El Nido Thread 4

[sweetbabycakes]

naisip ko na mag ac roro bus na lang since mahihiwalay kami ng byahe ni hubby dahil ibang oras flight nya. magvavan mga friends namin. ok lang ba, di naman masikip or nakakangawit? shorter ba ang bus trip kesa bus?

gano kanipis ang walls sa entalula? parang gusto ko na ata magcabana. :-(

[zee87]

not sure which one is faster.
Roro Bus lang natry namin.
Ok naman ang space. Sakto talaga sa isang tao.

[matetreyes]

sisses suspended nga pala ang biyahe ng roro bus dahil nagkaroon ng malaking accident na marami ang namatay.

[missroitee]

sisses suspended nga pala ang biyahe ng roro bus dahil nagkaroon ng malaking accident na marami ang namatay.

Kelan ito sis?

[matetreyes]

this month lang sis. kakagaling lang namin ng san vicente kaya nabalitaan namin yan kay tiara.

[beautyandcurves]

balak namin mag backpacking pps to elnido. meron po ba kayong marecommend na murang accomodation or any contact # ng mga recommended person na pwede namin macontact for island hopping thank you!

[matetreyes]

sis yung tours sa el nido, standardized ang pricing nya. so kahit saan ka mag-ask, pare-pareho. may ibang tour operators na nagbabagsak presyo pero it turned out bawal pala yun. pwede sila masuspend. saka yung mga ganun, usually hindi accredited ng DOT or walang travel insurance na kasama.

for some hindi important ang travel insurance, pero after na narescue kami sa San Vicente, Palawan, naniniwala na ako na dapat safe and secured ang kukuning boat at ang mga guide dapat accredited and knowledgeable. hindi tira lang ng tira. kasi may iba papayag mag-layag kahit super lakas ng alon pero pagdating sa gitna hindi pala kaya ng boat. ang nagyari sa amin, naputol na yung ilang katig tapos gusto pa sumuong ng boatman sa isa pang beach! kaloka!

nabalitaan ko din na may nasa watchlist ang tour operators assoc ng el nido. yun nga yung mga todo magbagsak presyo tapos walang travel insurance at hindi accredited ang mga guides.

[jareivy]

^ nakakatakot naman pala yan sis, mas ok na gumastos ng mas malaki basta safe naman. wala naman nasabi kung hanggang kailan suspended ang Roro Bus? Mukhang mas ok na nga lang mag-van kung ganun...balak kasi namin mag-Roro bus kasi gabi ang byahe namin.

[matetreyes]

korek. kaya lesson learned, ok na ako sa standard rate. wag ng baratin, hehe. basta dapat kumpleto ang life vest! hehe

saka it's a way of giving back to the community na din.

yung roro wala pa yata sis balita. madami daw kasi yung namatay dun sa accident kaya sila nasuspend. sayang nga kasi ok sya lalo na kapag gabi ang byahe. hindi sana sayang oras ng tourists.

[danda]

^ ayan sis ang tumatak sa isip ko nung una kaming nagtravel. Sabi ng guide namin, mas okay daw magbayad ng mas mahal basta safe at accredited ang mga guides. Tsaka dapat daw maging mabait sa mga kasamang guide/bangkero kasi sila ang tutulong sayo if ever na may mangyaring hindi inaasahan..

[jhandee]

http://www.zambotimes.com/archives/news/73865-LTFRB-suspends-32-units-of-RORO-transport-services.html


eto yung accident mga sis

[missroitee]

Just got back from our 5 days, 4 nights "relaxation vacay" at El Nido!!!! Super sarap mag-relax lalo na super pagod talaga kami sa work lately.

I will post pictures soon. Meanwhile, here's what we had last week:

Monday, Sep 30
8AM - Flight from MNL to PPS
9AM - Touch down PPS
10AM - We were fetched at the airport by a Eulenjoy rep since we booked our van via Entalula
10:30AM - departure from PPS to El Nido. It was really a super tiring travel given the fact na maulan during that time so rough road plus wet road = alam niyo na ang bagal di ba? We were given that seats that we really chose during the time that we booked the van (back of the driver since dalawa lang kami, super luwag at comfy so may enough leg room talaga). We had 2 stop over. One is in Roxas where we had our quick lunch around 30 minutes siguro and the last was in Taytay where we had a 15-min bio-break. The last 2 hours were really spent on the rough road. I thought na next time talaga, para mas masarap ang tulog sa van, I will bring my headrest. 

