Wow, this airplane looks like a sleek and efficient toy! My traveling partner Ben and I joke that we would need to put in a quarter to get it started, though recollections of an even smaller aircraft begin to make me smile. The last time I was on a plane even smaller than the 19-seater Dornier that I am now boarding was when I went skydiving in Nevada some months ago. The Island Transvoyager Inc.’s Dornier is handsome and cozy; we can fantasize that we are taking our own private plane. After all, with our backpacks in tow, we are setting off to a dream paradise.
Some 75 minutes later, the sea breeze in Palawan now blows my hair as I squint my eyes behind my Clubmaster glasses. The whirring of the bangka’s motor and the sound of the crashing waves become the perfectly clichéd, yet meditative soundtrack to the next leg of transportation as we make our way from the Lio airport of El Nido to the island of Lagen.
From afar, the island, like many of those surrounding it, has towering limestone formations of vivid heliotrope made more picture-pretty, like a Sanso painting, with greenery. As we draw closer, I see the row of cottages on stilts by the shore. The interiors are a mix of native design and modern minimalism. Upon arrival, you are greeted by the staff with song and dance — a welcome that is truly Pinoy. At night, the lounge chairs by the poolside invite you to go night-dipping or stargazing. This majestic backdrop is the setting to our three-day adventure.
The El Nido staff go the extra mile — quite literally — for visitors. I order fresh buco juice and they climb the coconut tree to grant your wish. The buffet tables are laden with the freshest from the land and the sea as well. If you wish, you can even have a picnic lunch on one of their private beaches.
This is a trip of many firsts for me. After nearly drowning in the pool during my childhood, I grew up being hydrophobic. My first endeavor in conquering that fear years ago was to take up surfing, but going underwater is a mission that has taken many years, until today, to overcome.
Literally skimming the surface first, I start modestly with snorkeling at the Small Lagoon of Miniloc. We paddle our way inside a small opening, and find ourselves surrounded by the grandeur of more limestone cliffs, some of them resembling religious figures. A symphony is created by crickets in harmony with rustling trees where monkeys leap to the beat of the whispering winds.
Come morning, we are swimming with jackfish up to three meters long, and by noon we are crawling into Cudugnon Cave with its grayscale depth and tiny bats hanging above us.
And just before sunset comes my most formidable new endeavor yet: scuba diving. As we make our way deeper underwater, the psychedelic polychromatic fish (amid other oddly shaped, awesome creatures) is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen.
And though this vacation is far from being a pilgrimage, the natural splendor in El Nido reminds me of a much Higher Being. The natural formation of a figure atop the lagoon looks like the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is a place where you find Paradise. And God.
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Visit El Nido Resorts between Oct. 1 to 29 and avail of promo packages from P6,500++ per cottage. Kids age 2 to 11also stay for free. The package includes overnight air-conditioned accommodation, round-trip boat transfers for guests with Island Transvoyager flights, buffet breakfast at the clubhouse, a buri bag, a pair of native slippers per adult, drinking water in the room, services of guest activity coordinators and marine sports guides, use of all water sports equipment (hobie cat, windsurf, pedal boat and kayak), and free use of mask, snorkel and foot fins. El Nido Resorts/Ten Knots Development Corporation is located at the 18th floor, 8747 Paseo de Roxas, Salcedo Village, Makati. For more information on El Nido Resorts, visit www.elnidoresorts.com, e-mail holiday@elnidoresorts.com or call 894-5644.