Our first trip to the Philippines left an indelible impression. However, it had been planned in haste and without any in-depth research into the country. Immediately upon our return, we began to dig deeper and prepare for our next trip.
The primary objective of the journey quickly crystallized: the Palawan archipelago. Once we had seen drone footage of the lagoons and cliffs in El Nido, we became captivated by the idea of witnessing this beauty with our own eyes. The landscape of El Nido is defined by cliffs of soft limestone, sculpted by the sea and wind over millions of years—cliffs that contrast spectacularly with the crystal-clear blue waters below.
Regular boat excursions along predetermined routes are organized from the small town of El Nido, after which the area is named. There are four routes in total: A, B, C, and D. Each includes visits to a couple of lagoons, snorkeling, kayaking, lunch, and time for beach relaxation. The cost of a group tour (15–20 people per boat) is approximately 30 dollars.
We took two tours: A and D. Tour A covers the Big Lagoon, while Tour D covers the Small Lagoon. In my opinion, these represent the most beautiful sights El Nido has to offer.
For our second tour, we hired a private boat just for the two of us. This luxury cost $150, but it was absolutely worth every penny. We could fly our drone to our heart's content and linger on the beach for as long as we liked with no one rushing us.
And if you’ve made it all the way to El Nido, you simply must make the trip to the nearby island of Coron (a 45-minute flight or a way longer ferry ride). It is even more beautiful there. The "blue hole" reef near the Twin Lagoon looks particularly spectacular.
