El Nido – Palawan 30.05. – 09.06.2012

It took four hours to go with the new Montenegro-Ferry from Coron harbor to El Nido harbor. That Ferry is operating since one and a half month now.

 

Arrival on El Nico - Jojo, which owns the asiano arts & crafts shop at the Rizal Ave. and me

Arrival on El Nido - Jojo, which works in the asiano arts & crafts shop at the Rizal Ave. and me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marina Garden Beach Resort (MGB)

I walked with my luggage to the Marina Garden Beach Resort, which is located right on the beach, in the opposite of the police station (sign “Pulis”).  That took between 5 and 10 minutes.

By the check in, you got to ask what you want to know. There is not really showing you around, but anyway, it´s not so big. I booked a room (no. F1) with shared bathroom for 730,-PHP in the family cottage. It is not the cheapest one in town, but you get an amazing ocean view and the sound of the surf, which brings you every evening to sleep.

receiption

reception

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

way to the beach

way to the beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

family cottage

family cottage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

oceanview from the coffeeshop-terrace

oceanview from the coffeeshop-terrace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the coffeeshop

the coffeeshop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the two angels "Ana & Mars" of the Coffeeshop with me

the two angels "Ana & Mars" of the Coffeeshop with me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me  in front of room no. F1 of the familycottage - long live Franconia (best part of Bavaria)

Me in front of room no. F1 of the familycottage - long live Franconia (best part of Bavaria)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marina Garden Beach Resort from the sea

Marina Garden Beach Resort from the sea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

room no. F1 inside, with oceanview from the bed

room no. F1 inside, with oceanview from the bed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

room no. F1 inside

room no. F1 inside

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

shared roofed terrace

shared roofed terrace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

shared bathroom

shared bathroom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the door to the beach

the door to the beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They are offering different kind of breakfast for average 120,-PHP. It looks like a small beach bar in the garden and you can get also drinks here. The price for the local “San Miguel Pilsen” beer is in town 35,-PHP, in MGB 40,-PHP and in the restaurants at the beachfront 50,-PHP.

breakfast-service by rain to the terrace

breakfast-service by rain to the terrace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by sunshine directly on the beach

by sunshine directly on the beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The electricity is only available from 02:00PM until 06:00AM. So by your daily morning-toilet you gotta take a torch with you, if you don´t want to be in the dark. The bath and restroom is good, ask for your own toilet paper. The room has two beds, which you can move around like you want. There is further a desk, Ventilator, closet, the view from the bed to the ocean and at the entrance a private terrace with ceiling and washing lines. If you want to lock your important staff, ask at the reception, you get it for free.

 

MGB at night

MGB at night

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes it´s possible to hear the noise of the disco „Asylum“ or a few party-people on the beach.

 

 

El Nido

El Nido has two main roads with corner food shops , bars, massage and spa center, island tours, diving shops, restaurants and accommodations. What I heard is the tourism growing up the last years quiet fast. Before there was only one massage center and now you can count around ten, which are offering a full Swedish body massage for 350,-PHP per hour (7,-€). Very cheap compare to Germany and very good. I got one of course already for my body and I was very satisfied. I am sure I´ll have another one. The primary public traffic is here also the tricycles.  A pity is, that the rain season started already and it was raining every day.

El Nido town

El Nido town

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

El Nido town

El Nido town

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a small shop, but you get very good local sweets - opposite of the tourist information, beside the post office

a small shop, but you get very good local sweets - opposite of the tourist information, beside the post office

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

El Nido town

El Nido town

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

El Nido town

El Nido town

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

maybe the first Tricycle in town

maybe the first Tricycle in town

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

barbecued pork, beef or chicken on a stick

barbecued pork, beef or chicken on a stick

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

corner shops

corner shops

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

corner shop

corner shop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got at that place my wonderful massages

I got at that place my wonderful massages

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

traffic in town

traffic in town

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the "squidos" a very good and inexpensiv restaurant - I recommend the stuffed squids and a rum-coke

the "squidos" a very good and inexpensiv restaurant - I recommend the stuffed squids and a rum-coke

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

rental bikes an Kayak, also by Rico´s Cottages on the beach

rental bikes an Kayak, also by Rico´s Cottages on the beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

slim paths between the shops to the beach

slim paths between the shops to the beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In one of the two main roads you can find also a tourist office, which hands out quiet good information’s

the tourist information

the tourist information

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

an internet cafe

an internet cafe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a rice mill

a rice mill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the Pamhalaang lokal Palawan - Department of the Interior and Local Government

the Pamhalaang lokal Palawan - Department of the Interior and Local Government

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the busstation

the busstation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

garbage pick-up

garbage pick-up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

my favorite tricycle in town

my favorite tricycle in town

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The locals by themselves living in really poor conditions. In very small houses with many persons. They are always very friendly and helpful. There is also no reason to be afraid during nighttime’s going a round.

local living in El Nido, just  between the tourism

local living in El Nido, just between the tourism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

local living in El Nido, just  between the tourism

local living in El Nido, just between the tourism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

local living in El Nido, just  between the tourism

local living in El Nido, just between the tourism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

barber

barber

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sports arena - common is basketball

sports arena - common is basketball

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you gonna to buy something it is worth to burgle a bit.

