El Nido - utility. How to get there, where to live, communication, internet, cafes and restaurants. El Nido is the most beautiful place in the Philippines, Palawan. How to get there, where to stay

El Nido Game Reserve, Palawan

nature reserve El Nido in the province Palawan is a unique place in Philippines that will satisfy even the most demanding travelers.

The El Nido Reserve is a few dozen small and medium-sized islands near the northern part of the island of Palawan:

• indescribable beauty bays And lagoons
• snow-white beaches
• majestic rocks
• clean emerald water

All this is complemented by rich underwater world With coral gardens and mysterious marine life.

Therefore, in the sea national park El Nido absolutely any traveler will find something to their liking.

🎒 If you are planning a trip to the Philippines, be sure to include El Nido in your itinerary.

Having visited El Nido at least once, you will surely leave a piece of your heart in these places and dream of returning here again!

In 2014, the island of Palawan took the highest position in the list of the best islands in the world according to the famous American magazine. Conde Nast Traveler. Outperforming 147 other islands worldwide, Palawan was voted the most beautiful island in the world in the 27th annual reader poll.

In this article, we show photos and talk about places where you can have a good time, have a tasty meal and unforgettably relax.

Our tips will help you make an unforgettable trip to El Nido in Palawan and set an indicative budget for your trip to this region in the Philippines.

What will you find in this article?

• Budget Tips- we call estimated cost for food, entertainment and leisure activities, so that you know approximately how much money you need
• List of best places– explore the sights of the islands of the reserve
• Suggested route— use our itinerary or part of the itinerary to plan your trip so as not to waste time on it
• Transport Tips– learn about options for getting to the island, check out our experience of renting mopeds and traveling on a group boat tour, and also do not miss the information about who it is better not to order a transfer to the airport of the capital of the island
• Nutrition Tips- find out a list of places where you can eat tasty and cheap

✔ We have created a FREE PDF: 12 Best Places in the Philippines
To download the list:

• Click the link below
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How to get to El Nido on the island of Palawan?

✈ Air

To get to El Nido, basically everyone traveling in the Philippines arrives in the capital of the island Palawan - Puerto Princesa(Puerto Princess). And then by bus, minivan or taxi they cover the distance in 230 km north to El Nido.

The road is not easy - serpentine, elevation changes and constant turns do their job, and those who get sick should stock up on pills. The transfer usually takes 4-5 hours. We drove the minivan in the opposite direction - from El Nido to the airport, and you can talk about this wonderful trip.

And how to buy tickets for domestic flights in the Philippines and useful tips I.

El Nido has its own airport, but it is very small and handles several flights a day from Manila. When we looked at the flights, there were only available from / to Manila at a price of about 150 $ for a ticket.

The airport is so small that when we drove past to Nacpan beach, we did not notice it, although the airport could be seen. In any case, now the El Nido airport is under reconstruction and it remains to be hoped that soon, after its opening, it will be much easier to get to El Nido and not only from Manila.

⚓ Ferry

For us it was the most comfortable and fast way get to El Nido from Coron from the island of Busuanga. The ferry trip takes less time than the plane + 2 transfers.

The ferry departs from the port of Coron Town and arrives at the port of El Nido, only 3.5 hours on the way- and you are on the spot, in the bay of El Nido, where all the cafes and hotels in the center are within easy reach.

Weather in El Nido in Palawan - when is the best time to go to the island?

The climate in Palawan is divided into 2 seasons:

1. Rainy season (June to November)- during which changeable rainy weather is established. The rainy season does not mean at all that it rains all day, but rather it is intermittent rains several times a day with a sharp change in weather, as well as rains at night. By the end of the rainy season, the situation is completely reduced to good weather during the day and heavy short-term rains at night. Holidays in Palawan during the rainy season have their undeniable advantages - the prices for the basic needs of travelers (rental, flights, and even sightseeing) are lower at this time. If you decide to go to the Philippines to the island of Palawan during the rainy season, your trip can cost you much less than a similar trip in the dry and even more so during the high season - during generally accepted holidays and vacations.
2. Dry season (December to May)- during which dry comfortable sunny weather is established.

In turn, the dry season in Palawan is divided into 2 periods:

• Cool (December to February), average temperature during the day 28 , at night 25
• Hot (March to May), average temperature during the day 32 , at night 26 - these months are considered Philippine summer

It is the “cool” months that are considered the most comfortable for traveling to Palawan - December, January And February.

But do not forget, this time is the high season for travel due to holidays such as New Year, Christmas and also Chinese New Year. The number of tourists during this period goes off scale, the demand for rental housing, flights and entertainment increases, and the prices for everything rise accordingly. In addition to the increase in prices for holidays, the obvious disadvantage of these months is the large number of tourists everywhere. In the high season, it is quite difficult to find secluded beaches, and places in good cafes and restaurants must be booked in advance.

If you tolerate heat well and such weather does not cause you discomfort and health problems, go to Palawan during the hot months - from March to the end of May (with the exception of the Easter holidays - since the holidays are also included in the high season). Dry sunny weather during these months guarantees an unforgettable experience of the days spent in El Nido in Palawan!

El Nido: first impressions and features of the region

For the first time we saw El Nido from the bay when we sailed on the ferry. We liked these immediately. colorful houses, surrounded on both sides highest cliffs, and boats moored to the beach with azure water and white sand.

A striking difference from the port of Coron Town on the island of Busuanga, where we came from.

And immediately during a walk from the port along the central streets, we agreed that the “city” is more developed for tourists than Coron Town. Here we even noticed groups of American schoolchildren who obviously came to the Philippines on an exchange.

During our stay in El Nido, we noted several local features:

• When choosing accommodation, you should pay attention to whether the hotel has its own generator, as there are often power outages in the city (we there was no electricity every evening after 22 hours), and the water supply is tied to electricity, not to mention such luxury as wi-fi
• With wi-fi, by the way, in El Nido, as elsewhere in the Philippines, there is not a lot - it works with varying degrees of success, and the Internet often pulls on the local SIM card
• The main entertainment in El Nido is boat tours to the islands, beaches and bays, but in addition to boat tours there are other excursions - for example, to the underground river in Sabang, all excursions can be bought on the main streets
• When moving to / from the region, you cannot bring fresh mango! numerous announcements at the port and airport will remind you of this
• By nature, the El Nido nature reserve is very similar to the surroundings of the Busuanga and Coron islands, but the region has more amenities for tourists, and, accordingly, more travelers, with all the pluses and minuses
• All attractions in the El Nido reserve are subject to a single additional fee - eco fee, at the rate of 200 pesos(4$) per person, ticket is valid 10 days

El Nido: islands on the map of the Philippines + important points on Google Maps

✔ DIG DEEPER: Budget friendly Philippines travel guide from Nastya Khaneni and Andrey Salokhin.

