El Nido Thread 3

[hisana]

Mga sis, how about nido bay inn or casa buenavista? Any feedback? We crossed marina and all calaan accommodations off our list (takot kasi yung isang kasama namin dumaan sa cemetery at night) kaya hanap na naman ako ng other choices, maybe somewhere sa town proper/beachfront near that area na lang.

[bebeloo]

MARCH 15-18, 2013

DAY 1
- Delayed boarding but exact arrival c/o PAL Express.  Free Breadstix, Happy Peanuts and Coffee/Water during the flight.
- Were fetched at the airport by Ate Malou (La Tiara Tours-thank you big time Sis tiara!)
- Side trip at Ugong Rock. Some friends did the Caving/Spelunking and Zip Line. Looks like they had fun.
- Buffet Lunch at the wharf (included in the package). Food is not bad.
- Proceeeded with UGR tour. Php 40 environmental fee is not included in the UGR package rate of Php 1300/pax.
- Had Kuya Randy as our tour guide inside the cave. Very funny!!! Made our UGR experience worth it
- Was supposed to eliminate UGR in our itinerary but did not regret including this one
- Dinner at Ka Lui. Very good ambiance. Good Food! Super Duper love the Fish in Coco Cream. Got the Kalui Special of the Day with free fruit bowl sprinkled with muscovado sugar
- stayed at Big Brother Condotel along Rizal Ave. (not the one in Manalo St.). only Php 1200 per night for Studio 88  good  for 4 persons. One of the best deals ever. Very spacious room, with 2 double beds, LCD TV, Microwave, Electric Stove, Ref, Hot and Cold Shower. Airconditioned. Nearest room to the front desk. They provide towels (but a bit unclean). Good for youngsters as you need to take the stairs all the way to the 3rd floor. No breakfast included but beside Chowking and across Jollibee. Very sulit for Php 300 each.
 
DAY 2
- Took van to El Nido c/o Lexus Shuttle Service (Php 500/way) -- thanks again sis tiara! Schedule was 7AM but was a delayed because driver thought we were staying at the one in Manalo. Bad for him, not reading the text message properly. Were fetched before 8AM. Almost 6 hours travel time since we had lots of stopovers. Some were pick ups, checkpoints, restroom and lunch breaks, others are unecessary
- Trike from El Nido Terminal to Town is Php 20 each. Reached El Nido town proper at almost 2PM.
- Checked in at Northern Hope Inn. Got the room good for 4 pax at Php 1400/night w/o breakfast. Ate Neriza was very attentive through text messages but never had the chance to meet her. It was Ate Eva who's in charge at the front desk. Not recommended choice of stay. Newly built but our room was already infested with roaches and rats. Room was also not sound-proof. You can't even make a noise because surely that people in the other room will hear you very CLEAR. We even got our room at 5pm already since previous occupants weren't finished with their island tour thus, still not able to check out. Electricity in El Nido runs from 6pm to 2am only (except luxury resorts I believe).
- Lunch at IBR Fast Food. Enjoyed my Tocilog at 75 pesos but my friends did not enjoyed theirs - tapsilog and burger steak.
- Chilled at The Nest of The Alternative Restaurant. Got the Apple Orange Shake w/o milk. Good choice of combination. Very refreshing for a very hot day
- Roundtrip tricycle ride to Marimegmeg Beach in Las Cabanas was Php 300 good for the 4 of us already. Nice beach and sunset. But based on pictures, I think sunset at Corong-Corong is even more lovely, only downside is that you cannot swim (correct me if I am wrong here).
- Dinner at Ogs Restaurant. Was supposed to dine at Sea Slugs but were informed that food will be served after an hour. Thanks but no thanks. Indeed, they are really known for Poor Service. Ogs Restaurant was just beside Sea Slugs, beachfront as well. Good food but nothing spectacular. They serve pitcher of Iced Tea.
 
DAY 3
- Combination Tour A&C c/o Kuya Jon-Jon and his 16 year-old son, Jevin. We had the both solely for Php 3000 only. That's Php 750 per person for the 4 of us! Free lunch, snorkeling mask, and fins. HALF OFF for the standard price of Combination Tour A & C which is Php 1500 per person. And wait, did I say that the standard price is for joining tours? And we had the boat all by ourselves, we owned our time.
 
