We've been in the Philippines for 2 years, and we still hadn't been to Palawan! Everyone says that Palawan is a "must see", and I wasn't about to argue. The pictures looked amazing. We just hadn't gotten there yet.
Our family has definitely explored Philippine beaches. I've been to Borocay with a friend, and we've been to Mindoro/Puerta Galera, and we've been to Bohol twice. But Palawan was supposed to be the mother of all gorgeous beaches. :)
I decided to take the advice of another foreign service friend and spring for a long weekend at a high end resort in Palawan as a birthday present for me and David. (Our last beach vacation involved a hotel where dogs howled at night outside our door, and I was hoping to guarantee some quiet. I admit it :)
We went to Apulit Island in El Nido. In order to do this, you fly via AirSwift to the Lio Airport in El Nido. Once you arrive there, your bags are put on a mini-bus or a van, and you're driven an hour through the countryside to a port. From the port, you take an hour long boat ride to Apulit Island. The resort takes care of absolutely everything from the time you get to the gate at the airport until you arrive at the resort, and I wasn't a bit stressed about the logistics.
This is a private island owned by Ayala Resorts, and I'm here to tell you that it did not disappoint. It is natural, gorgeous and utterly serene. The water was crystal clear, and we got the cutest little water cottage with a small balcony on the back. We could look into the water and see tropical fish swimming by anytime we wanted.
The resort is all inclusive (all meals and activities included), and the meals were really good. There was a lot of variety, and it catered to Westerners. The salad greens were the best I've seen since we've been here, and while I enjoyed getting to have pasta dishes and beef, they also made a delicious banana q. :)
We could take out kayaks and paddle boards, and we went snorkeling off the house reef and also at Apulit's private beach. David went rappelling one morning off the cliff, and I went out and snapped some pics before we had a leisurely breakfast overlooking the water. Another evening, we kayaked out to watch the sunset. The wildlife was also amazing. I saw multiple huge monitor lizards!
How gorgeous is the view from all these windows? I loved sitting and reading here.
I'm so glad that we were able to see this slice of paradise for ourselves. It was really, really special, and I see why Filipinos take pride in Palawan and want to show it off to the world.
