Tag: Philippines

Hostel Of The Day: OUTPOST BEACH HOSTEL – Social El Nido Hostel By The Beach

Hello & welcome to the 3rd installment of Hostel of the Day feature of this website. In the previous posts, I took you to Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach in El Nido & The Stay Sapporo in Japan. This time, I’ll take you back to El Nido, Palawan – same town where the first hostel feature is located. Today, I will walk about our stay in Outpost Beach Hostel.

Last month, my friends & I went on a weekend reunion trip to Palawan. We spent 2 nights in El Nido & another 2 nights in Port Barton. In those 2 nights in El Nido, we stayed in a relatively new but very social hostel named Outpost Beach Hostel. This hostel opened in early 2017; it wasn’t operating yet when I went there in August 2016. The hostel’s atmosphere is very social & both the staff & guests are welcoming & very friendly.

Welcome to our hostel of the day – Outpost Beach Hostel El Nido!

Just like any other Hostel Of The Day post, let me share with you some details & features about this popular El Nido hostel.

Location & Access

Outpost Beach Hostel is located a few minutes from El Nido town, in Sitio Lugadia, Barangay Corong-Corong. This area has a direct beach access & is also a location of many accommodation choices in El Nido. Corong-Corong is known for its magical sunsets & magnificent views of Bacuit Bay. It was raining most of the time during our stay so we didn’t see the beauty of nature.

The hostel is approximately 3 kilometers away from El Nido town, that’s 5-7 minutes away by tricycle. If I remember it right, the fare to town can go as high as ₱60 to ₱100 pesos per tricycle; but it also depends on your haggling skills. El Nido Airport (LIO) is approximately 8 kilometers away from the hostel – also one tricycle ride away from the hostel. Rates to the airport can go as high as ₱200 per way, but again depending on your haggling skills.

If you’re flying to Puerto Princesa International Airport, you can take a 5-6 hour land (van or bus) trip to El Nido. Fares range from ₱400+ for the bus & ₱600 for the shuttle van. For my past trips, I took the shuttle vans & booked with both Camarih Transport & Lexxus Shuttle. Make sure to check their website for the updated rates & schedules. Don’t forget to let the shuttle / bus driver know you’re staying in Outpost – they know where to drop you off.

Room Options & Rates

Inside the 12-bed dormitory room

Outpost Beach Hostel has room options for all types of travelers. While I think this hostel isn’t for families, I still believe they still cater to solo travelers, traveling couples & groups of friends. The hostel has private rooms that can accommodate up to 5 people. Private room rates can go as low as ₱900 per person for the quintuple room & ₱1,000 for the double / twin room. Rates can go as high as ₱1,600 per night for the quintuple room & ₱2,500 per night for the double room during peak season.

Solo travelers can book their stay in their dormitory rooms. As per the hostel website, they have 2 x 12-bed dormitory rooms, 1 x 8-bed dormitory room, 2 x 6-bed dormitory rooms & 6 x 4-bed dormitory rooms. A bed in these dormitory rooms costs from ₱600 to ₱750 per night during off peak season; however prices can go as high as ₱1,000 to ₱1,300 per night during peak season.

This is how the bunk beds look like

All rooms have air conditioning & ceiling fans. Dormitory beds have comfortable mattress & sheets & individual lockers. The 3 of us stayed in the 12-bed dormitory room & we paid around ₱688 each per night via Agoda. You can book your stay via the hostel website or via Agoda.

Hostel Facilities

Guests have access to communal & unisex shower areas & toilets. The showers feature a rainfall-style water flow & hot water system. The design is very modern & stylish. El Nido water is not safe for drinking & for brushing ones teeth. The hostel provides all guests filtered water for brushing their teeth.