For your future El Nido Island Tours, contact Jon-Jon Martinito: 09095965358
 
He used a big boat good for 12 pax. Kamusta naman, 4 lang kami. hehe Sarap din niya magluto ng lunch. Parang hindi mga babae ang kumain.
 
Since private ang tour niyo, pwede niyo siya sabihan ng mga gusto niyong puntahan pang iba na hindi kasama sa tour. He can bring you daw sa island with turtles and baby sharks. Meron din daw sa may bandang open sea na sobrang ganda ng underwater.
 
Let's help him build his dreams for his son and their future booking office. Sobrang nainspire at na teary-eyed talaga ako sa mag-amang 'to.
 
Combination Tour A & C:
 
Helicopter Island
Hidden Beach
Secret Beach
Secret Lagoon -- we had our lunch here
Matinloc Shrine
Shimizu Island
Big Lagoon
Small Lagoon
7 Commandos
 
First time makakita ng turtle na nagsswimming sa ibabaw ng dagat. Very unforgettable. Kung hindi kami nagtatagal sa bawat island, we could have gone to more places pa.

- El Nido Tourism Development Fee is Php 200 each good for 10 days of stay.
- Dinner at Ricsons Restaurant. Others could be more worthy than this one.
- Bought El Niso Ref Magnet at Php 55. Very expensive. I suggest to buy souvenirs in PP. They even have El Nido magnets there.
- Big Bottle of mineral water at their local pharmacy costs Php 30

DAY 4
- Van schedule was 5 am (c/o Lexus - Php 500 each). Kuya Jon-Jon helped us to get a trike to the terminal (Php 20 each). Van left 30 mins late. Had several unecessary stopovers but allowed us to  be dropped at the Adventist Hospital (because accdg to the driver, we were booked through an agency - thanks sis tiara! )where we took a tricycle to Baker's Hill (Php 80). Bought pasalubong like hopiang ube (Php 45), Chocolate Crinkles (Php 45), Barquinitos (Php 35)
- Lunch at Bona's Chaolong Haus. Got the Buto-Buto in Beef Stew Soup Special (Php 60) and French Bread with Longganisa (Php 30) and mineral water (Php 15)
- Proceed with Tiangge Tiangge. Tip: Non-aircon stall sell more expensive pasalubongs. Don't be fooled. Mas mura yung nasa loob na airconditioned Got a Puerto Princesa Ref Magnet for only Php 10. Anklets at Php 10 each as well.
- Beware of tricycle drivers overcharging passengers going to airport. Sabi ko nga, sa Crossing Bridges lang kami, pinipilit niyang pumasok kami sa loob ng airport. Napahinto ko siya sa labas lang pero sinisingil na kami ng 60 pesos.
- Chilled while waiting for our flight at Crossing Bridges Restaurant just beside the airport. Got the Frosted Hazelnut Frappe at Php 135. So refreshing and the place is relaxing amidst the busy street of Rizal Ave. They also serve sandwiches and pastas. Really worth a try.
- Terminal Fee is Php 40 each. Flight was delayed by 40 mins.

Essentials: Sunblock, Underwater Cam, and Aqua Shoes

Thanks to Sis Tiara (Charisse) of La Tiara Tours, di man tayo nabigyan ng chance magkita, sana alam mo how grateful we are for having you as our guide. In service pa rin kahit sa text lang. Hindi ka pababayaan kahit tapos na ang transaction niyo. Saludo ako sayo. Maraming salamat!

Ngayon if I were to be asked kung ano mas maganda, Coron or El Nido. Well, if underwater ang usapan, I will definitely give it to Coron. But the rest, I must say, El Nido is the best. Romantic place. Perfect for honeymoon. Better save this for last kasi baka madisappoint na kayo sa iba (just my five cents)

[shegothim]

tama laging nagstop-over ang mga van dito. sabi nga ng foreigner na kasabay namin noon. ang hilig daw kumain ng mga pinoy, kada stop daw kakain.

[hanson15]

sis bebeloo kasama na ba lunch dun sa 3k? Or kayo nagdala ng food tapos siya nagluto?

