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Kayaking, snorkeling and luxury camping expeditions in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines

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• A chance to reflect

  Family, in the Philippines is a special and exciting part of the culture. It is why I wanted to raise my daughter here. Family is not reserved for mom and dad; sister and brother. It is more far reaching than that. Family can be friends, can be neighbors, can be people with whom you share a small town, a small street, or a class. Ate or kuya, tito or tita are terms used by people (mostly by younger to older) that mean literally sister, brother, aunt and uncle. This idea, this practice, that the children of one family refer to older people in other families without any ‘familial’ connection, is very powerful and sincere. Family is an important part of the Philippine way of life, and although it appears to be used more freely than in other places around the world, it has that much more power to bring everyone together.

  I was recently contacted by someone who had read a blog I published about a year ago now. At the time, I was reflecting on issues that may not represent precedents toward moving tourism in El Nido in a positive way. In that post, I commented on how in El Nido there are few opportunities to do ‘banking’ related transactions while on vacation. There are no banks here and if you want to us a credit card or exchange money, the rates are incredibly high. Had I said it like that and ended it by saying to ‘just bring cash’ I suspect I would not have received the email that I did; for it is true, exchange rates and credit card fees are high. While I did end it like that, I didn’t say it exactly as I just did. Instead, I mistakenly made a connection between the only operator/business in town willing to exchange money and accept credit cards and their supposed gouging (purposely making rates higher than fair market value) in the pursuit to do so. As it was pointed out to me, this was an incorrect connection and one that I should not have made. It is easy to talk ‘monopoly’ and suspect the worst if there is only one proprietor doing that service. As I recently was told, it doesn’t make it true.

  I will spare all of the details of what is involved in charging fees for the aforementioned services, but that is not what I want to relay in this post anyway. Most people in a service oriented business can see the fees justified quite easily - even the higher costs for which I was shown why. What I want to do in this post is rectify a dis-service I did to the person and business whom I blogged about a year ago. My intention was not to make them out as the bad guys, although I suspect I did by singling them out by default (since they were the only ones doing it).

  The business is El Nido Boutique and Art Cafe and the owner whom contacted me (and thank you for doing so) is Judith Distal. I should have said ‘just bring cash’ and then went on to talk about how Judith and the Art Cafe are an important landmark in town; how they have been providing good service to tourists and their employees for many years; how they care about the environment and the future of the town. I should have done this because this is what family is all about. Our small town with even a smaller community of tour operators is a family. The email Judith sent made me reflect on my approach to the topic which spent more time talking about ‘the who’ as the antagonist rather than ‘the what’ which really deserved that distinction without any judgment. ‘The what’ is an unfortunate situation that is what it is; a small (sometimes necessary) service within a larger, more encompassing business that provides everything from boat tours to good live music at night. ‘The who’ well, the only default I should have applied to them was that, by Filipino definition, they are family and they deserve all the respect and consideration that goes with the term.

  NOTE* Please don’t look for that post, I deleted it. The gist of it you already get…bring cash! the details, need be forgotten.

  
• About El Nido - a rental story

  I’ve had this blog going for some time. My problem was that I never knew what to write about. I thought, okay, I can write about the biodiversity or about what’s going on with my business…but quite frankly, its either redundant to what’s on the website, or flat-out boring. Today, I just realized what the blogs, for me, were going to be about. El Nido itself..and from a traveler, business-owner, and tour operators point of view. Basically, what you will get is an un-biased opinion of the tourism industry as it relates to the tourists and tour operators in El Nido. Does that sound boring as well? Maybe, but it will be informative. It will answer questions for some, advice for others and I might even make enemies or new friends as a result. Understand that I am an operator, but I do not cater to 99% of the people who arrive in town looking for something to do (as this is the approach most visitors take). Again, what you will get is the honest to goodness truth about what’s going on in El Nido. My first story is about the perception some visitors have about the tour operators and their approach to the operators with regards to services. This story does not reflect all, but it is a recurring theme around here and you can be the judge as to whether it is good, bad, or nothing at all but a story.