Second floor communal area – this place is very quiet every morning

All guests have access to spacious communal lounge areas in the ground floor & 2nd floor. These areas are the best places to meet & chat with your co-guests. We stayed there most of the time & gained a lot of new friends. Guests also have access to a bar & restaurant in the ground floor. The hostel also has a generator set; guests don’t need to worry if there are power interruptions (these interruptions happen a lot in El Nido).

Pretty busy communal area at night – everyone’s busy socializing!

The hostel has a direct access to Corong-Corong Beach. We didn’t have the chance to enjoy the beach as mentioned earlier, it was raining during our stay. They also provide free Wi-Fi to all guests. Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi was not working during our stay. The rainy weather could be one of the reasons why the Wi-Fi was not working.

Overall, the hostel facilities are basic but you get everything you need.

Sunset Bar & Restaurant

The hostel also features an on site sunset bar & restaurant. Guests don’t need to go to town to have some reasonably-priced food & drinks. The restaurant has a variety of food to choose from – be it Filipino or Western food. A breakfast plate can cost as low as ₱220. Lunch & dinner food cost a little bit more. The restaurant pizza is a must-try! Cocktails are priced ₱200 per glass while local beers cost ₱80 per bottle.

Empty hostel bar & reception in the morning

The bar, or should I say, the hostel organizes daily activities / games where guests are free to join / participate. We didn’t see anyone join the gender bender party while we were there, but oh boy everyone had a nice time playing battle beer.

The only thing I didn’t like about the restaurant is it opens at 8:00 in the morning. I think it’s too late? Some people leave the hostel as early as 6:00 am so I believe they should start serving food as early as that.

Tour Desk

Services offered by the hostel tour desk plus the daily hostel activity schedule

Outpost Beach Hostel has an on site tour desk where you can basically book everything. The hostel organizes alternative boat trips (Tours A & C Combination & Tours B & Combination) for only ₱1,500 per person. This rate includes a visit to beautiful islands, caves & lagoons, lunch, boat & guide fees. The hostel also offers van transfers to Nacpan, Port Barton, Sabang & Puerto Princesa & boat tickets to Coron. It’s a one-stop shop for everything you need to do in El NIdo.

My friends didn’t avail tours from the hostel because we’ve tried the tours in our past El Nido visits. Also, all tours during our stay were cancelled for consecutive days due to bad weather.

Verdict

If you are traveling on a budget plus into social drinking & meeting people, then Outpost Beach Hostel is the perfect hostel in El Nido for you. For me, this hostel is a low-key party hostel (in my opinion) but is very social. The facilities & amenities might have minor setbacks (like when Wi-Fi isn’t working & random times when there was no water) but these didn’t affect the charm of this hostel. It’s still one of the best near El Nido town.

My friends & I enjoyed our stay in this hostel. We look forward to coming back to enjoy the beach & to watch El Nido’s beautiful sunset. I just hope the weather will be perfect in our next trip to El Nido.

Outpost Beach Hostel El Nido
Address: Sitio Lugadia, National Highway, Brgy. Corong-Corong, El Nido, Palawan 5313
Phone Number: +‎63 945 128 1729
Email Address: outposthostels@gmail.com
Website: www.outpostbeachhostel.com
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/outpostbeachhostel

Have you been to Outpost Beach Hostel in a fine sunny weather? How was your experience? Did you witness the famous El Nido sunset? Feel free to share your experiences in the comment section below. Is there a new hostel which you think fits to be the next hostel of the day? Let me know which hostel is this & I’ll have a look at it. You can also communicate with me via email by sending an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com or contact me via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Maraming salamat po sa pagbasa at sa oras. 🇵🇭 Sa uulitin! ✌

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Hostel Of The Day: MAD MONKEY HOSTEL NACPAN BEACH – Beach & Party In One Place

If you’ve read my previous posts, you’re aware that I always stay in hostels. Yes, I am a big fan of hostels. Staying in hostels saves me some money & also gives me the opportunity to meet & interact from people all over the world. Most of my previous blog posts mention short information & reviews about the hostels I’ve stayed with in that destination.

