Taking A Few Steps Towards El Nido

View from Marina Garden Beachfront Inn

Day 0 - 26 November 2015

So it begins. Our long wait was over. Rewind to June 2015 - we have booked our round trip ticket to Puerto Princesa for 2,011php per person. I know this is beyond cheap but then, not bad for a round trip fare. We were a group of 6 people, particularly my office mates.

Our flight was at 10:00 AM, 26 November 2015. According to blogs, November is the start of the peak season in El Nido. Expecting fully-booked accommodations, we have checked several resorts and inns in the island and Marina Garden Beachfront Inn. We booked 2 standard rooms with aircon directly with them for 3,250php per night. This includes 1 double bed and 1 single bed with a bathroom and complimentary daily breakfast for each person.

As expected, we had a delayed flight with Cebu Pacific. We arrived at Puerto Princesa around 12:00 noon. Just outside the airport, we were welcomed by Kuya Rey, the driver of the van transport that was referred to us by our office mate. But I DO NOT recommend him because we sought help from him on getting tours arranged for us and it did not went well. Anyway, we stopped by Robinson's Mall to have our lunch and buy some groceries since there is a limited supply in El Nido. I suggest that you buy your stuffs in the city especially if your have a private transportation because some items can be present in the island but it can be expensive.

After eating, we started our 5-6 hour trip towards El Nido. The road was like leading to Baguio -full of zigzags and some sharp curves. I tell you now, those people who have weak stomachs must bring their anti-"biyahilo" medicines and some handy plastics just in case. On our trip, we had two stopovers where you can pee and buy something to eat.

Sunset in Taytay, one of Palawan's municipality

We have arrived in El Nido after 6 hours. We went off the van just near our resort since the road was quite small for plenty of vehicles. Also, it's better to walk around to be familiarized with what's around. Well, the town center was small enough that you can walk and explore around. It has a lot of accommodations and food establishments scattered everywhere. It felt like I was walking in Boracay's main road it's just that El Nido had a lot of side streets and it's more peaceful.

Marina Garden Beachfront Inn was located in front of the PNP station so you have the assurance of additional security during your stay. Check-in was smooth and the resort staff were very friendly. We dropped our bags and rested for a few minutes before having dinner. The room was very good and had a home-like feel. I say that you won't expect that the rooms are good unless you see it in the inside.

Gateway to the beach

The resort has a lot of rooms to offer with it's not-so-big property. You can check their website at http://www.mgelnido.com for more information.

Flat screen TV with cable

We decided to buy pork barbecue and isaws for our dinner at a nearby eatery. They several selections for grilled food that are only 10php per stick. My dinner was only 50php for 3 barbecues and 2 cups of rice. Awesome, yeah? Happy tummy plus happy pocket!

We dozed off to sleep early this night for we'll be meeting Mark, our contact for our tours, as early as 8am. So good night for now!