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Home Archive for 2016

There are a lot of beaches located in San Antonio, Zambales. Nagsasa and Anawagin Coves are probably the most popular ones. So popular that people began flocking to it. So if you're looking for a more peaceful, less crowded and silent place, here's Talisayen Cove for you.

The silent cove of Talisayen

How To Get There

Commuting from Manila

From bus terminals in Pasay/Cubao/Manila, ride a bus bound to Iba, Zambales. The A/C bus fare is P250.

Tell the bus conductor to drop you off in San Antonio Public Market. The travel time is around 3-4 hours.

Ride a tricycle to Pundaquit then hire a boat to Talisayan Cove. Boat rental starts from P1300 - P2000, which is good for 4 pax.

The boat ride is around an hour, and the entrance fee to the cove is P100 per pax for overnight.

Pundaquit Beach

Boat Rental Notes

The P1300 rate is only a boat transfer to Talisayen Cove only (not including Anawangin, Nagsasa or Capones Island), good for 4 pax.

The usual rate for boat rental that includes other coves is around P500 per pax in a group of 4, and also includes kitchen utensils, camp-cooking essentials, drinking water and a tent.

All boatmen have almost the same rate, but you can still haggle with their rates.

You can contact Kuya Joven at 0915-959-9595.

All aboard!

Where to Stay

You can pitch a tent on the campsite or the beach shores and you can also rent a small hut which is good for 4 pax. If you didn't get a boat package including a tent, You can rent at P200 for a small tent good for 2 pax. Restrooms are also available, you just need to fetch water from the well.

Camp Area with Small Huts

The beach

Where to eat

There are no eateries or store on the cove so you need to bring your own food, and cook it there. Cooking utensils are provided by the boatman, but you need to bring extra charcoals or camping stove. You can buy some ingredients in San Antonio Public Market.

Bantay Presyo!

Grilled Hotdogs + Corned Beef + Salted Egg for Breakfast

Activities

There's not a lot of things to do on the cove, just enjoy the nature, go bond with family or friends, and of course swimming and relaxing on the beach. Network coverage is also weak and sometimes none at all. You're here for the peace and quiet right?

Have a stroll in the area

Sunbathe!

Swim!

Just Enjoy the Beach!

Catch the sunset!

What to bring

Foods to be cooked, snacks, drinks, and paper plates and cups

Tent for overnight camping (They charge PhP 200.00 for small tent rentals, pretty expensive just for a rental)

Night lamps and flash lights and extra charcoal and firewood.

Sun protection (sunblock, sunglasses, rash guard, hat) and insect repellent

Dry bag for your gadgets protection against water!

Awesome dry bag from HULL & STERN!

If you're looking for a reliable and great quality dry bag, be sure to check out HULL & STERN! Not only their dry bags are quality made, it is also good looking that will look nice on whatever outfit you are wearing. They have a variety of dry bag styles and sizes for your needs. Check out their Facebook page here for more details!

Keeping my stuff dry!

Itinerary

Here's a weekend overnight itinerary in Talisayen Cove.

Day 1: Saturday

04:00 AM: ETD Manila to San Antonio, Zambales
08:00 AM: ETA San Antonio/Buy food/supplies in Public Market
09:00 AM: ETD Pundaquit Beach to Talisayen Cove
10:00 AM: ETA Talisayen Cove/Free time

Day 2: Sunday

07:00 AM: Breakfast/Wakeup
10:30 AM: Pack up or Optional Side trip to Capones
12:00 NN: ETD Talisayen to San Antonio
01:00 PM: ETD Zambales to Manila

Sands from the ashes of Pinatubo

Expenses

Here's the expenses per person without the food.

Fare - Bus Manila to Zambales RT: P500.00

Fare - Trike San Antonio to Pundaquit RT: P60.00

Tour - Boat Transfers Pundaquit to Talisayen + side trip + camping essentials: P500.00

Entrance Fee - Talisayen Cove P100.00

Total: P1,160.00

Cheers from Talisayen Cove!

If you are planning on an El Nido trip but have no idea how, well, here's a travel guide and itinerary that will surely help you. This guide will provide you information and instructions on how to get there, accommodations, tour packages and daily expenses. All of that within a budget of 7,000 pesos!

