A northern Palawan vacation would not be complete without a trip to its crown jewel—El Nido. I never get tired of the limestone cliffs that greet me whenever I return. This time around, we had a pleasant surprise waiting for us. The local government took action to further improve the tourism sector of the municipality.
We noticed three major improvements. One, they set a limit to the number of daily visitors to the lagoons. When we kayaked to the big lagoon, we had the spot all to ourselves. For ten or so minutes, no one else was in sight! Second, they pedestrianized the town proper on late afternoons and evenings, no four-wheeled vehicles were allowed to enter some of the inner roads. This made exploring the streets safer and more comfortable. Lastly, as if forewarned by what happened in Boracay, the municipality enforced strict sewage disposal protocols. The hotel we’re staying at was being inspected as we were checking in.
El Nido is still a long way from being full sustainable, but it is on the right track. If people would stop throwing cigarette butts on the sand, it would get there.
(This trip was taken in April 2019, back when face masks were not a thing. All photos Copyright 2019, Kevin J. Nieves)
kibinibis 