El Nido

We got back from our vacation to one of the most beautiful places in the Philippines (the world?). The lonely planet write up was right on. With some help from dramamine I survived my first flight on a small plane onto a dirt runway (see video below). As part of our resort package we got a private boat trip each day to a place of our choosing. The first day we went to two lagoons that the area is known for. The small lagoon was the best. We don't have pictures because we had to swim through a hole in the limestone to get to it. Inside there was blue-green water and tall limestone walls with jungle vegetation. There was some cool stuff to see via snorkel along the sides of the rock.

The next day we weren't as excited about our destination but it turned out to be beautiful as well. It was called Snake Island and it is the white strip of beach in the picture to the right. We also went to some caves (Cathedral Cave below).

Day 3 was our favorite day. It was the first day where we didn't see other boats with people. We went to Helicopter Island (video below) which was a deserted island with a white sand beach, jungle, blue green water and coral for snorkeling. We felt like castaways. Then we went to another lagoon (Cadlao Lagoon video below) where we saw all sorts of cool wildlife like birds, crabs and a 5 foot long lizard.

Day 4 we went to some other deserted beaches and then back to helicopter island. The best thing about the trip was observing nature. We saw lots of flying fish in the water. There were tons of crabs on the beach with beautiful shells. The limestone cliffs and lush jungle were homes to all sorts of tropical birds. We were really sad to leave (and even more sad to have to get back in the small plane). Check out the picture slideshow for more photos!


Plane Landing in El Nido



Helicopter Island



Cadlao Lagoon

Excited for our Holiday Break!

2 School days left and we have a nice two and a half week break!!!

Heather and I are very excited. On Thursday, we will be flying to El Nido to explore the Bacuit Archipelago. This is what Lonely Planet says about our destination:

"The Bacuit Archipelago is a fantastic seascape where Mother
Nature appears to have let her imagination run wild. It is a collection of
jagged limestone islands that leap skyward from the crystal-clear waters of Bacuit Bay. The archipelago is similar to Vietnam's Ha Long Bay, or the Krabi and Phi Phi area of southern Thailand, only- dare we say it- more beautiful. Many of the islands have sheltered bays that conceal white sand beaches, stunning lagoons, and vivid coral gardens."

Yeah! We are excited! We are staying at the Dolarog Beach Resort for 5 nights.

Originally, we had flight arrangement complications (Of course!). We wanted to fly directly to El Nido, but one of the big resorts ($300 per person per night) has a monopoly on all flights and you can only fly with them if you stay with them. The flight we had paid for brought us two hours south- but no longer exists. Luckily, the flight that goes directly to El Nido opens up there plane to other passengers 5 days ahead of travel time and we got on! So, on Thursday morning we fly out at 11:30 AM and should be on the beach by around 1:00 to 1:30 PM.

The only catch is I have to sneak some anxiety drugs in to Heather that morning. She freaks on big flights- our flight is smaller and lands on a dirt runway. Here is a link with photos. I am super excited about the flight as well! (as long as Heather is somewhat medicated:-)

We will post pics for you all when we return! As excited as we are to be travelling, we are very sad to be missing time with friends and family during the holiday season. We hope everyone has a fantastic holiday!