Friday, January 14, 2011

Visiting Palawan, Philippines

 TOP RATED HOTELS


   AMANPULO  








  Amanpulo lives up to its expectation. From the point of arrival to the Manila, the service starts. Staff are waiting to greet you upon exiting customs and they take you to the private airport and Amanpulo lounge which is nice after a long flight. The small plane you take to the island is not at all scary and in fact was quite enjoyable (only about 1 hr max). The GM and staff are there to greet you and immediately you get a tour of the island on your private club car (golf cart). The beaches are pristine and I have to say the weather during Christmas was perfect. Enough sun for the kids, enough shade/overcast for the my wife and I with temperatures that didnt make you sweat. The water in the pool and the ocean was cool but not cold. Beaches were clean, soft like corn starch with an abundance of seashells. 
The food is first rate for an island (4 out of 5 stars) with the pizzas at picnic grove winning the day. The starlight cruise followed by beach BBQ is a must do. I took my kids trolling for fish on a boat which was awesome. The kids caught fish and I then had them prepared at Lagoon Lounge for dinner (steamed, sashimi, asian style). Visiting the Manomoc is also a treat and a must do - admittedly juxtaposition that will leave you feeling a bit guilty as they've been without power apparently for months. However, all seem happy and hardworking (50-75% of the Amanpulo staff come from Manamoc).
The service at Amanpulo was excellent. Everyone knows your name and the staff remember details that make the stay easy. For example, they remembered the size of fins my daughter used so that each time we went snorkeling the fins were ready to use without my asking. The only area of improvement is in "communication coordination". we were set to do a boat ride and my guest assistant said they would call when ready. They never called and instead were waiting for us. I felt guilty about being late as I know they all work so hard. My guess is that the staff didn't want to rush us, let us relax without the pressure of time. That's awesome but again, communication coordination is important given the clientele. Otherwise, perfection.
Staying at Amanpulo for Christmas is also a delight. The decoration are tasteful and appropriate. A Filippino Santa Claus came by boat which was a nice touch and I'm sure a difficult to organise. But Christmas on the beach where the white sand acts like snow is something we'll never forget.
Amanpulo is a must-return destination. We will definitely be back in coming years. Cheers.








   HIBISCUS GARDEN HOTEL







Directly in the middle of beautiful tropical surroundings, far away from the tourist masses, the Hibiscus Garden Hotel offers a perfect starting point for exciting excursions in the nearby nature reserves, for safaris in the Yala National Park and the tropical rain forests, bird watching in the protected bird lands, or perhaps a chance to relax on the hotel´s own beach for regenerating the body and soul.
The 16 comfortable and tastefully decorated rooms are offered with air-conditioning and minibar. The main house offers a spacious lobby with reception on the ground floor. The open-air restaurant is located on the first floor, where you can experience the exquisite kitchen with its delicious local, eastern and western dishes while enjoying a wonderful view of the emerald green fields on the nearby mountains.

EL RIO Y MAR RESORT







El Rio y Mar Resort is an hour journey from the Busuanga Airport. Airport transfer is available. The resort features an infinity pool, spa and a dive centre.
Club Paradise is a 30-minute boat ride from the resort. A day trip can be arranged and guests of El Rio y Mar Resort may use all the facilities of Club Paradise.
All rooms are located on the beach front. Each room comes with a refrigerator, mini-bar and a veranda with bay front. Rooms also come with a private bathroom with hot shower.
Guests can arrange for dive trips at the dive centre, or enjoy the sunset at the infinity pool. There is also a sports house, gift shop and a meeting room. El Rio y Mar Resort also has a clinic with an in-house doctor.
Port Caltom’s Reef Bar serves cocktails and drinks at night. There is also an Al Fresco Restaurant on site.




  EL NIDO RESORT MINILOC PALAWAN









  El Nido is a municipality located at the northwestern tip of the province of Palawan, Philippines. It is 430 kilometers southwest of Manila, and 238 kilometers northwest of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan's capital. El Nido is bordered by the Linapacan Strait in the North, the Sulu Sea in the east, and the South China Sea in the west.

The Municipality of El Nido is composed of 18 barangays (villages) covering a total land area of 50,000 hectares. Its population of 27,000 people, is a mix of native Palaweños, with a heavy presence of migrants from other parts of the Philippines. 

Edible-nest Swiftlets (Collocalia fuciphaga) abound in El Nido. The nests of these birds are found in the crevices of the limestone cliffs and are the main ingredient of the health enhancing bird's nest or nido soup. It is these nests that gave the place its Spanish name, El Nido.

El Nido is considered a showcase of Palawan's geology and diverse wildlife It is one of the most important sites for biological diversity in the country and has been declared by the Philippine government as a protected area.

Security Update

Inquiries concerning the peace and order situation at El Nido are received with the recent events around the globe. It is with the following information that we reassure you of your safety as you travel to El Nido and the rest of Palawan.

In charge of the overall security of Palawan is the multi-sectoral security network composed of: the Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force, and Philippine Army under the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Command in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, the Philippine National Police Maritime, the Philippine Coastguard, the Provincial Government, the local government units, members of the local community, and the Palawan Tourism Council. The network spans the entire Palawan, from the northern islands in Coron/Busuanga to the southern parts of Bataraza.

In El Nido, the local security system under the Philippine National Police and Philippine Coast Guard detachments in El Nido Town and the local government is supplemented by a security force deployed by the Philippine Government to protect the multi-billion dollar Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power Project located 50 kilometers west of El Nido. This special security force has under its command personnel, navy vessels, speed boats and aircraft.

On the El Nido Resorts side, the strict security system continues to be enforced at our properties in Lagen Island, Miniloc Island and the surrounding areas. We are maintaining the strong and effective unit of security personnel duly licensed by the Philippine National Police Maritime.These security personnel are professionally trained, formerly belonging to the Philippine military. They are in charge of monitoring the activities within the resort area, as well as conducting day and night patrols and surveillance activities within the resorts and nearby islands. Security personnel work in shifts, watching over resort guests and staff on a 24-hour basis. They maintain direct contact with the Philippine National Police Maritime and Philippine Coast Guard detachments in El Nido Town, the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Command, and other resort establishments in Palawan.

We have also fortified security measures at our airport facility in El Nido. All land and water vehicles, passengers, baggage, and packages are inspected by our security personnel before being allowed entry into the airport premises. Strict pre-check-in procedures are also being followed at the A Soriano Aviation Terminal in Pasay City.

With all these security measures in place, we are confident that El Nido and the rest of Palawan remain safe for travel.
                                    

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