El Nido is without doubt one of the high vacationer locations within the Philippines. This coastal city in Palawan is famend for its white-sand seashores, coral reefs, and beautiful limestone cliffs. Composed of 45 islands and islets, every with its personal distinctive geological formations, El Nido constantly ranks as top-of-the-line island locations within the Philippines – and the world.
I keep in mind our first journey to El Nido again in 2010 when getting there concerned lengthy land journey from Puerto Princesa. I used to be amazed at how lovely the place was once we spent every week island-hopping across the completely different sights and having fun with secluded seashores and coves all to ourselves. One among El Nido’s nicknames is “Heaven on Earth” and seeing the tropical landscapes, towering cliffs, and secret seashores for the primary time, I couldn’t agree extra.
Quick ahead to our Palawan Street Journey to have fun Artwork’s birthday in February 2018 and I used to be dismayed to see how briskly the tempo of growth is altering the panorama. Strolling across the busy poblacion or city middle felt like being in Bali or Khao San Street moderately than a laid-back provincial city within the Philippines.
I couldn’t consider there was an precise multi-story mall alongside the freeway close to city and shops excellent under the cliffs. I type of have blended emotions about El Nido as it’s now due to the way it’s modified since I first noticed it.
What with all the issues surrounding Boracay which compelled its closure, I hope that companies and vacationers alike will do not forget that it’s El Nido’s pure magnificence that pulls vacationers within the first place and preserve the whole lot low-impact and sustainable. Nonetheless, I can’t blame folks for wanting to go to, as a result of it’s an amazingly lovely vacation spot. I simply hope the pure great thing about the seashores, cliffs and smaller islands will likely be preserved regardless of El Nido’s elevated recognition.
Till just lately, El Nido was comparatively unknown to international vacationers in comparison with different Southeast Asian locations. However due to social media and simpler entry (with direct flights to El Nido from Manila and different key hubs like Cebu), increasingly more vacationers are visiting, drawn to the place due to the beautiful seascapes and journey it affords.
There have been debates about which vacation spot is best: Coron (one other island of Palawan) or El Nido, as often vacationers select between the 2 Palawan spots due to the flights. However sea journey has made it attainable to go to each in a single journey. In case you have time to spare and need easy accessibility, you’ll be able to e book customized personal boat excursions from El Nido to Coron to maximise your island-hopping journeys across the Philippines.
For first-timers, the best solution to get round El Nido is to hitch the neatly packaged island-hopping and land excursions to completely different island clusters. There are additionally just a few notable spots inland, which I record under.
1. Marvel at El Nido’s iconic lagoons and seashores
Some of the common island-hopping excursions in El Nido, Tour A focuses primarily across the lovely lagoons surrounded by limestone cliffs in Miniloc Island and some good seashore stops. You get to calm down on the white sand seashore and luxuriate in a picnic lunch of grilled specialties at Shimizu Island, go snorkeling on the Seven Commandos Seaside, and have an opportunity to see just a few sea turtles.
2. Go to secluded caves and coves
Island Hopping Tour B takes guests to a couple caves, coves hidden inside the islands and different notable sights. Essentially the most well-known attraction on this tour is Snake Island, a slender sandbar that connects mainland Palawan to neighboring Vigan Island. You additionally go to a number of Caves together with Cathedral Cave and Cudugnon Cave (the place locals used to cover from Japanese invaders throughout World Struggle II), and swim or snorkel within the hidden seashore of Pinagbuyatan Island.
Since that is barely costlier than different excursions, vacationers often don’t e book this as a lot and like to do Tour A or Tour C.d
3. Discover world-famous islands and secret seashores
Island-Hopping Tour C is a favourite of vacationers as a result of it brings you up near the positive, white seashores and breathtaking landscapes. You get to go to the well-known islands of Dilumacad and Matinloc, the place the “Bourne Legacy” was filmed and go to the distinctive Helicopter Island, named for its limestone cliffs resemble that of a helicopter. This tour additionally features a cease at Matinloc Shrine the place you get to listen to native tales and a cease at Talisay Seaside, an ideal spot for snorkeling.
One of many highlights of this tour the go to to the Secret Seaside, a hidden pocket of positive sand enclosed by towering karst cliffs. It’s accessible solely by way of a small opening that requires guests to swim by it. When you solely have a day to spare for island-hopping and the climate is nice, I’d suggest you do Tour C. Boatmen often cancel Tour C if climate is unhealthy, so you are able to do Tour A, B or D as a back-up.
4. Discover offbeat seashores nearer to city
Tour D takes guests to a number of the seashores nearer the mainland together with Cadlao Lagoon, Pasandigan, Paradise, Natnat Seaside and Bukal Seaside.
Usually ignored by mainstream vacationers in favor of the extra common locations, these spots can provide tranquil and secluded getaways for those who simply need to benefit from the easy seashore life. These require much less journey time and may be simply visited for those who don’t have a complete day to spare.
