Friday, May 23, 2014

El Nido, Palawan, Philippines



You are going to El Nido, Palawan? 

Here are some few tips to help you proceed with the vacation travel you are dreaming of.  Imagine the beaches, sand and oh, clear, blue water! The tips are explained as simple as possible. Personally, Kiko doesn’t want to read very long paragraphs. Before proceeding, let Kiko give you a brief background about El Nido.

El Nido is located in the northernmost tip of mainland Palawan, the Philippines, covering a land area of 465.1 square kilometres. Best well known for its rock skyscrapers, clear blue lagoons and picturesque beaches, El Nido has become popular and tagged as the Philippines’ Best Beach and Island destination in 2012 by CNNGo.

 It has also become a haven for divers because of its rich marine life: dugongs, turtles, manta rays, fishes, corals and sharks. A large number of dive sites are available having depths ranging from 6 to more than 30 metres.


kikoplusmanila.blogspot.com

kikoplusmanila.blogspot.com


Please note that electricity in the town runs from 14:00 to 6:00 the following morning only. There are no ATMs in the town, so Kiko recommends you to bring along enough cash. Use of credit cards is also not, or a seldom practice in the town.

kikoplusmanila.blogspot.com

kikoplusmanila.blogspot.com

kikoplusmanila.blogspot.com



To help you plan clearly, with the vacation schedule at your own hands, let Kiko recommend you the following steps:

Step 1: Book a flight to Puerto Princesa, Palawan!

KIKO TIP: 
Kiko and friends are travelling on a budget from Manila to El Nido. So basically, he is watching out sale flights from airlines. You could do this by registering online on the airlines ‘websites mentioned. If you have the luxury to buy regular flight rates, just disregard this tip.

From Manila, flights to Puerto Princesa are available from the following airlines:

a.      Cebu Pacific
Check their website here:

b.      Philippine Airlines
Check their website here:

c.      Air Aisa
Check their website here:


Step 2: Arrange a Shuttle from Puerto Princesa to EL Nido
(Read the latter part of Step 2. Kiko has a very important recommendation.)

Remember, EL Nido is in the northern part of Palawan, so additional land travel (5-6 hours) is required. Don’t worry the travel will all be worth it.  Besides, the road is already paved, so no fear of bumpy and rugged roads as experienced 10 years ago. 

The shuttle service bound to EL Nido can pick you from the airport or hotel (except Lexus) and drop you at the El Nido terminal. On your return trip from El Nido, the pick-up point is at the terminal and drops you at the Puerto Princesa airport.

KIKO POCKET DAMAGE: 
Shuttle costs Php 700.00 per person (~$17.00)

Call these contacts to book your land travel:
a.      Fort Wally Shuttle Service:
Mobile Phones:   +63-917-276-2875 (Puerto Princesa)
                              +63-921-311-8755 (Puerto Princesa)
                              +63-917-348-8078 (El Nido)
                              Email:                     fortwallytransport@yahoo.com

b.      Lexus Shuttle Service:
Mobile Phones:    +63-48-434-1508 (Main Office)
                              +63-48-723-1629 (Main Office)
                              +63-908-891-3347 (Puerto Princesa)
                              +63-917-849-7696 (Puerto Princesa)
                              +63-912-100-2653 (El Nido)
                              Email:                     inland_tours@yahoo.com

c.      Eulen Joy Liner
Mobile Phones:   +63-949-8858 (Main Office)
                              +63-919-716-2210 (El Nido)

Schedule from Puerto Princesa – El Nido:                    El-Nido – Puerto Pricesa

            5:00      -           Eulen Joy, Lexus                       5:00      -           Fort Wally/Eulen
            7:00      -           Fort Wally, Eulen Joy                6:00      -           Fort Wally
            8:00      -           Lexus                                          5:30      -           Lexus
            9:30      -           Fort Wally                                  7:00      -           Fort Wally/Eulen
            10:00    -           Eulen Joy                                  8:00      -           Lexus
            11:00    -           Fort Wally, Lexus                       9:00      -           Fort Wally/Eulen
            13:00    -           Eulen Joy                                  11:00    -           Lexus
            13:30    -           Fort Wally                                  13:00    -           Lexus
            14:00    -           Lexus                                         16:00    -           Lexus
            17:30    -           Lexus                                       
            18:30    -           Fort Wally

Once you arrive in El Nido terminal, you can grab a tricycle to your El Nido accommodation.

KIKO POCKET DAMAGE:
Php 50.00 (~$1.00)
The tricycle can carry four (4) passengers along with their bags.

Regarding your return trip back to Puerto Princesa, your El Nido accommodation can book/arrange it for you. Just inform your accommodation in advance.

_________________________

In case your flight arrives late in the afternoon, then Kiko recommends you to have an overnight stay in Puerto Princesa. Also, the hotel/accomodation can also arrange for you, your shuttle the following morning. Just tell the hotel beforehand your preferred shuttle schedule.