  Early this year I was in town getting ready for my Wilderness Travel trip. My friend, Serge, who owns Kayak Island Tour, a business that rents kayaks and offers guided day and overnight trips to the islands, and I were sitting at his storefront enjoying a good conversation about kayaking when a customer came in to inquire about renting a kayak. Now, real quick, it may appear that Serge and I are competitors, but it is far from the truth. He markets to day-trippers and walk-ins and offers a different type of kayak experience. I waited while he discussed the price with the visitor. His prices are quite competitive and reasonable, certainly for the quality of kayak he rents. I think it was P600 for 4 hours. She immediately commented that it was a bit later in the afternoon (about 2:00) for her to get ‘4 hours’ worth of kayaking, so could they negotiate a price? Serge, a very, very nice gentleman said of course. He offered half price at P300. She agreed. At this point, I left and the remainder of the story was told to me by Serge, whom I caught up with a bit later that afternoon. He said that she went down to the beach with him, where he began to give her a briefing about the kayak, safety, where to go, expected paddle times, etc. Like me, Serge believes in providing information to make one’s trip more enjoyable and safer. It took about 20 minutes, which is not really long considering she was going out on her own, by herself. Just before she was to get in the kayak, she decided that since he took up some more time explaining things to her, she would have that much time less to enjoy kayaking. She decided to re-negotiate the price to P250. Serge mulled it over and thought that for that amount of money and in combination with his already exceedingly generous offer, the amount of work to clean the kayak, the wear and tear, etc. it was not worth P250. He said no. Her response was to decline the entire rental and call it a day with Serge (and Serge saw her about an hour later walking on the beach, so either she didn’t go looking for another vendor or she was unsuccessful at negotiating or finding one - clearly, she DID want to kayak though, no matter what her level of enthusiasm).

  Okay, folks, what’s wrong here? First, after Serge was more than fair, she wanted a lower price by P50. In USD that’s amounts to one dollar. One dollar made the difference between going out and paddling amongst the most breathtaking scenery on earth versus staying at the beach and not going kayaking. One dollar. After spending thousands of dollars to visit this paradise, one dollar made the difference on really taking advantage of her time in El Nido. Serge and I talked about this and it is a problem that exists here as well as all over the Philippines. Is the problem that many tourists arrive with the idea that they can barter for services well below what the operator can afford, based on the idea that ‘you need me to make a living, so take it or leave it?’ Is that fair? Put this in perspective, the total price for kayaking for 4 hours at Serge’s premium rate amounted to about $13 USD. That’s about $3 US dollars per hour. Minimum wage in the US is almost triple that. Are there other places on the planet that this price for this type of service is commonly regarded as ‘way to high’? Kayaking in Palau, for example (and using them because the paddling is easily comparable), for that amount of time will cost at least $30 USD. Another important perspective is that this is how people make their living. We talk about supporting local operators so they can make a living that is sustainable. The other option is that they use their boat to catch fish and cause further stress to the environment. Is this a good way to support their endeavor? Look, I understand that a bit of haggling is fair game, but let’s not get ridiculous or take advantage of the situation. If your getting down to a difference of only a hundred Pesos, come ‘on. It’s food for them and their family but for the tourist only an extra cup of coffee at the airport. Most importantly, do not miss out on the reason why one visits a place like this in the first place. Bottom line is what would one ultimately reminisce about at the airport while drinking a P50 cup of coffee. I would hope it would be about the amazing and magical time they just spent in a beautiful place like El Nido.

  -Lee

  
• Banaue and Cabilao

  Well, two places that have very little to do with Kayaking in El Nido make my blog entry today. Although we concentrate on our kayaking and camping tours, I also designed several other nature and naturalist-style tours in the Philippines for a variety of adventure travel companies both local and abroad. This area has just too many cool things to do and places to see to offer just one type of tour. Recently, Wilderness Travel, the high-end adventure travel company that offers our 13-day Whale shark/El Nido/Club Paradise expedition will offer a tour I designed originally called ‘Reefs and Rice Terraces’. The tour takes us to the amazing area of Banaue to visit and trek among the ancient rice terraces that are still farmed as they were 2000 years ago. This place is very beautiful and quite different from the images of a tropical island paradise one might conjure up. Pine forests at 4000ft above sea level and a culture preserved in time make for a great combination for the adventure traveler. After 5 days in Banaue we travel to Cabilao a small island off Bohol. Here we do get some of that tropical paradise and spend 5 days snorkeling among the incredibly lush reefs that surround the island. If you are interested in learning more about this tour, please contact me or Wilderness Travel (http://www.wildernesstravel.com/trip/philippines/banaue-cabilao-hiking-snorkeling-hilltribes-coral-triangle-ifuago/contact-us) for more information

