If you try to search some of world’s best island beaches then El Nido, Palawan will show up among the top ones. Its a beautiful place and must be among destination list for any Philippines traveller.
I wanted to travel from Manila to El Nido by Ferry or some boat trip but couldn’t find any direct boat. There were ferry rides till Coron but then had to take another boat from Coron to El Nido, so it was not straight forward. I decided to go for a flight from Manila to El Nido and i think it is the best option time wise as well as cost wise. Only Air Swift offers flights to El Nido and you must book early.
After landing at El Nido airport, you just need to walk out where Trike ride will be waiting for you. They would charge you somewhat more than normal, you can try bargaining but chances are less as there is no other ride. Taking a ride in Trike is a nice experience.
I had just 2 days in El Nido before i jumped onto my expedition from El Nido to Coron. So i was able to visit 2 beaches Corong Corong and Nacpan, out of which Nacpan simply stands out, its very beautiful.
Best way to travel between various place in El Nido is to rent a bike, I loved riding on my bike around El Nido
Nacpan beach is a bit isolated and away from main city and you will need a bike or trike ride. Road leading to Nacpan beach from main road is a makeshift path and is very easy to miss. So if you plan to stay at Nacpan then i would say plan to spend time there itself rather than making it a base for hopping around.
Finding Vegetarian food in El Nido is not very straight forward and can be a bit expensive. I found one Indian restaurant as i moved further away from Corong, its called Gandhi’s revenge, I would say food was ok. There was another one as we go from Corong to main market, i forgot the name and its not Indian restaurant but was food.
I stayed in Corong Corong as it was near to the place from where my expedition was going to start, however it is somewhat away from main market and city. Next time i would prefer to stay there.
El Nido will never disappoint you, it is a beautiful place and the hospitality you get is amazing. Its a must visit place when you visit Philippines.