5 - Palawan: El Nido

El Nido is the most celebrated place in Palawan, the one we have come for in the end, and we already hear it's now 

spoilt, too many tourists, should have gone before...

A little town, touristy yes but still nice, in a deep bay backed by limestone rocks covered by tropical vegetation.

The real attraction is all around: the Bacuit Archipelago, a myriad of small islands with spectacular landscapes and 

colors, to be explored by Bangka, or by kayak for the nearest ones.

We find a bungalow in Calaan, a quiet beach 15 minutes' walk from the village, and immediately we rent a kayak to go

check the island in front.

The next day is dedicated to the "compulsory" activity: Island-hopping! We go with a quiet and nice fisherman and his 

communicative, "born for marketing" wife, who for the whole previous day had ambushed us on the footpath to propose 

their services.

Since we have a boat to ourselves, we do the tour backwards so that the moorings are less crowded. 

It's a day full of amazing light and colors, corals and psychedelic fish, lagoons surrounded by vertical walls where you 

can enter only by swimming, idyllic beaches, and a good barbecue.

kayak trip to Cadlao

(Google Earth file here)