  
• Banaue and Cabilao

  Our other Wilderness Travel expedition makes National Geographic Adventure’s 25 best adventure trips 2010! here’s the link to the article and to the departure information from Wilderness Travel

  http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/2009/11/best-new-trips-2010/trips-text/5

  http://www.wildernesstravel.com/trip/philippines/banaue-cabilao-hiking-snorkeling-hilltribes-coral-triangle-ifuago

  -Lee

  
• Camping in El Nido -- should I?

  Huh? You mean my business revolves around camping and I am questioning not to do it? Well, in a sense…yes. Actually it is not the experience I am condoning, it is the act of doing it without permission to do so.

  Because all of the beaches are privately owned, one cannot set up camp at their desire. Even the ‘public’ beaches (which are privately owned but offered for public enjoyment) require permission to spend the night on. Further, the town has a registration process which has fees associated with it for the time spent on the islands (and this is additional to the permit fees for spending time in the reserve).

  On a conservation level, camping may seem to have a low-impact, but one of the hardest and most important areas of keeping the activity low-impact is waste management and disposal. This is way harder than it sounds and we at SEAsia Kayak Tours go through great strides (and deep pockets) to employ the latest technology in wilderness waste management. Again, little resources are available to those ‘winging it’ and certainly the beaches around Bacuit bay lack the infrastructure to support even a couple of campers for a couple of nights.

  The bottom line is that it cannot be done (respectfully and legally to the people and environment of El Nido) without planning and permission and it is truly best done through an operator such as myself or Island kayak Trip whom make sure all of our i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed so you can enjoy a most unique experience in Bacuit Bay.

  -Lee

  
• Camping with Travel Time

  Last month we had the pleasure of hosting Susan Calo-Medina and her staff for a spotlight of our tour for Travel Time, the popular ANC (ABS_CBN) television travel series. We had them with us for 3 days and 2 nights. For us, it was exciting to watch them film our program, though they kept us very busy setting up for shots. We spent much of the time at camp filming our set-up of both the campsite and our meals. During the day, I took them kayaking in several unique habitats and places within Bacuit Bay including a relaxing and informative paddle through mangroves and into several caves and arches. We snorkeled as well, showing off the magnificent reefs around El Nido. We were honored to have them and appreciative of their interest in our unique approach to eco-tourism. I hope they had as much fun with us as we had with them. Look for it on the ACN channel.

  
• Colors and SEAsia Kayak Tours

  Today I received my copy of ‘Colors - Philippine Travel Guide’. This guide is locally and internationally known as one of the best coming out of the Philippines. It was a special issue that highlighted the 25 best adventures in the Philippines. We were honored to be included as one of the best tours. Check us out along with 24 other pretty amazing and very diverse adventures! Their website is www.islandsphilippines.net

  -Lee

  
• Crown of Thorns El Nido

  Recently an outbreak of Crown of Thorns (COTs) has been observed in Bacuit Bay, El Nido. An outbreak is a term reserved for an unusually large population of COTs in a given area. As a marine biologist specializing in coral, you would expect me to have already waged an all-out war against their kind. Well, as a student of biodiversity and the mechanisms that foster it as well as an ecologist trying to understand the role of all animals in a given ecosystem it’s not that easy. Instead of expounding on the end-game of COTs, I would rather talk about their role and hope to shed a little light on the idea that, while destructive and seemingly merciless on local coral populations, they do have a role to play in the coral reef ecosystem.

  Now, in an attempt not to bore you (during the tour, this topic of conversation lasts for hours) I will break down the COTs outbreak (the good and the bad) which, incidentally, are often how reef managers and scientists define their arguments. We’ll start with the obviously bad effects of an outbreak.

  Of course, the number one issue with many a folk are that they eradicate quite a large number of corals in a given area. The loss can be as small as 10% or as high as 90%. With the loss of coral, we have a degradation in general reef health, specific fish populations decline (some of these fish are food fish, thus fisheries may be affected negatively), and algal population increase (which can ultimately prevent the recruitment of new corals to the area). From an aesthetic standpoint, not too many people like to see a dead reef. From a tourism/viable business standpoint, well the previous reason may be enough to deter potential visitors which will have negative repercussions on the industry. Finally, our biodiversity severally decreases.

