El Nido, known as one of the best islands in the world, will open its doors for local tourists. Hop on an island adventure and check out this quick guide on the requirements, processes, list of hotels, tips, and health and safety protocols for a more convenient travel. officially the Municipality of El Nido (Cuyonon: Banwa i’ang El Nido, Tagalog: Bayan ng El Nido), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 50,494 people. El Nido is a Philippine municipality on Palawan Island. It’s known for white-sand beaches, coral reefs and as the gateway to the Bacuit archipelago, a group of islands with steep karst cliffs. Miniloc Island is famed for the clear waters of its small and big lagoons. Nearby Shimizu Island has fish-filled waters. The area has many dive sites, including Dilumacad Island’s long tunnel leading to an underwater cavern.
Famous for its white-sand beaches, turquoise waters, coral reefs, and splendid limestone rock formations similar to those of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam or Phang Nga Bay in Thailand, El Nido is arguably one of the most popular resort destinations in the Philippines. El Nido is a small beach town that maintains a rustic rural vibe. There are no towering luxury hotels here like in the big cities of Metro Manila. There are four island hopping tours to choose from when you visit El Nido – Tour A, Tour B, Tour C, and Tour D. Each tour offers different destinations, but all of the tour boats follow roughly the same schedule. If you sign up for Tour A, you’ll leave at around 9 am and head directly to either the Big Lagoon or Small Lagoon. There you’ll have to contend with the 20 or so other people in your boat as well as the 20 or so other boats in the lagoons.
While there are plenty of hotels in El Nido, most seem to be overpriced for what you get. The cheapest rooms available will cost you around $30 USD and will be incredibly basic – a bed with only a top sheet, air conditioning, and hot water.
You can opt for more expensive hotels but the increase in quality doesn’t align with the increase in price. Your mattress will be just as hard, the Wi-Fi just as spotty, and the views about the same. If you pay more for a room, make sure you get a pool to make it worth your while.
Restaurants cater to foreigners and reflect Western prices as well. Plan on spending around 350 PHP (~$7 USD) per entree. Wine ranges from 150-200 PHP ($3-4 USD) and cocktails are usually 200-300 PHP unless you stumble upon a good happy hour deal. But the boat tours are where you’ll really blow your budget while visiting El Nido on the island of Palawan. Group tours A-D (see below) will run you 1,200-1,500 PHP per person (~$23-27 USD) and the cost to hire a private boat for two people will be in the range of 5,500-7,000 PHP (~$105-133 USD). Add on the environmental fee (200 PHP/person), fees to visit certain islands, and tips for your boat crew and you’ve got an expensive day!
