Come with me - to El Nido, Palawan

Located at the very north end of Palawan island (Philippines), El Nido is extremely picturesque place. Until a few years ago, accessing it was an adventure itself, took up to 24 hours from Puerto Princesa, Palawan’s main city, which is just 230 km away. Now this tropical paradise is much easier to reach but still not a piece of cake.

Before planning your trip and choosing your island hopping tours, you’ll need to know how to actually get there! There are few ways. I will show you the most common and the most practical ones.

*1. Flight from Manila to Puerto Princesa

The most common way to get to El Nido, Palawan, is by taking a plane from Manila to Puerto Princesa, and then a van from Puerto Princesa to El Nido. It will take you a day, but it’s the cheapest way. The journey usually starts with a direct van from PPS airport, up to El Nido bus terminal. Your van transfer will be between 4:30 and 6 hours, depending on the time of the day. The price for a seat is around P500 to P700. Your van will stop in Corong-Corong bus terminal. This is located just 5 minutes away from El Nido proper town with a tricycle. You’ll have to ask one of many drivers to take you to your hotel or guesthouse. You should not agree on the first amount they say. The normal price during the day is around P15 per person, at night the prices may get higher like double. This is how this awesome vehicle looks like.

Going with it was an adventure itself :)

*2. Flying from Manila to El Nido

Another good option is to take a direct flight from Manila to El Nido. That way you don’t spend to much of your holiday time in the transportation. It’s also most expensive so may not be useful for budget travelers.

*3. By sea

It is possible to get from Manila to El Nido by boat, but it’s a super long way, basically two days trip. It will take you 24 hours at least, plus a night in Coron. This solution seems to be great for those who are afraid of flying. Nonetheless, the boat may be the best option if you’re going from Coron to El Nido. The trip costs around P1,700 and takes around 8 hours.

Anyway! When you finally get there you will be thrilled!

We went from Cebu and landed in PPS. Then 6 hours drive in a van, really full van. The roads are not super good there, so you are bumping your head all the time! So many wrong turns, so many bumps. Broken and half dead we finally made it to El Nido. First impression - nothing special. Small touristic village in the middle of nowhere. But as soon as I saw the sea, I was enchanted. The place is somehow magical.

To learn more about this amazing place, check out my next post :)