For more in-depth coverage of the Philippines, our 70-page travel guide is perfect for budget travelers like you! Here you will find the practical information you need to travel and save money in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. You'll find suggested itineraries, budgets, ways to save money, fun and unique experiences, non-touristic restaurants, markets and bars, and more!

Rental housing in El Nido: description of hotels, reviews, conflict in one of the hotels

With housing in El Nido, we had an incident. Before the trip, we booked the hotel for all 3 nights. Since we made a booking shortly before the trip to El Nido, there was not a wide choice of hotels, and we settled on the booking option with a rating 8,0 .

Arriving at the hotel, we disappointed:

• First, the hotel construction was going on(I don’t know how it is now, 2 months later) - a neighboring building was erected from scratch, and accordingly there was constant noise and dust
• Secondly, the guys have more or less, but our number has not been removed, it feels like someone was taking a shower right before our arrival, besides, there was a persistent smell of paint in the room, and we could not ventilate, because the window looked directly at the construction site

We were denied a request to change the room because there were no available rooms.

With grief in half, we spent the first night in El Nido in: construction was going on even at night, the smell of paint gave me a headache, it was stuffy, but we did not dare to turn on the air conditioner for a long time - it looked very old and something told us that they are hardly cleaned, and we did not want to get sick.

In the morning, on the way to breakfast, the Japanese girls from the next room asked Andrey to help them kill such huge fat cockroaches, which could not but cheer us up. Breakfast was served on the terrace on the top floor.

That morning it was raining, and there were only 3 tables on which water would not be poured, so before breakfast it was still necessary to stand in line from those who wanted to refresh themselves in dryness. We did not wait, the mood was spoiled since the evening.

And it was decided to change housing

But here the most interesting began.

Booking charged our card in advance for 2 rooms for all 3 nights. When canceling the reservation, the money was not returned, since our stay at the hotel at that time had already begun.

That is, it would seem that the fact that we leave the hotel after living in it for only 1 night is purely our business. But no, they started asking us to pay for the whole stay booked. The owner of the hotel was not in El Nido, and he communicated with us by phone through an employee at the reception.

They did not want to let us out, arguing that they had not yet received our payment. But our money was debited from the card, and we did not agree to pay the hotel again. The situation escalated and began to smell fried.

As a result, after a long useless conversation in raised tones, we nevertheless escaped from the hotel, and angry Filipino curses flew after us 🙂

Arriving on a tricycle in the center of El Nido, we opted for our second option - “”.

The hotel is located in the center of El Nido, while the rooms are not noisy, and besides, you do not need to ride a tricycle every time to have a snack or walk along the central streets.

From the outside, the building is inconspicuous, but inside everything is new, clean and tidy, the rooms are spacious. We have nothing but good things to say about this place to stay in El Nido. The only thing, wi-fi normally pulled only near the reception and breakfast is so-so, but you can eat in a cafe a few minutes from the hotel.

How did our story with Booking and the first hotel end?

Immediately after we left the hotel, we wrote a letter to Booking. The essence of the letter was that the accommodation does not match the stated description. They attached photos, mentioned that the room had not been cleaned and the room had a strong smell of paint that could not be removed. At the end of the letter, they wrote that, given all of the above, we could not stay in the facility for the entire booked time and ask for a refund of the cost of 2 nights not lived in it.

We must pay tribute, after 2 days this issue was resolved - we returned the cost of 2 nights back to the card. This experience of solving the problem with Booking was useful to us, and I hope it will be useful to someone else.

12 popular hotels in El Nido in Palawan: prices, descriptions + photos

💰 Budget accommodation

From 17$ per night - Spin Designer Hostel, with rating 9,0 points.
Without exaggeration, the best hostel in the area. Made in modern style which is rare for the area. Both shared rooms for 4 people and separate rooms for 2 and 1 person are provided.

From 17$ per night - Smile Lodge, with rating 8,4 points. The simplest hotel for unpretentious tourists. From the pros - good location, if you do not take into account the roosters in the neighborhood, which will definitely not let you sleep longer.

From 35$ per night - Inngo Tourist Inn, with rating 7,8 points. Neat mini-hotel in El Nido, 2 minutes from the beach.

💰💰 Mid-range hotels

From 45$ per night - Aqua Travel Lodge, with rating 7,6 points. The quiet lodge is located in the heart of El Nido next to the Art Cafe.

From 45$ per night - Villa del Vincejos Hotel, with rating 6,0 points. This is the hotel we stayed at. Inside everything is new, clean and tidy, the rooms are spacious. We have nothing but good things to say about this place to stay in El Nido. The only thing is that wi-fi normally pulled only near the reception and the breakfasts were so-so.

From 57$ per night - Coral Cliff Hotel, with rating 7,4 points. A cozy hotel in the heart of El Nido.

From 89$ per night - Lio Villas Resort, with rating 7,9 points. Quiet and cozy hotel, located 5 km from the center of El Nido.

💰💰💰 Premium hotels

From 105$ per night - One Elnido Suite, with rating 8,0 points. New hotel near the market in El Nido.

From 134$ per night - The Nest El Nido Beach Resort, with rating 8,2 points. Hotel on the shores of El Nido bay. Beautiful well-groomed territory, immersed in greenery, and excellent rooms.

From 134$ per night - Cadlao resort and Restaurant, with rating 8,0 points. A cozy hotel with an outdoor pool overlooking the bay of El Nido.

From 180$ per night - Panorama Resort, with rating 9,2 points. A brand new cozy hotel in a quiet area. The only drawback for some may be the remoteness from El Nido - 4 km.

From 315$ per night - Cauayan Island Resort & Spa, with rating 8,5 points. A hotel with a spa and its own diving center, located on a private island. A truly heavenly place to fully enjoy the atmosphere of El Nido.

El Nido, Philippines: where to eat tasty and cheap?

The question of where to eat in El Nido is not as acute as in Coron Town on the island of Busuanga, where we were before. On the central streets of El Nido there is a large selection of cafes for different tastes.

There is even a Ukrainian cafe in El Nido, where you can get nostalgic over a plate of borscht with Philippine specifics.

Eating cheaply in El Nido, as elsewhere in the Philippines, is easy. But whether you will be satisfied with the conditions of cooking, this is another question. In the evening, barbecue is fried everywhere on the streets - this is one of the options to eat on a budget. Shish kebab is presented not only in our classical sense, but there are, for example, chicken paw skewers with nails - for exotic lovers. We didn’t try the food sold on the streets, but we heard that someone ate and survived 🙂

SAVA Beach Bar

On the first evening, we went around several establishments on the shore in El Nido Bay, among which we can highlight - a cozy atmosphere in the evening when the lights are lit, pleasant music, delicious cocktails priced from 200 pesos (4 $), from 16:00 to 18:00 happy hours for cocktails - you order 1, you get the second one the same. This practice is often used in bars in the Philippines.

