El Nido, Palawan Island, Philippines
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I’m writing about El Nido first because it was the place where the inspiration for this site originated. It’s an amazing place that I hope you discover. If you’re looking for a quick practical guide to El Nido, please visit our El Nido Destination Guide page.
GETTING TO EL NIDO, PALAWAN
El Nido is tucked away in the beautiful province of Palawan. It has gained immense popularity recently because it was voted as a top tourist destination by Travel and Leisure, showcasing its breathtaking beauty and natural charm. Previously, reaching El Nido was a long and bumpy journey, with an unpaved road that took over 9 hours to travel from the Island’s main aiport in Puerto Princesa. But, with the recent development of a paved road and the introduction of an airport, getting to El Nido has become quicker and more accessible. AirSwift now offers convenient flights from Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
If you’re flying internationally, we suggest either flying to Puerto Princesa (an International Airport) or to Ninoy Aquino International Airport. From Puerto Princesa, you can take a private transfer to El Nido or you can book a transfer with other people. From Ninoy Aquino International Airport, you can take AirSwift to fly into El Nido.
Lio Beach proper.
ACCOMMODATION
On our visit to El Nido, we opted for a private van to pick us up from the Puerto Princesa airport – with the paved road, it took 6 hours with a couple of stops to eat and bathroom breaks. Our accommodation of choice was the Huni Lio Hotel, which proved to be a perfect fit for our family of five. It was quite challenging to find hotels with connecting rooms, but Huni Lio had spacious rooms with three full beds and a sofa bed, comfortably accommodating my family of five. We were accompanied by my mother and her friend, so we reserved another guest room for them. Although we arrived late and Huni Lio's onsite restaurant was closed, we were fortunate to discover the vibrant and developing area of Lio Beach, packed with beachfront restaurants. There, we found a delightful spot to eat to satisfy our entire group next to the sound of crashing waves.
LIO BEACH AND MALIGAYA TOWN
Lio Beach is a vibrant up and coming community/neighborhood that took us by surprise with the many activities it offered. Everywhere we looked, there were signs directing us to various exciting experiences, making the area easy to navigate. Lio Beach had many restaurant options as well as activities with a pharmacy just a few steps away, making it easy access to any needed necessities during our stay.
One of the highlights of Lio Beach was discovering Kalye Artisano, an amazing artistic hub that showcased a variety of shops with unique crafts and artwork. Kalye Artisano also offered many activities such as bike rental, wetland kayaking, nature interpretation, in-land fishing, and yoga. My husband took part in the nature interpretation walk and came back with a glowing report about the diversity of the flora and fauna, including monkeys and a variety of beautiful birds. The tours offered at Kalye Artisano made us truly appreciate the significance of ecological sustainability, emphasizing the importance of preserving our natural environment. If you find yourself in need of a nature walk and a break from the ordinary or a break from the island hopping tours, Kalye Artisano should be at the top of your list.
You can walk to Kalye Artisano or take the tricycle, either way. Just a few feet from our hotel, we found a convenient tricycle stand, making transportation a breeze. Tricycle pricing was clearly posted, so you don’t have to worry about being overcharged. And another safety feature not to be overlooked is that you can always ask a security guard from your hotel to get you a tricycle. If you’re getting dropped off at Kalye Artisano, a security guard there can call a tricycle for a transport back to your hotel. Your hotel should also be able to provide you with a private van/taxi if you need to go somewhere else.
Approaching the main beach in Maligaya Town where the boats launch and anchor for the Tours.
However, walking to Kalye Artisano from Huni Lio was also an amazing experience. We walked along the long and winding path of brick paver nestled within the the unspoiled lush greenery where you can hear many sounds of nature in harmonious symphony. Add to that the sound of the rustling of leaves - and it was suddenly undeniably a perfect moment of bliss. But of course, it all had to end as the road eventually enters a clearing, and a few more steps toward some structures, we finally arrived at Kalye Artisano.
Lio Beach in the evening.
