El Nido & Around｜ Adventures In Mimaropa
El Nido is located on the northwest area of the island of Palawan in The Philippines, roughly 425km southwest of Manila. Twenty years ago it was practically an unknown paradise, but it is firmly on tourists’ radar now and has become one of the top destinations to visit in the country.
Getting To/Out of El Nido
Getting to and from El Nido is fairly straight forward, since there are direct flights from Manila to the tiny El Nido Airport, just 7km north of town. The airport severs only a limited amount of domestic flights from AirSWIFT. Either arrange onward transport from you hotel or just use one of the tricycles that hang around when a flight lands.
Using AirSWIFT was a bit of a nightmare. Two days before our flight to Palawan we got an e-mail saying they changed our departure city from Manila to Clark city. I’ve never heard of such madness before, and long story short; we couldn’t make the connection.
These things happen, but dealing with AirSWIFT to arrange an alternate flight was really where the fun began. For starters, they gave no detailed information about how they would get passengers from Manila to Clark. They said they would arrange a bus, but didn’t give a time. I sent several e-mails asking for additional information and help, to which they never replied. I made several phone calls, to which they never answered. I had to find their head office in Manila and drop in unannounced. Then, and only then, could actually talk to someone and get things worked out. No one should have to jump so many hoops. It was nothing short of a disgrace.
Alternatively, tourists can fly into Puerto Princesa International Airport and then take a 5 hour van ride north. Vans should cost ₱650. Minivans will drop passengers off at the El Nido Bus Terminal, just 1km south of town. This will also the point of departure if you’re leaving town and going south towards Puerto Princesa. Van have a loose schedule, but won’t leave until the driver feels the van is full, so be prepared to wait and to be squished.
It is also possible to take a boat from any number places around the Philippines. This option will cost a fair bit more, take a lot longer, but will give you an opportunity to see and explore a lot of smaller islands. For anyone that has the time, this is the way to do it.
Getting Around El Nido
El Nido, the town, is a fairly small place that is quick and easy to get around. Most of the hotels and restaurants are packed into the area near the docks. That entire area can be covered on foot in less than 10 minutes. Even getting up the hill and out to hotels and restaurants beyond the center are often doable in slightly over 10 minutes on foot.
For those that don’t want to walk, there is an overabundance of tricycles buzzing around town looking for tourists to fleece. Getting a fair deal on these will be impossible, so get ready to bargain like mad to even approach a bad price.
Tricycle drivers can be hired to take you outside of town, but it would be a good idea to ask around about prices and try to set this up in advance to avoid getting price gouged.
If you are planning on spending a lot of trip away from town it might be worth it to consider renting a motorbike. There are a number of renters all around town, with prices ranging from ₱400 to ₱800 per day. Road conditions will vary greatly around the north of the island, so it’s important to drive carefully and defensively. We rented from a place we randomly found called Apple Bon Scooter Rental. Prices were fair and bike conditions were ok.
We didn’t find any bicycle rentals in the town, but it’s honestly not a great place for it. As already mentioned, the area can easily be covered on foot, and to boot there are too many tourists wondering around the narrow, dirt streets. The area is also very hilly, making it a real chore for those that have to pedal.
Sightseeing In & Around El Nido
You should only be coming to this area for one thing and one thing only, activities on the water. If you’re looking to get certified in scuba diving, doing some snorkeling, boat around the many islands, or kite surfing, this is the place to do it.
➣Dewil Valley Museum
Dewil Valley Museum & Ille Cave, virtually unknown, underrated sights located near El Nido, that have a scam that is avoidable if…
➣Darocotan Island
Darocotan Island is a tiny island in the north of Palawan. It’s an adult only island, so you won’t find a single child here, which make this area espcially relaxing. In fact, there are very tourists around in general, even though it is geared as a tourist destination. As I understand it, some boats make a scheduled stop here and that’s when things will be at their most lively. All other times it seems to be very low-key and peaceful. There is a very high-end resort on the far side of the island, which looks to do a lot of new age meditative stuff. They have a restaurant/bar which is opened to all, prices are above average, but the quality is great.