Osaka Castle El Nido

art cafe

And the first place where we went to have a bite to eat right away with our suitcases upon arrival in El Nido turned out to be. We liked it here, and after visiting other establishments on the first evening, which I wrote about above, in the following days we ate only here. We were guided by the fact that with regards to cuisine in the Philippines - they don’t look for good from good 🙂

art cafe This popular place in El Nido, because there is not only a cafe, but also a currency exchange, as well as an office selling boat tours, excursions and even air tickets to Manila from El Nido airport.

As for the food at Artcafe, everything we ordered was delicious (some people liked fish with mango more, some liked pizza, and some liked creme brulee for dessert), the portions are large.

Evenings in art cafe live music plays and there are no empty seats, as soon as a table is vacated, it is immediately occupied.

Cafe prices are as follows:

• • toast - average 230 pesos (4,5 $),
  • sandwiches - from 180 to 270 pesos (3,5 — 5,5 $),
  • soups from 95 to 250 pesos (2 — 5$),

• salads from 120 to 330 pesos (2,5 — 6,5 $),
• pizza - average 320 pesos (6,5 $),
• fish and seafood dishes - average 300 pesos (6 $),
• fruit necks 120-150 pesos (3$).

El Nido also has a cafe Altrove(exactly at Altrove Coron we ate on Busuange), but we didn’t get there, because Alexey really liked the pizza in art cafe, and we had no alternative 🙂

Market in El Nido

The market in El Nido is across the street from bus station. And compared to the market in Coron Town, it is very decent. Trade pavilions are divided into several zones - fruits / vegetables and fish / seafood, there are also meat stalls and fruit / vegetables / greens are sold in tents on the street.

If you live in the center of El Nido, it is better to go to the market by tricycle. We drove to the market on rented mopeds after a trip to buy fruits: mangoes, pineapples, papaya, bananas.

El Nido, Nacpan beach: how to get there, rent mopeds in El Nido, prices, is it worth a visit?

Even before the trip to El Nido, we planned that we would take 1 day for a trip to Nacpan Beach. On the morning of the appointed day, our plans almost collapsed due to bad weather - every now and then it rained, the sky was overcast with heavy clouds.

Nevertheless, we decided not to change our plans, because we were only a few days on the island of Palawan and we wanted to see as many sights of El Nido as possible.

How to get to Nacpan beach?

To get to Nacpan beach, you can take a tricycle taxi. The driver will wait while you spend time on the beach. The cost of such a trip will be about 1000 pesos (20 $).

Can you take moped for rent and go to Nacpan beach from El Nido on your own.

We did just that - renting a moped for a day was worth 400 pesos (8$) + 100 pesos($2) refilled 2 liters of gasoline. For four, the cost of renting mopeds was equal to the cost of a trip with a driver on a tricycle, but the impressions from independent travel there was much more.

The advantage of an independent trip is that you can adjust the route and drive along the road, for example, to a waterfalllocated a little away from the main road, and you can also spend as much time on the beach as you like.

The disadvantages of independent travel include:

• The thrill of riding a moped when overtaking trucks come too close
• Uncomfortable driving on an unpaved part of the road during or after rain, as deep puddles of mud form on the road and there is a high probability of staining clothes

We decided that it was boring to take a tricycle, because on a trip to the Philippines we already rode tricycles with rare exceptions every day. But renting mopeds and going on your own is a completely different feeling, which was the key argument in choosing how to get to Nacpan beach from El Nido.

Moped rental

Renting a moped in El Nido is not a problem, there are many shops on the central streets that rent mopeds, they are also one of the many shops offering excursions around the island of Palawan and boat tours from El Nido.

Rent 1 moped worth a day 400 pesos($ 8), in exchange for the moped it was necessary to leave driver license(paradoxical as it may seem), the gas tanks were full, with full ones we had to return them. In addition to mopeds, we asked for helmets, which caused genuine laughter from the owner of the office, because the locals think that helmets are superfluous 🙂

After checking the mopeds on the main street, we went towards the beach Nacpan, which is located in 20 km north of El Nido.

At first, the road is good (for the islands) - one-lane concrete, the traffic is not too intense, but when a car or truck overtakes you on a moped, it's not very comfortable, because the road is narrow and they huddle too close to the moped. The road runs through villages, the usual non-tourist Filipino villages.

Between the villages on both sides of the road, breathtaking views open up: mountains covered with dense greenery, rice fields and palm groves.

If you wish and have time - on the way to Nacpan beach you can.

We did not go to the waterfalls, because for this it was necessary to leave the main road onto a dirt road, and since our trip turned out to be in the rain, the roads were washed out, and we could not calculate how long it would take us, and whether we would even get to Nacpan after. And if you will be accompanied by good weather, then why not?

So, on a good road from El Nido to Nacpan beach, you need to drive 16 km, after - with a turn to the left - more 4 km along a dirt road that leads to the entrance to the beach.

If you, like us, go in cloudy weather, after the rain that has passed the day before, be ready for adventure.

During our trip, the roads were so washed out that in some places there was no way to go around these puddles of mud. We rode 2 people on a moped, but the guys rode the sections of the mud mess on mopeds alone, for easier control.

Veronica and I walked through such sections on foot (sometimes ankle-deep in mud), we didn’t want to get stuck on a moped in the middle of a puddle of clay, or even worse, plop into it.

👙 In cloudy weather, it is better to go to Nacpan beach in shoes and clothes that don't mind smearing

road to 4 km seemed endless to us, at first it was even fun, but then the trip began to drag on because of the endless puddles, and we wanted to get to the beach as soon as possible.

And so, passing another village, we were asked to stop at the last house - it turned out that we were almost there, and this house was something like a tourist center. We were given a notebook where we had to enter our names as visitors to Nacpan Beach.

Nacpan beach

Also in this place, beach visitors pay phi for entering the beach, but on the day of our visit, phi was not charged - just because of the washed out roads. In good weather, fi is 100 pesos for tourists, 50 pesos for local per person.

And after a few minutes we parked at Nacpan beach. Regardless of the weather, we were pleased to be in such a place. Nacpan beach is very spacious, the length of the beach reaches 2 km. At the same time, the beach remains almost always deserted.

A dense row of tall palm trees is separated from the water by a wide strip of fine sand. The entrance to the water is smooth, the bottom is sandy, clean. Swimming on Nakpan is pleasant and time flies by.

