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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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:
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.
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!
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.
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!
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