Arriving in El Nido was an island dream come true. With the long journey to get there and the fact that it is still relatively untraveled, it really felt like a special kind of paradise.

As I mentioned in my last El Nido post, the true beauty of this protected area is when you reach the remote beaches and lagoons surrounding El Nido.

On our first day, we booked a day of kayaking around the islands through the main tour guide company El Nido Boutique & Art Cafe. It seemed to be the best company to book any tours with (find it on a little street called Sirena St. by the beach).

We booked Kayak Tour A which was a perfect introduction to the Bacuit Archipelago. We first took a speed-boat journey with our group, weaving our way through the impressive archipelago before reaching Miniloc Island.

The first part of the day was a kayak tour around 3 lagoons – Small Lagoon, Big Lagoon and Secret Lagoon.

Kayaking through the hidden lagoon opening while floating on top of crystal clear water was beyond magical. I couldn’t believe how clear the water was! We definitely found paradise.

The big lagoon was, as the name describes, the largest one of them all. It was contained by dramatic, karst cliffs and clusters of hanging trees.

I was so happy that I brought my waterproof camera with me (it’s the Olympus Tough TG-2) to capture the beautiful scenery. It’s a must-have travel accessory on these kind of trips!

This lagoon felt so peaceful and tranquil as everyone explored their own little corner, completely in awe.

We made our way out of the big lagoon, across the open sea and towards the small lagoon which was my favourite part of the day.

The colour of the water blew me away. It got even clearer. I loved the sun rays twinkling across the warm water – just heavenly.

We gradually made our way through the narrow opening and crept further in.

I was day dreaming that we were on our own version of ‘The Beach’ and what it would be like living on the islands. We’d learn to catch fish with our bare hands, take shelter in one of the hidden caves, spend our days lounging on the soft, warm sand…

After exploring the first two lagoons, we hopped back on the boat and sped across to Simizu Island.

As we wondered around the idyllic island, our lovely guides made their own makeshift kitchen and began cooking lunch much to my delight.

I didn’t think I could have been any happier by my surroundings until we climbed through a tiny crack in a nearby rock face, which led us to a huge, secret cave.

Lunch was a deliciously healthy, whole grilled fish with rice and salad.

The oceans different shades of turquoise throughout the day was just so gorgeous. I’ll never forget it.

We also booked a few dives to top off our trip in El Nido.

These were pretty spectacular dives, but it got even better diving the shipwrecks in Coron… more coming soon!