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Below are the incredibly detailed insights from Mai Quoc Viet about the journey to discover El Nido – Coron – Manila during the recent holiday on April 30th, along with Mytour. Let's check it out!
Detailed 6-Day Itinerary for Exploring El Nido – Coron – Easy to Follow
Known as one of the most attractive island tourist destinations with white sandy beaches, emerald waters, and over 7,000 islands, my friends and I decided to return to the Philippines for the 3rd time during the recent holiday on April 30th.
Things to Prepare Before Departure
What ensures the success of a trip is traveling with a harmonious team along with thorough preparation. Our group of 6 can be said to be an excellent team, very compatible in terms of eating, playing, and resting. As for the preparation part, I will list the details as follows:
– Flight Tickets: Cebu Pacific frequently offers cheap tickets from Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City to Manila starting from $135 (3,100,000 VND) round trip. For domestic flights, you can also book with Cebu Pacific or AirAsia for as low as $90 (2,100,000 VND) for the two legs Manila – Puerto Princessa, Coron – Manila. If you want to save travel time, you can take a direct flight from Manila to El Nido with Air Swifts for around 3,100,000 VND/one way (the remaining leg Coron – Manila can be booked with Cebu Pacific for about 1-1,000,000 VND).
– Accommodation: Hotels in El Nido are slightly expensive compared to the value, so if you plan ahead, you should book a room at Spin Designer Hostel (around 500,000 VND/person/night in bunk beds, 1 room for 4 people). This time, our group booked a bit late so we had to stay at another hotel, Vin Del Vincejos Hotel, with private, airy rooms – air conditioning – hot water, priced at nearly 1,000,000 VND/night. However, hotels in Coron are quite affordable, centrally located, clean, and airy, costing only 700,000 VND/night. If you want a resort experience, there are many beautiful resorts in Coron ranging from 1,300,000 – 3,500,000 VND/room/night (since our group went on a day island tour, resort accommodation wasn't essential).
– Carry-on Luggage: In El Nido – Coron, the main activities are beach and island hopping, so you only need about 2 pairs of shorts, t-shirts, and 3-4 bikinis (for women) and swim trunks (for men); hat (cap), sunglasses, swimming goggles, shoes/sandals, personal toiletries.
– Equipment: Phone, underwater camera (highly recommended because the underwater ecosystem on this trip is stunning and diverse, it would be a pity not to capture it), selfie stick for the underwater camera (to bring the camera close to the coral without having to dive down), charger, power bank.
– Map: You can install the Google Maps app for iOS (available on Android), open Google Maps, and zoom in on the areas you need to go (Manila; El Nido; Coron) to download offline maps for use when there is no internet connection.
– Documents: Passport, flight itinerary/boarding pass confirmation (Cebu Pacific allows online check-in 7 days prior and you can print boarding passes for domestic flights without having to check in at the counter), hotel booking confirmation, fast boat ticket voucher from El Nido – Coron.
– Credit Card/Cash: Credit cards are only used for shopping in shopping centers (Mall of Asia) or at airports. It's advisable to exchange cash in Vietnam beforehand or carry USD and exchange it at the airport for an equivalent rate of 460 VND/1 Peso (Peso is the currency of the Philippines). Since flight tickets, train tickets, and hotels were booked online in advance, only about 13,000 Pesos (around 6 million VND) is sufficient for a splendid trip like ours (or if spending moderately, about 9,000 Pesos is enough).
Below is an extremely detailed itinerary to experience the best and most remarkable aspects of the journey exploring El Nido – Coron – Manila.
Departure Day (April 29, 2017)
10:30 PM: Our group of 5 took a 7-seater taxi from Hoan Kiem district to Noi Bai Airport booked through dichungtaxi.com, which was quite cheap, costing only 200,000 VND/vehicle (equivalent to the cost of taking bus No. 86 or the shuttle bus of VNA, VJA). Another friend in the group independently departed from Saigon to Manila, so I won't include that cost.
11:00 PM - 11:30 PM: Completed check-in procedures and immigration to enter the departure lounge until boarding time (even though online check-in was done beforehand, international flights still require going to the counter to print the boarding pass).
1:15 AM - 6:00 AM: Flew to Manila with Cebu Pacific.
