By Nathan Allen

About half way through my motorbike trip around Palawan Island in the Philippines, I stopped in El Nido, a stunning limestone cliff-studded island paradise. This was my first trip back since 4 years earlier, and I barely recognized the place. It’s amazing how much can change in 4 years. Entire neighborhoods have been built, along with countless new hotels and resorts.

Honestly, I felt a bit overwhelmed by all the changes. It seemed my little piece of paradise was gone forever. I navigated through swarms of people and tricycles crowding the narrow streets, slowly making my way to my new home for the next few nights–“The Nest El Nido”.

 
Here, with an absolutely stunning view looking out to iconic Cadlao Island, I was able to relax after a longggg ride in the sun. It was only then that my head cleared a bit, and the hotel manager informed me of something. He said that while the town has definitely grown, the crowds I experienced were probably just all the school kids getting out at the same time, temporarily choking up the streets. Whew!

Yes, there’s still paradise to be found…

Welcome To “The Nest El Nido Resort” in Palawan, Philippines

The Nest is a family-owned and operated resort situated in Caalan, on my favorite and more remote side of El Nido. This is the area I walked past each afternoon 4 years ago, when I would journey up the beach to photograph beautiful island sunsets.

The Nest Resort has a special place in my heart, and for several reasons. First of all, the design aesthetics are just my style. I love the tasteful blending of “modern” and “beachy”.  It’s truly a classy place, but with a nice, laid back feel to it. 

The garden landscape in the center of the resort is quite expansive, and beautifully designed. Gardening is a passion of the owner, and amazingly, she did all this landscaping herself!

Yes, this resort is a real family affair – a homecoming and a labor of love, all wrapped up in one. Keep reading and you’ll see why…

The outside villa windows are basically perfect mirrors, which not only insures complete privacy for guests inside, but also reflects the stunning beauty of the garden and views of Cadlao Island across the sea! It gives the cozy property quite a colorful and spacious feel. Nice touch!

I mentioned that the resort is family owned and operated, but I did not mention that it is Filipino owned and operated–something that is unfortunately rare for high-end properties in the Philippines, and even more rare because the land this property is on has belonged to this family for over 6 decades! Seriously, I loved hearing this story…

In the 1950s, a Man Stumbled Upon Paradise in the Philippines

He was a WWII soldier stationed in Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan. After the war, stories of a wild and scenic paradise pulled him north. He kept going further and further, eventually reaching this fabled Shangri-La at the top of the island.

Aside from a few Chinese fishermen, the village of El Nido was unknown to the world, just a spec on the edge of a remote Philippine island. Here, in this enchanting paradise, the man saw potential. He put down roots…eventually fell in love and married a local girl. They started a family.

He became the town postmaster, and owner of its largest store, which he ran out of his own home. The store, called “IBR”, is still there today!

He was one of the only residents earning any kind of decent salary. As you can imagine, there wasn’t a lot to spend the money on in a sleepy seaside village, so he just started buying land. It was so cheap…the family thinks he purchased the land the resort is on for just $20! Think about how much it must be worth all these years later, being situated in the most sought-after part of the #1 island in the world!

Smart man, and it’s incredible that the family held on to it all these years.

(Continued below)

When his daughter grew up, she got married and started a family in Alaska, of all places. After the kids were grown, they left the bitter cold to return home to the Philippines, and live her dream of having a resort in the paradise of her childhood. Pretty amazing to find original land owners in El Nido going all the way back 60+ years!

Returning to Their EL Nido Roots, & Living The Dream

As mentioned, she handles all the gardening. The design and construction was carried out by her husband and her son Michael, who also does an excellent job managing the place (along with his lovely wife Christine). You can see the 3 of us posing for a picture below (along with much of the resort staff:) The family is incredibly humble and down-to-earth. They made me feel right at home.