Big Lagoon

How to get there

El Nido is located on the northernmost part of Palawan Island. Options to get here from Manila/Cebu are via air or sea travel. There are direct flights from Manila to El Nido (via AirSWIFT) but it is expensive. Here are the options on how to get to El Nido.

From MANILA/CEBU via Puerto Princesa

Take a flight from NAIA/Cebu-Mactan Airport to Puerto Princesa International Airport.
If by BUS, ride a tricycle at the gates (fare is P8) of the airport then get off at Junction 1 then ride a multi-cab (fare P13) to San Jose Terminal .
Ride a bus going to El Nido either Cherry or Roro Bus (fare is P385 ordinary, P480 A/C, and discounted for students). Travel time is around 6 hours.
The last bus stop will be at El Nido Integraded Bus Terminal where there are tricycles that can take you to your accommodation.
You can also charter a tricycle going to San Jose Terminal for P100 (try to haggle).
First and last trip of buses from Puerto Princesa - El Nido and El Nido - Puerto Princesa is 04:00 AM and 10:00 PM.

If by VAN, ride a tricycle to either, San Jose Terminal, or Robinson's Place (where there is a transport terminal) then ride a van going to El Nido.
Travelling by van is a little faster than bus, but fare is higher P500 (P550 if they will pick you up at the airport), travel time is around 5 hours.
Earliest trip of Puerto Princesa to El Nido start at 5:30 AM and last trip is around 8:30 PM.

El Nido bound bus in San Jose Terminal

From CORON

Check ferry schedule here and book a trip from Coron to El Nido.

Travel time, in good weather is around 5-7 hours for ordinary passenger boat (fare P1400++) while fast craft operated by Montenegro Lines is around 3 and a half hour (P1700).

Northern Palawan

Where to Stay

El Nido have many accommodations that you can choose. From budget and backpacker friendly to luxurious resorts. In this guide, we'll focus on budget friendly accommodations. Here are some budget friendly accommodations located in the town proper.

El Nido Sands Inn

Rate: Fan:P600++ | A/C:P1300 | T:(048) 723-1916 | M: 0917 773-3324 / 0999 452-5843

Our Melting Pot Hostel (OMP)

Rate: Dorm: P400 | M: 0906 412-7861 | E: omphostel.elnido@gmail.com

Bunakidz Lodge

Rate: P800++ | M: 0912 405 9509

Mam Olson Pensionne House

Rate: A/C: P800++ | M: 0927 919 0722

El Nido Bay Inn

Rate: A/C: P1800++ | M: 0927 560-8535 / 0998 987-2995 | E: info@elnidoinn.com

The town of El Nido

Tour Packages

The main activity in El Nido is island hopping. Tour packages are standardized and is grouped into 5 tours, Tour A, B, C, D and E. Tours A to D are island hopping tours while Tour E is a land tour around the town. Depending on season, tour package rates vary. Tour providers usually have a standard rate for each tour, but there are some that give discounts for big groups and if you have a good haggling skills.

Tour A - Rate per person: P800 (off-peak) to P1200, destinations are: Big and Small Lagoon, Simizu Island, Secret Lagoon, Seven Commandos Beach

Tour B - Rate per person: P900 (off-peak) to P1300 destinations are: Pinagbuyutan Island, Cathedral Cave, Cudugnon Cave, Entalula Island, Snake Island

Tour C - Rate per person: P1000 (off-peak) to P1400 destinations are: Hidden Beach, Matinloc Shrine, Secret Beach, Helicopter Island, Star Beach

Tour D - Rate per person: P800 (off-peak) to P1400 destinations are: Bukal Island, Ipil Beach, Nat-Nat Beach, Cadlao Lagoon, Paradise Beach

Tour E (Land tour) - Rate per person: P1500 destinations are: Nacpan and Calitang (Twin) Beaches, Marimegmeg Beach, Nagkalit-Kalit Falls

Lagoon Tours

* Usually, a whole day is spent for each tour in El Nido, but, if you have limited time, you can combine tours as well. Tours B and D are usually combined as well as Tours A and C.
* For your E, you can just rent a motorbike (P350 to P500, not including gas) and ride to the destinations above.

Activities and Attractions

Aside from island hopping, here are some other activities you might want to do in El Nido.

