EL NIDO/PUERTO PRINCESA
From Manila Airport to Puerto Princesa airport is 1hr flight
Then from Puerto Princes going to El Nido is about 5-6hrs Van (land) travel passing by on a very curvy road.
1st Day EL NIDO: Island Hopping
There are 4 set of tours you can choose from; Tour A, Tour B, Tour C and Tour D. We were supposed to take Tour C (we like it because of the Helicopter Island), however if the weather is not good, they wouldn't allow you push through with it - something that happened to us... A bit disappointing but we still enjoyed it by availing 2 of the remaining 3 set of tours available (A and B).
Take Note: It's better to have a single tour per day, don't believe travel agencies/person assisting you if they said that it's better to have 2 set of tours in 1 day - they did this to us and we really regret listening to them, because in the end we are being hurried on each island and also missed a few islands because it was already too late. Our fault is that we trusted them too much thinking that we were being given good advice - how wrong we are!
Tour A:
Big Lagoon (The boat will just circle around the area wherein you can take pictures and pose in the boat with the bog lagoon as your background - really good for making your primary pictures - better to be on the edge on the boat to have your pictures taken - pose like Jack and Rose of Titanic if you want).
Small Lagoon (We rented a kayak - P400/each kayak and 2 person can ride a kayak so P200/each. You will pass by a small entrance - in between 2 big rocks - then continue to kayak where you will have breath taking background).
Simizu Island (This is where we eat, while the manongs - boat drivers - prepare our lunch, we went snorkeling and was able to enjoy looking a small fish that circle around our legs. The food prepared by the manongs really tasted good and was plated nicely - this lunch is inclusive of the package/tour you availed).
7 Commandos Beach (This is the island that I enjoyed most because I was able to swim here because there's a part of the beach that was designated for swimming only, therefore the wave is not that strong and the boats are not allowed to park here. There's also coconut store wherein you can drink it on the coconut directly, there are swings you can ride and rest and just really enjoy the place and the scenery).
Tour B:
Snake Island (There's a snake-like sandbar wherein if it's low tide it will be nice to cross, but either way you can still cross it since it's just waist high water. Then there's the part of the island wherein you have to hike up a bit, once on top you'll see the snake island sandbar view, breathtakingly beautiful - take pictures and make the snake island your background - it's really nice).
Cudugnon Cave (This cave have a small entrance where in you really have to bend to be able to go inside the cave, once inside there's a narrow entrance on the left side where you have to make sure you're careful with you footing because it's a bit steep, not really high but steep. Then once you climb up there you'll be able to take pictures, it will be best if your camera is good since there's not much light inside - and take as much picture as you want. This I just a really small cave, like a room-wide cave).
Cathedral Cave (The parts of Cathedral cave doesn't have good weather, it will just suddenly rain - strong one - wherein you won't be able to see much and would be able to enter the cave, therefore, we only circle around the place and we think we may have missed some fun looking inside).
2nd Day EL NIDO: Nacpan Beach
- Going to Nacpan Beach from main El Nido will take more or less 2hrs tricycle ride - normally the fare cost P1500 but we were able to find a kuya that gave us a price of P1200 (but in the end we paid P1300 - P100 tip given), the reason is, we actually pity kuyang driver because half od the road going there is a very very very rough road. We were also told that if we want, half way going to Nacpan, we can also pass by and try the falls (the problem was, it will take more or less 1hr hike - and we need to be back to main El Nido before 4pm because we will return to Puerto Princesa that night).
Nacpac beach is breathtaking, you can play beach volleyball, you can also walk a few minutes and hike a little bit to see the twin beach that is oh so beautiful. There's also a part there where there's like a ruin boat bridge where you can take pictures and enjoy the waves. And speaking of waves, it was so fun swimming here even with those huge waves because there are very few people here, actually most of who you'll see here are foreigners...
From Manila Airport to Puerto Princesa airport is 1hr flight
Then from Puerto Princes going to El Nido is about 5-6hrs Van (land) travel passing by on a very curvy road.
