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 eco-conscious tourism
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.
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Natural Attraction
The beauty of El Nido has beckoned many to its shores, and a vibrant community organically grew to address the basic needs of travellers that began to explore its virgin surroundings more than three decades ago. Filipinos and foreign visitors who fell in love with the island stayed to open small businesses, hotels and hostels that stand along major coastlines, providing El Nido its rustic charm—including myself.
Guided by a friend who has known El Nido since her childhood, in February 2015, a couple of friends and I flew from Manila to visit El Nido town for the first time. While there, we saw a need for a cool nightlife space that other well-travelled visitors could appreciate. The following year, we opened Sava Beach Bar, offering speciality cocktails as well as events with live DJs, with picturesque Bacuit Bay as its backdrop. I’ve become a frequent visitor of El Nido since then, and my friends and business partners have relocated to El Nido full-time to manage the business.
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