To the right of the entrance to the beach there is a cafe with gazebos, where we settled down, because it rained every now and then.

We had lunch here - we ordered fruit smoothies, grilled fish and shrimp, shish kebab (of course, rice was a side dish to everything). There are no complaints about the food, the prices are average (from 250 to 400 pesos per dish - $ 5-8).

We stayed on Nacpan beach until 15:00, swam and enjoyed the atmosphere, and came to the conclusion that since we liked it here, when it was cloudy, then in sunny weather on Nacpan beach it would be wonderful at all.

However, we had to leave back to El Nido to get there before sunset and not ride mopeds in the dark.

Return trip from Nacpan beach to El Nido

The thought that we would have to ride through the mud again was a bit of a burden, so we decided that the guys would go on mopeds, and for Veronica and me, we rent a tricycle, on which we will be taken to the paved road ( 100 pesos per person - $ 2).

As a result, it took us less time to get to the dirt road in the opposite direction, but there were enough impressions - the puddles were so deep that water with clay was poured directly into the tricycle, and we had to ride with our legs up 🙂

About halfway we overtook a Japanese couple, they looked so miserable (the girl was covered in mud on one side, she probably fell into a puddle) that our tricyclist stopped and offered to give the girl a lift (not for free, of course), there is no place for the guy found, and he continued on foot.

After we passed another deep puddle across the entire width of the road, the tricyclist stopped meaningfully, which meant that we had arrived. Veronika and I got back on our mopeds, and the Japanese went further on foot (although it was still about 2 km to the paved road).

The road was still slippery, the moped now and then skidded to the side, but it was good that the deepest and most difficult puddles were left behind.

So we slowly drove to the highway (we didn’t accelerate much, because the harder we pressed the gas pedal, the higher the drops of dirt rose from under the rear wheel, settling on our backs).

In general, the trip turned out to be memorable and unusual, you don’t travel like that every day, in fact, but we didn’t have any special negative emotions - it’s just that once again it came to the realization that the Philippines is not only paradise beaches 🙂

Having entered the highway, we accelerated to unimaginable speeds on the previous dirt road. 40 km/h and quickly reached El Nido. At the entrance to the city we stopped at a gas station - filled up 2 l gasoline in each moped ( 100 pesos).

If you wish, you could go somewhere else nearby, because we rented mopeds for the whole day, but it was starting to get dark, and we were pretty tired, so we decided to go to the hotel, rest and later, before dinner, return the mopeds.

Should I go to Nacpan Beach?

If you have enough time in El Nido and want to diversify your vacation not only with boat tours - definitely worth the trip!

If you are traveling on your own rainy weather- get ready for what 4 km in each direction you will have to go through the mud, so it is better not to wear light-colored elegant clothes, the same applies to shoes. The beach itself is good, spacious, there is where to dine, you can spend time in the gazebo or rent sun loungers, lovers active rest can play volleyball.

Boat tours from El Nido: description, prices, reviews

One of the main things that attract travelers to El Nido is boat tours around the islands, with the opportunity to visit the outskirts of Palawan and enjoy the best beaches of El Nido and breathtaking nature.

Nowhere on earth have I seen seascapes more beautiful than Palawan

Jacques Yves Cousteau

The famous French explorer of the World Ocean, photographer, director, inventor, author of many books and films

⛵ Various boat tours are common feature El Nido on Palawan and Coron Town on Busuanga.
And by the way, nature in these regions is similar.

Therefore, when choosing a boat tour in El Nido, we were guided by the fact that we should visit places different from those already seen during ours.

On Busuanga, we rented a boat individually, while in El Nido we decided to join group tours to see how group tours in the Philippines work and form our own impression of this kind of leisure.

Buying boat tours in El Nido will not be a problem at all. On the main streets, they are sold in numerous offices, shops, some cafes, and even on the street, they will simply persistently give you leaflets with tour options.

It doesn't matter where you buy the tour, the groups are formed evenly between all the boats so that the number of people on the boats is approximately the same.

Options and description of group boat tours from El Nido:

Tour A - El Nido Lagoons and Beaches Day Trip- cost 1200 pesos ($24) per person: Small Lagoon, Big Lagoon, Shimizu Island, Entalula Island, Secret Lagoon, 7 Commando Beach Tour of the lagoons and beaches of Palawan with the opportunity to snorkel and swim in the lagoons in kayaks that are pre-loaded on the boat.

Tour B - El Nido Caves and Coves Day Trip- cost 1300 pesos ($26) per person: Popolcan Island, Snake Island, Codognon Cave, Pinagbuyutan Island, Cathedral Cave, Ipil Beach Island and Cave Tour Palawan with the opportunity to snorkel. We chose exactly tour B, so I will tell you more about it.

Tour C - El Nido Hidden Beaches and Shrines Day Trip- cost 1400 pesos ($28) per person: Matinloc Island, Hidden Beach, Secret Beach, Helicopter Island, Tapuitan Island, Cadlao Lagoon Tour to the outlying islands and beaches of Palawan.

Tour D - El Nido Islands and Beaches Day Trip- cost 1200 pesos ($24) per person: Balinaod Beach, Pasandigan Beach, Paradise Beach, Ubugon Cave, Natnat Beach, Bukal Island. A tour of the beaches of the El Nido nature reserve relatively close to the city of the same name.

Tour - El Nido Nacpan and Duli Beach- cost 3400 pesos ($68) per person: Duli Beach, Nacpan beach Tour of the remote beaches of Duli Beach and Nacpan. For a company of up to 3 people, you can rent a tricycle yourself for 800 - 1400 pesos ($ 16-28) if you go only to Nacpan Beach, as we did.

Included in the price of each tour dinner:

• pork skewers
• seafood
• chick
• paste
• fruits
• drinks (water, cola, fanta)

When paying for the tour, check whether the rental of masks for snorkeling, fins, kayaks is included in the price. We included in the price of the mask.

In addition to the cost of the tour, each tourist must pay an eco-fee in the amount of 200 pesos($4) which is valid for 10 days. The main thing is to keep the ticket, and if you swim in El Nido with different boat tours for several days, you will no longer have to pay the eco-fee.

Boat tours depart from El Nido Bay around 9 am, come back about 16-17 hours.

Comparison of individual and group boat tour:

During our trip to the Philippines, we also bought. What allows us to make small comparative analysis such trips based on personal experience.

