North of the island of Palawan and the village of El Nido - the most beautiful place of all that I saw in the Philippines and, perhaps, in all of Southeast Asia. Post about a bunch uninhabited islands, wild beaches, pristine nature, life in the village, as well as a lot of useful disk imaging, what to do and why to go there at all.
Climb to the north of the island of Palawan was not as quick and easy as we would like. Rise at five in the morning, still asleep Bohol Sea and blows cool, Tuktuk to the port, the ferry to Cebu, taxi deaf jams, do not have time for the flight (almost caught up with my old phobia did not catch a plane - extremely nervous condition, wanted to smoke and swear mat). Fortunately, everything worked out - a couple of hours in the air, and here we are in here, in the western part of the country, in Porto Princess. While inspected, caught a couple of Vietnamese flashback - like a spreading tree branches and leaves are seen in Saigon in the Pham Ngu Lao area. It is striking that the city is firmly occupied the Vietnamese community - Vietnamese signs, Pho soup in the cafes on every corner, the same delicious, like quite a long time in Vietnam.
Tourists do not strain, but a shuttle service to Sabang and El Nido offers every second trader. Suvenirku prices on space, so we in the right place here somewhere hiking trail in El Nido. Another 10 minutes of searching and found Mini Bus from passengers still only three Italians. Rejoice and customizable sleep through the five-hour journey. But it was not there. As the exit of the city, no free space left at all, the last selected Filipino never climbed all the way and sat in the aisle on the floor. At the end of the path roadway turns into a grater and killed on the road the whole day, but no other way to get there.
Under Philippine tunes promised five hours transfer stretched for eight, but we are not particularly steamed, I stared at the open window of the surrounding mountains and more fanatel on this country. At the end showed awesome sunset, but then began dusty primer and had to close the window . Driver lane like a tank on the road knocked chicken and scared away the three companies, students, from the constant shaking somewhere rolled sneakers .. in the dark and found a strange two sizes smaller identified on arrival at the host sad eyes and exchanged.
The village is small, most of the hotels are concentrated near the waterfront. From the bus stop where the bus comes, 3 minutes to go, but tuktukery lomyat some space money comparable to the three-night stay. In general, all loaded the bus and drove happily, the family of Germans sympathetically looked at us, disappearing around the corner, almost handkerchief waving .. Then caught them on foot from the hotel. From the first call to the main street settled in the room for 500 pesos, cheap, but had to drive out of the bathroom large spider.
In El Nido only one drawback - because of the surrounding mountains can not see the sunset. The remedy of course is, do not panic.
Actually, all come here for the sea. In any store bought boat tours - A, B, C, D - different routes to nearby islands, the price tag about 1700 pesos per person + fee for the fact that it is a national park + for flippers mask. As a result, about 2000 per day per person. Expensive. You sit on a small boat, and all around crazy beauty almost untouched nature.
Sun treacherously fries, water lures, boat rushing, rush. Salt spray trying to kill my camera, but at that time I won. On the way back there were serious waves that flooded the boat much more - take a dive bags nepromokashki for photographic equipment and documents. On this day, the company Poles flooded same boat somewhere in the same strait. No one was hurt, but even every other day on the way to Busuanga, they strongly lashed Tanduey, banishing stress. Bonus issue caught with wet documents and seals swam entrance.
In the morning, when the sun peeps, the water becomes turquoise. Paradise? No, in fact there is very crowded behind my back pieces 10 boats with the Chinese.
I wonder how long it took the sea, so to grind the rock? On the way back, when the boat is smaller in this rock pop a breath of turtles. If it were not for the waves, I'd removed.
Absolutely incredible cliffs high as at the end of the first Lord of the Rings.
Small sandy beaches, near the shore or rocks or sharp rocky ledges. If no luck - generally no coastline - only sheer walls. All the places where you can stop safely zastolbleny boat with other tourists. And again, do not take the route A, it floats on most boats.
If you want privacy - you can take prayvat boat for the day, one full day is quite possible to see all the main routes, almost without interfering with the other boats.
Local escape from the midday sun, hiding under a canopy. Many tourists from neighboring Asian countries, the majority - Chinese and Japanese.
Here dinner. Conversation at the table, who where, in all directions. This is a long and tedious - each time to explain to Europeans that -20 is not the limit, and you can even walk down the street. About bears on the streets this time were not kidding.
Fishing is likely to stand almost on the high seas.
Road to the Secret Lagoon, somewhere here in sharp rocks passage, which can be clearly seen at low tide. On it you can get to a small lagoon-pit with vertical walls.
