Philippines | El Nido

Another attraction from the Philippines is El Nido. Simply irresistable landscape and seacapes with hospitable people.

El Nido was known because it is the source of one of the most delicious soups that are usually found in Chinese restaurants. The Nido Soup consist of the bird nests that resides in the towering marble cliffs. But that's not it, El Nido's main attraction is having the most beautiful seacapes in the province of Palawan, also known as Philippines' last frontier. El Nido was also known as the island of the gods or the heaven on earth.

Another tourist attration in this place was the world's largest pearl that was discovered by a filipino diver in a giant Tridacna (mollusk) in the year 1934. The largest pearl was called the "Pearl of Lao-Tzu", it weighs 14lbs and it measures about 9.5 inches long an 5.5 inches in diameter. It is believed to be 600 years old and was valued at US$42 million as of May 1984.

El Nido consist of 45 islands and islets and the sourrounding sea present endless adventures for nature lovers. El Nido also have the majestic limestone cliffs that are over 200 million years old. The said asian tourist spot has 200 species of tropical fishes, more than 100 species of corals, and three species of endangered seaa turtles. It's forest host more than 100 species of birds and large of this populations are endemic to Palawan.

Adventures in El Nido

Island hoping is one of the famous tourist attraction at El Nido with over 50 beaches in the marine reserve of Bacuit Bay. Many places you could hire boats with packages that include tour guides and foods. You can also rent kayaks, paddle boats, windsurfing.

• Miniloc Island consist of the tourist spot site which is the small lagoon and the big lagoon. The very best thing in this island is you don't have to go far to see the best view that the island could offer. You could simply view school of fishes with various colors that looks like a parade of platoon dancers in a color festival that creates pattern of colors and swirls.

• Small Lagoon is a part of Miniloc Island that is located around the bend after the Miniloc house reef marks the spot where you could go kayaking. It is believe to be a cave whose roof collapsed millions of years ago and its inner chamber is now a pocket of swimming pool. It has crystal clear water and the only sound you could hear was the birds chirping.

• Big Lagoon is located further northwest of Miniloc Island. It is only accessible during high tide. It's size is bigger than two football field and could reach beyond 60 ft. It is also believed to be a cave that lost its roof and it used to served as home of a dugong that was found in the late 1980's in the island of Palawan.

• Secret Beach is another island wherein it is only accessible through a low, narrow opening that looks like any of the thousand of crevices in the limestone cliffs. Secret Beach is a patch of sand that serves as the flooring of a roofless cave. The best way to get in was snorkeling even though the underwater view is too dark at first. You will find a beach filled with corals, starfish, and colorful fishes after the roofless cave.

• Snake Island is commonly mistaken to be a reptilian habitat. It is called snake island because of its s-shaped sandbar that spit from it. The said sandbar is only visible during low tide.

• Dilimacad Island, sometimes called whale or helicopter island because of its shape. This island has white sand beach, snorkeling area, and an underwater tunnerl that is also a dive site.

• Subterranean River National Park has a spectacular view of limestone karst landscape with an underground river. The said river contains a full mountain-to-sea ecosystem and has some of the most important forests in Asia.

Scuba Diving is also famous tourist attraction, as there are plenty of marine life and coral reefs.

El Nido is surely a majestic place to be. From the ageless marble cliffs to its white sandy beaches that has crystal clear water, it is surely the heaven on earth.