This is my first time visit to Palawan. I grabbed the opportunity to join with my friend’s journey to El Nido Palawan. It is hard for me to plan a travel trip on my own that is why I feel good when someone planned it for me. My budget and time availability is quite manageable so even if I am not so prepared, I joined.
What Happen On Thursday?
I hang out with my friends Yanda, Leah and Janine from 1am to 3am at McDonalds somewhere it Fairview. My things are not yet packed up and ready when I got home. I slept for an hour and woke up 6:30am to insert few important things on my Swiss Polo Travel bag. I went to the internet shop to print my booking ticket and headed to Terminal 4.
I met April Gonzales at Domestic Terminal 4 as my travel buddy. I thought April is female but he’s not. We arrived at Puerto Princesa and stay at Big Brother Condotel. We took our Garlic Pepper Beef lunch at the nearby Jollibee together with Criselda Lapitan who arrived one day ahead. We are still waiting for Janice Cabuyao and spend the night together. Tomorrow we are heading to El Nido.
We had our dinner at TIKI Restobar and experienced Sizzling Crocodile for the first time in my life. Then after I bought some fruits “banana and grapes” to bring on our journey to El Nido.
I am worried about my work because I wasn’t able to get good internet connection. All of my tasked were done offline and few hours online.
Our Big Brother Condotel Booking
Address: 3rd Floor, Carlos Building, Rizal Avenue Puerto Princesa City 5300 Palawan, Philippines
Website: www.bigbrotherhotel.com
Rate: PHP 1200.00 – Studio / PHP 1500 – Directors
Pax: 4 person
WiFi: SSID – condotel, Password: 1111111111
What Happen on Friday?
I woke up 5am and took a bath. I accidentally prepared cold coffee since I thought the water in the cup is hot. We check out from the Big Brothers Condotel and arrived at Bus Terminal Station going to El Nido. The bus fare is 280 pesos and departing on 7:00am, we arrived at El Nido market around 1:00pm. We manage to travel for 6 hours since the normal travel time is 6-9 hours as it said by the locals. From the market, we hired the tricycle driver to bring us to the town where we can eat our lunch because we are so starving. It’s so funny that the name of the eatery is FASFOOD without T. I only notice it on the second look. The tricycle driver manages to look for a room to stay in “BlueAsure Cottages” at very affordable rate 1200 pesos for two nights. It's sounds like a fun room. It is only a fan room, “I mean electric fan ventilation only.” After we put all our bags and other stuff inside the room, we headed to queen beach for less than hour travel.
We went to twin beach at Nacpan facing the Island the of Congressman Manny Pacquiao bought. The travel time took us in less than an hour averaging 45 minutes from town. The sand is tiny and smooth while the water is very clear. The waves are good and I think it enough to surf if you have surfing board. The sunset is lovely over the island. We are glad to avail the tricycle fare at 800 PHP only going back and forth from “BlueAsure Cottages.”
I had a little chat with Judy Punay, the caretaker of the pension house and ask some information about the nice thing to do and visit at the cheapest rate.
We had our dinner back again at the eatery after and look for a boat ride for Island hopping. The usual rate is 1200 pesos per head for a group tour and the private tour with the minimum of four 4 persons is also 1200 per person. The package includes food and drinks. It’s the same information that I got from Judy and the only difference is he has an offer of 1000 pesos per person.
We hope that tomorrow will be a good day as the storm Basyang is heading toward this place. The weather forecast storm signal number 1 enough to postponed boat ride for Island hopping.
What happen on Saturday?
I woke up asking for a hot water and four cups to have coffee on the hut. The electricity is scheduled to off at 6am – 2pm daily.
The storm had arrived with the strength signal number one. As predicted the boat ride for Island hopping is all canceled.
We stayed together in the Nipa-hut type pension house all and day. It seems we all don’t want to get out and no interest of eating. I mean that we already forgot to eat because sleeping all day and bed hopping is fun. We have our coffee, toasted bread and cup noodles around 7am and have our lunch around 4pm. The barbecue is so nice and good for only 10 pesos each and rice too. We got some dinner around 8pm and we ate Chicken Curry, Kalderetang Baka and some leftover barbecue. They continue to sleep while I do Advance Review System for Nursing.
I had a short chat again with the caretaker name “Judy Punay” and he gave me some tips that I wanted to share.
If you are in a short budget and you want to stay long, look for boarding house instead of pension house, or hotel accommodation. A boarding house will cost only for 1500 – 5000 pesos per month. It is usually far away from the town center but still you can enjoy the place.
You can save money on Island hopping if you know local that own a boat because you will only pay half the price. Knowing someone who has a boat will cut the booking fee from the agent. Basically, the price is 1200 - 1500 per head including meal and tour guide and an additional fee for Tourism Fee of more or less 500 pesos. If you know someone then you can place a budget of 600-700 pesos plus Tourism Fee. Tour for island hopping is at least four members in a group.
The local tour guide said that it becomes natural for them to see foreigner wearing two-piece but not on the local pinay girl. The attraction and supper seeing is hundred times head-turner than foreigner. And yes it is, this only means we are awesome people.
After a night walks with them Judy Punay with his friend Bokyo not his real name, I went back to our room and have a good night sleep.
We are going home on Sunday and Attend Worship Service
Time to go home and time to seek for worship service. The worship service schedule at 6am and 10am and we are not able to attend the worship service at El Nido because we also need to consider the bus schedule. We attended the worship service at the local of Puerto Princesa Palawan on 4:00 pm.
We still have some few hours to buy souvenirs items and I found Arnis and Tsako for self-defense is good to buy.
Farewell to Puerto Princesa as the plane took us back to Manila. I asked for car service to pick us at the terminal for going home.
What Awesome People Do?
It is good to travel with friends and others even though you’re meeting them for the first time.
My Estimated Budget Summary
Air Fare: 5000
Tricycle: 20
Hotels: 1200
Tricycle: 30
Bus: 280
Tricycle: 15
Hotel: (1200 x 2 nights) / 4
Tricycle: 800 / 4
Food: 500
Souvenirs and gift items: 700