After a great day of rest and relaxation, we were ready for our rescheduled excursion to the islands. We couldn’t have asked for a better day. The weather was perfect. The sun was shining and we were ready to take in the beauty of Palawan.
We met at the center of the El Nido beach front. Several colorful bangkas filled the bay past the sandbar waiting for the hundreds of people that were ready to embark on the different island tours. The tour was about $23 a person, which included a lunch and about eight hours out on the sea. We organized with our group and tour leaders and actually had to head to Corong Corong Beach to head to our specific tour. We shuttled further down south and finally reached where our group pick up was. We put on our lifejackets and made our way through the water to find our home for the next eight hours. We had a group of about 20 other passengers and 3 crew. We went over some very very loose rules: you can put on your lifejacket if you want and if you drop your phone we’re not stopping, lol. The tour hit 5 different stops: Small Lagoon, Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island, and 7 Commando Beach. We settled in and headed to our first location at Small Lagoon.
Every where you looked there was beautiful turquoise water and enormous limestone cliffs - it was so serene and yet I couldn’t help but think I was in a movie. The rock formations on the islands looked like a secret lair for a bad guy in a James Bond movie. It was mind blowing as we passed along each island because it reminded me just how massive the Earth actually is. In that moment I felt so small, but that moment was so massive in my journey as a human being.
When we arrived to Small Lagoon we docked in the water about half a mile from a little cove and a small strip of sand. They gave us some goggles, snorkeling gear and sent us on our way for about 45 minutes of free time to explore. This small section was packed with different tours (probably why they recommend booking a private tour) but it never felt overcrowded. We swam over to the little cove and waited in line to see what the Small Lagoon was all about. We waited on top of black rocks on the side of the mountain as the waves washed up little sea creatures I’ve never seen before. We climbed through a small entrance which lead to this hollowed out cave with waist deep water. Sun peeked through the open ceiling. It was magical. We swam around for the rest of time, visited the “beach”. Then we headed back to the boat to get ready for the next stop.
Our next stop was Shimizu Island. Here we stopped for our Kamayan lunch as we floated in the middle of the sea. They prepared everything on the boat right before our eyes. The menu consisted of grilled chicken and fish with rice. There was a cucumber salad and plenty of fresh fruit. Boats docked right next to us selling fresh fruit and San Miguel beers. This was also free swim time as we spent about an hour and a half here. It was perfect.
After our filling lunch break we headed to Big Lagoon. This was the kayak portion of our trip. The lagoon was a long narrow channel surrounded by the limestone cliffs. There were kayakers, divers, and smaller boats making their way through the channel. The water was shallow and clear enough to see all the way to the bottom. The cliffs towered over us providing shade at times from the midday sun. To be directly in the middle of that was just incredible.
We had two more stops on our tour but as a group we decided we wanted more time at the last destination, 7 Commando Beach. The beach was gorgeous and full of life. Coconut trees, swings, shops, bars and different vendors lined the interior of the beach. We walked around, took in the sights and we sipped on an ube shake as we people watched. We got the call to head back. Our group piled back on our boat and we coasted back to Corong Corong beach as we watched the sun set. It was a long and packed day but it was absolutely worth it. What an expedition.
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