5PM - ETA at El Nido shuttle area. Hindi na daw allowed na maghatid ang mga vans going to the town proper where the beach and cottages are located para naman daw may income ang mga tricycle drivers.
5:30PM - ETA at Entalula Beach Cottages. We paid kuya trike driver 50.00 for both of us na.

Upon arriving at Entalula, we were immediately lead to our cottage (beachfront cabana with own porch ). I must say that among all the accommodations in the El Nido beach proper area, Entalula is the most recommended for those folks that opt to have a very comfy and relaxing stay. Bawal ang maingay beyond 10PM at very hands-on ang mga owners dahil sasawayin talaga kayo. The whole Entalula property looks like a Spa Village when you get inside. We preferred such accommodation kasi nga habol namin ng friend ko is relaxing ang aura unlike if we go to other resorts na 4-walled room at maingay ang mga nakatira.

The room rate since nasa peak season na kami was 2,200/night. It comes with continental breakfast and brewed coffee plus fruits on the side every morning wherein they will ask you the night before what time you want your breakfast be delivered in your porch (sosyal talaga haha!). The wifi is pretty much OK except meron one night na nag-down ang wifi nila we cannot really connect maybe this was due to the heavy rains nung madaling-araw nga. But the remaining days OK naman ang wifi nila. Also, since me and my friend are a coffee person, we always asks for a coffee to be served everytime we get back to the cottage after walking around El Nido or having a tour. Yun nga lang 3n1 na lang yun sineserve nila while we seat in the patio facing the beach. Sa dami ng coffee na nirequest namin we cannot even remember magkano na siguro dagdag sa bill namin. But the good catch here is upon checkout when we reminded the owner that she may have forgotten our coffee requests during our stay, she said na libre na lahat yun. Haha! Another thing is they sell cashew nuts (roasted and garlic/salt) at P150.00 per pack (this is the big pack ha) so we had them for pasalubong din.

Until here muna mga sissies. Back to work na. Back to reality na. Haven't organized my thoughts pa about the whole El Nido experience e! 

[danda]

^haha! nabitin ako sa pagbabasa sis! Gusto kong malaman kung anong island tour ang nagawa ninyo since maulan.. 

[missroitee]

^Last week was the first time that the island tours resumed since masyadong maulang weeks/months before we arrived there. Actually, during our stay, maulan pa din talaga.

Tuesday (2nd day)
We were offered Tour B. We don't want to join the tour yet kasi sobrang pagod talaga kami sa byahe at we need more sleep plus we thought na mas maganda talaga ang Tours A and C. So what we did is super food trip and naglibot kami by foot sa beach proper and explored the towns looking for the hotels and inns that we saw in the reviews and internet. Also we looked for the restaurants na nakikita namin sa mga reviews.

We went to some mini-stores to buy chips, drinks para sa cottage kapag nauhaw kami and some other stuff that we need. Entalula is located between Tandikan and Periking, just across Altrove Bar and Restaurant so imgaine its accessibility to the major establishments in the area. Since we decided to have Tuesday as our laid back day, maulan din sya that day mga hapon until the evening.

We had lunch at The Alternative and bought their crab in garlic.. Take note, medyo pricey sa The Alternative and you had to eat there on barefoot (mostly the restaurants there are accepting visitors on barefoot so you have to leave your slippers at the front area I guess so they can maintain the cleanliness of their space). Since pricey sa The Alternative and we saw naman na big ang servings nila, we ordered the crab in garlic... King Crab ito promise. Napakalaki. Haha! The spot that we took is not in the birds nest kasi pinipinturahan yun buong resto so medyo wet paint pa sa birdsnest area. September and October are also the months where most of the hotels and other establishments do their renovations. Our bill here for 1 king crab in garlic sauce, 2 garlic rice and 2 bottles of coke costed us almost P500 for both of us na. Kasi nga we shared for the food.

Then the night of our 2nd day stay in El Nido, we had our dinner The Lone Carabao Lounge. This offers a good mix of Filipino and Mexican dishes at an affordable prices. Plus they have wifi (The Alternative has none). We ordered Hulabos na Hipon good for two ulit Haha. Masarap promise. We really liked the dish. Of course plus 2 plain rice and 2 bottles of coke ulit. Super busog na kami that night so we went back to Entalula and asked again ate for our new set of coffee as we take them in the patio of our beachfront cottage while having some yosi break and unlimited wifi again until we decided to call it a night.

