Travel Guide Before Visiting El Nido, Palawan

The Philippines is one of the many countries in the entire world that offers gorgeous tourist destinations. Experiencing going to El Nido, Palawan, firsthand in the Philippines will always be a cherished memory. It is an amazing destination especially for beach lovers and adventurous people. If you’re thinking about going on a vacation and taking a well-deserved break somewhere else, then consider visiting El Nido, Palawan in the Philippines. This travel guide will give you the basic information you need before you visit this place.

Tour Packages

The municipality has a lot to offer for everyone wishing to visit. Their activities include island hopping, kayaking, snorkeling, and many more. If you wish to explore their gorgeous places, then you can try contacting the accommodation that you chose. The people in El Nido, Palawan are pretty organized and helpful. They will assist you with your stay, including contacting a tour agency for any tour package or packages you choose. In addition to that, they are also able to speak and understand basic English so you don’t have to worry about any language barrier.

From experience, the tour agencies there offer four types of tour packages (Tour A to Tour D). Each tour package offers a different set of islands and places you’ll visit and experience. It can be said that for each tour package, there will always be kayaking and snorkeling activities as they are popular options. And also, the tour guide and his crewmates will cook for lunch so you don’t have to worry about bringing your own food except for water. You can bring snacks if you want to, just remember to dispose of your trash responsibly!

Ready Your Water Shoes

El Nido, Palawan offers island hopping on their tour packages so wearing water shoes is going to prove useful. During island hopping, you will always be asked to get off the boat whenever you reach a destination so that you could take pictures and experience the place. When you’re not careful, you could hurt your body, especially your feet with the sharp rocks and even get a chance to get stung by a lethal stonefish. Another reason to wear water shoes is because of the convenience since you will be spending the whole day island hopping. If you want to lessen your baggage by a bit, you can always buy or rent water shoes in El Nido, Palawan. To get the idea where you can rent one, just ask your tour agency and they will surely assist you. Note, you have to pay the rent of the water shoes each day you use it.

Things You Can Rent

Activities like kayaking and snorkeling need equipment or tools to perform. Due to the variety of activities you can do in El Nido, Palawan, you can rent a couple of stuff for the complete experience!

1. Water Shoes. As suggested, you will need this to avoid any injuries especially to your footing. This also provides great footing when traversing through the sharp rocks.
2. Kayak. With the paddle board, you can traverse the gorgeous destinations in El Nido, Palawan. One example is the Big Lagoon where you will need to paddle your way through the body of water in order to enjoy and experience the beauty found within. And don’t worry if you fall, just make sure you’re wearing your life vest.
3. Snorkeling Gear. The abundance of fishes and corals in El Nido, Palawan will amaze you. Watch as the fishes gracefully live in their habitat. You might even see a school of fish passing by!
4. Motorbike. Exploring El Nido has never been easier. Tricycles are the main public transportation if you want to travel to different areas in the municipality.-But renting a motorbike will give you the freedom to go wherever you want. Giving you a unique and memorable experience.

Things You Will Need

Preparation is key for a successful trip everywhere but especially in El Nido, Palawan. Treasure your experience and cherish your memories with these things.

1. Camera. Of course, you will need one if you want to visit this place. The scenery and the places are picture worthy so don’t ever forget to bring your camera!
2. Waterproof Phone Case. If you’re fond of using your smartphone, then a waterproof phone case will work miracles for you. It is pretty handy, effective, and you can wear it like an ID! You can see vendors selling one of these in El Nido.
3. Diarrhea Medicine. There are a lot of cases of diarrhea in El Nido if you’re careless. This comes from food poisoning and unfiltered water used for drinks and shakes. You have to be always cautious with what you’re eating. To be safe, bring or buy diarrhea medicine for emergencies.
4. Refillable Bottle. Unfiltered water in El Nido can pose a huge problem to you, even the drinks and shakes! Be very careful and avoid this problem by refilling your bottle with a trustworthy source of drinking water. For safety measures, follow these tips:
   
   • Don’t drink any water (even tap water) aside from your bottle.
   • Don’t open your mouth while in the shower.
   • Use mineral water or water from your bottle when brushing your teeth.
   • A trusty water filter or water filter bottle is a great option. If it doesn’t cause you inconvenience in any way, you can bring your own.
   • Ask the people in your accommodation or hotel for drinking water and for trusted restaurants with low to no cases of food poisoning.
5. Sunscreen. Basic care for your skin. The temperature in El Nido can get really harsh if you’re unprepared. You don’t want to burn your skin with the harsh sun rays.
6. A Friend. Going on a vacation with a friend or friends will make your stay more special. Invite those who are close to you so that they too could also experience El Nido, Palawan.