Scuba Diving/Snorkeling - Witness El Nido's rich marine life. There are over 30 diving sites to check in El Nido.

Snorkel snorkel

Climb Mt. Taraw - Have an extreme activity by climbing Taraw Cliff and to see the breathtaking view of the town and Bacuit Bay. If you don't want to live dangerously, you can also try a safer way to go to the summit via the canopy walk for P500 per person.

View from Taraw Cliff (Photo from Cess Catangal)

Tour the town via Motorbike - Rent a motorbike and visit the inland beaches like Nacpan, Calitang and Marimegmeg (Las Cabanas) Beach. Then take a 1-2 hour hike to Nagkalit-Kalit Falls (best to visit during wet season).

Always wear your helmet!

Zip Line in Marimegmeg (Las Cabanas Beach) - Try out the 750-meter zipline from Las Cabanas Beach to Depeldet Island. A one-way ride cost P500 (sitting position), P700 (superman) and a two-ride cost P900 (sitting), P1100 (superman).

Enjoy the sunset in Corong-Corong Beach - Take a break and relax for a moment, having a drink after a long day in Corong-Corong Beach just nearby Las Cabanas Beach.

Eat out! - Try out some popular restaurants in the town like Trattoria Altrove for its pizza, Squidos for grilled dishes, Art Cafe for breakfast, Angel wish for seafood and L’Assiette Ice Cream for you've guessed it, ice cream!

Pizza from Trattoria Altrove

Itinerary

Make the most of your time visiting El Nido. Here's a 5-day, 4-night itinerary for your trip.

Day 0: ARRIVAL in PUERTO PRINCESA

06:00 PM: ETA Puerto Princesa Airport
06:15 PM: ETD Puerto Princesa to El Nido
12:00 AM: ETA El Nido/Check-in/Sleep

Day 1: TOUR B & D: Caves and Islands!

07:00 AM: Breakfast
08:00 AM: Start of Tour B and D
04:00 PM: End of Tour
05:00 PM: Back to Town

Day 2: TOUR A: Lagoons and Beaches!

07:00 AM: Breakfast
08:00 AM: Start of Tour A
04:00 PM: End of Tour
05:00 PM: Back to Town

Day 3: TOUR C: Beach Bum Haven!

07:00 AM: Breakfast
08:00 AM: Start of Tour C
04:00 PM: End of Tour
05:00 PM: Back to Town

Day 4: TOUR E: DIY Land Tour!

06:00 AM: Breakfast
06:30 AM: ETA Taraw Cliff
07:00 AM: Climb Taraw Cliff
09:00 AM: ETA Summit of Taraw Cliff/Descent
12:-- PM: End of Descent/Lunch
01:00 PM: Hire Motorbike/Start tour
01:45 PM: Nacpan and Calitang (Twin) Beaches
03:00 PM: Nagkalit-Kalit Falls
04:00 PM: Marimegmeg Beach (Sunset)
06:00 PM: ETD El Nido Town
07:00 PM: Dinner/Back to Hotel

Day 4: (OPTIONAL Early Fly Out)

08:00 PM: Checkout/Travel back to Puerto Princesa
01:00 AM: (Day 5): Check-in to Lodge/B&B
--:-- AM: Catch earliest available flight

Day 5: GOING HOME

07:00 AM: Breakfast
08:00 AM: Checkout/ETD El Nido
02:00 PM: ETA Puerto Princesa

Sand bar in Snake Island

Expenses

Here's a breakdown of what it'll cost per day on a 5-day El Nido trip. This only includes expenses that are necessary like fares (except airfare), food, tour guides, entrance fees and accommodation. Tips and other expenses like "pasalubongs" are not included. The other expenses are shared by a minimum of 2 pax.