 

corner shops in town

corner shops in town

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

El Nido is surrounded  with black chalk-rocks covered with brushwood

El Nido is surrounded with black chalk-rocks covered with brushwood

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the bakery in town

the bakery in town

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That means you are quiet limited in doing something. The streets are getting really slippery and muddy, so a little bit risky to hire a bicycle for a island tour. Alternative you can visit the “hot spring”, going out for diving, doing Island tours A, B, C or D to different islands or taking some wellness. The most of the tourists are staying only some days, before they travelling further to Puerto Princesa or to other islands of the Philippines.
one of the Carinderias, offering good and cheap local food

one of the Carinderias, offering good and cheap local food

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took my lunch often in town by small local restaurants called “Carinderia”. They are offering fish, pork, chicken or vegetables a portion for only 40,- – 50,-PHP served with rice for 10,-PHP. That means you can have a good lunch with a soft drink for only 100,-PHP (2,-€).

 

 

At dinnertime I went always out to the restaurants right on the beach. There you can find all one by one beside each other along the beach with sometimes torches in front.  The price is nearly the same, only the entertainment is different. In the “Sea Slugs” is always a very good live band playing and a delicious food with big portions. Here you can meet also a lot of Backpackers. The “Pukka bar” offers also very good food and Reggae music, which I love. So I took always my last beer here, by listening the sound of the ocean.

dinnertime at the Seaslugs with livemusic on the beach

dinnertime at the Seaslugs with livemusic on the beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

dinnertime at the Seaslugs with livemusic on the beach

dinnertime at the Seaslugs with livemusic on the beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Children are selling the local food “ballot” here in the evening on the beach going up and down. They are shouting their offer quiet loud. If you are interested you should try it, only for 20,-PHP. It´s a duckegg with already an not development embryo inside. Beside you are getting a spicy sauce, which you take on the half open egg and then you suck it empty. If you lucky, you will like it and your stomach can handle it. You get an impression by that LINK: “…………………………………………..” done by the pretty  Ana, which is a staff member from the MGB Resort.

Ana alias "the Cannibal"

Ana alias "the Cannibal"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not every Philippino likes that, so its about 60% like it to 40% which don´t eat it.

oceanview with some excursionboats

oceanview with some excursionboats

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

oceanview with some excursionboats

oceanview with some excursionboats

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

oceanview with some excursionboats

oceanview with some excursionboats

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

catch of the day for lunch at the beach

catch of the day for lunch at the beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

kids playing on the beach

kids playing on the beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just by luck I joined the “Reyna Elena St. Constantine Procession”. It´s possible for the kids to do it more often. The only thing they have to do in advance is, to bring in the month may every day a flower to the church. The small ones are looking really cued painted and with high heels.

 

Reyna Elena St. Constantin Procession

Reyna Elena St. Constantin Procession

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reyna Elena St. Constantin Procession

Reyna Elena St. Constantin Procession

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reyna Elena St. Constantin Procession

Reyna Elena St. Constantin Procession

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reyna Elena St. Constantin Procession

Reyna Elena St. Constantin Procession

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reyna Elena St. Constantin Procession

Reyna Elena St. Constantin Procession

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reyna Elena St. Constantin Procession

Reyna Elena St. Constantin Procession

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reyna Elena St. Constantin Procession

Reyna Elena St. Constantin Procession

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reyna Elena St. Constantin Procession

Reyna Elena St. Constantin Procession

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best way to transfer to Puerto Princesa is to take the “RoRo bus”. You need to buy a ticket maybe one day in advance at the “Corong corong market by the RoRo ticket office for 482,-PHP. So you get a ride in a air-conditioned bus with a transfer time of six hours. The service starts at 08:00AM, 10:00AM, 12:00AM and 04:00PM.

 

the RoRo bus station

the RoRo bus station

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Islandhopping Tours

Tour A

Small Lagoon – Big Lagoon – Shimizu Island – Secret Lagoon – Seven Commando

By not optimal weather conditions, in case e of the rain season, I joined the tour A for a daytrip.