5. Paddle round by kayak
As a substitute for packaged island-hopping excursions, you may make preparations to lease kayaks to discover close by islands. You too can mix kayaking with the packaged island hopping excursions, notably Tour A for Small Lagoon or Large Lagoon. Stand-Up Paddleboarding can also be changing into more and more common in El Nido.
You may lease common and even clear kayaks from El Nido Boutique and Artwork Cafe for half a day or full day. The exercise is weather-dependent, and never really useful if the wind is just too sturdy.
6. Discover the mainland sights
Apart from the island sights, El Nido has a whole lot of hidden treasures which you could attain from the mainland. Tour E or the Land tour contains visits to the dual seashores of Nacpan and Calitang, Nagkalit-kalit Falls, Las Cabanas, and Marimegmeg Seaside.
To avoid wasting cash on the tour, you’ll be able to merely hail a tricycle to go to the spots. Alternatively, if you understand how to drive a bike, you’ll be able to simply drive to the spots your self by renting one on the town.
- Tour E: (Land tour) inclusions: Twin Seashores, Marimegmeg Seaside and a few waterfalls. Price: Php 1,500/pax
- Tricycle tour: P1500, good for as much as 4 pax
- Van rental: P3000, good for as much as 12 pax
- Bike rental: P500 per day
7. Admire the view from Taraw Cliff
Throughout our first go to to El Nido, one of many highlights for me was climbing up Taraw Cliffs, which affords a panoramic view of El Nido. Again then, this concerned clambering over jagged rocks. There have been no helmets, ropes or specialised gear on the time. We simply climbed with our naked fingers to succeed in the highest.
Nonetheless, that authentic path was notoriously harmful. In actual fact, there have been incidents of vacationer accidents and deaths right here through the years together with a tour information who tried to save lots of a international vacationer who proposed to his girlfriend on the jagged peaks. Since then, the tourism workplaces of El Nido now not permit guests to hike as much as the very best level.
Nowadays, a safer Through Ferrata path with steel stairs, walkways, hanging bridges and ropes has been established with the El Nido Cover Stroll. All guests now put on helmets and are accompanied by guides, which has made the view extra accessible and safer for extra vacationers together with senior residents and kids. The stroll simply takes lower than an hour and brings guests to a decrease vantage level than the unique level, however which nonetheless affords an excellent overlooking view. Right here’s a take a look at how it’s now.
- El Nido Cover Stroll
- Rizal Avenue, Brgy. Maligaya, El Nido, Palawan. Contact Quantity: +63 (48) 434-2341 | +63 (48) 723-3401. Electronic mail: sabangxzipline@gmail.com
- Hours of operation: Open every day, 8:00 am to five:00 pm
- Price: Php 500/pax
8. Try the sustainable choices at Lio Seaside
One of many newer areas being developed in El Nido is Lio Seaside, the place you’ll be able to get pleasure from nature encounters and outside recreation, to luxurious spa remedies and calming yoga periods. The Lio Eco-Tourism Property space is an remoted space surrounded by virgin seashores, breathtaking landscapes, and turquoise waters.
With all the issues in different seashore areas and inflow of vacationers and attainable injury to the surroundings introduced upon by the inflow of tourism, Lio is being developed as an ecologically sustainable tourism vacation spot, quickly to be residence to eco-hotels, eating places, and residential communities that can observe world-class requirements to protect the pure great thing about El Nido. You may kayak across the space and so they even have Bamboo Bicycles for lease right here. I haven’t been to this spot but, however I’ll positively test it out on my subsequent journey to El Nido.
9. Go on a meals journey round city
After a day of island-hopping, the very best factor to do is simply sit back with good meals and drinks at any of the eating places on the town. The poblacion space now has a bustling nightlife harking back to areas like Ubud in Bali or Khao San Street in Bangkok.
El Nido has a various meals scene, with numerous worldwide choices like Japanese meals, Mediterranean delicacies, gelato and Filipino grilled specialties. Be warned that almost all upscale beach-front eating places serve overpriced meals, charging about P350-P450 for the ambiance. Nonetheless, you’ll find cheaper and less complicated meals in carinderias.
El Nido Boutique & Artwork Cafe is without doubt one of the long-time homegrown haunts, which serves scrumptious pizzas and pasta dishes. This is without doubt one of the oldest eating places within the space and one of many predominant spots that serves craft beer from Palaweno Brewery, a neighborhood brewery based mostly within the capital Puerto Princesa.
One other fascinating addition within the native beer scene is Boodmo, a Ukrainian nano-brewery established in El Nido in 2017. They serve Cadlao IPA and Pale Ale brewed for the tropical local weather together with Ukrainian beer chow like mussel and shrimp dumplings with pesto.
10. Catch the sundown from the shore
If you would like the very best view, there are a number of beachfront institutions the place you’ll be able to simply get pleasure from an exquisite sundown with a beer in hand.
Or you possibly can simply head to the seashore, deliver a picnic mat and sit on the shore for the very best — and free — views.
NOTE: This journey information was compiled from two separate journeys to El Nido in June 2010 and February 2018.
