El Nido Ati-atihan | Barotuan Festival 2014

“I feel a little tipsy” I told my friends. I think it was a bad idea to drink that cupful of emperador in one gulp. I couldn’t refuse the drink out of good gesture from the locals. Now I’m wondering if the lechon I’m looking at has really lost the rest of its body with only the head left rotating on the fire. The Barotuan Festival parade hasn’t even started yet and I find myself trying to find a seat to gather my senses back. I guess if you go to any ati-atihan celebration, there’s always a chance you’ll get a little alcohol in your system aside from that little soot on your face.

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Transit | Cherry Bus to El Nido from Puerto Princesa

(Updated February 12, 2015) It’s always nice to have a healthy competition around. With El Nido growing into popularity, people wouldn’t mind traveling the 6-7 hours length just to enjoy El Nido, the northern beaches and islands of Palawan. Now with the entry of another bus company, Cherry Bus, there’s more frequency, convenience and cheaper travel to one of my favorite destinations in Palawan. Here’s how the new bus compares.

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A Year in Travels March 2013 | Leaving El Nido and Reunions

It’s a sad sad moment when I was about to leave El Nido. One reason is that I will definitely miss the way of life there and the people I already know. It’s so different from the metro that I know it’ll be a major adjustment. Another is that i somehow failed in my attempt to live there longer. I was willing to live a provincial life but I guess fate has other plans. There were work and opportunities back in Manila that I can pass. And I was really slated to go back home somehow this month of March since most my relatives and siblings will be back home for a reunion. A rare time all siblings will be together.

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A Year in Travels February 2013 | El Nido Islands and Off-Beat Trails

My life in El Nido didn’t turn out as I expected it to be. My plan to stay longer got somehow waylaid due to unforeseen work circumstances. Though I no longer have work commitments I took it as an advantage to do more exploration in El Nido. Visiting more islands and off-beat destinations in the region.

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A Year In Travels January 2013 | El Nido Life

To change things up a bit, instead of a full year-end post, I’ll put in a series of post for the next 12 days for the 12 months of the 2013 in review. 2013 is such a special year of change and discovery, I wanted to focus more on slow long travels instead of micro-vacations, but bits and pieces of those are always welcome. 2013 started finding myself watching the humble but gorgeous fireworks in El Nido Palawan, temporarily staying with a nice family on where I was living in.

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El Nido Photo Tour January 2014 Festival Edition

It’s time to share what I love about Palawan and El Nido is definitely one of the reasons why it’s one of my top favorite in the country. To kickstart 2014, Backpack Photography will hold an El Nido Photo Tour, to make it more interesting, we’re coinciding the photo tour in time for the Ati-atihan festival, but this time on a little known town of Barotuan. It’s an added photo opportunity to participants who would not only enjoy the sights but the culture as well. Read on for the details.

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Sprucing Up Lagen Island El Nido

The exclusive Lagen Island managed by El Nido Resorts is the largest of their resort islands boasting more nature cover than their resort facilities. It’s also home to an important archeological site, the Leta-leta Cave, a Stone Age era burial site where Robert Fox discovered the “Yawning Jar” in 1965. More famous for its luxury accommodation amidst its stunning karst formation and scenic shallow lagoon in an enclosed cove, Lagen Island recently added a few amenities and facilities to keep itself in-step with its recently opened sister resort, Pangulasian Island.

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