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GREENVIEWS RESORT, CORONG-CORONG, EL NIDO

Greenviews Corong-Corong, El Nido
Tel: 0921 586 1442

Location and Getting There
El Nido is at the northern tip of Palawan and Greenviews is situated in the barangay of Corong-Corong on a quiet beach just 3km from the centre of El Nido, which is a 25 minute walk or a 10 peso per person tricycle ride. Buses and vans travelling from Puerto Princesa or Tay Tay to El Nido pass by the back entrance and the drivers will stop outside, either to drop off or pickup guests, if requested.
El Nido only has a small privately owned (by the owners of the exclusive offshore resorts) airport with daily flights to and from Manila in small planes operated by ITI (similarly owned) and after 18 November 2009 Seair, which will operate services initially on Sundays & Wednesdays. It is not possible to book a flight on ITI into El Nido from Manila until the last 5 days before departure but it is possible to book a flight out of El Nido to Manila at any time. Judith at Artcafe, El Nido, can help with the bookings (tel 0920 9026317 email elnidoboutique@yahoo.com). Guests who fly into El Nido can either take a tricycle or reserve the Greenviews van for the 15 minute drive.

As these flights are difficult to get most guests have to fly Puerto Princesa, where they have a choice of public bus, which is cheap but uncomfortable and takes about 8 hours, or a private van, which is much more expensive but takes 5 and a half hours. Guests should be aware that the buses leave before the planes arrive so if that is the preferred mode of transport an overnight stay in Puerto Princesa is required.
Rather than go straight to El Nido from Puerto Princesa many guests prefer to go via Sabang or Port Barton and then take a boat. Greenviews has its own big boat which is based in Port Barton and travels to both Sabang anf El Nido when required. Boats also go to El Nido from Busuanga.

  Attributes
Although the resort was only opened in November 2007, it already has earned a very good reputation and has successfully bridged the gap between the expensive mainly offshore resorts and the considerable number of cheaper and often poor quality resorts in El Nido itself. This has been recognised by the latest (May 2009) Lonely Planet Guide to the Philippines which stated 'Outside the top-end resorts (which meant the 3 very expensive resorts like Lagen & Miniloc) Greenviews cottages are the nicest in the area. Like its sister property in Port Barton, Greenviews looks like it was put together by highly skilled woodcarvers and craftsmen - from the hardwood floors to the room furniture to the wonderfully designed benches in the 2nd-storey restaurant, everything is a cut above the quality found elsewhere.'

Unlike El Nido, which gets no sunsets, except in the May-July period, owing to the large rock blocking the view, Corong-Corong has wonderful sunsets, (except mid May-July), which are different each day. The Greenviews restaurant on the second floor overlooking the sea is an ideal vantage point to enjoy such sunsets, as is the garden and beach just in front of the restaurant. Tourists staying in El Nido town often arrive around 6pm to join in the view.
The resort has been constructed with native style cottages, with a native style restaurant building in the middle at the front. All cottages have their own balcony, flush toilet and tiled shower, by November 2010 all cottages should have hot water. Currently there are five non air-conditioned double cottages, three air-conditioned double cottages and 2 air conditioned family cottages.

 

The restaurant is not only well located but worth a visit just to see the beautiful wooden furniture with it’s irregular natural shapes skilfully crafted by a local carpenter. It serves both a variety of international and Philippine cuisine cooked on the ground floor in its exceptionally clean kitchen. Tina will be back in charge of the resort for the 2010/2011 season after missing the previous 2 years and will revitalise the resort especially regarding food. As well as serving homemade deserts, including ice cream, homemade bread from our newly built oven will be a unique feature on offer.
The garden is being extensively planted with flowers, shrubs, climbers and trees and already has produced an attractive backdrop for the resort. Future planting, including a large number of orchids, will ensure that the garden becomes an attraction in its own right. Already the golden birdwing (troides platinii) is breeding in the garden just as it is at Port Barton.
Apart from the exhausting tasks of resting in hammocks, lying on sun beds or lifting a glass of beer, guests can take boat trips from the resorts with either Greenviews own boat or with local boatmen living nearby. The same boat tours offered in El Nido can be taken but with the added advantage that they pick you up and drop you just outside the restaurant and have extra flexibility as regards time and places to be visited. Ryan, Greenview’s boatman, or Buddy a local boatman, visits the resort each morning/evening to explain the possibilities

The main tours are:
Tour A – Big/small lagoons Miniloc & Simisu Islands, 7 Commando Beach.
Tour B – Caves, Beaches, Snake Island.
Tour C – Secret Beach, Martinloc & Tapuitan Islands.
Special drop-offs at favoured beaches or fishing trips can be arranged too.
It is not necessary to take a boat to enjoy snorkelling as some beautiful coral can be seen after a short paddle and swim from close to the restaurant.
The sea is quite shallow in front of the resort, but that is ideal for families with young children who can often enjoy playing on the beach with local children too. If a swim is all that is required a 30 minute walk along the beach takes you to another deserted, or almost deserted, beach which not only offers excellent swimming but also wonderful scenery. If a 30 minute walk is too strenuous the Greenviews van will give you a free ride to within 5 minutes of that beach. Another incredibly deserted and spectacular great expanse of white sand beach is a 45 minute van drive away, but beware of sand flies there. They bite!
The van can take guests to see other inland sights such as a local waterfall, caves where outside many butterflies and other insects can be seen, and a lake area about 2 hours from El Nido.
In addition to day trips in the surrounding countryside insect lovers on the special 17 day fully inclusive packaged holiday have the opportunity to see night insects attracted to a mercury vapour light.
Various games are available such as chess and badminton but one which can be real fun is beach volleyball with the added variation of the court being half in the sea when the tide is in! if guests are short of players then the Greenviews staff are normally eager to oblige.
If you have the energy after a hard day’s activities then you can venture into El Nido to sample the slightly limited but quite enjoyable nightlife and to assist you, Greenviews provide a free van service back to the resort between 9pm and midnight.

 

For more information please contact:

Tina & Dave Gooding at

12 Axeview Road, Seaton, Devon. EX12 2JT, England.

Tel/fax +44(0)1297 624018
(Not to be used between November and May as we may be in the Philippines)

palawandg@clara.co.uk