[bigdadis_girl]

very helpful detailed post sis bebeloo,  ayan madami na idea kung saan pwede magpa book ng tour. 

saan nyo mas recommended mag stay na area?  gusto ko sana sa the alternative inn? ok ba doon?  gusto namin yung beach front sana with balcony, yung hindi masyado maingay pero malapit sa kainan at bilihan ng mga immediate needs.  may ganon ba?

[bebeloo]

sis bebeloo kasama na ba lunch dun sa 3k? Or kayo nagdala ng food tapos siya nagluto?

sis kasama na doon sa 3k yung food, snorkeling mask. may fins pa nga si kuya eh. di lang namin nagamit dahil must talaga yung aqua shoes, tinamad na akong magtanggal. hehe

very helpful detailed post sis bebeloo,  ayan madami na idea kung saan pwede magpa book ng tour. 

saan nyo mas recommended mag stay na area?  gusto ko sana sa the alternative inn? ok ba doon?  gusto namin yung beach front sana with balcony, yung hindi masyado maingay pero malapit sa kainan at bilihan ng mga immediate needs.  may ganon ba?

magbeachfront ka na lang sis. parang ang sarap gumising na ang bungad sayo eh ang kagandahan ng bacuit bay

[majika7777]

Maganda sa El Nido Kahit nangitim kami eh enjoy parin! hehe 2days Puerto Prinsesa at 2 days El Nido super fun. Dami namin nagawa, city tour, UG Tour, Ugong Rock, Sabang X Zipline (ganda ng view kasi dagat ang ilalim). Tapos Combi A&C tour sa El Nido. P500 lang din pala binayaran namin per pax para sa van from PPS-El Nido vice versa, presyong foreigner yung P700. Maganda sa Marina Garden Inn, super neat at nice ng room, good location kasi nasa centro ng lahat. . tagal ng pagkain sa Sea Slugs halos 45 min bago naiserve ang dinner namin hehe. Overall, maganda talaga ang Palawan. Thanks to Sis Tiara for booking our UG Tour, Ms Malou assisted us para sa Sabang X Zipline, at Ate Neriza sa El Nido Island Hopping. Mababait lahat sila! The rest DIY na kami

[ayionick]

Nasa PPC na uli kame after 4 nights stay sa El Nido. We stayed at Rovic's Pensionne House. Wala naman kame naging problema except sa maingay na staffs na chismisan ng chismisan sa corridors at mejo dinig yung band sa Ric Son's sa room pero dahil sa pagod siguro kaya di kame affected sa mga ganung ingay. May free hot water sila para sa kape, pwede din humingi ng mineral water pero minimal lang. Wala din sila pakialam kung tumambay kame sa resto area o beach beds nila. Hindi actual na beachfront ang rooms nila, lalabas ka muna ng room tapos 3 steps nasa resto fronting the beach ka na. Meron din sila tours pero naka-book na kame sa Ric Son's c/o sis tiara.

Ok yung tours C & A (2 days) namin from Ric Son's. Gusto pa sana namin mag tour B pero pagod na katawan namin. Nanghihinayang naman kame sa inland tour worth P1,800 per motorcycle. Una kasi akala ko tryke, yun pala motor lang ang gamit. So we felt it'll be uncomfortable tapos ganun kamahal at wala pang lunch. Speaking of lunch, walang tubig na kasama sa tour lunch! Ang big bottle of mineral water is worth P60, naubos namin yung binili namin sa PPC kaya napabili pa kame sa El Nido. Masarap yung lunch during tours pero walang hinaing shrimp o crab, panay pusit at fish lang unlike sa ibang tour agencies. Siguro dahil group tour kame at yung sa iba private. Bring additional food din kasi nakakapagod yung tours tapos lunch lang ang kasama. Some agencies din already include free snorkle mask, fins/aqua shoes, make sure to ask this kasi P100 din masesave dun. Kame may dala lagi e. Yung food sa El Nido may mura at may mahal, lagi kame sa IBR kasi mura pero ok naman ang lasa. We also tried Altrov'e pizza and pasta pero di kame satisfied at wala daw silang service water! So nagkasya na lang kame sa isang basong juice. Ok din food sa Sea Slugs (lunch kaya mabilis ang service) at The Alternative (twice kame dito at pinagbigyan ako sa breakfast menu kahit hapon na, plus points yun!). Nagpaluto din kame sa ihawan pero di ko din nagustuhan. May salad dapat kame pero di kame binigyan, while the other table na mas madami order binigyan agad sila. So di talaga depende sa presyo ng food ang good service, kaya bumabalik na lang kame sa ok ang food at service regardless of the price. For breakfast bumibili lang kame ng tinapay sa bakery tapos kumakain kame sa beachfront ng rovic's habang naka-wifi. Ok din pala ang rooms sa The Alternative, be cautious lang sa pagbook kasi may bad review na sa pagpapareserve sa kanila. Ok din sa Casa Buenavista, Casa El Nido, Lally and Abet,  Rosanna's Cottages, Marina Garden.

