsmen, just before the Pardo church, and pointed them to the yellow sign down the road:

Melton's Halo-Halo

52 I Tabura St, Poblacion, Pardo, Cebu City

 Daily 12NN to 12MN

A few minutes after the pigs arrived, the 30 seats of Melton quickly got taken. And inside, it got warmer—Melton's has no airconditioning. No AC? Ah, so customers can appreciate the cold of their specialty: halo-halo.

Each of the pigs ordered a super special halo-halo (Php 60)—super special has two small scoops of ice cream, while special has no ice cream at all. What's in Melton's halo-halo? Coconut, banana, jackfruit, cornflakes, kaong (sugar palm), no beans (to the delight of Pig #2), no leche flan (to the dismay of Pig #1), and peanuts (to the surprise of Pig #3).

Halo-halo is a perfect dessert for summer. The pigs were satisfied, but dreaded going out in the sun again, where they and their halo-halo-filled bellies will melt. Being a long way from home, the pigs might need another dose of halo-halo when they get home. Hmm... Halo-halo for take out, perhaps?

Wisdom from the Road #15

On saving

Save a water bottle.

Save money.

Bring a water bottle. Some airports might not allow more than 100 ml of liquid so you might have to chug all the water or dump the water, but make sure to keep your water bottle. Refill when there are free water dispensers—some airports, accommodations, museums, and restaurants have free water dispensers. It can save you at least 25 Philippine pesos per half a liter.

For more lessons from the road, please visit Go Learn.