The Nest

By LUCCI C. CORAL
Wander Woman

A boatman anchors in the middle of Bacuit bay for the group's fish feeding activity

MANILA, Philippines — I have a collection of previous misconceptions about some Philippine destinations—like I could run up and down the Chocolate Hills as I once did with piled gravel, bathe under Maria Cristina Falls and remain alive and that El Nido is just a resort in Palawan.

Because of this excellent marketing by El Nido Resorts, I had placed this destination in the latter part of my travel list and classified it in the “I’ll see you later when I get rich” category. But as I got older and got acquainted with more general information, I learned that I could get there at this stage of my life and that El Nido is actually a municipality of Palawan.

So after this confession of ignorance, let me tell you the story of my El Nido exploration and how it almost convinced me to stay for good.

Hello limestone

Instead of getting a hassle-free direct flight from Manila which costs around R13,500.00/roundtrip ticket, I opted for the more affordable yet slightly challenging route. From Puerto Princesa City, I rode a van which costs R600/one-way trip and endured the seven-hour ride with music and conversations.

It was almost sunset when I arrived at the town proper and a tricycle brought me to my temporary abode in El Nido called Skyline Inn—a homey accommodation which is famous for its Nido soup.

So I placed down my bags, said “Hi” to my kind hosts, and started to walk towards the beach. And lo and behold! When I saw the limestone cliffs shaping the cove, I instantly knew that I was in the presence of royalty among rock formations. During my auditory hallucination, tribal drums started playing and the limestone cliff powerfully said, “Welcome, human!”

Darkness started to claim the skies during this time and I started to wonder what’s beyond the cove. The vast sea was so enchanting and the visible cliffs had successfully pierced the clouds. It seemed as if there’s a sacred party of diwatas that was happening somewhere in the abyss. I tried to see more by narrowing my eyes and extending my chin to zoom in the gaze, but I discovered that this act does not actually help one to see more.

Hello town

I started to head back to the inn. El Nido’s town proper reminded me of a town in Valenzuela City where I grew up in—its simplicity, its narrow roads, and its simple houses evoked a sense of warmth as if it was welcoming me home. Somehow, it seemed like I was transported back in time when almost everything was uncomplicated—when brownouts were fun moments with neighbors and when heavy rain meant shower time.

Everything seemed to blend effortlessly together. We even passed through a traditional Filipino wake with men playing sakla on our way to a French wine restaurant on the same street.

The town stirred up a sense of peace and the rest of the world seemed to be shut out. Adding to this natural serenity was the fact that one of my usually stressed mobile phones had no signal. Perfect!

Arvin Acosta, El Nido’s tourism officer, greeted me at the canteen located on the ground floor of the inn and briefed me about the trip as we ate a hearty dinner of home cooked Filipino dishes. He told me that we would be going on island hopping tours for two days and that my three-day stay was actually short for there’s a lot more to discover in El Nido.

Included in the itinerary were visits to the small and big lagoons, the Simizu Island, 7 Commando Beach, the Snake Island, the Helicopter Island, and the Secret Beach. We would also go snorkeling to feed the fish. And when he started talking about El Nido’s history, the geek in me raved with excitement as I realized that I was in the presence of 250 million-year-old limestone cliffs. These aged rocks were even older than dinosaurs!

Archeological findings show that humans have inhabited El Nido for 14,000 years, even up to 22,000 years. And during that time when they lived in caves, hunted for food, and showed off their breasts without malicious thoughts from their neighbors, they have an untouched paradise as their home.

Until 1890, El Nido was called Talindak, named after a small village of the Tagbanua Tribe. But of course, the Spaniards came, had the “let’s name this place whim”, and called it Bacuit. It was only in 1945 when it got its official name El Nido, which is Spanish for “The Nest”. The name was derived from the healthy swiftbirds’ saliva nest (also known as Bird’s Nest) found in the area which is a key ingredient in making one of the most expensive soups in the world.

Hello more limestones

Morning broke and we boarded the Caera Travel and Tours boat where I met my barkada for the day—a beautiful French couple, an American couple who immediately befriended their white-skinned acquaintances, two sets of “East meets West” couples, a Filipino couple, and a lone Taiwanese explorer.

Since almost everyone had their most-preferred companion right beside them, the group chitchat was not immediately started—until a friendly balikbayan who was traveling with her Australian husband broke the ice.

“I did not consider traveling here in El Nido before because I thought it was so expensive to come here,” she said in a voice audible to the whole boat even with the engine running on the background.

Then, we started talking to each other as we sailed on the still waters of Bacuit Bay, which was as amusing as reaching the destinations itself. The cool wind brushed our faces as we indulged in the view of those towering limestone cliffs standing over blinding white sand beaches and surrounded by clear turquoise waters.

The waters turned from dark blue to turquoise and our boat anchored near the entrance arch of the small and big lagoons. Since it was the first destination and we were still filled with energy and excitement, we spent the whole morning in the lagoon.

A whole day tour with lunch only costs from Php700-900/head, and going on a picnic by the beach was definitely delightful. Lunchtime was one of my favorite moments in those two days of island hopping.  As our boatmen grilled the seafood, we frolicked by the beach, some lay on the sand for their tan, and some searched for shed under the trees and the rocks.

It’s always blissful to get lazy by the beach. If I had more time, I would’ve rented a boat to drop me in one of the islands, laze around, read a good book the whole day, eat packed lunch (I had no intentions of living the castaway experience by roasting hunted animal), and be picked up in the afternoon.

Speaking of castaways, do you know that Survivor Sweden shot their episodes in El Nido’s Helicopter Island? The raft made of rope and tree branches which they used was still there. I started trekking the mountain trail to get a taste of the Survivor experience and I only walked a few meters when I gave up. I sat on a bamboo bench overlooking the waters and when I got down, I had insect bites all over my torso—the marks of a survivor.

One of the island destinations which intrigued me was the Secret Beach. Flashback to the briefing time at the inn’s canteen when I asked Arvin on why it was named as such, he replied, “I won’t tell you. It’s a surprise”

So the moment of surprise came. At first, it was as if we were on a suicidal mission to crash our boat onto the wall of gray limestone rocks. Then slowly, the gaps in between the rocks revealed a fantastic cove. It was magical!

There seemed to be magic all over El Nido that made it more than the usual. It’s quite hard to put my finger into it but my heart recognized this fact clearly. However, just like the many enchanting places in our third world country, El Nido is also in danger of being exploited. This is why the local government and concerned citizens try their best to protect nature this side of the world, save the wildlife, clean-up the imported floating garbage which resulted from the global exchange of trash, and all other programs. These are being subsidized by the P200 environmental fee charged to every tourist.

Being educated responsible travelers is a pre-requisite for visitors to El Nido for it to retain its pristine beauty.

El Nido is like a manifestation of a miracle. And with such natural artistry, it followed that its locals—natural born and naturalized—breathed art as well. Establishments such as Balay Tubay and Art Café feature masterpieces by the locals; even the restaurants by the beach were artistically decorated with nature as inspiration.

In retrospect, El Nido definitely belongs to the royalty of Philippine destinations. More than being just a resort or municipality, it is a masterpiece which reminded me that we belong to a rich and incredibly blessed country. And after leaving The Nest, I think I have hatched into a better person—ready to fly with pride as I carry my country’s heritage with me
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