El Nido, Palawan Island

3 days, 2 nights in El Nido, Palawan Island

Tips:

• There are no direct flights to El Nido from Manila or Cebu so you have to touch down in Puerto Princesa and then catch a ride to El Nido (about 6-7 hours away).
• El Nido only has two ATM machines and they often run out of money. Bring cash!
• There is a pharmacy in El Nido, along the high street leading to the beach.
• During high season hotels can get extremely busy so book in advance.
• Purchase a ‘dry bag’ for any valuables if you’re planning to do a boat day trip.
• El Nido beach isn’t great for sunbathing, Nacpan or Las Cabanas are better.
• It’s not advised to drink tap water in El Nido, just to be safe buy bottled water and refill from water stations.
• Several pawn shops in town offer currency exchange, as well as El Nido Art Café.

No visit to El Nido is complete without exploring Palawan’s star attraction: the Bacuit Archipelago. Consisting of beautiful beaches, hidden lagoons and turquoise waters. Once an untapped part of the Philippines, El Nido, has become a tourist hotspot both for better and worse, whilst it’s a not to miss destination be prepared to find lots of tricycles, tourist trips and island hopping tours that are very crowded.

There are still so many ways to enjoy the island despite the change, and this itinerary aims to recommend alternative ways to explore the surroundings.

Hotel:Amakan Bed & Breakfast

“Amakan” is the Filipino word for the woven bamboo matting found in traditional Philippine stilt houses.

The B&B is located a nice ten-minute walk from El Nido beachfront, which means it’s away from the hustle and bustle yet still well connected.

It’s a mid-range type of accommodation, the rooms are clean but small and wifi is only available in the garden and restaurant. The breakfast is basic, but has enough variety to make it worthwhile.

Tour operators

Walking the streets of El Nido you’ll find lots of tour operators offering the same tour itineraries: the classic A to D tour. We didn’t opt to go for one of these, instead we explored El Nido the DIY which is what I recommend. Mainly because we saw how crowded the boat trips with day-trippers leaving everyday from El Nido beach, and also because you can go at your own pace.

Las Cabanas

Travelling to Las Cabanas beach from El Nido is super easy – take a tricycle, 150 Pesos for two people and it’ll take around 15 mins. The beach is famous for it’s sunset, so plan to stay for the day. Unlike the beach in El Nido; the waters are clean, there are plenty of beach bars, and you can also ride a zip line across to another island.

The beach is only reached on foot or tricycle, so daily boat trips don’t visit here – you can literally feel like you have the entire beach to yourself!

El Nido is all about island hopping and Las Cabanas offers island hopping via a zipline that is 650 meters long. The end point is on another beach so you either take the zipline both ways or you can walk back. The price costs between 500 to 1,100 Pesos as you can choose between different options: sitting or superman position.

Nacpan beach

Nacpan beach is described as one of the ‘most beautiful stretches of sand in the Philippines.’ Think soft cream coloured sand, palm trees, clear aqua water and small waves – if you close your eyes and imagine paradise you’ll think of here!

Sunbeds can be rented and there’s small shops to buy snacks and keep hydrated. It’s about 45-minutes ride from El Nido, so it’s a little further than Las Cabanas, but this beach is also a spot recommended to watch the sunset after a relaxing beach day!

Lio Eco-Tourism Estate

During our stay in El Nido we stumbled across Lio Eco-Tourism Beach Estate (whilst looking for an ATM). We hadn’t heard of it before and after doing some research after our trip it seems like it exists as one of the hidden secrets in El Nido.

The estate is an on-going project by Ayla Land who are working to preserve this mostly untouched part of El Nido. About 15 minutes away from the town, it’s an ‘up-and-coming’ area with a promising future. There’s plans for hotels, restaurants and shops aimed at being eco-friendly.

At the moment it’s 50% developed, but some hotels and restaurants are open. From Amakan Bed & Breakfast there is a complimentary shuttle that leaves every hour.

Places to eat:

El Nido definitely has the best variety of restaurants. You’ll find many eateries dotted around the two streets that line the beach serving; Mediterranean, Italian, Seafood and of course Filipino food. We were recommended Happiness Beach Bar, a restaurant using only local ingredients – serving up falafels and hummus at a speedy pace. The vibe is really fun, you can eat from swinging chairs at the bar and during happy hour it’s 2 for 1 on margaritas!

Buhay Isla Tours

Buhay Isla Tours deserves a page to itself – for us it was the highlight of our Philippines trip. The perfect multi-day expedition boat trip (3 nights, 2 nights from El Nido to Coron) helps you become a true Filipino islander; stopping at remote beaches and witnessing picturesque sunrise and sunsets.

They take extra care to make the group size perf. We were a group of 15 (all different nationalities). Over the 3 days the boat became our home; stopping off at remote base camps, stunning beaches, hidden snorkelling spots and white sand banks.

Our days were spent snorkelling, kayaking, swimming, and even cliff jumping (eek!) The evenings were spent socialising, eating, star gazing and drinking rum out of a coconut – how could life be more tropical?

We were really lucky with the weather as we enjoyed clear, calm waters and endless blue skies. The group and crew comradery was great, there was never a dull moment and the food dishes the chef cooked up amazed us everyday – breakfast, lunch and dinner, there was always enough to feed the 5,000!

Lowering your expectations around the base camp accommodation is my best advice, as by doing so we were rather surprised. The sites are basic; the rooms have only a mattress and mosquito net (sometimes no sheet) and the shower is a bucket of refreshing cold water but as our captain Ned explained this is all part of the “island” experience.

The expedition costs around 15,500 Pesos (£221pp), which includes 3 meals a day, snacks, water, soft drinks, rum, accommodation, snorkeling equipment, kayaks and all transportation costs – there was nothing that we had to pay extra for!

Travel: Once you arrive by boat in Coron Town, either choose to spend some time in Coron Town or venture off to Coron Island.

Next stop: Coron Town, Northern Palawan