El Nido Stay | Tapik Beach Park: Serene Home at East El Nido | Ironwulf En Route - A Travel Story, Photography, and Video blog by Ferdz Decena from the Philippines

Discover East El Nido, the cultural side of this paradise region of Palawan. West El Nido with its dramatic karst islands and stunning beaches in Bacuit Bay may be the main draw for tourist but there’s fulfilment in discovering the quiet side of El Nido East with unspoilt beaches, island and incomparable marine life than the other side. The perfect home base in discovering the wonders of the east is Tapik Beach Park, a rustic, family-run, beachfront lodging in Sibaltan El Nido offering spartan native beach huts accommodation to more sophisticated beach cottages with elaborate designs.

Rustic Sibaltan

It was two years ago when I first ventured to Sibaltan El Nido out of curiosity to see what’s there. East El Nido was an interesting side as Cuyonon culture can be traced here. The Balay Cuyonon Museum is a good starting point to know more about their history and way of life. There’s also the Bubog Island off coast which we paddled as we brought along a kayak on our first visit. We also stayed at the scenic guard house since there’s little to no accommodation in the area. Two years is a good time to see what has changed. Aside from the improved 3G internet signal in town proper, little has changed really. Electricity is still in the evening at 6–10pm. Roads are slowly being paved but majority are still dirt roads. What would be a welcome improvement are the accommodations popping up. Tapik Beach Park in Sibaltan is gaining popularity in the area and I have to check it out.

Tapik Beach Park

“Gusto lang namin magkaroon ng bahay bakasyunan dito nung una (We just wanted to have a vacation house here at first)” Said Voltaire, one of the owners of Tapik Beach Park. The resort and restaurant are fully owned by humble Filipino family who also struggled to make a living and earned to buy and invest on their property in Sibaltan. They admitted it was a challenge to get their business started. There was a time they would stand by the roadside and entice passing motorbike riders, mostly tourist doing a loop of El Nido, to have cold drinks and snacks at their place. Eventually they got a big break when they decided to list few huts in booking site Agoda. They admit that their clientele is a niche market. Those who are looking for offbeat locations, rustic and away from the crowds loved their resort.

Huts and cottages on the next page…

Huts and Cottages

Tapik Beach Park has a number of accommodations spread far and wide along a sloping hill by the beach. All have beach view and access. I was able to stay at their Beach Cottage which they currently have two. Voltaire played around with the design and architecture on this one. It has a private bathroom, one queen-sized bed and a private balcony overlooking the resort. I like that it is airy that even when the power goes off, it allows the wind to circulate inside the room.

Their Beach Hut is spartan and basic, but it’s really popular with foreign guest wanting to stay in a native hut. I was also able to stay at the one with near the beach. I love the sound of the waves, the makeshift table and bench outside the hut and my own hammock. The bathroom is sharing for those who wouldn’t mind to rough it out a little. They have kept their public bath and toilet clean when I was there.

Aside from the cottage and huts, they have a loft room good for groups of up to 5. Camping is also allowed on the grounds for a fee. Guest do have to mind the use of water as they have to get supply from town. They are currently finding their own water source and hopefully have their own supply. Power in Sibaltan is limited. They have their own genset which runs from 6–10pm. Each hut and cottages do have some solar powered light but that also have limited capacity.

Restaurant and Activities

Food is not a problem with Tapik Beach Resort, the restaurant serves really sumptuous food and I have to commend how they make each dish look delectable as well. The resort also pioneered the island hopping tours in the East Side of El Nido which includes the heavenly Mausonoan Island. Another notable destination is the Imorgie Island teeming with marine life. Beach bumming is also a favorite activity. They have bonfires at night and the moonrise here is very scenic. With little light pollution, star gazing is also favorite night activity.

There’s so much to say about Tapik Beach Park. The great reviews are not kidding. It’s a great place to getaway from it all and enjoy the authentic country-side atmosphere, a relaxed island hopping and simple good times by the beach.

How to go to Sibaltan

There are two ways to Sibaltan. One is the public Charity Bus (contact 09051035821) which leaves the market at 11am. Though I must warn tourist as this is a local bus and the usual travel time of 1.5 hours from El Nido town to Sibaltan can extend up to 3-4 hours since they load in cargo and usually stops to unload cargo and passengers. On some days it can test your patience. The worst for me was almost 6 hours. Fare is Php 70.

Tapik Beach Park also have their own transport transfer which leaves the market every 4pm n the afternoon. They are fast with no stops and will send guest directly to the resort. I recommend this one even if they leave late in the afternoon.