Day 7 Nature Photo Challenge

Last day of promoting Philippine destinations through the nature photo challenge. I’ve saved this for last, because I want to show you the best.

Come away with me to El Nido, Palawan aka, paradise on Earth. It’s sandy white beaches, pristine clear water and tall towering cliffs are like a scene straight out from a Lord of the Rings film – without the post-editing.

Every time I think about my visit to this place, I remember it’s sheer beauty and it still give me chills. This place is breathtaking in every angle. Every island has a story, every shoreline whispers fairy tales and the sea, it steals a piece of you.

One of the most interesting islands I visited (among the many islands) in El Nido is called the “Hidden Beach.” You had to swim to get to the cove through a thin crack between a cliff. It’s probably about three or four meters long and less than a meter in width. If the tide is too high, it hides the passage way and no one can’t access the said beach. We were lucky enough to have had the chance to experience it.

What’s more interesting about the particular beach (more like a cove) is the story behind it. It is a common belief that Alex Garland, author of the book The Beach – the very same movie that Leonardo Di Caprio starred in – lived in El Nido, Palawan for a while. It was in El Nido that he wrote the book and was inspired by the very same hidden beach to write his adventurous book set in Thailand.

Back then, El Nido would have been free from rowdy tourists. This is a common story in the Philippines but I have no way of verifying if it’s true as Garland never talks about his inspiration of the book. But you gotta admit, it’s quite a cool story.

PS I have very few photos of the place as I enjoyed my journey so much – also because our “water proof camera” wasn’t so water proof after all.