  This is all bad, right? Fifty years ago lightening hitting forests and beginning forest fires was bad. Currently, we recognize the importance of these fires as they prevent mono-specific stands from evolving (similar trees throughout the forest). They destroy diseases that may have been festering in the forest; they promote the growth of different species of trees. In a sense, this ‘disturbance’ actually promotes biodiversity as well as promotes health. Could COTs be the lightening of the reefs? Forests are always compared, and validly so, to reefs. Why not a ‘disturbance’ whose result is the same? COTs have been around & evolving for millions of years right alongside the reefs. Our reefs today may have been ‘molded’ in part to outbreaks over the years. Recently, outbreaks have been more common (as compared to the number of outbreaks observed several decades ago). This is primarily why the concern. And I agree there is a concern. However, the crux of the issue resides to some degree in emotion. These are short term conditions; i.e. what you and I observe happening today. Life, as we know, has been evolving for millions of years and will continue to do so. What we observe now was much different than what someone would have observed millions of years ago and may observe millions of years from now. Can we say what we would have seen millions of years ago and may see in the future is more wondrous? Less? How about on a value of appreciating all life: at least the same?

  Who am I to say? Reef managers would say that COTs are a part of the balance of reef life. That they should not necessarily be eradicated at all costs so that every one of them is dismissed from the planet. Scientists say that these outbreaks are driven by forces we are yet to fully appreciate (outbreaks have NOT been scientifically linked to human causes…only loosely correlated. Other theories abound and the theory of human influence has its own challenges) but none-the-less has to be dealt with (i.e. COTs clean-ups to prevent loss of coral – though many times even the staggering numbers of individual COTs taken from the reefs during an outbreak have not necessarily prevented the significant loss of coral colonies).

  From my perspective, I think that COTs should be addressed with special care. We don’t yet know the reef of the future and how we have affected its evolution. Could COTs make room for new and more amazing reef creatures? Could COTs promote coral whom are more resistant to its predation (via those that survive the outbreaks continue on to become more plentiful)? Could COTs be the true end of our reefs as we know it, making room for algae driven reef system? These questions are impossible to answer but must be thought about in the grand scheme of things. We like to say that we are preserving the reefs for our children. I sure would like my little girl to marvel at the marine enviornment as I do. But, is it important to marvel at exactly what I see now? Imagine if people were around during the times when the reefs were all about Ascidians and Sponges (equally remarkable creatures and as beautiful as any coral)? What if they did everything they could to preserve their beauty and were successful. If we saw what could have been (corals and greater diversity) versus what they ‘preserved’ for us would we be happy? I don’t know. If my little girl marvels at a reef different than I see, what is the operative word, ‘different than what I see’ or ‘marvels’. That’s what often drives my discussions on the trips.

  Okay, so to clean or not to clean COTs during an outbreak? If the outbreak is unusually high and using well organized and well defined / accepted protocols for their population management I say yes…and the El Nido Foundation as well as local stakeholders are doing just that…and I support it. But as for the total annihilation of them at all costs and at first sight, I say no. They are part of the reef ecosystem and as important as any creature towards the balance of the ecosystem. It’s a tricky line to walk on, but that’s what life is…balancing on the line between order (stagnation) and chaos (uncertainty).

  -Lee

  
• Dredging El Nido?

  Today was an important day for the town of El Nido. A year ago, it was decided by political forces that El Nido was to become a port for a RORO (Roll on Roll off) ferry service. The reason was simple: San Vicente, south of El Nido is to become the next big area for even bigger development and they needed a port in which to bring supplies. Driving up from Puerto Princesa was not really an option since the roads are in such bad shape, especially during the rainy season. SO, it was decided El Nido was the place. Except, the EIA for the required dredging of the shallow sandy bottom in the bay reported that if done, the beaches in El Nido and north towards the airport would erode into nothing. This would have serious impacts since no beach would take away from the tourism that drives the economy there; no beach or a serious sloping beach would permit larger waves to crash closer to the town ultimately causing serious destruction to the beachfront property and basically flood the town. So the trade-off for the few people who stand to gain from the RORO (cause the few jobs it would create would disappear when finished) would be the integrity of the beaches in El Nido. Basically a sacrifice of the town for the opportunity to bring supplies to build in San Vicente. I haven’t even mentioned the impact to the environment in Bacuit Bay but do I need to go any farther with reason not to do this?