And I hardly surprise anyone when I say that individual tour we liked it a lot more, after all:

• We have compiled a route based on our preferences, mixing places from different tours
• We were on the boat only with our own company, and we ourselves decided when, for example, we would have dinner, not to mention the fact that we did not have to endure the not very pleasant habits of other nations that they allow themselves at the table
• There were no crowds of people both on the boat and in the places to visit, which is nice in itself, and it was possible to take a photo or shoot a video without any problems

But also in group boat tour we were able to find pros:

• Our group included a couple from Moscow, and we shared our impressions of other islands in the Philippines, found out where they were and what they recommended us to visit
• If you are traveling as a couple, then a group tour is undeniably cheaper than renting an individual boat.

The cost of renting a private boat in El Nido starts from 5000 pesos($100), lunch and entrance fees are additionally paid. Our company of 4 people for a group tour, we paid 5200 pesos($ 104), that is, an individual boat would not have come out much more expensive.

But we decided to go to El Nido with a group in order to form our own opinion about this kind of tours, compare them with an individual boat tour according to our experience on Busuanga. And compared 🙂 - if possible take a private boat!

Description of boat tour B: from El Nido to islands, caves, beaches

We bought tickets for the boat tour the evening before the trip. On the way to dinner, opposite the Art Cafe, we noticed an office selling tours. We went in to clarify the information we were interested in, and since everything suited us, we bought tickets.

For the purchase of 4 tickets we were given a discount - 200 pesos each($ 4) per person, as a result, the tour instead of 1300 pesos ($ 26) cost us 1100 pesos($22) per person. Also, the hostess of the office clarified information about our food preferences. Lunch is served on the boat for the group, and if you are a vegetarian, for example, your food requirements will be taken into account, but you need to specify them in advance.

All group tour boats depart from El Nido Bay around 9 am. We arrived at the bay at the appointed time. Our group, as it turned out, consisted of 14 people, although the day before they said that there would be no more than 10. In the boat, we were immediately given snorkel masks and life jackets, which we had to wear until the boat left the bay (for visibility of safety precautions) . And so we, dressed up, went to get acquainted with the islands and beaches near El Nido.

Sometimes places to visit on tours may change due to some reasons, for example weather conditions. So, on our trip, a visit to Ipil Beach was replaced by a visit to Entalula Beach on the island of the same name.

Beach on Entalula Island

A beautiful beach with white sand, emerald water, palm trees and bizarre rocks.

The downside is that a significant part of the beach is closed to everyone except hotel guests, who own the beach.

The part of the beach free to visit is not so big if several tourist groups- it will be tight in here.

The hallmark of the beach is a small rock, located at a distance from the main rocks of the island, and as if growing out of the water. Against the background of this rock, all visitors to the beach are photographed, and sometimes taking a photo without other tourists in the frame is quite problematic.

By the Entalula beach good snorkeling, the main thing is to take a mask with you - and an interesting pastime, while the rest are photographed by the rocks, is guaranteed to you.

Snorkeling at Popolcan Island

Great place for snorkeling. They don’t land anywhere on the shore, you have to dive right from the boat and snorkel-snorkel-snorkel.

Colorful coral forests, fish, stars and others Marine life at arm's length - isn't this a paradise for snorkeling? But you should be careful - all this is not too deep, and diving, you can easily get hurt on the corals.

Andrei, for example, dived, touched the corals with his hand (and they are very sharp) - and seriously cut himself, he immediately bled, which they could not stop for a long time. Then, of course, jokes began about the fact that now sharks will smell blood, swim up and eat us, and we won’t even have time to blink an eye.

Snake Island

An island that is connected to the island of Palawan by a spit where you can walk at low tide. It is because of the shape of the spit that the island is called Serpentine. By the time we visited this island the weather turned bad, so we probably could not fully appreciate the beauty of these places. On the beach of the island, we were not met by a snake at all, but by an imposing monkey :), which cannot be said to be happy with the arrival of so many people.

As if yawning hopelessly, he went back into the thicket.

If you go up the path, you can get to the observation deck and take a photo of the surroundings of Snake Island from a height. We did not go upstairs, but walked along the spit to the mangroves, where orchids grow first, and then the mangrove forest begins.

Lunch on the boat during the group tour

For lunch, we did not land on the islands, the food was set on the table right on the boat. Let me remind you that our group consisted of 14 people. There was enough food, they served fish, grilled chicken and shrimp, pork kebab, vegetable salads, rice, pasta, there were even some meat rolls, fruits.

From drinks - bottled water, cola, fanta. And there seemed to be a lot, but 14 man, this is no joke - and all the food was quickly snapped up. Therefore, if you are on a group boat tour, do not click your nose and immediately take what you plan to have for lunch, otherwise you may not have time.

During such a dinner, I thought that taking an individual boat is many times more pleasant - there is no need to rush anywhere and observe the strange habits of other nations at the table 🙂

Cudugnon Cave (Kodognon Cave)

The entrance to the cave is located on the beach, near which boats stop. The beach itself is quite pleasant, if not for the group tour program, we would have stayed on this beach longer.

There is quite an interesting snorkeling off the coast of the beach.

We were unlucky with the weather - when we arrived at the Codognon cave, a heavy downpour began, the visibility was so poor that it was not visible neighboring island which is very close.

Of course, it was possible to snorkel in such weather, but it was impossible to relax on the beach.

As for the cave, I didn't climb inside. The entrance to the cave is in the rocks, you need to climb onto the stones and crawl through the hole 🙂 the stones are quite sharp, so life jackets are placed on them for the convenience of tourists. The guys were in a cave, and they said that “a cave is like a cave”, in general, nothing interesting 🙂

Our boat was the only one on the island, so there was plenty of room to relax. On the island, there is something for everyone - here you can snorkel, walk along the beach or along the palm grove, or sunbathe.

More can be searched interesting corals, but if the guide notices, he will say to throw it back into the water, it is forbidden to take corals out 🙂

Cathedral Cave

The cave is located in the rock of Cathedral Island. The island does not have a coast as such, as it is a rock surrounded by the sea. The boat sails right to the beginning of the cave and everyone inspects it while remaining on the boat.

For the local population, this is one of sacred places. Again, it seemed to us “a cave as a cave”, from rocks of different colors. Cathedral Cave was last place visits on our boat tour and after we headed back to El Nido.

As for our impressions of the boat tour - definitely worth the trip. We were not very lucky with the weather - we left El Nido when it was clear and sunny, but soon the weather turned bad - it became cloudy and at times it was even dark because of the downpour. But even in such weather, we were amazed by the nature of Palawan.

boat tour is a great opportunity to visit 5-6 amazing places in one day and get impressions that will stay with you for a long time. Best to rent if possible individual boat and make your itinerary from the places that interest you, even if these places are included in different group tours. But even if you go with a group of tourists, you are guaranteed endless pleasure, the main thing is that the trip takes place in good weather!