1st Day EL NIDO: Island Hopping
There are 4 set of tours you can choose from; Tour A, Tour B, Tour C and Tour D. We were supposed to take Tour C (we like it because of the Helicopter Island), however if the weather is not good, they wouldn't allow you push through with it - something that happened to us... A bit disappointing but we still enjoyed it by availing 2 of the remaining 3 set of tours available (A and B).
Take Note: It's better to have a single tour per day, don't believe travel agencies/person assisting you if they said that it's better to have 2 set of tours in 1 day - they did this to us and we really regret listening to them, because in the end we are being hurried on each island and also missed a few islands because it was already too late. Our fault is that we trusted them too much thinking that we were being given good advice - how wrong we are!
Tour A:
Big Lagoon (The boat will just circle around the area wherein you can take pictures and pose in the boat with the bog lagoon as your background - really good for making your primary pictures - better to be on the edge on the boat to have your pictures taken - pose like Jack and Rose of Titanic if you want).
Small Lagoon (We rented a kayak - P400/each kayak and 2 person can ride a kayak so P200/each. You will pass by a small entrance - in between 2 big rocks - then continue to kayak where you will have breath taking background).
Simizu Island (This is where we eat, while the manongs - boat drivers - prepare our lunch, we went snorkeling and was able to enjoy looking a small fish that circle around our legs. The food prepared by the manongs really tasted good and was plated nicely - this lunch is inclusive of the package/tour you availed).
7 Commandos Beach (This is the island that I enjoyed most because I was able to swim here because there's a part of the beach that was designated for swimming only, therefore the wave is not that strong and the boats are not allowed to park here. There's also coconut store wherein you can drink it on the coconut directly, there are swings you can ride and rest and just really enjoy the place and the scenery).
Tour B:
Snake Island (There's a snake-like sandbar wherein if it's low tide it will be nice to cross, but either way you can still cross it since it's just waist high water. Then there's the part of the island wherein you have to hike up a bit, once on top you'll see the snake island sandbar view, breathtakingly beautiful - take pictures and make the snake island your background - it's really nice).
Cudugnon Cave (This cave have a small entrance where in you really have to bend to be able to go inside the cave, once inside there's a narrow entrance on the left side where you have to make sure you're careful with you footing because it's a bit steep, not really high but steep. Then once you climb up there you'll be able to take pictures, it will be best if your camera is good since there's not much light inside - and take as much picture as you want. This I just a really small cave, like a room-wide cave).
Cathedral Cave (The parts of Cathedral cave doesn't have good weather, it will just suddenly rain - strong one - wherein you won't be able to see much and would be able to enter the cave, therefore, we only circle around the place and we think we may have missed some fun looking inside).
2nd Day EL NIDO: Nacpan Beach
- Going to Nacpan Beach from main El Nido will take more or less 2hrs tricycle ride - normally the fare cost P1500 but we were able to find a kuya that gave us a price of P1200 (but in the end we paid P1300 - P100 tip given), the reason is, we actually pity kuyang driver because half od the road going there is a very very very rough road. We were also told that if we want, half way going to Nacpan, we can also pass by and try the falls (the problem was, it will take more or less 1hr hike - and we need to be back to main El Nido before 4pm because we will return to Puerto Princesa that night).
Nacpac beach is breathtaking, you can play beach volleyball, you can also walk a few minutes and hike a little bit to see the twin beach that is oh so beautiful. There's also a part there where there's like a ruin boat bridge where you can take pictures and enjoy the waves. And speaking of waves, it was so fun swimming here even with those huge waves because there are very few people here, actually most of who you'll see here are foreigners...
3rd Day Puerto Princesa: Underground River
- It was fun, boat tour guides are funny and they have a lot of stories regarding the rock formations. They are very much knowledgeable of their craft and can answer all your possible question.
- Note: You have to book your Underground River tour ahead of time, they may not be able to accommodate you if you'll make the booking the same day because there are a lot of tourist visiting there and most of the trips are already fully booked. We made our booking at least more than q week before our scheduled trip.