So our 2nd day was full of walking exploring the town itself.  Sorry if wala kaming much tour since we really want to relax lang in El Nido. Our tour commended on our 4th day (Thursday) which is Tour B. We missed the Tour C offered to us on our 3rd day dahil inabutan ako ng flu sa El Nido because of the weather nga. 

[soulflygirl]

^wow thank you so much sis! big help ka as in.
tamang tama magdownpayment na kami sa entalula tomorrow for cabana din.

[danda]

thanks sis missroitee!

Ano pang accommodation ang okay na location na napansin ninyo?

[missroitee]

^Sis ok din ang Periking katabi sya ng Entalula, then after Entalula naman yung Tandikan. Sila yun mga nasa harap mismo ng ibang mga establishments along the main road. In fairness, hindi dinig ang ingay ng mga tryke if nasa loob ka ng Entalula, if you are located inside the Cabanas ha.

Yun kasing mga Inns sa papuntang The Alternative medyo tagong daan na at masikip at super residential talaga po sila. Meron din dun akong friend na nagstay before sa Shore Pass Lodge, it's right across The Art Cafe parang house-apartment type naman siya.

Another thing, we met a couple from Taiwan, the girl is Filipina. They initially booked their whole tour (package ito) and they were booked sa El Nido Beach Hotel which is also kahilera lang ng Entalula. However, last minute notice ng they were asked to transfer to Entalula (for 2 days only kasi fully-booked talaga ang Entalula e) and then the remaining days sa Marina Garden (which is kahilera din lang ng Entalula halos). Nagkaproblem daw sa piping ng El Nido Beach Hotel after ng bagyo medyo yellowish yun mga lumalabas na water sa CR. Sila naman I think ang nagasikaso ng transfer nun mga guests nila.

Based sa feedback ng Pinay na yan nung nakasama namin sila during Tour A (and nagpalaba na din sila sa Entalula kahit na nasa Marina na sila lumipat on their remaining days of stay sa El Nido), medyo maingay daw sa Marina Garden. Kasi I guess dahil masyadong malaki yung lugar and yung open space so madaming pwede tumambay kahit off-hours na. Sa Entalula kasi talagang very private ang dating.

To sum it up, best to stay pa din sa mga hotels along the main road at beachfront pa din sila kasi they are closer sa mga establishments at medyo malayo sa mga common residential areas. You can start sa Lally and Abet (medyo pricey ito), then El Nido Beach Hotel (pricey din), Tandikan, then Entalula, Dana Fernandez (parang masukal yun ambiance ng area nila sa dami ng halaman nila haha), Periking, Marina Gardens. Sunod-sunod po sila na nakalugar jan. Before kasi we booked talagang super check kami ng mga reviews online ng mga nakita namin na hotels and inns. Ang main concern namin aside sa relaxing dapat ang area is the security. Most of the Inns either they share a common bathroom OR may history ng bed bugs OR nakawan sa room. Be very careful lang talaga in choosing your hotel because you don't want na when you are away doing the tours pagbalik niyo may nawawala na kayong gamit. Sa Etalula, everyday sila naglilinis ng mga rooms and cabana at nagpapalit ng toiletries and sheets. And walang nawala sa mga gamit namin kahit na iniwan namin ang mga ipad and cellphones namin doon. This is so true. 

Also, I suggest you go with accommodation that offers free breakfast na din. Para hindi kayo ganon kagutom when you go sa tours at lunch na lang hihintayin niyo. Normally kasi, sa tour nila napansin ko na sa island na nagluluto sila Kuya so medyo matatagalan ka ng konti at magiinip ka kung gutom ka na and you don't want to swim. Better yet magbaon kayo ng sarong/malong or rent a beach towel para meron kayong higaan sa mga islands where you will stop over. Baon din kayo ng water bottle para mas comfy ang paginom niyo ng drinks at chips if you want also.

I am slowly uploading pictures sa facebook ko. Will share them to public once I am done. 

[missroitee]

At dahil atat ako, haha , here's the link. I hope you guys can access it because I made the album Public na for viewing.

I am not yet done in uploading the pictures kasi toxic sa work after my 5 days of El Nido getaway.  I will continue to post feedback here as I gather my thoughts. Or maybe you can ask away also and let's see if I can answer them.

https://www.facebook.com/anaruth.fernes/media_set?set=a.239331659555829.1073741825.100004369896767&type=1

[danda]

^thank you sis! Mukhang mapapa Entalula kami ha! hehe!

[winkypops]

how much po ang budget going to El Nido and what month magandang pumunta?

TIA