Staying at Miniloc Island Resort

When I first visited El Nido a couple of years back, I vowed to return with my nature loving family. I just knew that they would appreciate the beauty of El Nido as much as I did.

Unlike last time where I stayed at the more private and secluded Lagen Island Resort, my family and I spent two nights at Miniloc Island Resort. 

Miniloc Island Resort caters to families with its rustic and native design, buffet style meals, and facilities for the young and young at heart. 

Miniloc Shore

Daily Upkeep

Water Cottages

Though Miniloc is less luxurious than Lagen, it's not wanting in facilities:

Bar

Playing Billiards with A View

Table Tennis By the Beach

Live Monkeys Everywhere

Inside the Activity Center

Miniature Cottage

There are several room options at Miniloc Island Resort and here are the rooms we got to see.

The Garden Cottage room is the most affordable room in Miniloc. 

Garden Cottage

It's compact but can accommodate up to 3 people. Perfect for families with teenagers who want to be on their own.

Inside the Garden Cottage

Another room option is the Seaview room. This veranda offers breathtaking views of the sea.

Seaview Room

The Seaview room can accommodate up to 4 people with its loft layout.

1st Floor

It can feel claustrophobic staying at the attic though.

Beds in the Attic

Miniloc Island Resort also has Deluxe Seaview Rooms.

Deluxe Seaview Rooms from the Sea

The Deluxe Seaview Room is less rustic with its concrete walls and high ceilings. It's ideal for parents who are after the comforts of the city.

Bedroom

Though spacious at 44sqm, the Deluxe Seaview Room is only good for 2 people. 

Bathroom

Shower Area

Balcony with A View

Overall, we were happy with the rooms we booked with Miniloc Island Resort. Although far from being luxurious, the Miniloc rooms were clean and comfortable,  perfect for some rest and relaxation.

My next  entry will be about the food at Miniloc Island Resort!

Palawan Roadtrip: Puerto Princesa to El Nido

I'm ending my summer series with a trip I took with my family to Palawan. 

We wanted to hit both the Underground River in Puerto Princesa and the beaches of El Nido so we embarked on a Palawan road trip.

Our journey started at the Puerto Princesa Airport...

where there were a lot of car rental and tour agencies offering their services... 

We, however, booked this van in advance to take us from Puerto Princesa to El Nido. Travel time is around 6 hours.

First order of the day was to pass by a few attractions in Puerto Princesa. We visited the boardwalk which was a waste of time as there was nothing to see.

For lunch, our driver recommended for us to eat at Dampa.

Wish we made the effort to go to the popular restaurants in Puerto Princesa like Kinabuch or KaLui because eating at a Dampa in Palawan was obviously not a good idea.

Liempo

Fried Chicken

Vegetables

Tiny Crabs

A popular attraction in Puerto Princesa is Baker's Hill. Baker's Hill is a complex that families can go to during Sundays.

The bakery at Baker's Hill is popular with most of their items out of stock. Tried some of their goodies and I don't get the hype.

The Seafood Buffer at Baker's Kitchen is another hit among tourists. 

Restaurant

Other Things to See and Do at Baker's Hill:

Park

Playground

Zen Garden

From Baker's Hill, we also passed by Rancho Zipline Adventure where we were all too scared to zipline. 

After Rancho, it was a LONG van ride to El Nido.  We were stopped in the middle of the highway by this guy from Dept. of Agriculture warning us that it's not allowed to bring mangoes into El Nido. At least we had little distraction.

After what felt like forever, we reach finally reached El Nido. Given how popular El Nido is, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it's not very commercialized. It still had the sleepy small town charm and vibe. 

We stayed overnight at the El Nido Beach Hotel.

The room we stayed in at El Nido Beach Hotel was far from the bright spacious pictures I saw on their website.

I no longer cared and just focused on the bright side:

In less than 24 hours, I was about to go back to one of my favorite spots in the Philippines! 

(To be Continued)

El Nido Beach Resort is located at El Nido Beachside, Palawan. For more information, call (63)9208673777 or click here.

Our private van service was courtesy of www.palawanvanforrent.com operated by Dudz Valencia. For more information, contact him at (+63)9399064804 or 9175902001. You can also email him at borjok_9@yahoo.com. Rates for a two way private van trip from Puerto Princesa to Palawan starts at 18,000php.

Ilocos Diaries: Food Pasalubong from Ilocos

I am ending my Ilocos diaries with Ilocano food delicacies we can all bring back home to family and friends.

No trip to Ilocos is complete without buying Ilocos longganisa, bagnet, and empanada. We bought our stash at the Laoag Market and it's ideal to buy the day you are leaving Ilocos in order for it survive the long commute home.

Chichacorn is another popular Ilocos pasalubong. Buy the chichacorn with packaging below because it was the best from all the brands we tried.

Photo Grabbed from Open Rice

Tupig is a native delicacy made from glutinous rice. Unlike in Pangasinan where tupig is wrapped in banana leaves, tupig in Ilocos is cooked inside bamboo shoots. It's bulky and heavy but an interesting pasalubong nonetheless

Tupig vendors also sell kalamay but its appearance didn't appeal to me. 

Onions from Ilocos are supposedly stronger and more aromatic. When in Ilocos, buy Ilocos onions because it's around 50% cheaper compared to Manila.

Tongson's Royal Bibingka is another popular delicacy from the North. I didn't particularly appreciate that the bibingka was more sticky than starchy. 

Our tour guide/van driver also made us stop at Pasuquin Bakery which is famous for its biscochio. We tried it out but didn't get what the fuss was all about. Even so, I wouldn't discourage those who are  biscochio lovers to visit the store.

My favorite pasalubong from Ilocos was the malunggay bread we bought from Durong's. 

The mini breads were baked to order ensuring freshness.

I didn't expect to even like this little veggie bread but it was love at first bite. Sweet and hot with flavors that  didn't remind me of vegetables. I'm not the only one because out of all the food I brought home, this was the big hit with my family.