I was on a trip with friends last weekend in Palawan & I randomly thought of introducing a new section for my site. This section will feature / review the hostels I’ve been to or stayed with in my previous trips. It will also mention relevant information about the hostel like location, access, nightly rates, amenities, etc. I will call this section Hostel Of The Day.

Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach it is!

The first hostel of the day is Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach in Nacpan Beach, El Nido, Palawan. Mad Monkey Hostels Group is a famous party hostel chain in Southeast Asia (& has recently expanded in Australia) which brings together people from all over the world to have a good time. This hostel chain is famous for their beach / pool parties & their hourly free shots at the bar. What I like about this hostel chain is they employ locals & help out local businesses where their hostels are located. They also host / participate in environment-friendly activities such as clean-up drives.

File photo of Nacpan Beach back in 2014 when it was sunny! Weather was pretty bad last weekend so I didn’t have nice photos.

Another file photo of Nacpan Beach in 2014.. Beautiful place!

One of the recently opened branches of Mad Monkey Hostels is Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach. The hostel is located along Nacpan Beach, about 30 to 45 minutes from El Nido Town in Palawan. Tripadvisor placed Nacpan Beach as 10th Best Beach in the World in 2016. I’ve been to Nacpan Beach several times already & I can say this beach is indeed one of the best I’ve been to. I previously stayed in Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay (article to follow) in 2016 so my friends & I decided to visit their Nacpan Beach branch last weekend when we were in El Nido.

Access

The nearest airport to the hostel is 12 kms away – El Nido Airport (airport code – ENI). From the airport, you can take a tricycle to Nacpan Beach for ₱500-600 per way. You can also fly to Puerto Princesa Airport (airport code – PPS) & take a 5-6 hours land (van or bus) trip to El Nido town for ₱500-₱600 one way. From El Nido town, you can hire a tricycle to Nacpan Beach for ₱600-₱700 per way.

Who doesn’t love Mad Monkey, eh?

The cheapest way to go to Nacpan Beach is by taking the scheduled trips of Discover El Nido Tour Company. They have hourly trips from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm daily. One way trip costs ₱350 while return transfers cost ₱600. You can book your transfers online by clicking this link. Hurry, seats fill up really fast!

View from the hostel bar & restaurant

We took this scheduled van transfer last weekend; the rate was worth it. If you are staying in town, they will pick you up & bring you back to your hostel / accommodation. They also use new & air-conditioned vans which make your trip comfortable & hassle-free.

Tip: Make sure to have enough cash during your stay in Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach. The nearest ATM is in town which is 16 kms away.

Accommodation Choices & Rates

Luke, one of the heads of Mad Monkey Hostels in the Philippines, showed us the accommodation options they have in Nacpan Beach. Note that all the rooms do not have air-conditioning. I can assure you that all these rooms are clean & well-maintained.

The upper bunk beds in the 6-bed dormitory room

The beachfront hostel has a 12-bed basic dormitory room & a 6-bed dormitory room. Each bunk features a power outlet, a mosquito net & a secure storage space (bring your own lock). Rooms have fans & have easy access to communal shower & toilet. Shower areas & toilets are clean & well-maintained. A night stay in the 12-bed dormitory room costs ₱700 while a stay in the 6-bed room costs ₱800.

The camping tents at the back of the dormitory rooms

If you want some privacy, you can book their loft double accommodation for ₱2,000 per night for 2 people. This accommodation choice includes a spacious queen mattress, a wall fan & electrical sockets. Guests also have a private balcony space & have a view of coconut trees outside. If you’re up for some adventure & basic stay, you can stay in a twin tent for ₱1,000 per night for 2 people. The camping tent is only a place to sleep. Guests still have access to lockers. Just like in dormitory rooms, shower areas & toilets are common for all guests.

Screenshot from the hostel website re: rates per night

I checked a random day for next month & saw the following rates in the Mad Monkey Hostel website. I think the 6-bed dormitory room is the best choice for me. You just have the right number of people to share in a room plus you get to enjoy all amenities for such an affordable rate.