How to get from El Nido to Puerto Princesa Airport: transfer description, price, review

We had a flight from Palawan to Cebu in 20 hours of the evening. We specially picked up a late flight, in the hope that in the morning we would have time to go, for example, to some beach near El Nido. However, the weather spoiled our plans, and we had to leave El Nido in 14 hours, because the transfer to the airport of the capital of the island of Palawan - the city of Puerto Princesa lasts about 4 hours.

Distance between Puerto Princesa and El Nido 230 km, which are usually overcome in 4 hours. I want to emphasize the word “usually”, because in our case it was not so, but more on that below.

Being in El Nido, finding a transfer to Puerto Princesa is very simple - on the central streets at every turn there are numerous offices that sell boat tours and excursions, and you can also order a transfer from them. We bought a transfer in the same place where we took it in.

Booked a transfer El Nido to Puerto Princesa Airport on the eve of the trip, the cost - 400 pesos($8) per person. Payment was made immediately upon purchase, in return we were given tickets, where the name of the driver was indicated - June June.

👿 Looking ahead, I’ll say, remember this name, and if you are not a fan of wild thrill- try to avoid it at all costs!

The next day, at the appointed time, we, as we were instructed, drove up on a tricycle to the El Nido bus station. Jun Jun didn't show up right away, then he opened a 10-seat minibus for us, we loaded our things and got inside. It was time to leave, but Jun Jun left.

To describe briefly, we left an hour later, indeed the four of us and 1 more tourist went to the airport, the rest of the passengers were locals who traveled between villages along the way, and accordingly we constantly stopped for their disembarkation and landing.

As I wrote above, the distance between El Nido and Puerto Princesa 230 km- and this is a constant serpentine, with almost no straight sections. And now the most interesting thing - we were at the airport 3 hours after leaving El Nido, and this with a half-hour stop for lunch in the middle of the way. That is, 230 km of the way along a steep serpentine in some places in a heavy downpour and with constant stops, we overcame 2.5 hours.

Without feeling it, it's hard to imagine, but we seemed to be flying over the road, our driver overtook everyone in his path, but I drank pills for motion sickness and at times even cried with fear. Other than “it was a wonderful attraction” I have nothing more to add. And no, I will also mention that on the dashboard he had huge toy soft crocodiles, which significantly reduced visibility into the windshield.

Surely, usually the transfer from El Nido to Puerto Princesa airport is calmer, but not in our case. 3 hours of "pure pleasure" - and we arrived at the long-awaited airport of Puerto Princesa.

It was new and spacious. The peculiarity of the airport is that each passenger must pay fi - 200 pesos($4) if it follows a domestic flight and accordingly 700 pesos($14) for an international flight.

Phi payment is obligatory, it is impossible to get on the flight without payment. Our flight Puerto Princesa - Cebu was delayed, as were almost all of our domestic flights in the Philippines.
⏰ Frequent delay flights within the Philippines should be kept in mind when planning your trip, it's always better to have time to spare

Video: Three Incredible Days in El Nido, Palawan. Unforgettable Journey on Mopeds!

Conclusion of a trip to El Nido in Palawan Island

Memories of our days spent in El Nido make us think “I wish I could go back there again”, and is this not proof that the trip was a success?

Even though we were not lucky with the weather in El Nido, as the weather turned bad and was not as good as during our stay in Busuanga and Coron islands, we enjoyed our time in Palawan.

El Nido is good because from here you can go not only on boat tours around marine reserve, but with other excursions it is convenient to visit other notable places and the beaches of Palawan.

We spent 3 days in El Nido, and now I can say that this is not enough. Therefore, when planning your itinerary for your trip to the Philippines, I would recommend allocating El Nido minimum 5 days:

• 2 days for trips with boat tours, because one day on a boat tour in the El Nido region is not enough to fully enjoy the beauty of nature without haste and see more
• 1 day for a trip to Nacpan beach
• 1 day set aside for visiting beaches near El Nido, such as Las Cabanas beach
• 1 day dedicate a trip to the remarkable places of the island of Palawan, for example, to underground river to Sabang

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   Find cheap flight, using or . These are our two favorite search engines because they search airline websites around the world, thus showing up-to-date prices.
2. Book your stay
   You can book a hotel on , as it always shows the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels. We use this service all the time. This is our favorite site for booking accommodation while traveling.
3. Don't Forget Travel Insurance
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💬 Still have questions? Ask them in the comments! ⤵

El Nido is the pearl of the Philippines, one of the most beautiful places on earth. The small village of El Nido is located on the island of Palawan and is a protected area. Near El Nido is the Bacuit archipelago, famous for its beauty, consisting of 39 islands, mostly uninhabited, with beautiful white beaches, hidden coves, hidden lagoons, and magnificent marine life. As soon as I saw a couple of photos taken on the Bacuit Islands on social networks, I immediately decided that if we are going to go to the Philippines, El Nido is mandatory seat, which is worth a visit, although getting here is usually not very easy.

How to get to El Nido, Palawan

• Airplane

The easiest and most rarely used way is the direct flight Manila-El Nido. Why is it rarely used? 🙂 The flight is operated by ITI airline every day on small aircraft with a capacity of about 20 people and costing from $150 per person, but you can only buy these tickets at the ITI office in Manila just 5 days before departure. In an era of highly developed airfare purchases over the Internet, this becomes a significant barrier. And if you have strictly limited time to visit El Nido, then it is better not to consider this method, but to use other popular, but longer options.

• Bus or minivan from Puerto Princesa

Puerto Princesa is the capital of the island of Palawan. First you need to fly here from Manila or Cebu, we flew from Cebu. The flight takes approximately 1.5 hours. Then you can choose what you have to drive 5-8 hours to El Nido.

1. The most popular way is Cherry Bus and RoRo buses. The cost is approximately 450-500 pesos per person with air conditioning. Travel time is 7-8 hours. These buses run every hour from 5 am to 9 pm from the San Jose terminal. We rode on the green RoRo bus, in principle, we arrived well. But the bus very often stopped at the usual local stops - local schoolchildren, local residents came in. The bus was driving very fast, turning sharply around the corners, so it can get sick. We had a good ride to El Nido, but in the end we were very tired from such a long journey. Cherry Buses run on the same route, in principle, these buses offer identical services at about the same prices.
2. Small minivans for 10-14 seats that depart from Puerto Princesa approximately every hour from 5.30 to 18.00. Transportation is carried out by the following companies: Lexus Shuttle Company, Eulen Joy, Fortwally Shuttle Company. Travel time is generally 5 hours. We used this method on the way back from El Nido, we chose the Lexus Shuttle Company, indeed, the travel time was about 5 hours. The minivan makes a stop 1 time so that people can go to the toilet and have a bite to eat in a special place. Seats are, of course, less than on a regular bus, but the travel time is 2 hours less worth it. Minivan fare is 600 pesos.
3. Private minivan. This method is suitable for you if you have a large family or a whole company and want to travel separately. The price is approximately 6000-8000 pesos per car.