The island makes for a great day trip from Duli, though you really need to have your own transportation. Exploring the island takes about 3 hours of walking. The beaches around the whole island are sandy, clean, and beautiful. There is a coral reef on the west side, close to the beach. There is also a ship wreck in the same location, which peaks out of the water at low tide. Snorkeling on Darocatan Island is really rewarding because of these elements. If you didn’t bring any gear, it can be rented from the bar right on the beach for ₱100.
Getting over to Darocotan is a real adventure. You need to brave the dirt roads and get to the very small village of Teneguiban. At the pier, you’ll need to negotiate with a local boat to take you across to the island. You’ll need to arrange for the same boat to pick you up later, so you’ll need to decide how long you’ll be staying. Five hours is a good amount of time on the island, but if you’re someone who enjoys this type of tranquility, do stay longer. It should go without say, but don’t pay until you get picked up at the end of the day.
There are campsites and resorts on the island, so you can arrange to stay overnight, which is something I wish we did. It would probably be wise to set that up in advance.
➣Duli Beach
Unspoiled by mass tourism and a reminder of what El Nido used to be like, or so I was told, Duli Beach is a jewel of Palawan. I don’t want to say it’s undiscovered, because enough people know of it. The area is still a bit undeveloped and that keeps the vanilla tourists away. For starters, most of the roads in the area are unpaved with steep hills, making the ride there bumpy and a bit scary.
Adding on to that; power in the area is extremely limited. Most business in the vicinity operate without power or use generators sparingly.
Lastly, there are few hotels (and restaurants) in the area to accommodate travelers, really cutting down on who can logistically stay in the area.
For those that are daring, the rewards far outweigh the difficulties of getting there. Even during the day, it’s peaceful and quiet. At night even more so. The pitch black sky reveals cascading stars as the sounds of nature wash over the scene, creating a lovely harmony that rejuvenates the soul.
➣Island Tours
One of the main activities to do in the area are island tours. Scores of boats set out every morning and shuttle tourists around on set itineraries, going from island to island, usually giving people time to explore a bit and do actives like snorkeling. The boats only hold about a dozen people, so groups are small. If you’re with a crew that cares, they will have tried to stagger arrivals to avoid sharing an island with another boat(s). When this happens, it’s great. You don’t feel like you’re been mashed into the tour grinder. Unfortunately, this type of situation can’t be fully avoided, even if you hire a private tour.
(G. McGregor/
https://pawprintphoto.net)
The best moments we had on these tours were snorkeling out in the middle of the water. The boats should provide each passenger with snorkeling gear.
Almost every hotel will set up tours for guests, and I assume they take a small fee, but the convenience is worth it.
In addition to the tour fee, every person will need to pay the El Nido Eco Tourism Development Fee, which is ₱400 each. Don’t throw it away after your first tour. Keep the receipt, as it’s good for 10 days and it can be reused over and over again. Every single tour operator will attempt to charge you this fee, so you will need to show that you have already paid it.
➣Submariner Dive Center
Submariner Dive Center is a PADI certified dive shop in El Nido and a fantastic choice for those looking to get certified in scuba and…
➣Vistas
There are no shortage of vistas and vantage points around the Palawan, and too many to list here. Most can be found by on most map apps, but by far the funnest way is to just drive around on your own exploring. Most of the vista points will have little rest areas with a cafe, so you can just grab a drink and enjoy the view for a spell. Just make sure you pull over in a visible area to avoid causing a road accident.
Eating, Drinking, Sleeping, Etc.
Considering how much of a tourist trap El Nido has become, the food options are one of the bright spots. The town has bent over backwards to accommodate international travelers with a bevy of options, though far above what an average meal should cost in the Philippines. It has also come at the sacrifice of authentic local cuisine, unfortunately.
Food
(G. McGregor/
https://pawprintphoto.net)
Bella Vita is an Italian restaurant located south of El Nido town, but is good enough for tourists to venturing out to? The restaurant…
Big Bad Thai smack in the middle of El Nido town serves up authentic Thai food. Are they better than all the pretenders or just another…
Biryani Kitchen is an Indian restaurant right in the center of El Nido. An authentic spicy aroma fills the streets out front, but…
Gusto is an unexpected surprise El Nido. Hard to miss as there’s always a line out front for gelato. What most tourists miss is that…
Drink
Just as with restaurants, the town has a plethora of waterholes that cater to international tastes. Expect long cocktail list and western prices. We didn’t really get the chance to drink, as we were doing a scuba diving course and also had a minor cold. Bella Vita is a particular nice place to head for sunset cocktails and views. There honestly is no shortage of breathtaking places to see an amazing vista while enjoying a cocktail.