Tour A

Tour A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So first we went to the small lagoon for snorkeling. With sunshine must be really amazing colors in the lagoon. She is quiet good hidden, only a small opening between the rocks is the entrance. Of course you can find it now, because the island trips are a quiet good running tourist business and I think you will be never alone there. So there were around ten other boats beside ours. So while snorkeling you can see in the water batfishes, snapper and “Hornhechte”. If you are lucky there should be also possible to see turtles or Barracudas. It is quiet cool to snorkel in the lagoon with tuerkis water and high chalk rocks around you, which are teilweise grown with trees. The water temperature is often changing quickly.  So we had around 30 minutes for snorkeling there, before we went to the big lagoon.

handing over the snorkeling gear on the beach

handing over the snorkeling gear on the beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the entrance into the small lagoon

the entrance into the small lagoon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

... he is big enough for snorkelers and Kayak´s

... he is big enough for snorkelers and Kayak´s

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

getting ready on the boat

getting ready on the boat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

... happy Harry

... happy Harry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

amazing colors

amazing colors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love turquoise colored oceans

I love turquoise colored oceans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We only past slowly by boat the big logoon for taking some pictures, here is snorkelling not planned.

 

the entrance into te big lagoon

the entrance into te big lagoon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

... again beautiful colors

... again beautiful colors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

... here is more space for Kayaking

... here is more space for Kayaking

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

imposingly black chalk-rocks surrounding the lagoons

imposingly black chalk-rocks surrounding the lagoons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afterwards we drove to Shimizu island for taking our lunch and snorkeling. The spots are quiet good for snorkeling and you can see all different kinds of reef fishes there. The reef is in the shallow area broken, but if you go along the edge of the reef-slope, you have a nice visibility to the deeper side. The Anemone fishes are a bit more aggressive compare to these from Coron.  I really love to play around with them. The lunch what they offered was very good: two big grilled fishes, roasted chicken, rice, vegetables, spicy sauce and fruits for dessert. The lunch was a part of the package.

 

Schimizu island

Schimizu island

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Schimizu island

Schimizu island

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Schimizu island and lunchtime

Schimizu island and lunchtime

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

... jup, we were not the only ones again there

... jup, we were not the only ones again there

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

... what a view

... what a view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In case of the raff sea, we couldn´t go to the secret beach – safety first! So our captain choosed a different island for the next snorkeling stop.

on the way to the next island

on the way to the next island

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the reef for snorkeling was not so good here

the reef for snorkeling was not so good here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

... but lovely colors

... but lovely colors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our last island stop was on Seven Commando. You can find here a small shop and a Volleyballfield for some activities. The staff is waiting for a challenge, good luck. They started at that time the construction of new rooms on the beach. Three young cats, were the star´s and we didn´t snorkel there. Anyway it was raining again.

 

the beach area

the beach area

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the shop with snacks, hot, non and alcoholic drink offer

the shop with snacks, hot, non and alcoholic drink offer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afterwards we  went home and arrived at El Nnido around 04:00PM.

 

 

My diving day with Submariners

 

I got the offer for two boat dives incl. equipement and lunch for 2.400,-PHP (ca.  46,-€ – there was no discount for own brought equipment).

The staff was friendly and they did a good job. We were only three divers in a group and got sufficient time for taking our pictures. The boat was much smaller then by Rocksteady on Coron. We went to a small lagoon for lunch, which was very good.

 

the divingshop on the beach

the divingshop on the beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the first divespot at the Helicopter island

the first divespot at the Helicopter island

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The most of the reef was dead and the visibility was only 10m – 15m, but we saw some staff.

a sponge

a sponge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

featherstar

featherstar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

hardcoral

hardcoral

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

my darlings - Anemone fishes (clownfishes)

my darlings - Anemone fishes (clownfishes)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a giant clam

a giant clam

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

coralreef

coralreef

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a crab is turning his house

a crab is turning his house

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

coralreef block

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

leathercoral

leathercoral

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a sleeping green turtle with two sharksucker on it

a sleeping green turtle with two sharksucker on it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.... woke up

.... woke up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a pyjama nudibranch

a pyjama nudibranch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

featherstars

featherstars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a grooper

a grooper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

yellow fin Barracudas

yellow fin Barracudas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the small lagoon at lunchtime

the small lagoon at lunchtime

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the small lagoon at lunchtime

the small lagoon at lunchtime

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

nice colors again

nice colors again

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

nice colors again

nice colors again

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

........ happy Harry

........ happy Harry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

nice surf on the rocks

nice surf on the rocks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

after returning we got a free decompression beer - barami salamat!

after returning we got a free decompression beer - barami salamat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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