[matetreyes]

hala bakit walang water sa tour? kami naman nun meron. may softdrinks pa nga! kaloka, hindi ako mabubuhay ng walang water.

[ayionick]

^nagulat din kame sis. Tinanong pa ni hubby sa tour guide kung asan yung tubig. Wala daw! Then someone from another boat offerred their water na nasa malaking jug. Sabi ni hubby observe namin kung next day ganun pa din kasi baka sa pagmamadaling makaalis that morning e naiwan yung tubig. Pero talagang wala pala!

Baka yung may tubig yung private tours. Pag group tours siguro wala talaga kasama. Napansin din namin pag big group o private tours hindi lang squid at fish ang food nila, meron silang crabs. Ok naman yung tour guide at actual tours, sa amenities lang sila nagkulang. Pati mask at fins/aqua shoes may bayad sa kanila e. Sa iba nung nagtanong kame free na daw.

[electricpink17]

kame din walang tubig na kasama sa lunch. buti nalang may dala kami ni hubby ng isang boteng tubig kaya hayun hindi naman kami nabilaukan.   sinabihan ko iyong taong kinuhaan ko ng tour na wala ngang kasamang tubig. sabi niya hindi daw talaga kasama iyon. kaya pala before the tour, sinabihan niya kami na wag kalimutan ang tubig, e hindi naman niya sinabing para may mainom kami pagkakain ng lunch. akala ko naman pang extra lang.

[ayionick]

^kame wala talaga kaalam-alam na wala palang tubig. Saka sa ibang boat meron sila kaya we assumed na meron dapat.

[matetreyes]

ahh baka nga kapag private yung may tubig. pag group baka hindi nga kasama. pero ang weird pa din!

[gorgeousmama]

parang napansin ko nga yan na pg privte tour me tubig with ice pa sila

nung nasa EL nido kami yung boat nga na private tour kasi family na mostly e balikbayans yata
meron pa sialng private cr dun sa boat,,, i think sa marina nila kinuha yung tour

katabi namin yung room nila sa marina, di ko lang na interview at that time,,
pero yun nga me jug sial with ice, then parang sa tour din okey,

pgbalik ko ng el nido baka sa marina pa din ako mg stay at dun na lang kumuha ng private tour kahit medyo pricey 

[littlemissbiyotch]

I'll be in El Nido this weekend! Excited na! Di na ako makatulog! hehe =) 

[yang.yang]

Hi mga sis, any idea kung magkano ang rates ng Lagen & Apulit resort? tia

[matetreyes]

might be in Pangulasian in May. crossfingers!

[yang.yang]

Hi mga sis, san ba ako pwedeng makahanap ng mga tour packages? 2days in Puerto and 2days in El Nido ang plan namin ni hubby next month and pareho kaming first timer sa Palawan.

[bleudskymd]

^ Contact Ms Neriza from Northern Hope tours (0939-9022216). If fully booked na siya, you can look for other tours sa town proper mismo; marami dun.

Hubby & I just had our 8-days honeymoon in El Nido-Port Barton, Palawan. Grabe ang saya! Downside: mahal ang pagkain. Almost naubos budget namin.

8 April 2013- arrived at Puerto Princesa City via PAL Express at quarter to 8am. Thankfully, on-time ang flight namin. Then we rode a tricycle to San Jose Terminal for the Roro bus to El Nido. We departed 10 am, lunch break at Roxas then arrived at El Nido around 4pm. My areas na hindi cemented yung road. My advice: take the night trip. Last bus leaves 10pm at PPC, arrives 4am in El Nido. Wala naman masyadong sights sa makikita; less stops. We stayed at OG's hotel (beachfront).