We definitely recommend staying at a hotel in Lio Beach (Huni Lio or Seda Lio), although staying in the Maligaya Town would also be super convenient. Our El Nido Hotel Section Guide provides a list of hotels we recommend.
Maligaya Town is where most of the tours will begin, especially for the Island Hopping Tours. As an aside, Maligaya in Tagalog means happy. And this town is definitely a Happy Town! Maligaya is the main town of El Nido, and therefore, has a more “urban” feel. You’ll find coffee shops, restaurants, retail shops of all kinds, pharmacies, offices, tour operators, and so much more catering to tourists. And every Filipino we met were also so joyful and warm.
ISLAND TOURS
Now – onto the amazing Island Tours. We were fortunate enough to take as many island-hopping tours we could, and we even had the opportunity to customize our own island hopping tour – yes, you can do that! Our El Nido Things To Do page provides a comprehensive description of all the Island Hopping Tours we embarked on. It’s important to note that all the Island Hopping Tours are the same for each tour operator, no matter who you choose. You can reserve a Private Tour (meaning, only your group will be on the boat) or a Regular Tour along with everyone else. In summary, here all the Island Hopping tours available:
Tour A - 7 Commando Beach, Secret Lagoon, Big Lagoon, Payong Payong, and Shimizu Island.
Tour B - Lagen Sandbar, Cathedral Cave, Cudugnon Cave, Snake Island, and Entalula Beach.
Tour C - Helicopter Island, Talisay Beach, Matinloc Shrine, Hidden Beach, and Secret Beach.
Tour D - Bukal Beach, Small Lagoon, Cadlao Lagoon, Pansandingan Beach, and Paradise Beach.
For descriptions of each beach destination, go here.
What sets these tours apart is not only the breathtaking beauty of each island and its distinct characteristics, but also the exceptional tour guides. Words cannot adequately express the level of awesomeness demonstrated by these amazing guides!
Each tour has its own tour guide and lunches are provided. Lunches are freshly cooked on the boat and can be enjoyed either on the boat itself or on the idyllic islands we visit. The culinary creations presented to us were not only flavorful but also visually pleasing, making for a truly unforgettable dining experience.
We snorkeled a lot, sadly noting the bleaching of some of the corals, witnessed some amazing marine life, and immensely enjoyed the warmth of the ocean. We ooh-ed and ahh-ed on the wonderful geologic limestone rock formation showcasing its grandeur and enormity, constantly reminding us that the world is full of wonder and mystery. We kayaked to the Big Lagoon using a clear kayak boat so we can see what’s under us, always looking for a sign of marine life. We explored as many sea caves as we could, always being reminded of the constant changing landforms through time. We drank fresh coconut water sold at one of the islands, swam the beaches, jumped off the boat while anchored down somewhere in the sea, and lazed about under the sun on sandy shores, and as if that’s not enough - we also botanized! Yup - botanizing is a thing in my family, or more precisely, with my husband. He is very much into plants and he undoubtedly immersed himself amidst the native flora and enchanting mangrove forest, discovering and learning about the island’s diverse plant life. This aspect of our adventure may not be for the average tourist, but it added an extra layer of fascination to our island getaway. 😊
IN-LAND TOURS
El Nido offers a tour of the Nacpan Beach and Bulalacao Waterfall, with a stop in Lio Beach. There is also a 2-day camping option. Our tour guide, JR, told me all about it, but unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to explore this as our time in El Nido was limited.
SUMMARY
In summary, El Nido was an amazing place and I wished I knew more before going because I might have changed my itinerary to stay a little bit longer. For now, make sure to visit our El Nido Destination Guide for comprehensive information on tours, beaches, how to get there, hotels, and more. As I create my travel list for 2024 – I keep thinking of coming back to this wonderful island, not only to explore it more deeply, but also to visit other places around it like Coron and Port Barton. We’ll see how my travel in 2024 shapes up for me.
In the meantime, Happy Travels!
Zellie, your forever a traveler
