TOP PLACES TO VISIT IN EL-NIDO : PALAWAN

El nido is one of the most beautiful islands in the Philippines and it comes under the Palawan region. It is famous for its beautiful Lagoons and secret/hidden/beautiful beaches. There are around 50 beaches, which can be visited during multiple visits to el nido, palawan.

El nido is famous among Europium and Spanish tourists. I encountered a lot of them during my visit to el nido recently. They all had come to enjoy beach life like- snorkeling, corals, seafood etc. There are many cafes on El nido beach, they serve a lot of variety in seafood. This place is paradise for seafood lovers. The best part I liked about it, these cafe’s are on the beach itself, if you choose to sit in an outside cafe then there are chances that sea water will kiss your feet.

READ MORE: Places to visit in Coron

HOW TO REACH EL-NIDO

El nido is not just like any other location, where you can take flight and drive for 1 or 2 hours then reach. It’s a hidden paradise, so the travel is also like that. There are two ways to travel to El nido.

FIRST WAY: Book air tickets to Puerto princesa. There are a lot of airline companies such as Cebu Pacific, Air Asia, Philippines airline etc. READ MORE

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WHAT TO DO IN EN NIDO

En nido is a hidden paradise and very beautiful. It is very famous among foreigners. Locals are very limited among el nido tourists. El nido is famous for Lagoons, Beaches, Snorkeling and sea food. Here you will find standard tours, every hotel and tour company offer them. They have Names Tour A, B, C and D. There are a mix of beaches, Lagoons and snorkeling sites. You can choose as per your interest. Tour A and Tour C are must do.

So when you select a tour from any hotel or tour company, then they ask you to reach the beach at a given time. The boat owners, tour guides are different. These tour companies have tied up with them. Unlike in Coron and Boracay. The tour company was also not aware about the boat and tour guide till the last minute.

TOUR A:

This tour has 3 Lagoons (including secret Lagoon) and two beaches. This tour starts at around 10 am and ends at 4 pm. The per person cost is 1000 PHP plus 200 environmental fee (which is valid for 10 days so don’t forget to take receipt to use for other tours). Lunch is included in all the island hopping tours. The main point to note here is, you have to pay extra for Kayak at two lagoons. The Kayak price is fixed, 400 php for 2 people and 600 php for 4 persons.

The boat man purposefully stops far from the lagoon as they have commission with kayak people. Otherwise, people can easily swim to reach both the Lagoons.

Tour Includes:

1. Small Lagoon
2. Big Lagoon
3. Secret Lagoon
4. Shimizu Island
5. Commando Beach

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TOUR B:

This will cover 5 attractions. 3 Beaches, one snorkeling site and one cave. Here also, you have to rent a kayak to enter the cave. Lunch is included and per person cost is 1200 php. Do not forget to rent aqua shoes during your island hopping. They must be needed during snorkeling.

Tour Includes: 

1. Snake Island
2. Pinagbuyutan Island
3. Entatula Island
4. Cudognon Cave
5. Snorkeling Site

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TOUR C:

This tour is dedicated to snorkeling. It has 5 attractions. But due to high tide we couldn’t visit the secret beach. And be very cautious of hidden beaches. The way to reach the hidden beach is surrounded by rocks and you have to swim to reach the beach. Many people were injured on those rocks. For tour C, the distance is far from mainland land. That’s why the travel time is more. Tour starts at 10 am and ends at 4 pm. Lunch is included and per person cost is 1200 php.

Tour Includes:

1. Helicopter Beach
2. Matinloc Shrine
3. Secret Beach
4. Star Beach
5. Hidden Beach

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TOUR D:

It has 6 destinations including a snorkeling site. This tour is best for taking pictures. The beautiful white sand beaches are the main attraction in this tour. Lunch is included and cost per person is 1200 php. The tour starts at 10 am and ends at 4 pm.

Tour Includes:

1. Ipil Beach
2. Cadlao Lagoon
3. Paradise beach
4. Pasandigan Beach
5. Natnat Beach
6. Bukal Beach

OVERALL our experience of visiting Palawan for the 3rd time was good. Always remember one thing, wherever you go in the world, do not throw your trash anywhere. For example we saw people throwing trash in the sea even when the tour guide informed them about it. Even people do not value the corals and they step on it. It takes million years for corals to become what they are today. And if we want the beauty to remain the same then we need to respect and value the place.