[Throwback] El Nido, Palawan

I had been hearing about how beautiful El Nido was and that it has fantastic (albeit pricey) resorts that are perfect when you want to get away from the world and regain your equilibrium. So when I had the opportunity to stay in Lagen for a few days many years ago, I decided to take it.

Lagen Resort in El Nido, Palawan

I shared my plans with some friends and one of them, Mitch, decided to join me. She took her family with her. I also had a Belgian friend and colleague, Jef, who was in town at the time and he also decided to join us.

I went a bit (a lot?) fancy with my accommodations and I got the Water Cottage, which is built on stilts over the sea. The room is spacious and very comfortable, with a balcony that provides an amazing view of the ocean.

Water Cottage

This trip turned out to be a mix of relaxation and outdoor activities, all of which were included in the package. One of the more interesting things I did was to walk through the forest, from one side of the island to the other.

Hiking through the forest, from one side of the island to the other

Once we got there, we found a couple of kayaks were waiting for us. We got on the kayaks and paddled all the way around the island and back to the resort facilities. That was such a memorable experience!

Kayaking around Lagen Island

We also did some island-hopping where we got to see some fantastic lagoons.

We were also taken to the Lagen Wall, which got its name because it was featured in an episode of the Amazing Race.

The Lagen Wall was featured in the Amazing Race

The evenings were a lot more chill. Mitch and her family would normally retire to their room after we had dinner so during the evenings, Jef and I would hang out in the recreation room, watching DVDs (although I can't recall what movies we watched). All our meals were included in the package but I don't think drinks were, so we didn't really drink a lot during the evenings.

photo of the resort in the evening, taken by my friend Jef

We only stayed there for 3 days and 2 nights but it was thoroughly enjoyable and I'm happy I got to go there with my friends. Writing about this trip to El Nido and the one I took to Busuanga (which I wrote about in my previous post) reminds me how much I love Palawan. It's been about two decades since I was last there so I think I should plan another visit there soon.