PARADISE ON EARTH: El Nido Island

We were taken by surprise when we landed here a few days ago. The island is so splendid we wanted to enjoy it to ourselves and also take the chance to have a little break from blogging.

El Nido is absoloutely the Philippines’ answer to the best islands in our region. THIS IS IT! – We found another paradise and no other island in this country (highly hoolaballooed or over-hyped) cannot compared to El Nido. *But I’m reserving a slot for Siargao, of course*

Think Phuket without the speedo-clad tourists walkin’ about. Think Halong Bay with white sand beaches, warm weather and crystal clear waters. Think Langkawi without the sterilized resorts – That’s El Nido. It is the one place in the Philippines that could ever come close to Bali. *violent appeals would be swiftly retaliated*

“I am so happy you chose to visit my hometown.” These are the first words of a total stranger. And these words, which we seldom hear from Southeast Asia’s prime island destinations, hit the nail. We knew instantly we found another paradise.

El Nido is an island in the Palawan group. The showcase of what the Philippines has to offer. Scuba diving, snorkeling, lots of water sports, hopping on its 45 islands and islets, meeting the locals are just the tip of the ice berg. If you’re into quiet and secluded existence, this is the place for you. Hiring a kayak to find hidden lagoons is the best thing we ever did.

We came in a cool month. Hot temperatures are in May and April but still, December is warm and sunny. No rains to spoil the day. Electricity goes off at 1am and won’t be back after 12 hours. Bring your plastic cards and traveler’s cheques, no ATMs here. Internet connections? Dream on! El Nido is so breath taking; you won’t have time for net surfing.

El Nido is 1hr10mins flight from Manila. The only direct flight from Manila to the island is served by only 2 local airlines – ITI (+632.8515674) and Southeast Asian Airlines (http://flyseair.com), both have daily flights. If you want a hassle-free transfer, then book through resorts here (high end) and here (budget).

We'll limit our description of El Nido here -- because we all want you to find time to visit this paradise. This island is about discovery. It's about detaching yourself from the rest of the world enjoying at your own pace, in your own sweet time. Everything here is waiting to be discovered.

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MT. MAYON: Her Volcanic Majesty

YOU ARE NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS! The chopper came at 9am, brought us to an airbase and took a 6-seater plane to Legazpi City in Albay province -- all because I’m a sucker for volcanoes! Woohoo! I think our hosts are enjoying watching me and my friends -- jump up and down like little kids upon seeing what appears to be a quiet mountain that could explode anytime. LOL!

Mayon Volcano is one of the most picturesque of all the volcanoes in the world. Its perfect cone-shape appears menacing since it really looks like a volcano (unlike the ones in Camiguin) -- And at the same time almost hypnotic as you stare at its powerful presence. Akihiro was like: “It kinda looks like Mt. Fuji without the ice caps” and I was like: “Are you kidding?” Pffft!

Mayon is the Philippines’ most active volcano -- It erupts every 8 years or so! The last time was just last year in July! *whoa! We missed it!* The deadliest eruption was in 1814 when more than 1,000 people died.

Legend has it that once there was a beautiful girl named “Magayon” – meaning “beautiful” in local dialect. She fell in love with a handsome man from a rival tribe. *don’t we all?* Their families did everything to separate the lovers so the 2 made a run for it. As a result, a bloody war broke between the rival tribes; Magayon and her lover felt guilty about it – *oh you betcha!* so they chose to kill themselves to be together for all eternity. When their families found their bodies, they were buried in separate places. After a few months, a volcano grew on the same spot where Magayon was buried. And it was named “Mayon” after Magayon. *Awww, Filipinos do love their love stories, don’t they?* WAIT, I thought “magayon” means “that’s swollen”? Nah! Forget it.

We spent most of our time in the air hovering around the volcano because this is what we came here for anyway – not to mention the time constraint of this unscheduled trip. This region is called Bicol – known for its distinct spicy food and nuts. We landed briefly on an airfield around 3pm and after 15 minutes -- we were in the air again heading back to the base. The chopper was waiting for us when we arrived to take us back to Tagaytay City.


BISEAN highly recommends a visit to see Mayon Volcano – now that we’ve seen it with our very own eyes; we agree that Mayon is one of the best natural wonders in the whole of Southeast Asia. Take that!


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