Enjoy Apulit Island Resort, El Nido, Palawan, Philippines

Going to Apulit Island Resort takes a bit of time but is well worth the trip.I chose to take Airswift Airlines in order to land directly in El Nido, Palawan. Choosing other airlines would mean a five-hour road trip from Puerto Princesa City, where the other airport is located.

The plane ride from Manila to El Nido through Airswift takes just an hour. When you land at Lio Airport, a representative from Apulit Island Resort will pick you up and lead you to the resort's private van. The trip from airport to the Apulit Island Lounge by the dock is around one and half hours.

When you reach the Apulit Island Lounge ,you will be served light snacks. The resort representative will then call all guests to ride a motorboat to reach the resort. The trip takes about an hour. There might be a couple of transfers but the resort representative made it very comfortable and entertaining by giving us a very short but informative tour of the dock area where a 16th century military fort is located.

When the group reached the resort, we had a very delightful and sincere greeting from the resorts' employees! The choreographed song really warmed our hearts! We were also served a very cold glass of delicious mango juice!

Guests can opt to get a loft water cottage right on the waters. I highly recommend this for people who want to maximize their island stay. I am a city girl, so sleeping 'on top of the water' really excited me!

The cottage can sleep up to 5 people. You have everything you will need for a very pleasant and relaxing stay-- toilet amenities, airconditioning, hot and cold shower, veranda with outdoor sitting and television with cable connection.

You have your very own stairs to access the water right from your room! You will be amazed with the clear waters surrounding the island. I could see right through it!

The resort has many things to offer. There is a game room, a restaurant, a grotto, a swimming pool, a bar, spelunking facility,a forest to explore and a lot more to enumerate.

Included in your stay are all the buffet meals and the island hopping trips! There is nothing more that you can ask for to enjoy your stay.

Of course, I made sure I went to as many islands as I could. I went to Nabat Island and La Isla Blanca. The house reef is also teeming with sea life and worth checking out. I love snorkeling, so this is what I did most of the time. Since I went at the height of summer, I made sure I brought a lot of water and sun protection lotion with me. Phillippine heat can really drain you so bring everything you need to survive the heat.

I also made sure that I brought a nice camera to document my stay. I did not want to bring a bulky camera, so I opted to use my Iphone 6s plus. I think it took awesome pictures. Do you agree?

Aside from the water sports, I also looked forward to having some downtime. For me this means, appreciating nature, watching the sunrise and sunset, thinking about my life--reviewing the past, thinking about my present situation and planning for my future. I took advantage of the quiet moments and did some introspection and meditation. My vacations are not only for my physical well being,but also for my mental well being. The resort has wifi connection, so I was able to use my meditation app.

Having wifi connection could be a boon or a bane, depending on how you use it. I used it sparingly and chose to 'connect' with nature more.

A downtime activity I particularly enjoyed was walking by the beach. I walked from one end of the resort to the other end. It afforded me both 'thinking' time and some good aerobic exercise.

My stay in Apulit allowed me to reconnect not only with nature but also with myself.