All of the modes of transportation listed above will take you to the bus station in El Nido. From there you can leave for 50-100 pesos on a tricycle to your hotel. That's exactly what we did.

Flights to Puerto Princesa

Good hotels in El Nido on Booking:

Interesting and useful facts about El Nido.

El Nido is nature reserve, consisting of 45 islands, between which, basically, you can only move by water.

The small village of El Nido is located in the northwest, 230 km from the administrative center of the island of Palawan - the city of Puerto Princesa. The name of the city of Puerto Princesa is spelled with a single "s".

In El Nido, compared to other islands, there is a very small selection of hotels, and their prices are too high. Almost all hotels do not hot water, the exception is more expensive hotels with their own water heaters. But even in this case, the presence of hot water is not necessary, since electricity is cut off very often in El Nido. Some hotels have their own generators, but they do not last long. They like to turn off electricity for half a day or longer. We stayed at the Residencia Katrina Bed and Breakfast. We really liked her owner, he told us almost everything we needed, he was very friendly. Although of all the hotels in which we lived in the Philippines, this was the most expensive hotel and at the same time it had the least amenities. But, as I already wrote, there are very few hotels in El Nido, they are mostly small, and it is best to book in advance, since we had already barely chosen a hotel through booking 3 days before check-in, because everything was busy.

The most popular place in El Nido is the Art Cafe. It is always full of people, all the tables are occupied, and at rush hour you are unlikely to be seated at a free table, although the food here is very tasty. It can be such a funny situation when you walk on the street and you are invited to eat everywhere, and you see that the cafes are almost empty, at the same time you will not be able to get into the Art cafe, there are so many people here. 🙂 Souvenirs are also sold here, you can buy excursions to the islands, as well as tickets for minivans to Puerto Princesa.

In El Nido, there is a problem with wi-fi, as well as with cellular networks. The Internet is very slow, social media almost never loaded.

There are few exchangers in El Nido, the exchange rate is usually not favorable, so it is better to exchange money in advance and come here with pesos. By the way, we also paid for the hotel in cash, so we exchanged the required amount in Bohol in advance.

Why go to El Nido? Tours to the islands.

Why go so far to El Nido, you ask. Of course, for the natural beauties! I have already read a lot of other people's opinions and mine completely coincides with them - I have never seen such natural beauty as in El Nido!

In El Nido, basically, people go for 4-5 days to visit tours on picturesque islands and various hidden beaches and bays. There are 4 tours to the islands - A, B, C, D. These are full-day tours, you are picked up at 9 am and brought back at 5 pm.

Initially, we planned to visit all the tours, but as it turned out, a whole day of boating through the most beautiful bays, hidden beaches, swimming with a mask under water is very exhausting and it is absolutely impossible to go on a new tour every day. 🙂 Therefore, we visited only 2 tours - A and C. More on this in the following articles. 🙂

What to do if the flight is canceled

If the flight was canceled more than 24 hours before departure, then passengers are transferred to similar flights of the airline. The costs are borne by the carrier, the service is free for the passenger. If none of the options offered by the airline suits you, most airlines can issue a "forced refund". After confirmation by the airline, the money will be returned to your account. Sometimes this may take several weeks.

How to check in at the airport

Online check-in is available on the websites of most airlines. Most often, it opens 23 hours before the start of the flight. You can go through it no later than 1 hour before the departure of the aircraft.

To check in at the airport you will need:

• the identity card specified in the order,
• birth certificate when traveling with children,
• printed itinerary receipt(optional).

• What can you take on a plane

  Hand luggage is the items that you take with you on the plane. Weight norm hand luggage can vary from 5 to 10 kg, and its size most often should not exceed the sum of three dimensions (length, width and height) from 115 to 203 cm (depending on the airline). A handbag is not considered hand luggage and is carried freely.

  The bag that you take with you on the plane should not contain knives, scissors, medicines, aerosols, cosmetics. Alcohol from stores duty free can only be carried in sealed bags.

  How to pay for luggage at the airport

  If the baggage weight exceeds the norms established by the airline (most often - 20-23 kg), you need to pay for each kilogram of excess. In addition, many Russian and foreign airlines, as well as low-cost airlines, have tariffs that do not include free transportation luggage and must be paid separately as an additional service.

  Baggage must be checked in at the airport at a separate drop-off check-in counter. If you are unable to print boarding pass, you can get it at the usual check-in counter of the airline, and check in and check in your luggage there.

  Where to find out the arrival time if you are a greeter

  You can find out the time of arrival of the aircraft on the online scoreboard of the airport. The Tutu.ru website has an online scoreboard of the main Russian and foreign airports.

  You can find out the exit (gate) number on the arrivals board at the airport. This number is located next to the arrival flight information.

El Nido small fishing village, now grown to the size of a medium-sized city, is located in the north of the island of Palawan ( Palawan) is the westernmost island of the Philippines.
El Nido is a highly advertised product in the Philippines and is the third most popular tourist destination in the Philippines after the island. Boracay and islands bohol.

Like any place that has been touched by the Lonely Planet or the trapweiser, El Nido hasn't benefited from publicity.
It's just that I was here for the first time in the early 2000s and can compare with how it is now.
Nevertheless, the choice of El Nido to visit is commendable, since limiting yourself to Boracay in the Philippines is somehow very package.

How to get to El Nido

The easiest way: fly to Puerto Princesa ( Puerto Princesa) - the capital of the island of Palawan and take a taxi to El Nido right at the exit from the airport.
It's not the best cheap option but the most comfortable.
It is better to look for flights to the Philippines on.

Drive from Puerto Princesa Airport (PPS) to El Nido is 4 hours.
The road is asphalt, inside and out.

More cheap way to get to El Nido: buy a seat at the airport in a shared minibus transfer.
Minibuses from PPS airport to El Nido are the most popular type of transfer.

The most trashy (useful for people spoiled by all sorts of excesses) way to get to El Nido: a regular bus to the city Roxas, then transfer to a regular bus to El Nido.
Green, glassless regular buses make daily trips between the cities of Palawan with people, chickens and bags on the roof.

The most fucked up way get to El Nido - hitchhiking, Philippine minibuses jeepney.
I guarantee that you will remember this trip for the rest of your life and will tell your grandchildren about it.

And yes, you will not want to rest in El Nido.
Well, except to continue the journey back to the PPS airport.

How to get to El Nido by air

If you are preparing for a trip to the Philippines much in advance, then you can look at flights straight to El Nido (I flew here for the first time in 2002).
It is now possible to book flights online on the Air Swift website
In my opinion, this is the only private airline that continues to fly to El Nido from Terminal 4 of the Manila airport.