Kiko and friends have a flight arriving at night time, so prior the trip, the overnight accommodation was already arranged. Free airport pick-up is usually made by the accommodation. Kiko stays here for overnight stay:

KIKO ACCOMMODATION REVIEW:

Victoria Guest House and Cottages
Address:           Wesconn Road, San Pedro, Puerto Princesa
Contact:          +63-48-433-8054
                          +63-917-757-6749
                          +63-906-376-9138
                          +63-920-445-9917
Email:               myvictoria07@yahoo.com

           Kiko says "Good to Grab!"
                1 (high), 5 (low)
           Room condition:        3/5
                                                Average, but fair enough for a bed & breakfast
                                                Has an air conditioner, good mattress, but no heater
                                                Breakfast is fair, served with rice and fish with bananas.
           Price:                           2/5
                                                It has a reasonable price for a bed & breakfast. 
                                                Kiko and friends paid Php 1600.00 (~$38.00) for a family room.
           Service:                       2/5
                                                The courtesy of the staff is noticed.
                                                Very much appreciated.

KIKO POCKET DAMAGE:
Php 1600.00 (~$38.00) for a family room/night.


Step 3: Book a hotel/accommodation in El NIdo.
 
El Nido has a lot of accommodations to offer ranging from luxurious hotels to simple inns. Kiko and friends went for a budget accommodation for this case.

KIKO ACCOMMODATION REVIEW: 
Rosanna’s  Cottages
Contact:         +63-920-605-4631


           Kiko says "So-so to Grab!"
                1 (high), 5 (low)
           Room condition:        3.5/5
                                                Though it is a budget accommodation, the family room Kiko and friends 
                                                were able to get was comfortable enough with good beds and                 
                                                air conditioner (exception of the water heater).   
                                                Also, the accommodation is very near to the beach. 
                                                However on the last day, the toilet sink got clogged. 
                                                The maintenance wasn’t able to fix it at that moment.
           Price:                            2.5/5
                                                The price is low.
           Service:                        2/5
                                                The service was relative to the amount you paid.

KIKO POCKET DAMAGE:
Php 2200.00 (~$52.00) for a family room/night.

Accomodation in El Nido, kikoplusmanila.blogspot.com

Step 4: Time to have your Tour Package reserved!
You have your flight, shuttle and accommodation, and then we can now proceed to tour packages which include Island hopping, snorkelling, and lots of swimming. There are four (4) basic tour packages and its corresponding costs:

Tour A = Php 1,200 (~$28.00)/person
                                     Small and Big Lagoons of Miniloc Island
                                     Payong-payong Beach
                                     Shimizu Island
                                     Seven Commandos
 
kikoplusmanila.blogspot.comkikoplusmanila.blogspot.com
 Tour B = Php 1,300 (~$31.00)/person
Snake Island,
Codugnon Cave,
Pinasil Islet,
 Ipil Beach,
Pinagbuyutan Island

Tour C = Php 1,400 (~$33.00)/person
                                       Matinloc Shrine,
Tapiutan Island,
Star Beach,
Secret Beach,
Hidden Beach



kikoplusmanila.blogspot.com


kikoplusmanila.blogspot.comkikoplusmanila.blogspot.com

Tour D = Php 1,200 (~$28.00)/person
Sabang Beach,
Pansandigan Cove,
Helicopter Island,
Obugon Cove

This includes the boat transportation, lunch and life jackets. You’ll also get a free use of the snorkel and mask. Inclusive also of the payment is the Php 200.00 ($4.00) Environmental Fee/person.


KIKO RECOMMENDS: 
          Northern Hope Tours
          Contact:          +63-939-902-2216
                                    +63-927-735-3221
                                    +63-942-375-2441
            Email:               northernhopetours@gmail.com
           
Kiko and friends chose the packages A and C for this trip for our 2-whole day stay in El Nido. Package C was enjoyed more maybe because of less crowd. The moment was enjoyed more, compared to Tour A. More people were in Tour A, maybe because of the proximity of the islands to the town. Overall, the packages are still enjoyed.


kikoplusmanila.blogspot.com 
kikoplusmanila.blogspot.com

kikoplusmanila.blogspot.com

kikoplusmanila.blogspot.com

kikoplusmanila.blogspot.com

kikoplusmanila.blogspot.com


Step 5: The planning doesn’t end there. Let Kiko give you the idea of what and where you will eat in El Nido. Food are indeed awesome!

The food are a little expensive in Palawan, but since it is a vacation, let the money roll. Anyways, the food is delicious.

When in Puerto Princesa, you are recommended to try the following. Never mind the address, just tell the tricycle where you are going and Ola!

from kikoplusmanila.blogspot.com

If you want seafood dish, then the Kalui restaurant is for you. Just note that the restaurant requires reservation and are not open on Sundays. Contact them through: (048) 433 2580. Kiko says two thumbs up for this.



In El Nido, seafood restaurants are everywhere. One place that Kiko and friends went coming back is the Spider Resto Bar. Here, you get to choose fresh seafood before they prepare it for you.

kikoplusmanila.blogspot.com

Also, Kiko and friends like the Altrove Restaurant. I can say we were not the only ones who like it, seeing it from the long queue waiting to get in.


_____________________________

This wraps up the tips you might be needing in planning your El Nido trip. Enjoy and have fun!