The stones are very sharp, lightweight shoes will not save.
Someone's guide in the lagoon, a general view of the vertical frame panoramka below.
On the outside is hot, and the sun does not get here and everything looks gloomy.
Met luxury gargoyle on top of a cliff.
Again flashbacks from Water World ... ghost ship
Monster eats yacht.
A better route point is Big Lagoon, a large lagoon. If you wait for the right light, the water becomes emerald hue!
And you can swim like that. Color of the water is not pulled, all natural.
In the lagoon, sometimes entering the boat, but they were large enough room for everyone. At the bottom of a lot of sea urchins, be careful when entering the water.
Envy myself that I was here.
Anbelivabl, what else to add. The standard color of sea water.
Leaving ...
A coconut on the inscription "I love u"
Another photogenic coconut.
And the next day found the perfect beach, and then I finally calmed down.
Boat tours - not our method. If you have similar islands were too lazy to pay or nothing, then you can walk 20 minutes down the highway in the direction of exit of the village, then caught wild beaches with clear water and pink sand a la Tioman, wild macaques somewhere very near, and other attributes of a happy life. In general, the best option. If you want, you can always of being a morning jog and a healthy lifestyle is really just ran out of money and was too lazy to somewhere far to go.
Morning exercises. There is quite a long sand spit, palm trees, interspersed with deciduous trees, monkeys throw coconuts, light sound of the surf and no one around ...
I was here.
For all time met only one pair and then transit to the neighboring beach Los Cabanias. In general, a good place.
A little further starts beach Los Cabanias, here is more crowded. To get here, you need to overcome the barrier of the large boulders that separates the beaches of each other. Is not difficult, but they are slippery and a lot of them, in the end it all comes down to the primitive game with himself "not a utopia camera."
Something like Goan beaches, only here the lagoon, not the ocean and the water to look at more pleasant. People tusit simple and unpretentious, who bathes naked, who sleeps buhoy. Atmosphere like sianukvilsky Otres, but then decent. In general, the complete freedom, and even a European-style and free. Everyone who lives long in El Nido, go swimming here. From the village already far away, but to leave here on a tuk-tuk can be a hundred pesos, although thin perverts go on foot and bonus watch cockfights in a nearby village. Beach checkpoint as recommended, but neighboring wild seemed better. He is behind, if you look at the photo.
On the opposite shore of the lagoon, it is. Template tears combination of trees and deciduous forest that Palawan has appeared at all typical. I would like to hit everyone who now think about lounger and striped towel Hotel.
When the sun peeps, there is only blissful smile and kayfovat. Perhaps this point can be attributed to the fact not many of this year, when a beautiful picture knocks out all the problems of the head, leaving only a smile on his face.
The kids from the fishing village of play in the sea at low tide.
Vehicle power of TCP: 1 sister
Cool here, quietly, quietly. That kids running around, the dogs mate, only manage to click the camera. Then came some transvestite, powerful bass invited him to eat in the cafe, but not inspired confidence and was sent.
5:00 roads from normal city or airport (not a local account, expensive), flat ass and aching neck - nonsense!
Wild beaches north swim - kicks.
In the lagoon of El Nido, local patsantre.
Gate without a goalkeeper.
Cheerleader one of football teams. Look mesmerizing.
In principle, from El Nido can not go anywhere and do not walk, and swim directly into the lagoon port.
Logged port bat. Very disgusted snorts and looks askance eye.
Delight the eye, post-apocalyptic world continues to please. On the way to Coron found another perfect beach. El Nido is just the place for which definitely need to get bored and go back. That's the best I've seen from the tourist Philippines.
I would also like to say a few words about the transition to Busuanga. Actually, from El Nido you can either go by bus back to Porto Princess, or swim in the large neighboring island of Coron and Busuanga, for example, to dive for sunken Japanese transports. There is another option to get on a plane to Manila, but the airport here private and to be honest I do not know now it works or not, and expensive. Go to Busuanga takes seven hours to infinity. Part of the way small boat on the open sea is very palpable excitement stirred up half the passengers and no pills did not help. I suffered, but all the way perezapakovyval documents and lenses in multiforu thought that flood the boat. The waves were good, as in "Dark Tide" with Halle Berry. I've heard reviews that broke engines (repaired drifting in almost open sea) that the boat drowning and rescue people waited .. In general, the transition difficult and highly dependent on the weather, it is necessary to lay the daylight hours at least. There are three companies we took Overcomer, tolerable. Okay, round out, thank you for reading to the end! Until next time!
