Modern glamour and 20s inspired touches make this home an elegant nest for a family of four; Venus Ngu’s fantastic home is a stunning display of well-made Italian furniture
A piece of heaven on earth, EL NIDO preserves the beauty of its natural wonders by continuing to be at the forefront of eco-tourism and sustainability
One of the reasons why the Philippines as a tourist destination became famous is because it is an archipelago made up of 7,107 islands. Thousands of beautiful and majestic islands waiting to be explored and developed. A concentration of it is actually found in El Nido, Palawan. It certainly is one of the most famous destinations in the Philippines and in the world that is rapidly developing and leading tourism in the country. Its beaches are absolutely stunning and the limestone formations rising above the turquoise water, are entirely majestic, not to mention the well preserved coral reefs great for snorkeling or diving.
GETTING TO EL NIDO
Palawan, a regular on the Condé Nast Traveler list of The World’s Best Islands, draws millions of tourists from the Philippines and around the world. Fortunately, within the past couple of years, El Nido Airport (also known as Lio Airport) opened and made traveling to the island more convenient. No need to go through Puerto Princessa or Busuanga airports and take a long car ride. Air Swift, owned and operated by the Ayala group, flies from NAIA Terminal 4 and lands at the El Nido Airport which is just fifteen minutes outside of the town proper. Regardless of its size, the airport is extremely convenient for travelers, clean and very efficient. Air Swift operates several flights a day.
EL NIDO TOWN
I love El Nido. I have been to the island several times, but there is always something new to see and experience. It is idyllic, quaint, and offers a myriad of things to do. Bars and restaurants are everywhere, with several expatriates and foreigners coming in and out of the island. At times, it does feel like I'm in a foreign land. I would hope to see more Filipinos explore and experience it.
A visit to Kalye Artisano is a must. It’s a lifestyle hub that features sustainable fashion. This is one of Paloma Urquijo Zobel and Bea Zobel’s projects in El Nido. A home that promotes Philippine arts and crafts, it provides a platform for local artists, drawing in local and foreign tourists from around the world. The place is open with a very vibrant and rustic charm. Structures are artistically painted and decked with locally made home accessories, all of which make the place more inviting and welcoming. The selection is quite good, from the well-made bags of PIOPIO to clothes, cold-pressed VCO soaps, paintings, bamboo straws, fashion accessories, recycled bracelets, and other island-crafted goods. It’s a well-curated sustainable lifestyle space that anyone who steps into El Nido should visit.
One would never run out of new places to eat. Different cuisines are widely available and food is relatively expensive by Philippine standards. Among many favorites is Bella Vita. It is beachfront Restaurant that offers delicious pizza. Happiness Beach Bar offers a different kind of experience, with you sitting on swing seats while eating shakshuka, hummus, and other Mediterranean food. Other must-tries are Boodle Fight and Art Café.
Sunsets are picturesque in El Nido. There are several places you canvisit if you wish to admire the sunset. Let me share with you my top 4 spots. Marimegmeg Beach Bar and The Beach Shack – great beats, tasty cocktails, and the perfect bites to go along with it. Republica Sunset Bar is cozy and offers the best Spanish food on the island, aside from being a great place to watch the sunset. La Plage, a French restaurant located at Corong-Corong,
is owned and run by French nationals who are very friendly and personally serve and recieve guests. The sunset view here is also quite majestic and you might end up spending several nights here with its good crowd to boast. Last, but not the least, is Lio Beach. This beach area, an Ayala Land development, spans four kilometers-long and offers a charming white cove with a striking view of Cadlao Island. With a wide selection of bars and restaurants to hang out here, my favorite is the Jungle Bar by PIOPIO. While savoring the taste of great-tasting healthy dishes, you'll also appreciate its chic native interiors.
ISLAND HOPPING
El Nido is known to have the best island hopping tours not just in the Philippines but in the world. Bacuit Bay and its forty-five scenic islands have been named one of the most beautiful destinations in the world. The lagoons are stunning and breathtaking, with views that will make you forget your problems and woes of the moment. And the exotic wildlife and marine life really are sights to behold for its rich biodiversity and wellpreserved beauty.
Island hopping in El Nido is an absolute must-do. Miniloc Island is a natural wonder. With the many lagoons in the area, head over to the Secret Lagoon and kayak in the Big Lagoon. The Seven Commandos Beach is somewhere you can enjoy a solitary sunset moment while sipping your margarita or ice-cold beer. There are more to see in El Nido, surely a day of island hopping is not enough. Movie-like Pinagbuyatan Island and the Cathedral and Cudugnon Caves are must-sees. Other retreats include a visit to Snake and Entalula islands and Secret Beach, and Matinloc Shrine, which provides great snorkeling experiences.
STUNNING RESORTS
Visiting El Nido is not only about the tours, restaurants, islands and the beaches. It is also about escaping from the hustle and bustle of the Metro and having a blissful time in a world-class resort. El Nido is one of the more developed destinations in the Philippines with exceptional world-class resorts that are nestled in the lush greenery of the islands, surrounded by emerald waters, and privileged with a pristine beach.
The El Nido resorts are private islands located in different parts of El Nido. They offer exclusivity, exemplary customer service, and superb facilities. My favorites are Pangulusian and Miniloc Resorts for their beach fronts, locations, and facilities. The others are also beautiful, the resorts in Lagen and Apulit have distinct charms. One cannot go wrong with choosing any of the El Nido resorts.
ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
With the uptrend in Philippine tourism, more and more international and local tourists are exploring Philippine beaches. And while the influx of these tourists from around the world has brought economic growth, it has also become a threat to the environment. Destinations like El Nido, which drive many tourists regularly, try to keep up with the demand by developing more infrastructure quickly to cater to its guests at the expense of its environment. Other threats with this growth are overfishing, deforestation, and of course, pollution. The government has designated El Nido as a “protected area” before it turns to Boracay situation. This assures that the unique fauna and flora of the sea and land will not be threatened by El Nido’s continued development.
Moreover, in the aftermath of Boracay's closure, the DENR and DOT have started rehabilitating El Nido, ensuring that sewage systems are in place and hotels and resorts that are gravely polluting the beach by discharging wastewater are flagged and ultimately, closed. They have also enforced carrying capacity policies in the big and small lagoons. Resorts and other establishments in El Nido have already enforced the banning of the use of plastics and doing all they can to lower their carbon footprint. This focused and conscious effort from both local and government agencies is admirable and hopefully will be continued, executed consistently and strictly enforced.
El Nido has been rewarded for its well-preserved resplendence. In December 2007, National Geographic selected El Nido as one of the best destinations in the world. In 2018, the Condé Nast Traveler Readers Choice Awards recognized El Nito as one of the “Best Resorts of the World”. And in 2019, Condé Nast Traveler ranked El Nido number 5 in the best island beaches in the world.
A lot of publications compare El Nido to Bali or even Phuket. Having been to both those destinations, I can objectively say that El Nido is much more beautiful. These islands and beaches are immaculate, with astonishing blue and green waters and white powdery sands. And the breathtakingly extraordinary diving and snorkeling sites are rich in biodiversity. But where does Bali and Phuket lead? Their tourism is much more organized with more developed hotels, restaurants, and other establishments, efficient and convenient transportation, and more importantly, they were able to protect and outstandingly preserve their environment. I’m very confident that we will get there. And I am proud to say that we are on our way to that level of sophistication and world-class excellence.