Paradise found in The Philippines
The day was finally here, I met my new-found friends at Heathrow Airport and we were off! First stop Manila – easily reached, with several carriers flying direct. We flew on a night flight with Cathay Pacific, via Hong Kong, arriving early evening next day. My first thought as we exited the airport was ‘wow its hot!’ Our hotel for the next two nights was the Belmont, which is linked by a tunnel from the airport and is part of the RWM complex which is made up of a number of hotels, shopping malls and casinos. This is the best spot to stay if you are simply wishing to overnight in Manila, before jetting off to one of the many islands.
The next day we enjoyed a tour of Manila. True its hectic and very hot, but what a delight to understand the history of this city. Almost everybody speaks basic or very good English and can communicate without problem. I could write so much more about my experience in Manila, but let’s save that for another blog. If interested in a Philippines holiday, I will tell you all about it.
The moment I’ve been dreaming about, an early morning 6am flight to El Nido, yipee! El Nido, Palawan, is regarded as the most beautiful island in the world. We arrived just before 7.30am and as I stepped off the plane, I took a moment to realise that we’d arrived in paradise. The smell of the unspoilt jungle, the vast areas of greenery ahead of us finally. We made our way to the pier and boarded a boat to take us to Cauayan Resort for brunch. I found my spot on the front of the boat to absorb the beauty that surrounded us, awe-inspiring limestone cliffs everywhere – a fellow agent mentioned that it looked similar to Halong Bay in Vietnam. As we arrived at Cauayan Resort, we were greeted with a smile by the manager who escorted us poolside for brunch - delish. Cauayan Resort is a boutique style hideaway with just 23 rooms, tucked away in a picture-perfect cove, with a beautiful beach. Next boat stop, our home for the next two nights – El Nido Miniloc. I instantly fell in love with this resort. I kicked my shoes off and walked the white sandy beach, absorbing the magnificence of this special place – the feeling was spectacular!
Next day I set my alarm and hopped out of bed at 5am. I struggled having consumed one to many Mai Tai cocktails the night before. Off I went with flippers and snorkel mask in hand to explore the beautiful coral reefs and it didn’t disappoint – teaming with vibrant marine life, the highlight was when I spotted not one but two black tip reef sharks. The resident Jack fish were also a wonder.
After breakfast, the resorts’ friendly boat team took us on an island-hopping adventure and it was like no other I’ve ever experience before. We enjoyed kayaking in the most beautiful lagoon, stopping off at a sand bar for a Pina Colada (in the middle of the ocean), explored secret coves and had lunch at El Nido’s sister island resort ‘El Nido Lagen’. I should mention at this point that there are four El Nido properties – El Nido Lagen, El Nido Miniloc and El Nido Pangulasian Island all within close distance of each other and all very different. The 5th El Nido property is Apuilt Island which is the other side of Palawan and so I didn’t get a chance to visit but I understand the concept. We finished the day watching the sunset at El Nido Pangulasian Island. This resort is the most luxurious of the four island resorts and I heard on the grapevine Floyd Mayweather was currently staying. I kept an eye out but didn’t spot him.
I was exhausted as we finally returned to our hotel after a busy day, but we were advised that we had one more stop to make and to go and quickly get changed. I couldn’t understand, it was pitch black, how could we possibly hop back onto the boat to travel in darkness to another island? I followed orders; quick change, bit of lippie and off we went. I couldn’t believe it, after 10 minutes at sea, I could see in the distance a small island lit with candles and as we drew closer it was clear to see that management of the resort had arranged a private candlelit experience for us. Huge oysters were presented - I didn’t even know you could get oysters this size. The day was perfect and one that I will treasure forever!
It was time to say goodbye to El Nido. As we embarked on our boat to take us back to the main island the staff gathered together on the pier to wish us well and waved us off. Half a mile out to see I could still see them in the distance waving like crazy at us – I’ll be back, for sure! As we reach the main island of Palawan we boarded a coach for our 5 ½ hour drive down to Puerto Princesa. A scenic drive it was, but a seriously long one at that. Overnight at Sheridan Beach Resort & Spa – a far cry from the feeling of paradise, but we were here for one thing only.
Another moment I’d been waiting for. This morning we were off to enjoy the underground river tour. The boat port just to the left of the resort was ready and waiting to take us to this UNESCO World Heritage site. Wow, I can see why this new wonder has been so aptly named. After lunch we proceeded to our hotel for the next two nights, Puerto Princesa Garden Island Resort & Spa. It’s a beautiful resort, the best in town for sure.
The next day we enjoyed some island hopping. We visited three beautiful islands where there was an opportunity for lots of snorkelling and sunbathing. We found another sandbar, which I’ve since discovered are popular throughout the Philippines. In the evening we got to enjoy a kayak boat tour on the lake to see the magical fireflies in all their glory – I’m not going to lie, was a little bit scary when it started to thunder and lightning, but only added to the experience.
Our last night was spent back in Manila and our final dinner was hosted by management of the Conrad Hotel in their Chinese Restaurant. If you do go to Manila, you have to experience this - it was delicious.
I fell in love with the Philippines. The people are so friendly, and they really care about their country. I promise you too would have a travel experience like no other. Get in touch with me today to start planning your Philippines Adventure. Have a look at my Philippines video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aT877PohsOI