(Photos of food & staff)

I visited before The Nest was even finished being built, and before they were offering lunch and dinner meals. However, I did get to do a taste-test, and was also able to experience a mouth-watering breakfast, including fruit that was locally grown across the water on beautiful Cadlao island! Did I mention I also ate some of the best bacon I have ever tasted in my life? Imagine the best bacon you’ve ever had, and that you’re eating it here:

I experienced a massage on the upper level here as well. You can’t beat the relaxing sound of island waves crashing during a blissful massage. REAL waves, mind you. This is not an iPod playing:) I think they also plan on having yoga classes up there…all with an absolutely stunning view!

Villa Room @ The Nest El Nido

My villa felt warm and inviting. The little details made all the difference in the world…things like the fresh, aromatic smell of the soap, and even the soft, oversized bath towels! I never realized a towel could smell so good. Bedding feels luxurious and inviting as well.

(Photos of villa room & bathroom)

Another thing I loved is the craftsmanship of all the furniture in the rooms and around the property–it’s all locally sourced, or made directly on site!

Day & Night Views of Iconic Cadlao Island

 *If you’re wondering, I took these shots with my Sony Rx100III. <–Amazon, but in the PHL you can find it HERE.

These views are my favorite part about being in El Nido. The daytime shot was taken directly from the resort restaurant, I believe. The sunset shot was taken at a nice secluded spot about 10 minutes north up the beach. You just need to keep trekking along the beach until the sunset comes into view.

The Nest El Nido – Contact Info, Reviews & Rates

Sorry if I can’t stop gushing about The Nest El Nido. I guess I left a little piece of myself there. I love everything about it–the story, the people who run it, and the neighborhood it’s situated in. I’m not the only one, apparently they are already booked solid for months out, and at the time of this writing, it’s not even completely finished yet!

Yes, it goes without saying that you should book as far in advance as you can. Enjoy this little piece of paradise, and please send the family my best!

Check rates and read reviews HERE

– Nathan Allen

www.idreamedofthis.com

Thanks for reading, and feel free to share!

Like my page to follow along with me:)  – Nathan

Goodbye, Gopro…I Finally Review the TG-4 Underwater Camera in the Philippines

Social Media

Have something to add? Feel free to leave a comment…

The post The Nest El Nido Resort – Family Bought This Land For Just $20! appeared first on I Dreamed Of This.

Words &Photos By Nathan Allen

The Ride of a Lifetime: Chapter 7

After exploring Duli and Diapila Beaches on my motorcycle, I continued north east up and around the top of Palawan island. I was heading somewhere I’d never been, to Sibaltan and the more remote eastern side of the island.

My destination was Tapik Beach Park and Resort, which had extended a generous offer to host me. Travelers are starting to explore this side of the island, in hopes of escaping the more crowded spots like El Nido.

The Rustic Beach Resort I’ve Always Imagined

When I arrived, I could see the appeal–this is the backpacking beach-mecca many dream of! A rustic native-styled property right on the water, with tent sites, huts and bungalows climbing up the side of a hill overlooking the sea.

The owner is named Voltaire, and yes, if you think you have an idea where the name came from, you are right. His brother’s name is Rudyard:) Hats off to this well-read father of theirs.

Voltaire is a great guy, and he quickly showed me to my room up on the hill. There was much to love about it…first, the elevated location ensures a nice breeze, which is much welcomed in beach cottages without aircon (there is a fan, though…and that’s what I actually prefer). The natural aircon up here is amazing!

Second, it feels somewhat private, with other bungalows being up or down the path in other directions.

Third, a mosquito net is provided, and even though I didn’t see any up on the hill, travelers love to have peace of mind. Especially in countries with a (very tiny) risk of malaria or dengue.

Finally, fourth, there is a great view of sunrise directly out the window, and right over the water. Can’t beat that!

There was even a proper bathroom and shower in my room…with nice tiling and everything.

