Rain out of nowhere!
This is the second and last installment of our island hopping tour in El Nido, Palawan. Last time, you joined me in checking out El Nido's natural treasures that are kept out of sight. Today, I'm taking you to two other destinations my team and I went during this tour.
After losing most of our energy swimming and freediving to reach Secret Lagoon, the tour guide jolted us with a good news: lunch will be served shortly. But the supposedly quick transfer from Secret Lagoon to Tapiutan Island took longer because out of nowhere, a heavy rain covered the entire Bacuit Bay. If not for the calm boat operator and tour guide, I would've panicked. We were miles away from mainland El Nido and if anything bad happens to us, we'll be forced to save ourselves.
Thankfully, we need no saving. Despite the heavy rain, the sea was calm, even unbothered of what was happening above it. I opted to sit in front of the boat, welcoming each drop of rain that touches my skin. A few minutes later, the sky cleared a bit although it was still drizzling; we reached our destination and most importantly, we had the best lunch in the island. Buttered seafood, grilled pork and fish, vegetables, fruits and of course, rice suddenly filled the center of table of our boat. Indeed, it's lunchtime!
Everyone was satisfied with the food. Since most tours take longer than 4 hours to complete, lunch is usually included in the package. I highly suggest you take the tours with food options. The island hopping destination in El Nido aren't like Boracay where you can see restaurants wherever you look. Unless you're in a diet! HAHA!
Either the food was sooo good or people were just hungry they don't have any choice but eat what's available! 🤣 Plates were clean and empty, no wasted food!
At this point, we didn't stick with out agreed itinerary. The day would soon come to an end and people wanted to get back in the hotel and rest before our early flight the following day. Before leaving Bacuit Bay, we stopped by an island. Sadly, I couldn't recall its name. I could recall how marvelous and rich its underwater ecosystem.
Above, the water looked scary and bottomless with its dark blue hue. But some of my colleagues jumped in the water, snorkeled and couldn't be any happier with their choice. I followed and understood where they're coming from. Once in the water, I witnessed an unreal natural sanctuary filled with corals of massive sizes and colors that reflect vibrance and life. My GoPro shots are nowhere near the real thing.
I was just snorkeling at first then I saw our boatman freedive with no gear except a makeshift goggles. I asked him if he could film me while I tried to go as deep as possible. He agreed and the photos below are screenshots from the video he took.
That was our last destination. It was a long ride back in Lio Beach but with the stunning view of island and islets in Bacuit Bay, time flew so fast. Here are more photos I took on our way home. There were countless island/islets; it was impossible for a first-timer like me to memories the names of these destinations.
Our timing of arrival in Lio Beach was perfect for sunset viewing. Some colleagues went straight to their rooms while the younger ones spent more time at the boardwalk, waiting for the sun to say goodbye. It was my 3rd time watching the sun set in this part of El Nido and oh my, how can I even put into words the extravagance and beauty this spot reveals to me each and every time. I could try but I'd rather you stare for a few seconds at the photos I took and see for yourself what I'm trying to articulate here.
Some of the last photos I took at Lio Beach before I bade farewell.
We packed our suitcases and the next day, we traveled back to Cebu. Our trip to El Nido might've been quick but my heart overflowed with joy and gratitude for all the experience and memories I made with my colleagues here. It's one for the books. Until the next Palawan trip!
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