It has been to a greater extent than than a calendar week forthwith since I laid human foot to the beautiful isle of Palawan from my habitation country. I only posted a teaser photograph of the 30+ Photos That Will Make You Want To Book H5N1 Flight To El Nido, Palawan together with believe it or not, it got a whopping 2k page views inward three hours all viewers from the Middle East Region alone!
You won't believe it but living inward the Philippines for to a greater extent than than 20 years, I wasn't able to fully explore our country. That is because nosotros conduct maintain to a greater extent than than 7,100 islands surrounded yesteryear big bodies of water, going places isn't that easy. So equally a showtime fourth dimension visitor, I'm sharing alongside you lot guys a few go tips that mightiness live of assist if you lot are planning to see El Nido.
BUT FIRST, FLY TO PH
Since I am a Philippine passport holder, I didn't conduct maintain whatever problems getting yesteryear through immigration. Other nationalities mightiness conduct maintain some issues, here's a resources that you lot postulate to read if you lot excogitation on visiting my habitation country:
Good news: passport holders from Middle East countries similar Oman, Qatar, KSA, together with UAE may larn into my habitation Earth for 30 (30) days or less, hooray!
THEN, TRAVEL TO EL NIDO
There isn't whatever international flying to El Nido unfortunately, together with you lot genuinely conduct maintain to halt inward Manila together with conduct maintain a domestic flying at Manila International Airport Terminal three or 4. You tin terminate go to El Nido inward whatever of these 2 convenient ways:
- Direct flying from Manila to El Nido via Air Swift (1 hr duration) - this is the most expensive agency together with a circular trip ticket starts at USD 185 per soul together with upward depending on seasonality.
- Fly from Manila to Puerto Prinsesa together with conduct maintain a van/bus to El Nido (8 hr duration) - this is what regular travellers together with backpackers similar myself take, the circular trip budget (air tickets together with van/bus) is commonly at USD 120, peradventure lesser if you lot mass it before or during depression season. There are several airlines flying to Puerto Prinsesa daily, I took AirAsia this fourth dimension because they are the cheapest. Contrary to the bad things I've heard nigh the airline, the render flights I had were on-time - nosotros were fifty-fifty 30mins ahead on my flying dorsum to Manila. Very impressive.
I arrived inward Puerto Prinsesa inward the morn of Nov. 22nd, I wanted to salvage an extra hr together with so instead of taking a motorbus from a friend's recommendation here, I took a shared van which has a terminal only exterior the airdrome (the cite of the carry operator is Miroju, you lot tin terminate prebook via +639217219979).
The 5hour drive was a trivial bumpy, the driver seems to live inward a hurry. We had i halt to conduct maintain tiffin together with was also surprised to run across 'halal' signs on the menu. Note that the halt is null fancy together with they serve meals the local way, I explored the eating seat farther together with was happy to run across that our Muslim brothers together with sisters are warmly welcomed inward the island.
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| A repast at the stop-over: Kilawing Tanigue (Filipino version of Kish Fish Ceviche) together with rice for USD 2.50 |
I missed Filipino nutrient together with so much I had Kilawing Tanigue together with rice for lunch. We stopped for 20 minutes together with went dorsum on the road. After a few to a greater extent than hours, nosotros reached the town proper of El Nido.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT HOTEL IN EL NIDO, PALAWAN
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| Corong-corong Beach has a fantastic sentiment of the sunset, endeavour to larn an accommodation inward this expanse to fully taste El Nido |
There isn't much luxury hotels inward El Nido, bulk are local inns which tin terminate live works life inward the town proper. I don't, however, recommend staying at the town proper no thing how accessible the shops together with transportation are. Why? The town is pretty congested together with noisy at nighttime (I stayed inward i of the hostels at USD 12 for a pocket-sized fan room, it was ok but I genuinely had a difficult fourth dimension sleeping). It's to a greater extent than similar Station 2 of Boracay Island. There are some accommodations inward other districts, similar the i where I conduct maintain stayed on the remaining nights located inward Corong-corong.
My 2nd nighttime was booked at a backpacker fashion hotel called Dormitels (roughly USD 10 -25 per nighttime depending on seasonality) together with my concluding nighttime was inward a to a greater extent than upscale boutique hotel called Ecohotels (around USD 50-85 depending on seasonality). Both hotels are located in Pops District inward Brgy. Corong-corong which is nigh 7mins away from the noisy political party scene of El Nido. I'd live sharing to a greater extent than details together with photos of these facilities separately because they create deserve it. But here's a preview of the rooms only inward case:
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| Dormitels - El Nido, Palawan |
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| Ecohotels - El Nido, Palawan |
MY THREE DAY ITINERARY IN EL NIDO, PALAWAN
Three days is genuinely pretty brusk to fully explore El Nido, Palawan but here's how I conduct maintain planned mine:
- Day 1: Sunset Watching at Republica Sunset Bar - I arrived at 3pm inward El Nido on the 22nd of Nov together with so I wasn't able to create much however, I made certain non to skip sunset watching at Republica. BEST SUNSET VIEWS. With people clapping their hands for this beautiful view. And trust me, they conduct maintain the best music mix. Like hella lovable music whoever their awesome DJ is. Beer is inexpensive too, together with here's a hack: see them later on sunset together with you'll larn discounted cost for nutrient together with drinks.
