This is a quick overview of how to arrange your travel from Manila to El Nido and ideas for what to do in the town when you’re not on the tours. Read about my experience with the island hopping tours on day 2 and day 3 in El Nido!
El Nido was everything I Nid-ed and more! I was born in the Philippines and lived there for 10 years but had never been to Palawan until this past December 2017.
Getting TherePrior to the trip, I booked my accommodation, tours, and van transfer (from/to Puerto Princesa airport & El Nido) in one package through my cousin’s travel agency (Feetstop Travel and Tours). I recommend doing this so you don’t have to worry about anything once you get there. It definitely made it stress-free for me!
I flew from Manila to Puerto Princesa airport (the most popular way of getting to El Nido), which was only a little over an hour flight and from there, it was another 5 hours to El Nido via the van I booked (another option is the bus). We did have a pit stop for lunch at Elfredo’s Manokan and Seafood Restaurant so that helped make the ride more tolerable and me a little less hangry.
Our cute home in El Nido. Only a 5 min walk to the beach!
Day 1: Welcome to Paradise!From all the Buzzfeed videos and travel posts I saw about El Nido, I had an idea of what it would look like but nothing beats the moment I first stepped foot on the beach and witnessed paradise for myself! Blue waters, mountains, and boats…it was picturesque.
I’d say definitely save the tours for the following days. Reserve the first day for relaxing on the beach after the long travel. You’ll need more energy for the tours, trust me!
After soaking up some sun, it was time to cool down with my all-time favorite Filipino dessert, halo-halo (shaved ice with toppings & Ube ice cream).
Exploring the Town
We walked around the town at night to find a place for dinner and stumbled upon this restaurant that looked pretty busy. Also, I love bubble tea and ramen so we had to try this place. The food did not disappoint.
All the action in the town happens when the sun goes down! In fact, some vendors are only open at night. You can find everything from food (both restaurants and street food), bars with live music, and souvenir shops. ***Tip: be sure to bring plenty of cash (Philippine pesos, of course) because El Nido is in Palawan, which is a province so most places don’t accept credit cards.***
On our last night in El Nido, we had dinner on the beach. Apologies, I don’t remember the name of the restaurant but if you just walk along the beach, you can’t miss it!
Ordered some local Filipino food. Everything was delicious and so cheap!
Drinks: Fresh mango shakes. Food: Pork sisig (top right), crab & corn soup, pork belly menudo
El Nido forever has my heart, and I’ll definitely be coming back ❤
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