  Today the town rallied against it. Spearheaded by El Nido Foundation, they marched and paraded around El Nido with signs and chants of “save El Nido - say no to dredging’. We mustered up as much attention from the media as we could to spread the word. I heard from ENF that the Dept of Tourism and DENR oppose the dredging and will help. All good news at a time when El Nido needs the support. All to often does projects for the politically active will go through against best-practices. Perhaps this will be a win not just for El Nido, but for the idea that when people get together for a good cause, they can make a difference

  
• El Nido and the internet

  It had been about 8 months since I last visited the town of El Nido. When I am there on expedition, I don’t get the chance. I am always excited to see how the town is adjusting to their new role as a ‘tourist spot’. Some things have been going fairly well, others have not. I found that, for me, there were three areas that are noteworthy in their transformation. Although I will try and not place judgments on them, I may inadvertently give you some insight as to how I feel about it .

  First (and I will only deal with one item per blog) is the number of internet cafes that ’sprung up’. I counted close to 100 computer terminals available for hire. Many internet cafes are within a whisper from each other. While inside one of them (to visit my relatives and friends) I commented aloud that it seemed a shame that tourists were waiting for terminals to open to contact friends all the while a beautiful day was offering itself for enjoyment. One of the visitors replied that it was good because they can keep in touch with family. While I would never disagree with that, it did spark (well, douse the spark) that I felt was the essence of visiting a place like El Nido. Everyone with me now? Of course, the chance to get away from it all ! I’m not saying that one should forsake the family while on vacation, but perhaps being able to NOT communicate for a week or so is acceptable? Perhaps this is a sign of the times, where no place is spared from the desire for one to communicate with their lives they supposedly ‘just had to take a break from’. When I first arrived in El Nido, there was one computer available for rent. It was so slow and crashed all the time. I used it to communicate to my professor about my research, but did it only once before I allowed myself to actually ‘be’ in El Nido. The place is so amazingly beautiful and is still fairly remote. Why guests travel so hard to get here to end up seeking the first opportunity to get pulled back into where they came from is beyond me.

  Before anyone argues that they needed to communicate to coordinate future departures or confirm schedules, I recognize that. But I am commenting on a general observation: 100 terminals and plenty of usage by tourists. Yes, perhaps 100 terminals is overkill for the small area (I have more to say about this in the next blog) but they are all being used I assure you, so the demand is there. To some degree, perhaps camping in El Nido is the best answer to the need for communication - once your out there, you can’t and how quickly the desire fades under the immense pressure of towering marble cliffs footed by beautiful white sand beaches and turquoise waters…what’s facebook again?

  -Lee

  
• El Nido and the invasion of the Pump Boat

  In my last blog I mentioned that I will discuss three elements that drastically changed in the town of El Nido; mostly due to the new role as a tourist destination. In the first blog, I mentioned the increase in the number of internet cafes. The second change is the number of pump boats.

  For those who don’t yet know what a pump boat is, they are the wooden boats with twin outriggers plying the waters of the Philippines. From one-man boats to the ferries, these are the most popular boats in any waters around the archipelago. In El Nido, I counted over 50 boats parked out front of the town. This is like 4 times the number I saw only a few years ago. Finding space is getting to be a challenge and it certainly represents an increase in the number of tourists. But wait, does it? Or does it underlie what the Filipino approach to business is all about. Namely, if one person is doing it, then every person should do it. Although I did not take this approach when discussing why the large number of internet cafes are around, I suspect it could easily be explained by this phenomenon. What this does to the marketability of each boat is basically make each day a low-bidders dream. My very first blog discussed the problems that El Nido (and the Philippines) faces from tourists who come here with the idea that everything can be bargained for well below true market value. The intense increase in the number of pump boats adds to that scenario. Now, should each operator simply fold to to allow another to stabilize prices..or be in a position to ask for more? Of course not, but at the same time, without any framework or direction, that is what is happening. Each operator outbidding their neighbor. The result is a profit for a daily tour amounting to about 300 pesos (about $6 USD).