Day 0: Puerto Princesa - El Nido Traveel

Fare - Trike Airport to Junction: PhP 8.00
Fare - Multicab in Junction to San Jose Terminal: PhP 12.00
Food Dinner: Karinderia in Bus Terminal: PhP 50.00
Fare - A/C Bus to El Nido: PhP 480.00
Fare - Trike from El Nido Bus Terminal to Accommodation: PhP 25.00
Food Water - 12 Liters: PhP 190.00
Total: PhP 765.00

Day 1: El Nido Check-in/First Tour

Accommodation - Mam Olson Pensionne House: PhP 800.00 / 2 (pax) = PhP 400.00
Food Breakfast - Free Coffee + Pandesal: PhP 10.00
Tour - Tours B & D (with lunch) from Lagoon Tours (+63 926 304 9680): PhP 1,000.00
Food Dinner - Eatery in town proper: PhP 100.00
Total: PhP 1,510.00

Day 2: El Nido Island Tour

Accommodation - Mam Olson Pensionne House: PhP 800.00 / 2 (pax) = PhP 400.00
Food Breakfast - Free Coffee + Cup Noodles: PhP 20.00
Tour - Tour A (with lunch) from Lagoon Tours (+63 926 304 9680): PhP 800.00
Others (optional) - Kayak in Small Lagoon: PhP 300.00 / 2 = PhP 150.00
Food Dinner - Eatery in town proper: PhP 100.00
Total: PhP 1,470.00

Day 3: El Nido Island Tour

Accommodation - Mam Olson Pensionne House: PhP 800.00 / 2 (pax) = PhP 400.00
Food Breakfast - Free Coffee + Bread and Spread: PhP 25.00
Tour - Tours C (with lunch) from Lagoon Tours (+63 926 304 9680): PhP 1000.00
Food Dinner - Eatery in town proper: PhP 100.00
Total: PhP 1,525.00

Day 4: El Nido Land Tour

Accommodation - Mam Olson Pensionne House: PhP 800.00 / 2 (pax) = PhP 400.00
Food Breakfast - Tapsilogan in town proper : PhP 80.00
Tour Guide - Taraw Cliff: PhP 300.00 / 2 (pax) = PhP 150.00
Food Lunch - Eatery in town: PhP 100.00
Transport - Motorbike Rental + Gas: PhP 350.00 + 150.00 = 500 / 2 (pax) = PhP 250.00
Food Dinner - Eatery in town proper: PhP 100.00
Total: PhP 1,080

Day 5: El Nido to Puerto Princesa

Food Breakfast - Eatery in town proper : PhP 70.00
Fare - Trike from Accommodation to El Nido Bus Terminal : PhP 25.00
Fare - Bus from El Nido to Puerto Princesa: PhP 480.00
Food Lunch - Eatery in Puerto Princesa : PhP 60.00
Fare - Trike + Multicab from Bus Terminal to Airport: PhP 20.00
Total: PhP 685.00

Total Expense: PhP 7,005

What are you waiting for?

We've some islands with lovely beaches, beautiful lagoons and amazing caves, but El Nido still has more to boast. Tour C, one of the most popular and tourists' favorite tour, will show us more of the lovely beaches of El Nido!

Hidden Beach

The first beach is located on Matinloc Island. Hidden Beach is, well, hidden between two huge limestone formations. There's a passage between those two limestone formation going to the beach that you need to swim since boats can't go there. The beach is surrounded by limestone formations and tall trees at the back.

Boat docking area

Matinloc Island

Hidden Beach

Shores of hidden beach

Matinloc Shrine

After Hidden Beach, just a nearby destination is Matinloc Shrine. Matinloc Shrine or known as Shrine of Our Lady of Matinloc is an abandoned site that was built around 1982. The shrine offers a great view of the ocean. You'll just need to climb a huge limestone rock to see that.

The abandoned site

Shrine of Our Lady of Matinloc

View from the cliff

A nearby coral reef in Masinloc Shrine

Star or Talisay Beach

Star and Talisay beach are the beach stops where you will be having lunch. Both beaches are located on Tapiutan Island. You can snorkel and swim around while waiting for the tour guides for the lunch.

Kain na!

Chill after a meal

Secret Beach

The next beach is on the other side of Matinloc Island. Among the destinations of Tour C, Secret Beach probably has the most "wow! factor" according to our tour guide. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to see it personally since when we did Tour C, waves are too strong for our boat to dock. Hence, I'll give you some pictures I got from my friends who visited it. By the way, they also said wow!

Helicopter Island

There are no helicopters or even helipad on this destination. It got its name from the shape of the mountain on it. A helicopter without blades. It is usually the last destination of Tour C since it is close to the town of El Nido. Helicopter island has a very nice beach that creamy fine sand. A perfect destination to end the tour.