Beach Bar & Restaurant

Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach has an on site beach bar & restaurant which boosts affordable & tasty food choices & reasonable alcohol prices. I took a photo of the restaurant’s menu – see below.

The hostel also sells alcohol. Local beers are sold for ₱80 (reasonable considering the location) per bottle while cocktails are available for around ₱200 per glass. I recommend trying their signature Nacpan Beach branch drink called Pacquiao Punch for only ₱200. It’s the counterpart of Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay’s famous Boracay Bomb. The hostel also serves free alcohol shots every hour from noon (correct me if I’m wrong) to 12 midnight. Make sure you’re ready for a lot of alcohol intake when you decide to stay in this hostel.

Free shots at the bar!!!

Nacpan Beach’s signature drink – Pacquiao Punch!

Bar Manager, Harley, preparing the next round of free shots at the bar

Tours & Activities

The hostel may be secluded from El Nido town but guests can still do a lot while staying in Nacpan. Aside from having cold beers, free alcohol shots & unlimited beach swim, guests can also play beach volleyball, have bonfire, go snorkeling & paddle boarding. The hostel also has a stunning view of the sunset. Too bad we were not able to witness it last weekend; but friends we met there said the sunset was one of a kind.

Jam-packed bar & restaurant on a Saturday lunch! Rule number 1 when in a Mad Monkey Hostel – Socialize.

According to the hostel’s website, they also offer an island hopping tour to the Big & Small Lagoons, Secret Beach & Hidden Beach for ₱2,200 per person. Tours happen every Wednesdays & Saturdays. Head over to the hostel website for more information about the tour.

Nacpan Beach is right in front of the Mad Monkey Hostel premises

This pretty much sums up everything you need to know about Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach. This is the place to be if you’re looking for a nice quiet beach with party nights! If you’re into beach life & parties, I recommend staying in this fun hostel. YES, STAY HERE!!! If you have questions about the hostel, feel free to contact them in the details provided below.

Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach
Address: Nacpan Beach, El Nido, Palawan, Philippines 5313
Contact Number: +63 945 412 2369
Email Address: nacpanbeach@madmonkeyhostels.com
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/madmonkeynacpanbeach

PS. Mad Monkey Hostels Group is set to open a new branch in Cebu City in September & another branch in Siargao early next year. Watch out for these new branches soon!

Shout out to Luke, Harvey & to all the kind & accommodating staff & crew of Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach. Thank you for the warm welcome, the drinks & the great stay. You guys made our day trip fun & memorable. Until next time! I hope to come back & stay there for a few nights.

Enjoyed our Pacquiao Punch.. That was hell of a good drink!

Wondering how I get awesome accommodation deals when I travel? I posted a blog how I do it. Click here to know the pattern in getting the best accommodation deals when planning for your next trip. I also previously wrote about the ups & downs of staying in hostels. Head over to the article & check if staying in hostels is your thing or not.

This is Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach!

If you have any or questions, feel free to leave a comment below. You can also reach me via email by sending it to contact@thewkndtravel.com. You can also send me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter. Until the next Hostel Of The Day!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11. Thanks to my friend Maanne for allowing me to use her photos.

Last-Minute SIQUIJOR Weekend (For Less Than ₱7,000 Including Airfare)

3 months ago, my friends & I went on a last-minute weekend trip to Siquijor. I consider it a last-minute trip because we booked the tickets a month before (which I normally don’t do) & we made the itinerary few days before our flight.

Siquijor is a small province island located southeast of Negros Island & south of Cebu. People normally refer to the island as the island of sorcery & witchcraft. They say (but I haven’t seen any proof) many locals practice sorcery & folk medicine in the island. I know for a fact the most provinces here in the Philippines have people who practice this, so I don’t see any reason why Siquijor be labeled as such.