  The solution is elusive, and my real approach to this blog was to remark on how many boats are fronting the beach in El Nido, but it is such an easy transition to talk about the potential problem with this scene. Tourism is not on the rise. And the main concern is that tourism lags by one year during a recession. The reason is that people plan for their vacations, so a recession in 2008 means fewer people in 2009. Currently, all of the boat operators in El Nido feel their ship has arrived (with the increase in exposure on the international travel markets) but the real problem is that its not the ship that arrived, but yet another pump boat looking for their share of the market.

  -Lee

  
• Getting to El Nido

  Ahhh, this is always a fun subject. The easiest way is the most expensive, and if you go that route, then you don’t need to read further. I fly my guests to El Nido via Island transvoyager and brief them about the amazing scenery below. Myself, when I travel to El Nido, I fly PAL to Puerto Princesa and take a van to El Nido. Huh? that seems a bit much. It’s a 6 hour drive of which only 3 hours are on paved road (the last 3 hours, just as your getting tired, are the worst . Why do that? Well, lets expand on what everyone else says about traveling to El Nido; weigh the choices and see what we come up with.

  1. ITI. Okay, 1.5 hours from Manila and your in El Nido. Nice aerial scenery. Cost P7500 EACH WAY. That’s really steep and unless you are on a severe time budget (where the time is more important than money) it’s a high price to pay.

  2. SEAIR. Well, they are currently suspended flights to El Nido (part of their Busuanga - El Nido - Puerto Princesa circuit). Will they offer them in 2009? Will they keep the same schedule? I don’t know. No one does which makes their service a bit un-reliable. When you book (if you can) they may fly or may not. You may have to cater your schedule to theirs as they only fly certain days of the week and only once on that given day. The price is cheaper than ITI, but not nearly as reliable.

  3. Ferry. Can you say scary? Uncomfortable? and scary? The scenery during a 36 hour cruise can be breathtaking…no wait, boring as you have only open sea to look at. Perhaps some excitement as the large waves make you nervous about your seasickness or safety. I never recommend this way to travel to El Nido. and the super ferries running to Puerto Princesa are almost as much money as a plane ticket (if you want any sense of privacy or comfort during you 24 hour cruise). I’ll talk about the Puerto Princesa - El Nido route in a moment

  4. Flying to Coron. Ferries from Coron (say if you fly to Busuanga which is not a bad way to go) are also an option if you like that sense of adventure where your not sure whether the choice to take a smaller wooden craft over large expanses of ocean was a good idea. The ride is approx 6 hours but could be more. Under good weather conditions, the ride is very scenic as there are several nice islands along the way. Still, with a east-northeast wind that prevails during the high season, crossing between Busuanga and Palawan usually means big swells or a surface chop that makes for an unpleasant ride. This, however, is an inexpensive option (its only a few thousand Pesos for the ferry and a bit more for the flights totaling well under 10,000 pesos per person)

  5. Flying (or ferry) to Puerto Princesa. The flight prices are comparable to Busuanga. So its the service from the destination airport that needs to be compared. Oh wait! If you fly to Puerto Princesa, you can take nearly twice the amount of luggage. Hey, that’s worth something for the traveler who wishes to stay longer, SCUBA dive with personal gear, or even bring along supplies for their business (hint…that’s me!). IF you take the super ferry, from this point, it’s all the same whether you flew or cruised. Getting from Puerto Princesa to El Nido can be done via public bus (about 500 peso) but no A/C. Crowded, and dusty at times…well dusty the last 3 hours of the trip, unless it rains, then it is wet at times…well the last 3 hours of the trip. Private van is way more expensive, but can be divided by up to 6 people. At 9000 Pesos, it comes out to P1500 per person. The private van HAS A/C. IS comfortable, and will stop anytime you want (as long as it’s not overnight or for things like, lets stop for the 20th time to bird watch). But you can ask him to stop for food, a break, and perhaps to see a few birds. Coucals, Sunbirds, and ducks can all be seen and asking for him to stop to see some of them is usually not a problem. Plus, the drive is fairly nice at times. The good thing is that it is on land, so the weather is not as big of a factor. UNLESS its rainy season and then the bridges may be impassable. That doesn’t happen THAT often and they are currently re-working the bridges to avoid this. I have heard that they will empty the bus and port over the luggage to a waiting bus on the other side of the bridge. Okay, its exciting and story-worthy but it adds hours onto the journey. I have not had that problem yet and I still choose land over water when the weather is bad.