Recommended Dates

The Philippines’ tropical climate can be bothersome if you don’t schedule your trip accordingly. When scheduling a visit to the country, careful calendar planning must be observed to avoid any issues. Heavy rain and typhoons are a common occurrence in the Philippines with an average of 20 typhoon cases entering every year which can be pretty devastating to tourists wishing for a good time especially in El Nido, Palawan. A lot of activities will be canceled when the situation looks bad, which can be a bummer.

For the best months to visit, it is recommended to book your trip on any dates from December to May with March, April, and May being the hottest seasons. That way, you can avoid the hassles of transportation and enjoy your well-deserved vacation. Do take note that the country will still experience rains and typhoons during those months.

Transportation: Manila to El Nido

The transportation back-and-forth from Manila to El Nido can be tiresome and or expensive. There are three options that you can choose depending on how much time you have and your budget. With more budget, means easier transportation to and from El Nido.

1.  Plane and Van. This option costs the least among the three and the total travel time is 9 hours. From Manila, you’ll ride a domestic flight of 1 hour and 30 minutes going to Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Once you’ve reached Puerto Princesa International Airport, you will need to ride a van for a 5 to 6 hour land travel. It includes a couple of bathroom breaks and stops before you’ll reach El Nido. Same process when going back to Manila. Here are useful tips when choosing this option:

1. a. Have your accommodation or hotel know that you’re gonna ride a van once you reach Puerto Princesa, Palawan to avoid any inconvenience. Or you could also reserve one ahead of time from them.
2. b. Schedule your return flight in the afternoon from Puerto Princesa to Manila. Based on experience, use the remaining time in the morning to explore and purchase souvenirs in El Nido. If your flight is in the morning, you won’t enjoy the last day of your trip because you need to wake up early to endure the 5 to 6 hour travel time. Aside from that, the vans and public buses aren’t available until 5 AM. If you have a flight at 10 AM, you will need to get a private vehicle or van to come and get you by 3 AM which will cost you a lot.

2. Direct Flight. This option costs the most among the three and the total travel time is 1 hour and 50 minutes. From Manila, you can ride an AirSWIFT flight going directly to El Nido. This roughly takes 1 hour and 30 minutes and will take you near the center of El Nido. When you’ve reached your destination, just ride a tricycle or van for a couple of minutes and then you’re settled! 

3. Ferries. This option costs more than the first option and less than the second option, but it takes the longest time. The total travel time ranges from 15 hours to 24 hours. You will be taking two ferries for this trip. One going to Coron, Palawan, and then another going to El Nido, Palawan.

a. Going to Coron:
There are only two ferries you can ride going to Coron. Regarding any information for boarding cars, kindly check their website or contact them directly through their contact number. Here are the frequency of trips.

1. 2Go Travel. Manila – Coron: 7 PM Fridays. 11-hour ride.
2. Atienza Shipping Lines. Manila – Coron: 12 MN Tuesday, 6 PM Thursday/Saturday. 16-hour ride.

b. Going to El Nido:
There are only three passenger boats you can ride going to Coron. These passenger boats do not board cars or vehicles and should be left behind. Here are the frequency of trips.

1. Jomalia Shipping Lines. 7:30 AM Daily. 3 hours and 30 minutes ride.
2. Montenegro Lines. 12 PM Daily. 4-hour ride.
3. Phimal Fast Ferry. 1:20 PM Daily. 4-hour ride.

Editing Your Travel Photos and Professionally Filmed Videos

Now, you’re prepared to experience what’s in store for you. El Nido, Palawan is an amazing tourist destination to visit when you come to the Philippines. Taking a vacation in this place is a worthwhile experience you’ll always treasure. The people, the food, and the environment will provide you a great time. If you want to travel in Asia, consider El Nido, Palawan. We hope this travel guide has helped you with your decisions to visit El Nido, Palawan in the Philippines.

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