But be aware that Air Swift has one small plane and if it breaks down... or the weather in the El Nido area is not very good.
You yourself understand that at some point you will want to spit and go to El Nido by swimming.

How to get to El Nido by sea

By the way - you can get to El Nido by sea on a ship starting from the port Coron, island Busuanga.
And it will probably be an interesting journey (only if calm sea) - you will pass by beautiful islands, and others.
But time.
Travel time 8-9 hours.

How to get to El Nido in the future

Since El Nido is turning into a second Boracay and serious hotels are being built here at an accelerated pace (especially in the airport area and to the north), in the future high-speed catamaran ferries from Coron (Busuanga) will be launched here, which will deliver crowds of lovers in 4 hours " wild animals” to quite comfortable living conditions.
A berth for high-speed vessels is already being built by driving piles.

And when the already purchased modern navigation equipment is installed at the El Nido airport and the runway is slightly extended, then perhaps tourists from China will come to El Nido, who are very fond of such places: where there is snorkeling and you can trample on the surviving corals a little.
Moreover, the President of the Philippines made it clear that China is the most strategic partner for the Philippines in all areas.
Although he said the same about Russia.
Probably we should expect the opening of the Aeroflot flight Moscow - Manila - El Nido soon.

If, after looking at the photos from the two, you have added El Nido to your list of must-see places, then you should definitely read this post.

But even if you are not going to El Nido yet, it is still worth reading, at least because of the story of how we settled in the church 🙂

And most of those who still fly to this country are often limited to whose beach is in the top five the best beaches of the world, well, for the sake of completeness, for the sake of sights, they get out on nearest islands- And . Sometimes, the program includes, which we have already written about 🙂

Well, quite true romantics, photographers, as well as lovers of secluded relaxation in the bosom of nature, with incredibly beautiful seascapes, get to El Nido


Firstly, the path to El Nido is long and difficult, and secondly, Northern part Palawan is still a place with poorly developed infrastructure, intermittent electricity, slow internet, lack of banks and ATMs and, unfortunately, not everyone is ready to sacrifice time and comfort for the sake of natural beauties. And, thirdly, El Nido is one of the most expensive resorts, both in the Philippines and in general, in Southeast Asia.

Perhaps the most convenient, but at the same time the most expensive way is the direct flight Manila - El Nido on small planes with a capacity of 19 people. It is carried out by only one company, ITI Air, prices start at $150 one way, and besides, there is one additional complication - tickets can only be purchased at the company's office, not earlier than 5 days before departure.

Therefore, if this option does not suit you, you do not suffer from seasickness and normally tolerate pitching, then you can use water transport - a passenger-and-freight ferry from Manila to El Nido takes about a day. We do not know the details of such a move, since we did not seriously consider this option.

In addition to the air and water routes, there is a third option - air-land, with an intermediate stop in, the administrative center of the island of Palawan. The average cost of a flight, when buying tickets, at least one and a half months in advance, is $25. There are also sales for $15, and if you buy a few days before departure, the price rises to $80. We flew with Cebu Pacific, but Philippine Airlines, Air Philippines, SEAIR and Asia Pacific also fly in this direction.

Between Puerto Princesa and El Nido there is a highway with a name that hardly corresponds to reality - "National Highway". The fact is that the first 100 kilometers of the highway, to Roxas, can be driven quite quickly, the asphalt is excellent, but then the road is gravel and the remaining almost 160 km is a dusty and sandy, winding country road, with potholes and pits, so go along it is in constant turmoil.

Buses and minivans from Puerto Princesa leave from the bus station in San Jose, which can be reached by tricycle for 60 pesos. You can get to El Nido by the Roro city bus (with air conditioning 483 pesos, without air conditioning - 250 pesos, 6 hours on the way), by a local wrecked bus, the price of which is not much lower than for a comfortable Roro, or by minivan.


On the way there, we chose the option with a minivan designed for 11 seats (cost 600 pesos) - we do not recommend. In comparison with the bus, it shakes much more, it is the same on the way, the seats are less comfortable, and besides, they are also more expensive. On the way back, we took an air-conditioned bus - the ride is much more pleasant. On the way, the bus makes a stop for a snack at the city bus station in Roxas, and the minivan, a little to the side, in a pleasant cafe, but this is perhaps the only plus.

Prices and schedules of planes, boats and minivans are on the Art Cafe website - this is a popular cafe and tourist agency in El Nido.

Location orientation, beaches

The main destination in El Nido is a small village where the bulk of hotels, cafes, travel agencies offering boat trips to the lagoons and neighboring islets in Bakit Bay are concentrated.


the village is located on the shore


It is impossible to get lost - there are only 3 streets


The huge Catholic Church, which is located almost in the very center, can always serve as a reference point.


The beach in El Nido itself is not very suitable for swimming, it is mainly the starting point for the islands of the Bakit archipelago, boats leave every morning at 9:00


Despite the inaccessibility, the beach in El Nido is very pleasant, it is impossible to break away from the most recognizable silhouette of the rocks, so the cafes on the shore are quite lively both during breakfast and during the day and at sunset.

In contrast to the city beach, there is no fun nightlife, as well as numerous cafes, travel agencies and food and souvenir shops. These beaches are more suitable for romantics and lovers a relaxing holiday, cafe tables in front of hotels in these parts are rare, hammocks and sunbeds are another matter.

Housing

There are enough hotels in El Nido for every taste and budget - from the simplest rooms without amenities (from 700 pesos for a double and from 300 pesos for a bed in a dormitory), to good rooms with balconies and sea views (from 2000 pesos and above)


If you are traveling during the high season, it makes sense to book a hotel in advance, although hotel prices on booking sites start at $50

• Ipil Travelodge El Nido
• El Nido Viewdeck Inn

When to come

The best weather in El Nido is from October to April. At this time, there is practically no rain, the rather warm sea is not very hot. In general, in our opinion, El Nido is wonderful place for recreation, but for a long life it is not very suitable.

Who are the tourists

The geography of tourists in El Nido is quite extensive. Most of the visitors are Europeans, there are also wealthy Filipinos and a few Chinese, but in general, in a little bit, there are vacationers from all over the world. There are also Russians, but they are much smaller than on the other hand, and they are more civilized. Many Europeans come to rest in El Nido with children - it is quite safe here


We often met children frolicking carelessly on the shore,


or swimming in the sea while their parents sunbathe


In the next post, we will talk about the last, in our trip to the Philippines, unique natural place, which is located in the south of big island Luzon, namely, about the smallest active volcano on a planet with an amazing green lake inside it.