  Okay, so what is the best way? I go the Puerto Princesa route for the economics and opportunity to carry much more to El Nido. How you get there depends on how much time you have, how adventurous you are, and how much money you want to spend. I hope this put some more light on the choices as many websites just offer the service without giving an understanding of what you are getting in to. Hope this helps. Either way, just get to El Nido, you’ll be glad you did.

  -Lee

  
• Holidays in El Nido

  We were super busy. Mostly because we had a bunch of friends come and stay with us after a wedding (the newlyweds were among the large crowd). We had too much fun and the weather held for us even though there were some days it threatened rain. We only finished 24 cases of beer and a case of rum in the 4-day, 3-night period so our age(s) were showing . BUT in defense of those carrying the touch, they did a fantastic job (and you know who you are). Of course, for many visiting El Nido was a first but all agreed won’t be their last. Many of my friends have lived at or visited some of the worlds most remarkable places and they all felt El Nido was something special. I’d have to agree and it still amazes me after 9 years…

  
• Kayaking in El Nido, Palawan with S.E.Asia Kayak Tours
• Kayaking Malampaya Sound

  Recently, I was introduced to Southern Sea Ventures a sea kayaking based adventure travel company in Australia. They offer some amazing multi-day kayak tours to some of the world’s top destinations. We are honored that it is likely we will be a featured tour destination for them…and not only paddling Bacuit Bay, but Malampaya Sound! Malampaya Sound is every bit as beautiful as Bacuit Bay and offers some incredible paddling in a variety of habitats. Further, it gives us the opportunity to observe the rare Irrawaddy River Dolphins whose range in the Philippines is restricted only to the Sound. Needless to say, we are very excited not only to be a part of Southern Sea Ventures portfolio of destinations, but to be the only tour company to offer kayaking in Malampaya Sound

  -Lee

  
• PHITEX and SE Asia Kayak Tours

  As I said, during the rainy season, its all about promotion for the following busy season. Last week, I had the chance to speak at PHITEX at the Mall of Asia convention center. PHITEX is the Philippine Travel Expo and it is an important one with regards to travel agents who represent the Philippines to other countries. I had the opportunity to speak about my tours at the conference and it went amazingly well. Many representatives from countries like Russia, India, UK, Netherlands, and local agents working with inbound clients expressed a great interest in the tours. Needless to say, I was very excited and honored that they spent time to see my talk. I also am very grateful to Blue Horizons for the time they gave me to present.

  I am definitely looking forward to a great relationship with BHT.

  
• Puerto Princesa - wildlife central

  Kayaking and luxury camping in El Nido. That’s my tag line. It’s pretty cut and clear right? Then what am I doing developing and guiding tours that have little do with kayaking, nothing to do with camping, and don’t even take place in El Nido? Well, that’s a good question…and the easy answer is that I love diversity, nature, and that the Philippines have those elements in spades. So when I had the opportunity to work with another Alliance partner, Blue Horizon Travel and Tours, to develop a wildlife encounter tour revolving around the attractions in Puerto Princesa and nearby environs you bet I jumped at the chance.

