We came back just in time to go with the 2pm Boat tour to the lagoons.  We joined the group this time.  We had not eaten lunch yet so we asked for some food from the beach resort and since we were boarding we had to leave it since it was not yet ready.  Then we see another dingy bringing the banana bread to our boat 🙂  Service deluxe 🙂  

 Here he is bringing the banana bread 🙂

Thanks to our friend Mart for lending us this waterproof bag and box!  They were really handy because water was splashing from the boat ride so it kept our gadgets dry

We went to the small lagoon first

 Kayaks for rent 🙂

We had our own kayak with our boat.  It was hard for me to take our photo so I took a photo of my feet ( haha! ) at the same time advertising for Havaianas 🙂  I enjoyed the kayak ride into the lagoon!!!!

I was able to take the hubby behind me!    HOW HANDSOME! 🙂  We were two kayaks only in the lagoon so it was so peaceful.  We practically had it all to ourselves

 Again we had to enter a small opening to get inside the small lagoon

Just amazing!!!!! How could we have left Palawan without seeing the lagoons???

After the small lagoon, we took the boat to the Big Lagoon.  Here we transferred from the bangka to a smaller boat and then entered the lagoon

Fish!  

 TRULY BLESSED to have been able to see this!

 Cookies and refreshments on the way home! 

We met Vincent who was part of our group.  He is a diver and took 3 months away from work to visit Asia and tour different countries.  So glad he chose the Philippines.

Arriving back home to the resort with cold towels to refresh 🙂

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We were supposed to leave on the third day since the promo was good for two nights, and as I was telling James, “it was our anniversary yesterday but we didn’t get to do anything. I joked him and said maybe it’s a sign…. A sign for us to go back” haha!!  A few minutes after that conversation, we received a call from the front desk (about thirty minutes before we were going to leave for the airport ) to say that the plane has technical difficulty and if we are willing to stay one more night. “Hmmm… but we have a meeting to catch! Hmmm…but okay we are willing to be stranded for another night!!” LOL!  What an anniversary gift!!! They transferred us to the Canopy villa which is treetop and so another view and another adventure starts God definitely had something to do with this!!

 So that morning, we rushed and rented our own boat so we could explore.  We had missed already the early morning boating trip that was included already in the package.

Map of Bacuit Bay which has many islands and is really more for people that like to go diving/snorkelling.  Many come here just to do that.  Hoping to visit Coron on another trip

 Our guide, Jimboy, who is from the resort.  He sort of reminds me of our friend, Jim Alvarez, who is also known as Jimboy 🙂

The boat trip starts with a dingy that takes you from the resort

to a bangka.  We had that bangka all to ourselves 🙂

Our first stop was Cudugnon cave

 You go to this side

 And you have to crawl into a small opening!!  The guide will teach you exactly what moves to do so you can get to the right position!  Gosh!  Good thing he has towels to line the stones or else you would get hurt :-O

 It’s beautiful inside the cave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It’s peaceful and it’s just an amazing experience.  There are 2 caves inside, so you get down the first one which has sand flooring then you have to climb to the second level

 Which is this

The guide directs us to take a photo by Mickey Mouse! 🙂  I noticed that Filipino guides are good in taking photos whether it be in Bohol, Boracay, Dumaguete etc etc

 I just love the limestone islands in Bacuit Bay!  After Cudugnon, they took us to Cathedral Cave

 We just passed by it because the waves were too strong to go inside

 Then I requested to check out the other El Nido resorts – so this is Lagen where we were supposed to stay originally.  This used to be the best till they opened Pangalusian. I wish we had more time so we could visit all the islands.  Apparently you can go visit the other El Nido resorts but you cannot visit Pangalusian unless you are staying there to keep its exclusivity.  

Miniloc ResortAgain if we had more time, we could have gone here to feed the Jackfish or even swim with them!! ( Photo from the Visual Traveler )

 Other tours recommended by Pangalusian Island

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Heart2Heart is so happy that El Nido respects and preserves the environment

In your villa is a brochure containing images of the different animals you may see at the island – You should take this with you and use it as a checklist as to what animals you saw and where you spotted them

 Due to the winds, we could not go out boating so I suggested we do the trek.

In the morning, we went trekking to the highest point of the island.  It should take around 30 minutes but we took our time and made it up in 45 minutes.  We did not have the proper shoes so we took it slow.  It’s quite a trek but worth it.  You need to go up to the canopy villas

And in the middle of canopy villa 39 and 40 is the start of the trek- the beginning is quite steep.  James and I went up on our own and it was an experience.  James said he would not have done it if it were not our anniversary! haha!! 🙂

Alleluia!!! 🙂  Still another climb to get up.  They told us that someone made a marriage proposal here with champagne and all 🙂  How romantic is that?? 🙂

Time capsule 🙂 TO be opened ten years after the opening of the resort

From here, you can get a 360 degree view of Bacuit Bay!  BEAUTIFUL!!

Other things to do in the island

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On our second day in Palawan, we were scheduled to do two boat trips. The wind was so strong that we were not allowed by the coast guard to boat outside the resort. The morning island tour trip was cancelled due to bad weather and we continued with the second tour after lunch but only to Snake Island

 Snake Island is known for its Sandbar which makes it look like a snake but that afternoon – it was high tide and the Sandbar was not seen 🙁 So we just walked to the Sandbar area but it was underwater at that time

It should look like this

  We only did Snake Island and went back to the resort.  It’s a good thing the resort has many activities.  There was cooking lessons 🙂  The chefs came out and taught us two recipes

Polvoron 🙂  

It was so good!!!

And Palitaw!

YUM!
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I usually like having unique dining experiences when planning a beach trip – but since I thought we were travelling on a package promo with food included, I did not anymore pursue.  But El Nido resorts can definitely arrange different kinds of dining – On the Sandbar of Snake Island, on a beach island nearby, by the Big Lagoon, by the beach etc etc.

In Pangalusian, there are two permanent place to dine – the Pool Bar and Amianan at the Beach Club

As soon as we arrived in the resort, we had our late lunch at the Pool Bar

 It’s beautiful here!!

 The view!

We shared a Pangalusian pizza 

We came back for dinner

 We requested for Panga which was not on the menu!  James wanted to have the same experience we had in Bais but there was a misunderstanding so they served the Pork panga instead of the Tuna Panga.  But anyway it was still okay

Previous entry:  Bais Market and Lunch on the Bangka at the Manjuyod Sandbar July 24, 2014

 Another request of James was Liempo!  James was craving for liempo after having experienced a super sarap liempo from our Tumalog Falls lunch by the waterfalls in Oslob

Previous entry:  Dining by Tumalog Falls July 12, 2014

Breakfast buffet is at the Beach Club restaurant – Amianan.  This is included in the room already

 Love the wooden pieces that they use for display

 Cereal and yogurt

Hot foods

Arroz caldo and the next day they added oatmeal

 Omelette Station

 We also dined at Amianan for two dinners 🙂

Deconstructed Tuna Sushi – Yum!

Amianan Fresh Catch Sashimi Salad

 Tuna Katsu

 The Staff did some carolling during dinner 🙂

 Bouchons Au Chocolat

 Chef Rick’s Mango Torte which they gave us for our Anniversary dinner

And Native dances by the staff of Pangalusian!  They are all around in the island 🙂

El Nido can arrange a meal in the middle of the Blue Lagoon!! whether it be a special event or a marriage proposal 🙂

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