Return to Paradise

While British author Alex Garland set his cult novel The Beach in Thailand, it was actually El Nido in the Philippines that ignited his imagination. Today, it continues to serve as the ultimate muse for Filipinos, who have transformed the area and surrounding islands into a thriving creative community—and, unlike its fictional counterpart, a blueprint for ecoconscious tourism

- Vicki Abary

When golden hour strikes, people pause and turn their attention to the majestic limestone formations as the sun sinks into the sea. The sky turns burnt orange and yellow, fierce fuchsia and blood-red, and ultimately a peaceful rose quartz. Serenity is reflected in the calm ocean waters. This is El Nido in its true, unbridled glory.

Out of all the stunning 7,641 islands in the Philippines, Palawan is often called the country’s last frontier, boasting a rich and exceptional biodiversity found nowhere else in Southeast Asia. On the northwest tip of Palawan is postcard-perfect El Nido, a place that at first glance, looks like time has forgotten it. Spanish for “The Nest”, named after the swiftlet’s precious edible nest, El Nido features Jurassic karst formations, wild tropical jungles, hidden beaches, secret lagoons and crystal-clear azure waters where underwater splendours await.

It is also a pioneer in the region for the commitment of many local players to maintaining and protecting its natural resources. Due to its diverse underwater ecosystem, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and various local and international government bodies endeavoured to make El Nido’s Bacuit Bay a marine sanctuary. In 1996, the El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area was made into one of eight protected areas in Palawan—officially conserving and managing 36,000 hectares of land and 54,000 hectares of marine waters in and around El Nido.

NATURAL ATTRACTION