This charming town of El Nido has been blooming since the 80’s when tourists first discovered the unreal beauty of this place and its surroundings, known as The Bacuit Archipelago. 45 limestone outcrops makes up this beautiful scenery and you simply have to see it for yourself!
Here is absolutely everything you need. White sandy beaches, awesome island hopping tours, world-class diving, delicious restaurants and beachfront bars. What more can one really ask for.
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Where To Stay in El Nido
There are many accommodations to choose from and booking online is easy. I was recommended to stay at Balay Paragua, but coming from Port Barton with no internet service I arrived without a booking. Unfortunately, the hotel was booked out but the lady at the front desk was so helpful and referred me to a great hotel down the street, Villa Del Vincejos. Filipinos are so friendly and always willing to go out of their way to help you. She called the hotel for me to ensure they had room and even sent her concierge with me to help check in!
TIP: Buy Lonely Planet’s travel Guide for the Philippines and you’ll always have all the information you need right at hand! Maps, sights, public transport, restaurants, hotels etc. It’s a comprehensive guide and a great travel companion.
What to do in El Nido
Island hopping – You cannot leave El Nido without exploring the nearby islands, there are so many beautiful places! El Nido offers 4 different kind of Island Hopping Tours, each of them visiting different places. They call them Tour A, B, C, and D. If you have only time for one or two of them, choose Tour A or C. Both are amazing. Actually all of them look amazing. But A & C are most popular and highly recommended.
All tours are inclusive a buffet lunch and snorkeling gadgets. You can rent water shoes for P100, which I highly recommend! It’s worth it. You’ll be walking on a lot sharp rocks and dead coral. It can do some serious damage without proper water shoes. Tours range in prices from 1200-1400 PHP.
TIP: Be cautious if your tour includes snorkeling during jellyfish season. I was visiting late November and there were heaps of them. The smaller ones won’t kill you, but will surely throw a good punch with their stings. The larger ones are VERY dangerous and can kill you! I didn’t see any during my time here, but just to be aware and cautious when you’re out and about. Jellyfish also tend to stay towards more shallow waters.
Island Hopping Destinations in El Nido
The Small Lagoon
The entrance is actually too small for any of the motorized boats to enter. You can hop on a brightly colored kayak, available for 300 PHP per kayak at the entrance, or just swim through. I decided to save the money and swim, it wasn’t bad at all. Heads up though, there are tiny biting fish and they are scary! I know you’re probably thinking that I’m overreacting but when you aren’t told that they’re there it becomes quite frightening when something starts biting you in open water. It doesn’t actually hurt much, but it definitely throws you off guard a bit. It’s an interesting experience to say the least but worth it!
Be careful with rocks and coral as well, it is very sharp! You will either paddle or swim through a small opening among the karst formations to see the beauty of the lagoon inside. And what a beauty! The Small Lagoon is a pool of turquoise water so clear that the kayaks seem to float on air while hemmed in on all sides by towering cliffs rising straight out of the water.
The Big Lagoon
This lagoon is quite amazing too – It is similar to the small Lagoon, just bigger. I know, who would have thought right! Depending on where your tour boat stops the swim here might be a bit longer than at The Small Lagoon and there’s coral to be vary of, therefore I recommend you put your snorkeling gear on for this one! There is however kayaks available for rent here too.
The Hidden Beach
This can only be accessed through a small hole on a cliff, but the moment you pass the small passage, you will surely be awed by the beauty it offers. Just make sure that the weather is good when you go to there. The current sometimes can be too strong and it’s quite difficult to enter the hole, ask your tour guide if it’s safe to enter.
7 Commandos Beach
I’m not quite exactly sure how it got its name so we’ll just leave it at that. But if the origin of its name is a mystery, the reason why it got included on this tour wasn’t a question! The last stop on my tour before heading back to El Nido town, the Seven Commandos Beach, looks attractive even from afar. The wide expanse of creamy-white sand beach, the impressively tall cliffs, the dense tropical jungle behind the beach and verdant coconut palms are reasons enough for including this in the tour. It also has a bar which serves refreshing drinks and snacks. So don’t forget to bring some cash.
