El Nido, Palawan

After a mad dash from the airport to the bus terminal and a bumpy, bumpy ride across the island of Palawan, we arrived late-night into El Nido. The section of the island is distinctly small town, so much so that the closest ATM is an hour away.

As such, we checked into our accommodation, a guest house backing onto a shanty village where rooster ruled the roost, as such. Their 3am, 4am, 4:30am wakeup calls were hardly welcome but that's what happens when you book a holiday over Chinese New Year at the last minute. 

My friend, Ian, recommended that this was the closest you got to paradise on earth. And despite the roosters, he was right. Across the road and through another guesthouse, a secluded beach waited for us:

 

'Town' resided a thirty-minute walk down the road. 'Town' was perfectly small, a collection of wooden shack restaurants, dive shops and beachwear vendors:

Snacks were perplexing:

  

 And despite the baby jellyfish laden strong currented waters, the snorkeling was fabulous and the only-by-boat islands were pristine. Look at the beach--it's behind her:

Pineapples in their natural habitat: 

 Even superman frequents these islands:

 But no one else does:

 

 Impromptu island BBQ (thank you, Mr. Fish):

This'll do. This'll do.