Smart Backpacker: El Nido Island Hopping Tour (Tour A and B)

El Nido is the best!

I've seen almost all the best beaches in the Philippines, name it and I had been there. But El Nido stood out from the rest. El Nido is one tourist spot in the Philippines you should not dare miss!!!

Aside from pristine and clear blue waters, well-preserved marine sanctuary and powdered white sand beaches, the best thing El Nido offers is its island hopping tours. The tour is divided into Tours A, B, C, and D (some agencies offer Tour F).

Tour A (P1,200)

Small lagoon, Big lagoon, Shimizu Island, Secret Lagoon, 7 Commando

Tour B (P1,300)

Cathedral Cave, Codugnon Cave, Panggalusian Island, Snake Island, Pinagbayutan Island

Tour C (P1,400)

Hidden Beach, Matinloc Shrine, Secret Beach, Talisay, Helicopter Island

Tour D (P1,200)

Cadlao Lagoon, Pasandigan Beach, Paradise Beach, Natnat Beach, Bukal Island

But since we have only 4 days in El Nido, we decided to combine the tours.

We combined Tour A and B and Tour C and D. And this blog is Day 1 of our island hopping Tour in El Nido for only P1,500/pax courtesy of Mr. Hanny Enor.

Hadefe Travel and Tours

Mr. Hanny Enor

ERC Plaza Bldg. Room 208, 2^nd Floor

Brgy. San Pedro, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines

Tel. No. 048-434-1746, Mobile No. 0920-952-3280, 0917-849-6877

BDO Acct. No. 504-0199555 (Savings Account)

Puerto Princesa City Palawan Branch

Email: h_enor@yahoo.com

Now on with the island hopping tour.

The low pressure area somewhere in Eastern Visayas did not prevent us from having this island hopping tour. Our minds were set and all systems go!

There were only four of us (out of 14) who decided to go to El Nido namely, Lester, Jen, Rico and I.

When Island Hopping

1. Make sure your tour guide is licensed.

2. Always wear a life vest

Be careful not to step on the coral.

3. Be aware of your waste.

4. Make sure you have paid the Eco-Tourism Development Fee of P200.00. It will serve as access to all public tourism sites for a period of 10 days.

Eventhough it's my second time in El Nido, I was so excited to be back and experience once more the island jewels of El Nido. It took us 45 minutes to reach our first spot (normally, only 30 minutes).

First stop of the day - Small Lagoon.

The reason why it is called "Small Lagoon" is because you have to pass through a small hole just big enough for the kayak to pass through it.

The activities in the Small Lagoon are kayaking and swimming. It is highly recommended that you should rent a kayak (P700.00) for this spot. This is one of my favorite spots in El Nido.

Next spot is the best spot for taking souvenir pictures - Big Lagoon.

The Small Lagoon and Big Lagoon are the top 2 favorites in Tour A.

The Big Lagoon is just 5 minutes away from the Small Lagoon.

The activities in this spot include kayaking (to the mangrove and the small cave) and snorkeling (just be careful of the sea urchins).

Our third stop for the day - Shimizu Island.

It took us 15 minutes to reach this spot. It was named after a Japanese diver who had explored and dived on this island.

The best activities here are snorkeling and diving!

It is the best spot to do snorkeling. You will surely love it!!

El Nido is a protected marine sanctuary and that is the reason why it is abundant with fish, reefs and corals.

Our lunch and fourth stop - Entalula Beach.

According to my guide Rommel of Hadefe Tours, this beach is part of the Miniloc Island.

We waited a bit for the food to be cooked and we feasted on the buffet lunch!

After lunch, we enjoyed the powdered white sand of El Nido. The sands of Station 1 of Boracay simply cannot match this. I mean you can scrub the sand on your face without hurting it. It is simply amazing!

After lunch, we went to our fifth stop - Snake Island.

Snake Island is the number one attraction in Tour B. Try exploring the length of the sandbar, go to the mangroves, explore the small cave and hike towards the top of the snake island.

Our sixth stop - the Codugnon Cave

Spelunking is the activity on this island. You have to pass again to a very small and narrow hole and climb the cave.

Seventh stop was Cathedral Cave. During low tide and when the current is not that strong, the boat can be docked inside but not on that day.

Eight stop was the Pinagbayutan Island. Activities in this island are hiking and snorkeling.

Last stop for the day - Papaya Island. It got its name from the plantation of papaya which once abundant and existed on this island.

Best activity is playing beach volleyball! You will enjoy the powdered white sand. But I also enjoyed snorkeling in this area. I think the best corals are found in this spot.

Normally, the tour is composed only of 5 spots, ends 4 pm and you have to pay P1,200 for the tour. But our tour was composed of 9 spots, ended 6 pm and we paid P1,500 only for the combined Tour A and B.

It's really More Fun in El Nido!

Amazing El Nido!!! =)

El Nido Municipal Tourism Office

Phone: +639177887024

Email: elnidotourism@gmail.com

Website: www.elnidotourism.com