Scuba Diving in El Nido
.. Is also a very popular activity here with over 30 dive sites for varying levels and skills, from taking the plunge and learning to dive for the first time, to perfecting your expertise and advancing your qualifications. Choosing a dive shop can be difficult with so many options but I narrowed it down to three. Submariner, Palawan Divers and Deep Blue. I decided to dive with Submariner as I found them to be most personal and friendly. I had an amazing experience with them! They all have great reviews and dive at the same locations. I don’t think you could go wrong with any of the 3.
The equipment all met the highest standards and is finely tuned every 6 months. I saw some of the best marine life during my dives here! Everything from a school of yellow snappers, barracudas, turtles, lionfish, batfish, you name it. It was amazing!
Lunch was great and so was the entire crew! Along with my new friend and dive master, AJ. If you go diving with Submariner, ask for him! He has the kindest, most genuine personality. He even invited me to their local dive-bar for a movie night watching David Attenborough’s Blue Planet series. Tell him I sent you and I’m positive he will ensure you have the best time.
TIP: If you dive with Submariner, make sure you have breakfast at Habibi café. You’ll be provided with a 15% discount from the dive-shop and from there you can watch how they load all the gear onto the boats. As there is no pier they can’t bring in the dive boat close enough, which means they bring everything out in small 1-man boats. This also means that you have to swim to the dive boat from the beach! Great refreshing way to start the day.
TIP: Buy Lonely Planet’s Travel Guide for the Philippines and you’ll always have all the information you need right at hand! Maps, sights, public transport, restaurants, hotels etc. It’s a comprehensive guide and a great travel companion.
Other Things to do in El Nido
Zip line – There is a 750m zipline joining Las Cabanas to Snake Island. Php500 one way, PHP400 more to come back, otherwise you can walk at low tide or swim.
Have a tricycle to take you to Las Cabanas Beach and enjoy the sunset. I never got the chance so do send me some photos if you do! I heard it’s spectacular.
Those are a few of the obvious things to do while in El Nido, but look a little further and you’ll find activities such as cliff climbing, waterfalls, kayaking, cave exploration, windsurfing, you name it! You can even rent a scooter or motorbike for a reasonable price and go exploring North Palawan.
Note: El Nido is growing quickly. Prices are going up, new hotels, bars and restaurants are opening constantly. It’s not a sleepy town anymore, as it has become paradise for many tourists. If you can make the trip to Palawan, do it sooner than later. Before this place gets overcrowded. The town might change, but the Archipelago will hopefully never lose that magic I felt when I saw the place for the first time.
Where to Eat in El Nido
Seafood is a local specialty. In fact, many fish are exported to Manila and on to other South East Asian countries. There are restaurants scattered around the town offering various foods to suit most palates. From seafoods to meat dishes, salads, pastas, stews there is something for everyone.
Best seafood restaurant: Angel Wish
Fresh fish cooked to your liking. It gets pretty busy here with both locals and tourists so if you want a table with ocean/beach view, come early.
Best Italian restaurant: Altrove
Go before 6pm! No joke, there is a line every night here. Why? Simple, they make the best pizza in El Nido. You gotta try it.
Transport to and from El Nido
Flights – Just outside El Nido town there is a domestic airport, here you can fly you to and from Manila, Cebu, Caticlan, Busuanga and Angeles City. Most flights are operated by AirSwift, I recommend you book directly from their site.
Vans & buses operate multiple times on the daily between Port Barton and Puerto Princesa. Check out these sites for more detailed information:
TripSavvy – SimplyPhilippines – ElNidoParadise
Useful Links to El Nido
The Ultimate Guide to El Nido – Getting Stamped
El Nido, Palawan: Full Travel Guide – Travelin’ Boots
10 El Nido Tips for Twenty-Somethings – My Life’s a Movie
El Nido Travel Guide 2018 – Lakwatsero
Guide to El Nido: The Word’s Most Beautiful Island – Trotterhop
Philippines Gem: A Complete Guide to El Nido – Two Monkeys Travel Group
El Nido Travel Guide 2017: Things to do – Backpacking With a Book
El Nido Travel Guide: Backpacking on a Budget – Tara Let’s Everywhere
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