Island Hopping in El Nido
I finally got the chance to see El Nido! Let me tell you it wasn’t that easy! Some of you may know that I went to the Philippines early 2018 and was supposed to visit a few islands including some in the region of Palawan. In fact, I was supposed to end the trip in a private island resort of El Nido… but instead I got stuck in a tropical storm while in Siargao and the rest of the trip got cancelled. Unfortunately, those things can happen when you travel and the Philippines is a destination that is particularly known for its unpredictable weather. If you’re an organised traveller like me, I’d say it’s better to lower your expectations (aka. not have any) in the Philippines because anything can happen (proof is this year I got very bad food poisoning and a volcano erupted while I was there). Nonetheless, I believe it’s still 100% worth it to travel to this country because it is home to some of the most beautiful islands I’ve seen in my life.
Nacpan Beach
This 3-km long white sand beach is the most beautiful beach near El Nido. It is located 50 minutes away from the center of El Nido. To get there, I’d suggest hiring scooters or calling a tuk-tuk if you’re not confortable driving. My friend Johanne and I spent our first day in the Philippines on this beach, the perfect way to fight the jet lag, sipping some fresh coconut water. At some point it started raining for about 15 minutes, but then the sun showed up again and there was a rainbow for about one hour. I took this opportunity to fly the drone and discover this gorgeous landscape from above. I walked until the end of the beach and discovered a more secluded one, Twin Beach. I was all by myself :-)
If you’d like to sip a few drinks while listening to some good party music, I’d suggest checking out Mad Monkey. It’s a hostel/beach bar located close to Twin Beach.
Tour A
You might have seen some spectacular shots of turquoise lagoons stating that these were taken in El Nido. That’s partially true. The most beautiful gems of El Nido are actually not located on the main island, but on some more secluded islands dispersed between 1 to 2 hours away from the main port. Therefore, you’ll need to book a boat tour to discover these places. Due to an increasing popularity over the past few years, the municipality has put in place some very strict regulations to ensure not too many people visit these sites at the same time. These measures aim to protect both the environment and tourists. However, they’re a bit annoying. Even if you choose to book a private tour, you can’t choose a custom itinerary anymore. So in my opinion, it’s not worth paying the money to get your private boat in El Nido. Everywhere you’ll go, you’ll see a lot of tourists.
Price: PHP1,200 (you can make your reservation with a travel agency or directly with your hotel/hostel)
What is included? Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu, 7 Commandos Beach.
Tour B
This tour is slightly less popular than Tour A (the most popular) and is worth it just because of Pinagbuyutan Island. I had a major crush on this place. I don’t know if it’s because it’s the first stop we did in the morning and there weren’t too many people on the island, but I found it absolutely out of this world. I flew the drone and discovered some pretty epic views! Also, part of the island is a palm tree forest with very long grass, really picturesque! Another cool stop on this tour is Snake Island, which is basically just a super long sandbar that connects two islands. It’s really beautiful too, but very crowded. I actually don’t know how my friend Johanne managed to snap a shot of me walking on the sandbar by myself because there was probably 300 people.
Price: PHP1,300
What is included? Pinagbuyutan Island, Snake Island, Entalula Beach, Cudugnon cave.
Tour D
Probably the least popular tour of them all, which is why it was my favourite (by far). This tour is a perfect combo of beaches and lagoons. Our day started with a stop in Pasandigan Beach where we did some snorkeling and enjoyed the sun. We then headed to Paradise Beach, which was absolutely stunning. We stayed there for about an hour, and then the boat staff prepared our lunch and served it directly on the beach. Afterwards, we went back to the boat to get to Cadlao Lagoon where we anchored the boat. We had to rent kayaks and paddled to reach the actual turquoise lagoon which was so so beautiful! We ended the day in Small Lagoon where I chose to fly the drone instead of going kayaking.
Price: PHP1,200
What is included? Pasandigan Beach, Paradise Beach, Cadlao Lagoon, Small Lagoon.
Las Cabanas Beach
This spot is also known as Marimegmeg by locals. It’s a new trendy spot that is still under construction, and it’s the perfect sunset destination. We ended up down there almost everyday. Our two favourite spots to sip a few drinks and have dinner while admiring the sunset are: Panorama Resort and The Beach Shack. If you prefer to stay in El Nido for dinner, I’d suggest going to Happiness Beach Bar.
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