Dream Land Beach Cottages – El Nido Palawan

One of the things that I heard from my friends, and this they were unanimous, is that accommodation in El Nido is a price of gold. Now I’m not sure where my friends went because in my case, I found a beach-front lodging, which rate only goes for PHP 500 (10.05) a night. The place is called Dream Land Beach Cottages and it can be found in Corong Corong.

The lodging setup at Dream Land, as hinted by the name is in the form of cottages, which looked like little houses. A room with aircon is PHP 700 (USD 14.07) per night while the fan room is only PHP 500.

I stayed in a room with a double bed, stand fan, and its own bathroom. The bungalo style room is spacious, probably because it is hardly furnished. The walls are made of sawali  and despite not being air-conditioned, it didn’t feel stuffy inside. Most cheap accommodation I’ve tried didn’t come with a towel, but this one did. But let me tell you something about this towel. This towel is big, too big that it could pass for a blanket, too big that I had to twirl it around my head several times after showering, too big that when I covered it around myself it looked like I’m wearing a long dress. The fabric of the towel though is of poor quality, in fact, it is hardly absorbent. But I didn’t bring a towel on this trip and I am only paying 500 pesos for the room so I couldn’t really afford to be picky.

First Solo Travel in El Nido, Palawan

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Because I checked-in when it was dark I haven’t a clue of the beauty that awaits me in the morning. So when I opened the door of my room the next day and saw this lovely view of the sea dotted by boats and surrounded by the massive rock formation that Palawan is known for, I couldn’t help but feel ecstatic. A place that is not only cheap but situated by the beach, how the hell did I get this lucky?

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The night before, the caretaker asked me if I wanted to have breakfast for PHP200. I should have said no but she was so nice I haven’t a heart to voice it out. I asked what’s on their menu, she said that breakfast is whatever they decide to cook that day. I wanted to say, “what if you decide to cook a human being, should I just eat it then?” Instead I said, “Okay.”

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There is a table and some chairs in the veranda of my room and that’s where I found my breakfast in the morning. I was served with a sachet of instant coffee with a coffee cup and a thermos, and a plate of rice, spam, sunny-side-up egg, and a slice of sweet mango. I looked at my breakfast and thought, “This is friggin’ 200 pesos?! You have got to be kidding me?!” Disappointed? Yes, but it’s not enough to ruin my mood. Looking at the bright side, at least I didn’t leave the place with an empty stomach.

To be honest though, the price of that breakfast is a tad too much and I highly recommend that if you ever decide to stay at Dream Land, you should just eat your breakfast at some nearby eateries where food is cheaper. If you want good food, consider going to the port area instead where some restaurants and cafes can be found. The port is just 10 minutes away from Dream Land, a tricycle ride going there is only PHP10.

After eating, I wandered around the area to breathe some fresh air and to take some photos. Admittedly, the beach area here is not the best that I’ve seen in Palawan, in fact, the sand is coarse and unrefined and is of light brown color. But the serenity of the place, the clear water, and the fresh air more than made up for it. I can really get used to this.

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If you think about it, I got nothing to complain. Well, save for the non-absorbent towel and the expensive but so-so breakfast, but that can be easily overlooked.

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Dream Land Beach Cottages
Corong-Corong, Barangay Zone IV,
El Nido, Palawan
Contact no.: (63) 910-3511537