4. Ocean view from my cottage up on the hill 5. Adobo (Filipino Dish) for dinner

Check Tapik Beach Park rates HERE

You can meet backpackers and travelers from all over the world at Tapik, and the kind of people who end up there really seem to be genuine, quality people. Dinner and drinks at the bar is usually a lively affair, and there is a local version of a billiard table, along with darts and DJ / Music station on the side. The staff is highly entertaining and personable. They make you feel comfortable right away.

The beach at Tapik is pretty nice, and I definitely recommend waking up for sunrise. If you really want to be “wowed”, consider taking an incredible island hopping / snorkeling tour! When I say “incredible”, it’s kind of an understatement. This place is unreal–without a doubt, the best corals and undersea life I have experienced in the Philippines (and I have been all over the islands for many years documenting the reefs).

Photos From Tapik’s Island Hopping Tour

Pical, Iloc Island

I joined 2 very friendly German and Spanish groups for this tour. We had lunch on the beach in Pical, part of Iloc island. As crazy as my life is, I should not have been surprised to see actual TURKEYS in the village–and on Thanksgiving, no less! What are the chances? I’ve never seen a turkey in 4 years exploring the Philippines.

Anyway, this is an absolutely stunning beach, and if you walk north a little ways, you can find a picturesque grove of coconut trees (see below), and also some friendly local kids (it helps if you try to learn and speak some Filipino with them).

The photos above were captured with my Canon Powershot G3x <-Amazon (In the PHL you can find it HERE)

(Continued below)

Coral Gardens While Snorkeling

Unforgettable! Make sure the boat drops you off in deep water so you don’t risk puncturing your feet (or damaging the coral). Contact with human skin can cause coral infections, so it’s best to wear a life vest so you never have to touch your feet on the bottom. This is a unique and delicate ecosystem that needs to be preserved.

Speaking of which, studies show that much of our sunblock maybe be killing the coral reefs. Just make sure you wear “reef safe” sunblock in the water (I think the harmful ingredients are “oxybenzone”…often the “kid-safe” sunblock is actually better for the reefs as well.  Put it on before you go out in hot weather, otherwise you might sweat it all off…or lose it in the water. It’s best to apply it in front of the fan and let it absorb for at least 10 minutes. Anyway, you’ll burn if you don’t!

By the way, I took the photos above with my Olympus TG-4 underwater camera, which I highly recommend.

Other Activities @ Tapik

Voltaire also offers unique local experiences like waterfall trekking and fishing. On the latter trip, our boatman’s name was Benji, and being from Mactan, Cebu, he was happy I could speak a tiny bit of his local language, Cebuano.

We didn’t catch any fish (I swear I am not good luck when fishing), but we had a great time out on the water just the same. We ended up exploring some rugged, remote coastline where we saw a giant sea turtle, and even stopped in Benji’s more recent hometown of San Miguel. Being invited into his home to meet his grandmother and have coffee + “pan de sal” bread was a unique experience I’ll never forget.

I’ll save that trip (along with stunning Linapacan Island) for another post…

Contact Info, Reviews & Rates

Anyhow, Tapik is highly recommended. It may not be the cheapest no-frills backpacking place you can find in Palawan (though it probably is on this side of the island), but it is super affordable, especially considering the experience you get. I really love the staff, and the fact that it’s 100% Filipino owned and operated – something that is unfortunately not too common in Palawan. Enjoy this unique experience!

Check Tapik Beach Park rates HERE

How to get to and around the Philippines? My flight scanner of choice can be found HERE.

– Nathan Allen

www.idreamedofthis.com

Pt 1. <  Pt 2. <  Pt 3. <  Pt 4.  < Pt.5 < Pt 6. < Pt 7. > Pt 8.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to share!

Goodbye, Gopro…I Finally Review the TG-4 Underwater Camera in the Philippines

Have something to add?  Please leave a comment! 

The post Palawan By Motorcycle – Pt. 7: Tapik Beach Park Island Hopping appeared first on I Dreamed Of This.