# Travel inspi : cristal waters in the Philippines @Flower Island

If paradise had a name, it would probably be “Flower island”… This beautiful island surrounded by turquoise water lies a few hours away from Manila, capital of the Philippines. I was lucky enough to spend a few days there.. Now let’s get back in time and share it with you .

Welcome to Flower Island Resort

On this cute little island, there is only one authentic, small and wooden made resort. Exactly the type that I love… You have the choice between really simple seaside or garden side thatched roof wooden cottages .. Once you are all set and ready to chill out in your cottage’s hammock, rocked by the sound of the waves, you will feel like you are the only one on this island… Those few days we spent on this island were just magic .. It was very peaceful, relaxing, quiet and beautiful .. We did appreciate this feeling, specially after our stay in the really busy “El Nido”@Palawan..

Just so you know, the small town of El Nido is located in the north of Palawan; it is the starting point for many famous excursions to the gorgeous surroundings island of Miniloc, Matinloc, Cadlao … (cf post philipinnes part 1)

Activities :

As you can guess, the main activity here is farniente.. Just chill, relax, doing nothing but read a book under the shade of the palm trees, enjoying delicious and home-made smoothies… Take a nap, get tanned on the warm sand, take a nap again, make out, go for a swim and pretend to be a little mermaid in the warm and cristal clear waters.. Well you got the idea.. If you are the restless kind of person, or if you do like museum holidays, old historic places, or if you are not a beach person, you might get bored .. I have got something for you though and it will keep you busy for a few hours: take a long walk across the island, and wander safely in the jungle to visit the old lighthouse. You can even book it to spend the night in the lighthouse top room … So Romantic 😉

Another visit you might enjoy is the Pearl Farm .. This nice excursion will take you to the nearby island were you will stay for half a day. You could also get a massage at the flower island ‘s spa, or snorkel in the lagon .. I must admit that I was a bit disappointed by the view in the shallow waters .. You would better take your chances with some diving excursions to observe the local marine wildlife or use enjoy the paddles, kayak, or water bicycles at your disposal on the beach .The meals are served in the main wooden cottage where it feels like being in grandma’s home as the cook is ringing a bell to let every guest know that lunch or diner is ready ..

Good to know :

Paradise has a price .. and it is not really cheap compared to other places in the Philippines .. A room for 2 with breakfast will cost you around 200 euros and full bord is not included and the bill can significantly increase if you are not careful… When staying on a secluded island, the food and water are always more expensive as they have to import everything .. Just keep that in mind in order to avoid bad surprises at the end of your stay… And don’t forget to include the transportations fees in your budget plan 😉 One last word about Flower island, this place is not easy to reach and the journey to get to the island is quite long and tricky .. So try to stay there 3 or 4 days before carrying on with your trip across the Philippines.

Here is one way to get there but you can adjust, depending from where you will start your trip .

If you start from Manila, take a local flight to El Nido Airport with the SEAIR or ITI compagnies . An arranged pick up from the Flower Island Resort will take your from El Nido airport to the small Batakalan Pier.
After about 1hour of bumpy drive , a speedboat will then take you from the pier on a 30mn drive to the shores of Flower Island, ( if you have a sensitive stomac, take some sea sickness medicine just in case .. the trip is pretty bumpy ..) It is a long journey but it definitely worth it … More info : Flower Island .

A few more tips ..

Regarding the SEAR or ITI compagnies domestic flights : they use extremely small planes, so keep in mind that the cabin crew is really strict regarding the luggage weight. Just to give you an idea: they weighted me, with and without my bags, on both ways and they absolutly do not tolerate any excess baggage (even if you smile and try to soften them .. it is not working)… Excess must be be storaged in a safe closet you will have to pay for, and you will get your stuff back on your way back …They also have zero tolerance for seashells, wooden pieces or any natural thing you may have removed from nature. They search trough your bags and will confiscate everything .. even if it is not coming from the Philippines .. One of the officers did that to me and he took all my stones I was bringing back from Bali .. he did not listen until i could show him some pictures with proof of the date and location .. jeez, this stubborn officer finally let go …

In spite of those little issues, i heartily recommend this secret, still preserved and peacefull little island … As the mass tourism is constantly increasing in El Nido , I do not know for how long my cute island will remain secret, so you would better hurry up and pay a visit with you beloved chéri (e) in this perfect lover’s hideaway 😉

To play robinson it’s this way !

xo 😉