Siquijor’s famous Cambugahay Falls 

One of the purposes of this post is to debunk that myth & to show to my readers that there’s more in Siquijor than witchcraft & sorcery. Siquijor is starting to gain attention from foreign & local tourists because of its beautiful landscapes & very accommodating people. I’ve heard amazing stories from my friends who’ve been there so I was happy I was able to experience what they experienced.

Siquijor squad : (L-R) JE, Geof & myself 😎

Another purpose of this trip was to reconnect with our friend JE who is now based in Dumaguete for work. It’s been years since we last saw him so we took advantage of this trip to visit him & spend the weekend in the chill island of Siquijor.

I will layout to you in this post how we went to Siquijor, where we stayed & what places we visited & how much I spent for this trip.

Ticket

Screenshot of my ticket to Dumaguete ✈️

30 days before the trip, Geof & I booked a round-trip air ticket to Dumaguete for only ₱2,013. That airfare is already cheap considering our trip falls on a weekend (Saturday morning to Monday afternoon) & the trip is 30 days away. We’ve planning to go to Dumaguete for quite sometime, so it was nice to finally push through with the plan.

How We Went To Siquijor

There are a few ways to go to Siquijor from Manila – you can fly to either Dumaguete, Cebu or Tagbilaran then take a ferry / fast craft ride to the island. Given we only had the weekend, we took the easiest option. We flew to Dumaguete in the morning, went straight to Dumaguete Port & took the earliest available ferry to Siquijor.

We initially planned to take OceanJet‘s fast craft service but the units used in the Dumaguete-Siquijor route were under maintenance that weekend. We had no choice but to take the 9:30 am Montenegro Ferry to the island. Upon arrival in the island, we took a motorcycle ride to the Larena Port (the other port) to meet our friend JE, who came from a work trip in Tagbilaran.

Our ride from Siquijor Port to Larena Port; Geof tried to vlog while on the road 😂

The Bruce Resort

Our plan was to spend the 3 days & 2 nights in Siquijor but JE had to go back to go Dumaguete on Sunday night for following day work commitments. We agreed to just stay there for 2 days & 1 night. My friend JE recommended that we stay in Bruce Resort in San Juan.

Our triple room in Bruce Resort

We got ourselves a triple fan room for ₱1,200 per night (without breakfast). The room is a few meters from the beach. It comes with 1 double & 1 single bed with private toilet (with towels & toiletries). Guests can also refill their water bottles for free. This resort is strategically located in San Juan, it’s in the middle of all the major tourist spots. The resort also had a swimming pool which we were not able to use.

Bruce Resort’s beach 😍

Accommodation choices in Siquijor vary; you can find luxury & budget resorts, hostels & homestays in the island. Make sure to choose the type of accommodation that suits you. If you are looking for a budget & nice place to stay, I’ll recommend The Bruce Resort in San Juan, Siquijor.

Siquijor Coastal Tour

Siquijor is only a small island. If you are coming from Dumaguete or South of Cebu, you can actually go there in the morning, explore for the day & go back in the afternoon. The island’s most popular tour is the coastal tour. The most convenient way for small groups to take this tour is to rent a tricycle for a day for ₱1,000. The rate is directed by the local tourism office, so expect that all tricycles will offer the same price. We arrived late on our first day so we decided to split up the coastal tour into 2 days, also to have more time in each place. We went to the following places:

St. Francis of Assisi Church

The St. Francis of Assisi Church, commonly known as the Siquijor Church, is the very first landmark you’ll see upon stepping out of the Siquijor Port. The parish was established in February 1, 1973. Just like any other church made during the Spanish colonial era, this was also made of stone.

Larena Triad Coffee Shop & Restaurant

View from the restaurant 😍

This coffee shop & restaurant was the place we had lunch after meeting up with JE. Situated on the top of a hill, this place offers a panoramic view of the coasts & the sea. From the view deck, you can see the islands of Cebu, Negros & of course, Siqujor. Food was unexpectedly good & was reasonably priced.