- Day 2: Booked Tour H5N1 for Island Hopping Adventure - I booked a tour from the same operator that handled my carry from Puerto Prinsesa to El Nido together with back. I relied on my friend's blog for the recommendation although I took Tour H5N1 all because the novel friend I met during the van ride booked the same tour. We weren't on the same trip sadly, but I met novel people along the agency which made it crazier together with fun. Tour H5N1 is basically going to a greater extent than or less lagoons together with beaches of El Nido. Our stops include seven Commando Beach, Shimizu Island, Secret Lagoon, Big Lagoon together with Small Lagoon. I paid USD 24 for this whole twenty-four hr menstruum trip alongside tourism fee together with buffet tiffin included.
- Day 3: Visited Nacpan Beach, Nagkalit-kalit Falls, together with Las Cabanas beach via tricycle - On my concluding day, nosotros hired a tricycle to larn to three other places alongside less tourists roaming to a greater extent than or less he area. It cost us roughly USD xl to hire a tryke alongside entrance fees to access both Nacpan Beach together with Nagkalit-kalit Falls (there were three of us on the trip). What I enjoyed the most is the tiffin at Prince eating seat inward Nacpan, really tasty seafood options together with really affordable too. The only downside I approximate is that in that location is usually a really long expect betwixt 12-1pm together with so if you lot are planning to larn for lunch, come upward inward early.
OTHER THINGS YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR WHEN TRAVELING TO EL NIDO
- Do non drinkable tap H2O inward El Nido - El Nido doesn't conduct maintain a H2O organization yet together with the H2O from faucets are dangerous to drink. Always purchase bottled H2O for drinking.
- Transportation to a greater extent than or less El Nido - if you lot volition live travelling to nearby places alongside the radius of the metropolis centre, you lot volition ride a tricycle. You tin terminate conduct maintain it all to yourself yesteryear paying special fee (Php 50) or part it alongside other locals paying only Php 10 per person. Anywhere far you lot volition conduct maintain to rent the tryke for whole twenty-four hr menstruum fee.
- Plugs together with sockets - most facilities inward El Nido has a flat ability socket (Type A) AND HOTELS DON'T NORMALLY HAVE ANY SPARE ADAPTOR together with so brand certain to bear a universal charger.
- Money - the currency inward Palawan is Philippine Peso, brand certain to stack upward your wallet alongside plenty cash. There is only ONE banking concern branch alongside 2 ATM machines inward El Nido which is located at the town proper (it's called BPI bank). There is a really very few facilities alongside credit card terminals together with so again, convey cash.
- Cellular network together with internet - in the Philippines, in that location are 2 cellular network providers: Globe together with Smart. Smart is stronger inward the metropolis proper together with Corong-corong expanse inward price of network (both vocalization together with internet) but if you lot larn farther to Nacpan beach, Globe works better. Tip: create non sign upward to whatever unlimited cyberspace network offering on whatever networks. Some hotels conduct maintain available wifi and only endeavour to maximize it. All those I conduct maintain tried are genuinely weak together with so allow your friends together with work solid unit of measurement know that the coverage inward El Nido is intermittent.
- Carry alongside you lot a smashing headset alongside dissonance cancellation capabilities - trust me you'll live needing this peculiarly for a long ride from Puerto Prinsesa to El Nido OR if you lot are having problems getting your sleep. Luckily, I conduct maintain alongside me this really smashing headset slice from Parrot that lasted for days on total power. It's a Zik three headphones that is VERY comfortable on the ears together with has a correct ear loving cup that is touch-sensitive - tap it to play/pause, slide upward together with downwards to modify volume, together with flick correct together with left to change. Awesome? Yes I know.
- Request for the tourism/environment fee receipt from your isle hopping tour provider - The fee for this is Php 200, you lot volition postulate this receipt when you lot larn to other trips together with tours inward El Nido together with so you lot volition no longer pay for extra.
- Bring H5N1 Mosquito Repellent Lotion/Oil - I wasn't prepared for the musquito bites thus, I went dorsum to Dubai alongside carmine rashes that I got when I stayed at the town proper during the showtime night. You tin terminate purchase repellent lotion at the pharmacies or at the airport.
- Before hopping on an isle tour, brand certain that your gadgets are condom from H2O together with larn a brace of swim shoes to protect your feet from abrupt things - in that location are available H2O proof bags all over the isle sold for equally depression equally USD 10. Majority of the time, you lot volition live getting off the boat together with volition also swim your agency to the beach together with so endeavour to secure your asset inward a waterproof bag. There are a lot of abrupt corals equally well, swim shoes tin terminate live rented for USD 2 for the whole day.
This is yet some other long go essentials post, I volition live sharing alongside you lot where I conduct maintain spent my nights alongside on dissever posts shortly! Is in that location anything of import that I missed to share? Place it inward your comments below!
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Photos are mine unless specified. This post service is inward collaboration alongside Dormitels together with Ecohotels Philippines.