Beautiful and almost off beaten
Island Hopping in EL Nido, Palawan has been fun. Having 45 islands and countless white sand beaches that looked all too pristine. On our last day, me and my travel buddy chose to try an off beaten path. After all, it was a Sunday and the feast of St John The Baptist, everyone would be flocking in the beaches of El Nido. We visited instead, Calitang by renting a tricycle with the driver Kuya Kano acting as our guide. Php 800 was worth the deal bringing us back and fort, considering that we had to drive inland further northeast from El Nido town, to a secluded place. Calitang is home to a fishing village that lives near its White Sand Beaches, a long coast lined with scenic white beaches, coves, small islands, and hillside cliffs that provides a stunning view of the entire landscape. I was besieged with calmness, just by sitting in the sands. Stray dogs are even friendly, one sat beside me while I was lost in melancholy. Truly amazing, that the Azure waters are clear, the fine white sand beneath is stretch all the way without any floating debris. It's kind of hard to explain, but I think my photos would say it all in a glance and you would understand how I was awed by this place, why chasing beautiful beaches is my enduring passion.
Here I walk on the trails of the hills, gently fanned by the incoming waves of air in lush grass vegetation. The sounds of waves crashing in the rocks below is powerful and the cliff side is sheer steepness that only added to the adventure. It's easy to imagine that I could be anywhere in the world, yet I'm just here in my beloved country, in a beautiful place in Palawan, inspired to the core of my being. I think the hills are already part of Nacpan, I don't really know where Calitang ends and Nacpan covers, but the you can call the entire place Calitang, as they're divided by a sandbar.
There are no resorts abound. Only a small fishing village with friendly locals living in Sawali huts and small cottages. We didn't want to draw much attention to ourselves, but we had to walk through the center of the village so we could get beyond to where the hills stood proud and steep.
The beach for today was calm and inviting.
Heaven has no price for a child's innocence. With curious glances, and feeling that awkwardness that I was carrying an expensive camera, the adults avoided us much to my relief, but the children are a different story. They approach me with that territorial defiance only a child can muster, I was confronted with curious eyes as I left my footprints in the sands of their village. It was a good thing that our guide, Kano was once a resident here. Everyone greeted him while tagging us along.
Our guide was recommended by a fellow travel blogger who had been here Kurapeng of
Tara! Usap Tau, Kuya Kano was off duty since it's Sunday. But he took us for the ride, he's 21 year old bachelor living in El Nido, his tricycle was his source of income. Calitang can be accessible by either land or sea, but knowing that this place is not included on any island hopping tours in El Nido, the best option is by land.
The ride took almost an hour, where half of the way is a dirt road. To take the trip is to leave comforts behind and dive into the provincial setting. It's a beautiful road though very dusty, with houses spaced far apart, if you live here, expect to know your neighbor to be half a kilometers away.
Stray dogs abound too. But no worry because most are very friendly. I didn't see any rabid looking dog in the area. This one came to sniff me out when I decided to sit down and bury my feet in the sand, I didn't know that the dog actually sat beside me like I was a comrade and part of his pack. We've become like buddies enjoying the view of the Calitang Beach.
Here's the sand bar that links the hills to the Calitang village, and the Calitang beach to Nacpan Beach. Nice to walk in between beaches, the other is a white sand wonder, while he other side is a cove for locals to anchor fishing boats.
Here we stayed for a good 2 hours, trekking under the sun and swimming in the beach, one way tricycle ride is about an hour. Leaving early from El Nido town by 7 AM, we were back to El Nido by 11 AM ready for a lunch, a short stroll in El Nido town and off to catch our Roro bus ride from El Nido to Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Visiting Calitang Beach can be part of the El Nido inland tour, but as is, most tourist would be content to just taking Island Hopping in El Nido alone, they're of course rewarding as they come. For a short visit, it had been exhilarating partly because I get to do what most travelers in El Nido are missing.
Now if you have plans to visit El Nido, Palawan soon, then maybe you can squeeze this half day trip to Calitang, you can contact Kuya Kano, he's only 21 years old, but I still call him Kuya. Php 800.00 for a back and fort trip with his humble tricycle, he's probably the cheapest option and to boot that he grew up in Calitang as a boy, he knows this place by heart unlike any other tricycle driver in El Nido town. Kuya Kano 0999-729-650
Francis Balgos
is a Call Center Agent, Weekend Travel Warrior, Amateur Spelunker,
Sometime Surfer, Newbie Mountain Climber, Photography Enthusiast,
Certified Beach Bum, A first born son, Faithful lover, True Explorer...
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