Guiwahon Mangrove Park

This mangrove park has a man-made wooden track / bridge between mangroves. They also have cottages for rent if tourists decide to stay for a few hours. I forgot to ask for the cottage rental rates (sorry). Guests are required to register & pay ₱10 entrance fee.

Enchanted Balete Tree

The enchanted balete tree is a 400-year old tree located along the national road in Lazi. A visit to the tree premises is free; but the place also offers a fish spa for only ₱10 per person.

San Isidro Labrador Church

The San Isidro Labrador Church or Lazi Church is the largest & oldest Church in Siquijor. It was built in 1884 using stone & wood.

Inside Lazi Church ⛪

San Isidro Labrador Convent

The San Isidro Labrador Convent is situated in front of the Lazi Church. This is a museum of historical artifacts & antiques. Unfortunately, the museum was closed when we were there.

Cambugahay Falls

Cambugahay Falls is a three-tiered cascading falls with clear water coming from natural springs & rainwater. The falls is 100+ steps down from the main road. The highlight of visiting this place is trying their Tarzan swings – hanging in the man-made vine & jumping into the water. There are 3 swings (with different heights); each swing costs ₱40 but you get unlimited tries. We stayed for more than 2 hours in this place & had more jumps than we expected – definitely our favorite in this trip.

Tip: Best to hire a guide that will take you around the falls. The guide will also serve as your photographer when you jump into the falls. They don’t have a prescribed rate; but I think it’s best to give them ₱100-₱200.

Salagdoong Beach

Salagdoong Beach is located in the small town of Maria, Siquijor. Located a few downhill minutes from the main road, this place is famous for its cliff diving spot, rock formations & a nice white sand beach. The resort has a restaurant where you can have your lunch. They also have cottages for rent & rooms for overnight accommodation. Entrance fee to the resort is ₱25 per person. Make sure to conquer your fear & try cliff diving. I tried it twice & it was hell of fun!

View from the cliff diving spot 😍

Tip: Do not go here on a weekend, especially on a Sunday. Locals usually go here for Sunday family excursions. We were there on a Sunday & the place was crowded.

Two other tourist spots we missed out (due to time constraints) in the coastal tour are Calipay Spring Park, a public natural spring made by the local government for the locals & visitors, & Paliton Beach, one of the nice beaches in the island.

Cebu Detour

After enjoying a nice late lunch & afternoon in Salagdoong Beach, we went back to Siquijor Port to buy tickets for the last ferry trip to Dumaguete. Upon arrival in the port, we found out that Ocean Jet still doesn’t have trips & all the other trips were fully booked. It was a blessing in disguise we were with JE – he knew another way of going back to Dumaguete, via Liloan in Cebu.

View from the ferry en route to Liloan, Cebu

We immediately went to the other port in Larena & got tickets for the 5:00 pm ferry trip to Liloan, Cebu. The slow ferry ride took us about 2 hours. Upon arrival in Liloan Port, we took the tricycle to the fast craft terminal to Sibulan. Thank God we made it to the last trip for the day at 7:30 pm. The trip to Sibulan Port (located in the town beside Dumaguete City) took us 30-40 minutes. We were back in Dumaguete before 9:00 pm.

Dumaguete City Side Trip

We only had 1 night & 1 morning in Dumaguete so we weren’t able to go to the nearby attractions like Manjuyod Sand Bar, Casaroro Falls & Apo Island. We only stayed in the city in our short stay. Upon arrival in the city, we headed to the Sans Rival Bistro to have dinner.

Dinner with the boys at Sans Rival Bistro

After dinner, JE took us around the city. He showed us the church, the boulevard (like Manila’s Baywalk), the city church & bell tower, the city & provincial halls, the malls (haha) & other notable establishments. Then, we went to Golden Gate Suites to check in, leave our stuff & freshen up. We went out for coffee at midnight before we finally dozed off.