Sleep
As for where to sleep, prepared to be overwhelmed by underwhelming accommodations. The prices are high and level of quality is low. Most hotels over promise on the amenities and then undelivered. The further you get away from town, the better off you’ll be, of course with the trade off that it will take longer to get into town.
➣El Nido Viewdeck Cottages
Coming soon…
➣Duli Beach Resort
Coming soon…
Shopping
This isn’t really the destination you head for if you want shopping, but there is a trendy strip mall close to Marimegmeg/Vanilla Beach.
Barring that, there plenty of annoying street hawkers around the center of town selling cheap looking trinkets and Chinese garbage.
➣Marimegmeg Beach
A strip mall extending from the main road down to the beach. You’ll know in the right area when you see the McDonald’s. The whole area is packed with resort hotels, western fast food, zip-lining, and trendy restaurants on the beach. It goes without saying, but expect ridicules prices.
The beach is really nice though, and makes for a great walk at sunset, but it’s completely overrun with tourists, making it less rewarding. The strip mall is located here. Every tricycle drive will know it and have no problem getting you there. If you’re on a rented a motorbike, you’ll find plenty of parking on the main road where you’ll hundreds of other bikes parked.
How Long To Stay in El Nido
We hated staying in El Nido and couldn’t wait to get out of there. It was alright for doing our scuba certification, but over-tourism has completely ruined the town. If you’re dead set on staying here, it’s quite possible to see most of the main islands around and do snorkeling, etc., in 3 days. After that you should really be on your way to somewhere new, the place is really a one horse town. Honestly, if we hadn’t spent the majority of our time doing a scuba course, it would have felt like we had wasted our time coming to the town. I can’t stress it enough, but stay as little as possible in the town.
The wider area, that’s a much different story. Once you get about half an hour away from town, in any direction, the tourists mostly disappear and the beauty of the area comes alive. One could easily spend a week exploring the the upper north section of the island, especially if you plan on doing some kite surfing, regular surfing, snorkeling, etc.
Scams, Dangers, & Annoyances
El Nido is pretty easy going, but with the huge influx of tourists, scammers have stepped up to take advantage of travelers. There are a lot of touts around inflating the prices for boat tours and activities in the area, as well as overcharging for minivan transportation out of the area. It’s always best to ask around about prices and never commit to the first person you encounter. Usually going through your hotel is a safe bet, but not always. The El Nido Bus Terminal is just 1km south of town, possible to get to on foot. Tickets can bought directly there.
There are lots of women, mostly, down by the docs selling cheap trinkets to tourists getting on and off the boats. Mostly pretty harmless, but the stuff they hawking is garbage.
One of the most annoying hassles are hotels not delivering on the amenities they have promised. Mostly this will be hot water and in some cases, running water. Sadly, the area is overtaxes by the number of the tourists that visit and there simply aren’t enough resources for everyone. Instead of limiting the number of people in the area hotels and other business have expanded far beyond the capacity of the land and have made the situation much worse.
If you’re driving on your own, be aware that some roads will not be paved. The dirt roads will have a lot of lose stones, rivets, giant puddles, slippery mud, and bunch other hazards that will make riding more dangerous and take a lot longer.
Like many places in The Philippines, there will be a number of stray dogs. They can be seen on every beach, but also sometimes just lying in the road. If you are driving, you really need to make sure you don’t hit one of these road dogs.
In general, the stray dogs aren’t aggressive, but they can be. If you’re bitten, seek medical attention immediate as you will need get a rabies shot as soon possible, or risk death.
There is only one small hospital in the area, believe it or not. For anything minor, you can go to Adventist Hospital Palawan Clinic, a few kilometers south of town. For anything serious, you’ll need to get down to Puerto Princesa. Getting medicine might prove to be difficult as well, though there are a few drug stores in town.
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Need more information about the Philippines?
Peruse our tips on Palawan HERE.
Mill over our full write up on Manila HERE.
Read our full write up on Angeles City HERE.
Look at our full write up on Laoag HERE.
View our full write up on Vigan HERE.
Check out our full write up on Cebu HERE.
Noddle over our notes on Negros HERE.
