Feeling very ‘Lord of the Rings’

THIS is the life!

I remember thinking while enjoying a sunset cruise aboard the country’s largest Trimaran yacht, the Infinity M/S Vianelle, around the pristine shores of El Nido.

It was like being in one of those sexy MTVs, with music, free-flowing Moët and Chandon, and warm canapés served by a butler.

From the time we arrived at El Nido Resorts, I have to admit I was waiting for that snag in the package – the part where they’d reach the limit of their services and hospitality.

But true to Smart Infinity’s promise, there were none. Along with some bona fide new subscribers, we were all treated to the works. (Subscribe to Smart Infinity because a dream vacation is part of the plan!)

Every thing there was to do or see in the islands was coordinated for us at our convenience by a specially assigned Guest Activity Coordinator. Transportation between islands or areas was done mainly by motorized boats.

The expert boatmen and divers who accompanied us were also, to my great delight, very knowledgeable about the surroundings and the creatures that lived there.

The most macho of the entire staff, these boat masters and guides were also weavers of delicate origami-like birds and insects made of palm leaves. The standing joke among them was, “Hindi ka macho kung hindi ka marunong mag-weave [You are not macho if you don’t know how to weave]!”

The rest of the staff was consistently warm, courteous, and accommodating.

I’d never been to this side of Palawan, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that this resort was in fact nestled within a mountainous cove, so you get the best of both land and sea.

Immediately behind our room, high above the trees, were monkeys swinging to their hearts’ content. In the wee hours of the morning, two pairs of Palawan hornbills called to us loudly, as if to tell us not to waste the day sleeping.

There were no TVs in any of our rooms, but a Bose iPod dock made up for it. And Wi-Fi was available in the dining area.

Excellent entertainment

The food was in abundance and presented creatively through mix-it-yourself Mongolian grills and pasta bars. In the evenings, our entertainment consisted of cultural dance shows, which brought us back to our “Linggo ng Wika” days in school.

In-house guitarist Randy was excellent and patient with his new Manila fans, who made him stay up ’til almost midnight, exhausting his repertoire completely.

I’ve always loved the beach and swimming in salty waters. But I’ve always been a little wary of what lurks below. So when dive master Chris took us snorkeling, I grabbed the chance to dispel all my fears.

It was the best thing I ever did! I got to see all sorts of corals in different shapes, colors and sizes. I got up close to Nemo and a lapu-lapu as big as a pedicab.

There was just so much to learn, do and see in El Nido, and three days were certainly not enough for them. The beautiful yet mysterious waters were an equal match to the daunting and majestic limestone formations that made up the islands. We felt like it was straight out of “Lord of the Rings.”

We all took loads of pictures, but even my new Panasonic G1 did not come close to the reality of our experience. You’ve gotta see El Nido to believe it!

[ El Nido Resorts Wiki ]