Our room in Golden Gate Suites, Dumaguete City

The following morning, we went out for breakfast at Cafe Mamia & dropped by Sans Rival Bistro to buy some treats for families & friends back home. We went back to the hotel & spent the rest of the morning there before heading to the airport for our flight to Manila.

A trip to Dumaguete will never be complete w/o buying the famous silvanas! 😋

Summary of Expenses

Everything might last-minute for this trip, but let’s have a look at how much I spent for the entire trip.

Spending ₱6,836 for a Siquijor weekend getaway (airfare included) is not bad. The airfare was definitely a bargain, considering it was booked 30 days before the trip. We obviously spent more on food but it was all good. We didn’t have enough time to explore more of Dumaguete but I look forward to visiting the city again soon.

Until our next trip! 😊

My friend Geof made vlogs about this weekend trip! Make sure to check  his Day 1 vlog & Day 2 vlog. Don’t forget to subscribe to his channel for more travels & adventures.

Have you been to Siquijor? How was your visit to the beautiful island? Are you planning to go there soon? I think you should! Feel free to post your questions in the comments section below. You can also send me an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Drop me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC Re & HTC U11.

Throwback Thursday Treat: Third Time Fun in El Nido

It’s been over a month since my last trip blog post. I am very sorry I haven’t posted anything; I’ve been busy with work & personal stuff. I had several birthday celebrations; I’ve also been just back from a week in Bali & a weekend in my hometown in Albay. I hope everyone is doing well. I promise to keep up with all the content planned for the past weeks.

Anyway, back to business. It’s Thursday, so it’s time for another Throwback Thursday Treat! It’s been a year since my high school friends & I spent a long weekend in El Nido, Palawan (my 3rd time). I think it’s a good time to relive the good times we had in that short weekend trip.

View from El Nido town 😍

Airfare

Philippine Airlines had their annual Christmas sale last December 2015. I was able to book a round-trip ticket to Puerto Princesa City for only ₱1,636. The fare included a 10 kg check-in baggage allowance per way & in-flight snack. Not bad, right?

Screenshot of my ticket to & from Puerto Princesa, Palawan

All the while, the plan was to go to El Nido / Port Barton alone for a weekend, but my high school friends decided to join me on that same weekend. We had plans of going to El Nido but I never thought it will be during this trip that we’ll go there. At least, I didn’t have to enjoy paradise by myself.

Trip to El Nido

2 friends flew to Puerto Princesa days earlier & went around the city for a day & a half. Junelle & I flew on the same afternoon, but with via different airlines. Upon arrival in Puerto Princesa, we immediately went to our friend’s hotel located a few meters from the airport.

Upon arrival at Puerto Princesa International Airport

We had dinner at Kinabuch’s Grill & Bar in Puerto Princesa before heading to the bus terminal to catch the last night bus to El Nido. The air conditioned bus left at 9:00 pm & arrived in El Nido at around 2:30 in the morning. We headed to our respective accommodations & slept for the rest of the morning.

Accommodation

I already booked my accommodation right before my friends booked their flights. I got a dormitory bed in El Nido’s newest (that time) hip hostel – Spin Designer Hostel. I booked via Booking.com; the nightly rate includes a bed in a 4-bed dormitory room with toiletries & breakfast. I paid ₱2,750 for 4 nights.

Each guest is provided a room key card, a spacious bed & locker. Guests have access to common shower & toilet facilities. Wi-Fi is only available in common areas (not sure if they have given access up to the rooms). The hostel also organizes day trips & night activities like acoustic nights, sports nights, barbecue nights, etc. The common areas were well-designed & spacious. The hostel is very social; it’s very easy to meet & connect with new people.

The staff were one of the nicest & the most helpful I’ve met. The hostel is also secured with guards on duty 24/7 on both gates. If you are alone & keen on meeting new people, Spin Designer Hostel is the hostel for you. Make sure to book your stay early as they are usually fully-booked.