  This tour is for the avid bird-watcher and certainly for the outdoor enthusiast. We begin the 6-night, 7-day tour with an evening in Puerto Princesa, specifically at the Iwahig River searching for, you guessed…birds. In this area, they are not hard to find and the natural settings with a quiet river traversing the forest grounds was as scenic as it comes. The next morning we head to Narra and nearby Rasa Island for more than a glimpse of the rare Philippine Cockatoo. Similar to the success story in Donsol and the protection of the Whalesharks, the Philippine Cockatoos receive similar consideration as a result of the efforts from the Katala Foundation as well as the residents who are aware of the importance of the Cockatoos. Tourism is still in its infancy but growing and the area has already been blessed with a first-rate resort in Crystal Paradise. The next few days are spent in Sabang, home to the (hopefully) soon to be new Seven Wonders of the World; the Underground River. This river flows 8 km under the St. Paul Mountains and about half of it is navigable. Tours penetrate (via small paddleboat) about 1.5 km on the river and guests are treated to magnificent cave formations as well as endemic bats and echo-locating birds. For me, the treat was at the entrance where I spotted several Palawan Hornbills and Stork-billed Kingfishers. Both of these birds are some of my favorites. The final two days are reserved for Dolphin-watching and snorkeling in Honda Bay.
  Overall, this tour is very rewarding for any nature lover. From local endemic wildlife to adventurous activities like snorkeling and caving, it is sure to keep anyone not only busy but fascinated the entire time. So, yes, although I highly recommend El Nido, I also equally recommend Puerto Princesa. Of course, anyone that knows me knows that I am fanatical about the Philippines, so I get overly excited at many destinations in the Philippines. I guess take my ‘favoritism’ of locals for what it’s worth .

  -Lee

  
• Rain, rain go away

  Well, it is rainy season right? What more needs to be said. Recently Dr. Lyndon Devantier was there doing survey work and he commented on the amount of freshwater on the surface (due to heavy rains). Corals were stressed and some colonies had dying patches already forming due to the infusion of freshwater. Although this is common, corals still live right on the edge of the extreme. Advantage of growing close to the surface is access more sunlight, space, food, etc. But the bad part is that if this type of event happens, they’re vulnerable. Recovery can be quick, though, as many of the polyps towards the base of the colony do survive and will grow quickly back…provided algae is not covering the skeleton. Ahhh, the life of a coral. Clear, warm water amongst paradise is not all that it seems

  -Lee

  
• Rainy Season

  Ahh, rainy season is upon us. You’d think we will sit and relax after the busy season which included a Wilderness travel Philippine Expedition and WWF trip to Mergui, Myanmar. No way, this is the best time to plan for next year. Already we have some cool things coming up. The Reef Check - Philippines Expedition in February to Puerto Galera and the potential for a few guiding opportunities in Puerto Princesa. Blue Horizon Travel and Tours has asked me to help coordinate a 6-day wildlife adventure in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. I am extremely excited about it as it takes us to Rasa Island to view one of the most endangered species of Cockatoo on the planet, the Philippine Cockatoo. Not only an endemic, but restricted within the Philippines to only a few places, Palawan being one of them. Also some great chances to view the Palawan Peacock-Pheasant and Blue-napped Parrot. We also would visit Honda bay for the snorkeling, dolphins and…Whale Sharks? Yes, locals have talked about regular sightings of whale sharks and the idea of seeing them in clear water is too much to pass up! Finally some cave and trail hikes and a cruise on the Subterranean River, the longest navigable underground river in the world and a World Heritage Site. Pretty cool, indeed.

  Of course, we are always planning and scouting for new and exciting paddles and snorkel sites in El Nido for guests to enjoy during our S.E.Asia Kayak Tours Expeditions…

  -Lee

  
• Raking the Beaches in El Nido

  In my previous two blogs I talked about some of the changes that have occurred in El Nido. Although I commented on some of the distractions associated with the change, I believe the changes are essentially good because it shows growth, provides income, and elevates the town’s potential to become stronger within.

  The last change, however, is unequivocally good. Just about every beachfront property has transformed into either a pension house/hotel or a restaurant/bar. From a business viewpoint, I think so many new establishments may spread the limited tourist-source a bit thin but that’s for each establishment to decide. The great thing I have seen as a result is the cleanliness of the beach. Walk on the beach on any given morning and each frontage is cleaned and swept with care. The best part is that the beaches are raked to give the landscaped-look that adds the perfect finish touch. Raking away the previous days activities allows people the chance to discover beauty and fun on the beach anew. It is a remarkable change from 5 years ago where marine debris lay on the beach until swept out to see or covered in sand. Another result of this attention is that quite a number of tourists are opting to remain in town, revolving their activities around the beach. I think they are missing something in not going out into the bay, but maybe I am missing something in having the convenience of good restaurants and bars within a stones-throw from their playtime in the water. I think a bit more development of an activities-providing business (more in-shore based water sport activities) would benefit a great many more businesses in town. We’ll see where that goes, but ultimately, the increase in beachfront establishments has made great advancements in the beautification of the beach.

  -Lee

  

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