9 April 2013 - Tour A El Nido - 7 Commandos Beach, Big Lagoon, Shimizu Beach (lunch break), Secret Beach, Small Lagoon.
It was a cloudy day, so I enjoyed my swim and snorkeling more. Still applied sunblock though.

10 April 2013 - Tour B El Nido - Pangulasian Island, Snake Island plus sand bar (too bad high tide nun kaya hindi gaano nakita sa pictures namin yung sand bar; we also had our lunch here), Cudognon Cave, Cathedral Cave (sightseeing lang), Pinagbuyutan Island. There is 1 place (which we went to near Cathedral Cave) where we had snorkeling; kaso hindi ko nakuha yung name. Sunnier skies compared to the previous day.

11 April 2013 - Tour C El Nido - Hidden Beach, Culasa Beach (lunch break), Secret Beach, Matinloc Shrine & viewdeck, Helicopter Island.
4 lang kami sa tour na ito, and we're all pinoys. Kaya hindi nahirapan sa amin iyung tour guide namin. On our way back, we received free buko. Yung guide namin mismo ang nagbiyak para sa juice and sa laman. Sa previous tours wala kami nakuhang free buko.

* In all tours, we were given mineral water. I heard sa ibang tours wala complementary water.

12 April 2013 - Taraw Cliff Climbing - my first rock climbing. I have no experience whatsoever plus wala ko exercise. Unfortunately, I sustained bruises, hematomas after I slipped on a rock near the summit. Mas nahirapan ako sa descent than sa ascent. I spent almost 6 hours there. We were accompanied by a local.
- Nacpan Beach - husband rented a motorcycle and we travelled 1 hour from El Nido. My foreigners (on motorcycles) kami na nakakasalubong and they were all smiling. I assume they all came from Nacpan beach and they all enjoyed it. The bumpy ride was worth it! This is our favorite beach. I say this is El Nido's Boracay. No cottages, kakaunti lang ang tao, no boats around, and pwede mag-set-up ng tent dun. Malalaki yung waves. We both want to go back there. We saw the sun set and it was truly amazing! We got back at El Nido around 7:30 pm. FYI: a group of local tourists rented a tricycle; I heard P1500 yung rent (please correct me if I'm wrong). 
We were supposed to go to Ille Cave but did not push through kasi malayo iyung lugar.

All in all (from the 3 tours plus guide fee sa Taraw Cliff plus motorcycle rent), we paid P5K. At our own-expense yung gasoline ng motorcycle. 

What we missed: Las Cabanas Beach - to view the sunset sana; time constraints.


13 April 2013 - travel to Port Barton, San Vicente, Palawan - we took the Roro bus back to Puerto Princesa, but we alighted at Roxas. Then rode a jeepney to Port Barton. The jeep leaves at around 11am, once a day lang ang biyahe & malubak yung daan. We arrived at Port Barton around 2pm. Mas tahimik than El Nido, less tourists, hindi ganun kaalon yung beach compared sa El Nido. We stayed at El Dorado (beach front din). We were supposed to see a waterfalls (forgot the name) but we did not do it because I was experiencing muscle strains from rock climbing the day before.

14 April 2013 - island hopping - Aquarium Reef, Sanctuary Reef, German Island, Double Island plus Sand bar. I forgot the beach where we had our lunch and may isa pang sand bar kaming pinuntahan, which is closer to the town proper. Cloudy skies and it rained late afternoon. Kami lang 2 sa boat.
Port Barton tours also have their own "Tour A, B & C" but due to time constraints, naging combination tours kami.

FYI: 4 hours lang may kuryente sa Port Barton - 6 pm to 12 mn. Sa El Nido, mas matagal na may kuryente, from 2pm (or is it 3pm?) to 6 am (the ffing day).

15 April 2013 - back to Puerto Princesa via van. Sa Puerto Princesa, we just bought souvenir (personalised) shirts. In the evening, we flew back home via PAL Express.

[riandrew]

kay ate Neriza din ako kumuha ng tour!
pwede humingi ng discount. hehe

astig ng Taraw Cliff Climbing mo!