Note: My friends stayed in a different accommodation because there were no other beds available in Spin Hostel.

Nacpan Beach Day 1

We hired 2 tricycles for ₱1,200 each for a day trip to Nacpan Beach. We left around 10:00 in the morning & decided to stay there up until 4:00 in the afternoon. It was supposed to be a day of relaxation, but the weather didn’t cooperate. It was raining most of the afternoon. We still had fun in the beach despite the heavy rainfall.

‘Habang umuulan’ photo with Junelle 😂

We headed to Las Cabanas Beach to watch the sunset, but it wasn’t at its best. The sky was cloudy; you could barely see the sunset. We went back to our respective accommodations to freshen up. We met up at 7:00 pm to have dinner at Trattoria Altrove, a known Italian restaurant in town.

Tour A Island Hopping Tour

Tour A is a must when in El Nido. It is my 3rd time to visit this place & I still go back for this tour. For the third time, I took Tour A – an island hopping day tour which goes to different lagoons & beaches in Bacuit Bay.

We booked the tour in the agency partner of our Nacpan tricycle driver. The tour is priced at ₱1,200 but we got ours for ₱1,100 each because we were a group of 4. Our driver picked us up at 8:00 am & we went straight to the beach. We left the town at 8:30 am & enjoyed the tour around the islands until 4:00 pm. Here are the places we visited:

Small Lagoon

Secret Lagoon

Snorkelling somewhere near Miniloc Island

Shimizu Island (also the place where we had lunch)

Big Lagoon

Seven Commando Beach

Nacpan Beach Day 2

We had a little debate whether we’ll take Tour C or go to Nacpan Beach again for our 3rd day. We wanted to relax a bit so we went for the latter. The weather was perfect & the beach was at its best! I’ll let the photos show how relaxing the place was.

Nacpan & Calitang Twin Beach 😍

Last Day

Right before eating lunch in Badjao Seafront Restaurant 

We took the 8:00 am Camarih Transport shuttle back to Puerto Princesa; dropped by the pasalubong center to get some goodies for families & friends back in Manila; ate lunch at Badjao Seafront Restaurant (a must-eat restaurant in Puerto Princesa) & headed to the airport for our flights back to Manila.

It was short but fun weekend trip with my high school friends. We’ve been to different places & countries & I think this El Nido was one of the best trips we had. We don’t have anything planned for our next trip (ehem); I hope we get to decide where we’ll go next & when will that be. I could travel the whole world with these people.

El Nido ’16 crew group photo 😊

If you haven’t read it yet, I already blogged about my past 2 El Nido trips – March 2014 trip & 2014 Birthday Weekend. Have you been to El Nido recently? Any notable changes in infrastructure, island hopping tour costs, etc? Feel free to let me know by putting some comments below. You can also send me an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Drop me a message on Facebook, drop a comment on Instagram or send me a tweet on Twitter.

The world-famous Big Lagoon during low tide

Curious how I booked my super duper cheap round-trip ticket to Puerto Princesa? Don’t worry, I got you covered. Head over to this post (and this post too) to know more.

‘Til the next throwback Thursday post! 😉

PS. All photos above were shot using my HTC Re.

Good News Sunday: Philippine Passport Validity Extended To 10 Years

GOOD NEWS Filipino travel community!

Last 2 August 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 10928 amending Section 10 of Republic Act No. 8239, commonly known as the Philippine Passport Act of 1996.

RA 10928 extends the RA 8239 5-year passport validity provision to 10 years. Note that this this only applicable to Filipino citizens 18 years old & above. Filipinos under 18 years old at the time of application will be issued passports with 5-year validity.

The republic act also mentions, “That the issuing authority may limit the period of validity to less than ten (10) years, whenever in the national economic interest or political stability of the country such restriction is necessary.“

It also states that the act will take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a national newspaper.