Island Hopping Day Tour and Vanilla Beach

Big Lagoon

We walk into El Nido town to meet at 8am for our day long island hopping tour. After checking in, we wade out into the water up to our chests to our boat and clamber aboard.

Our first stop is the Big Lagoon where we rent kayaks to paddle through waterways and tunnels made by the gorgeous Karst type mountains. The aqua water is so clear that we can see the coral and small fish.

Our next stop is a snorkeling stop. I finally get to try out my new full face mask. John had seen some mixed reviews online about this mask and its safety however I find it quite comfortable. There are not a lot of fish but I do see some parrot fish, angel fish and numerous others. We are not allowed to go on the beach because the island is privately owned.

Lunch at Shimuzi Island

The next stop is for lunch on Shimuzi Island. My lunch expectations were far exceeded by the spread of fish, shrimp, mussels, chicken, noodles, rice, veggies and watermelon.

The Secret Lagoon

The Secret Lagoon is the next destination. One at a time people swim through a narrow tunnel. The waves are a bit stronger and I decide not to do this but John does so I will hand this part over to him: The wave action flushes you quickly through the tunnel into a sinkhole with open sky above. We spend a short time in the small lagoon before going back the same way although with a bit more difficulty as you are against the flow of water.

A lady from the UK and I stay in the outer inlet and start chatting. She (Louise) and her husband (Shane) sold their house and are travelling for a year. They also have a blog.

Seven Commando Beach

Our final stop is a relaxation time at Seven Commando Beach. I spend my time in the water with Louise and Shane while John lounges on the beach. He eventually joins us. In the short time that I am out in the sun, I manage to burn the tops of my legs.

Evening at Corong Corong Beach

Louise, Shane, John and I decide to meet for supper after cleaning up from the day. They are on Corong Corong Beach which John said had good sunsets. John and I take a a tricycle taxi to Corong Corong. Thankfully John is watching Google Maps on his phone and notices when the driver goes past where we wanted to go. The driver manages to make a u-turn through the busy motorcycle and tricycle traffic. Now that was a bit hair raising.

The sunset on Corong Corong Beach was lovely. We meet Louise and Shane at Piggy’s Sunset Bar and we all chat with the bar owner who is from the UK.

We head to Lions View Restaurant for supper. There is a Tokay Gecko somewhere nearby. It’s call sounds like its saying “F you” over and over again. Click here to hear the gecko sound.

We cannot get a tricycle ride all the way back to our resort because its high tide and the water partially covers part of the road to our hotel so we walk through the water to get to the dry road and walk the last ten minutes back to our resort.

I sleep like a rock.

Lazy Morning at Angel Nido Resort

Next day we have a lazy morning at the resort and in the afternoon take a fifteen minute tricycle taxi ride to Vanilla Beach also known as Las Cabanas Beach.

Vanilla Beach

It is partially cloudy but that makes it a bit more comfortable than the hot, hot sun.

There is a pedestrian lane of shops and restaurants before you hit the beach. I check out a massage spa and shop for an extra bathing suit for our three day island hopping boat trip that starts tomorrow.

Vanilla Beach is just gorgeous, set in a beautiful bay dotted with islands. It’s not crowded and has laid back beach bars and restaurants. We walk a long stretch of the beach before we stop for some coconut water and beer. We sit by the water sipping our drinks and reading our books.

I head for a massage and John goes to another beach bar for a gin and tonic and to read more of his book.

Sunset on Vanilla Beach

We head to another beach restaurant for supper and watch the sun set behind one of the islands. We’re able to walk further down the beach, past the island where we can watch the sun set behind another distant island.

This beach is known for its sunsets and it doesn’t disappoint. Many people have gathered on the sand to take in the view. The sky is painted in glorious colour. A travel blogger wrote that the most beautiful sunsets in the Philippines are seen from this beach. I have to agree. Click here for a short video.

We keep looking back at the darkening sky as we walk away.

We grab another rattling tricycle taxi to take us home. All the tricycles seem to be about to fall apart, barely getting up hills and very noisy. John and I barely fit into the two seater side car… but it is rather fun. Our driver is blasting a repeating loop of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” on his radio. No accounting for musical taste.

We end the night sitting by the water, working on this blog. It’s high tide so the water is gently lapping just feet away from our lounging area.