6:00 AM - 7:00 AM: Immigration procedures, this time our group arrived when it was crowded with other tourists, so we had to wait in line for immigration which took some time.
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM: Had breakfast at the commercial area on the 4th floor of Naia International Airport. There are plenty of food options here, ranging from fast food to sit-down meals, with prices for breakfast ranging from 150-400 pesos (including drinks).
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Initially, our flight was scheduled for 8:05 AM to Puerto Princesa, but closer to the departure date, Cebu Pacific notified us of a schedule change to 10:15 AM, so we had some free time to shop around. We also invested in matching group t-shirts for only 300 pesos/shirt/person.
10:15 AM - 11:35 AM: Flew from Manila to Puerto Princesa (the capital city of Palawan province).
11:40 AM - 12:00 PM: Upon exiting the airport, there are plenty of shuttle bus offers to El Nido priced at 600 pesos per solo traveler (the same as what you can buy from Cebu Pacific attendants onboard), but you can negotiate down to 500 pesos per person. However, since I've been to El Nido before, I negotiated for a private van (12-seater) at 4,000 pesos for the entire van (with an additional 200 pesos tip for the driver). With 5 people, we had plenty of room to relax and even nap during the journey.
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Depart for El Nido and suggest the driver to stop at a nice restaurant near the city center called KA INATÔ for lunch. The lunch was delicious, costing about 400 pesos per person, including 2 bottles of San Miguel beer per person.
1:00 PM - 5:30 PM: Continue the journey to El Nido. El Nido is about 170km north of Puerto Princesa Airport in Palawan. Along the way, the van will stop at a restaurant called Halfway for a break (located exactly halfway between Puerto and El Nido).
6:00 PM: Check-in at the hotel (located right in the town center, just a 100-200m walk to the beach, night market, restaurants, and the pier). Since we arrived a bit late, we didn't go anywhere immediately. However, if you choose an early flight, you can arrive in El Nido by early afternoon or early evening to explore the town and beaches.
7:30 PM - 10:00 PM: The whole group had dinner at Jarace Grill, located right by the beach (however, this place is a bit overpriced and the seafood wasn't that good, so if you visit El Nido, it's best to avoid this place). While some stayed to order food, I went to book an island tour for the next day. After dinner, everyone gathered at Spin Designer Hostel to listen to music, have some beer, then returned to the room to rest for the full day of activities ahead.
Having been to El Nido before and captivated by its beauty, I still desired to explore more, including Coron Island. Therefore, I negotiated to book a private tour tailored to my preferences, visiting the most beautiful spots from Tours A, B, C, D.
The price for renting a private Tour C for 6 people is 7,500 Pesos (including the environmental fee of 200 Pesos/person, which is mandatory for island tours and only needs to be purchased once regardless of how many tours you take). Note that the agency only sells fixed tours, while adjustments to destinations are negotiated with the boat owner/tour guide on the following day.
7:00 AM: After preparing all swimming and diving gear, everyone had breakfast at the hotel.
8:00 AM: Arrive at the tour agency where the tour was booked (located near the beachfront restaurants) to meet the tour guide and start the journey to explore the tropical paradise.
Following the original itinerary of Tour C, which includes Helicopter Island (resembling a helicopter from a distance with many jellyfish); Hidden Beach (a secluded beach hidden behind a large rock); Star Beach; Secret Beach; Mantiloc Island. However, our group paid an additional 1,000 Pesos to skip 2 less remarkable spots, Helicopter Island + Hidden Beach, and instead visit Cadlao Lagoon (Ubugon Island) from Tour D and Big Lagoon & Small Lagoon from Tour A.
The first stop on the itinerary is Cadlao Lagoon, which resembles a small bay surrounded on three sides by rocky mountains, with emerald green water like a huge swimming pool, not too deep (you can stand).
You can wear snorkeling goggles + breathing tube here. When you first dive into the water to admire the fish and corals, the initial feeling is excitement, with exclamations of awe. But rest assured, your emotions will continue to escalate as you visit the next spots.
The second spot is Secret Beach, a small beach surrounded by rocky cliffs. To enter Secret Beach, you have to swim from the boat to the entrance of the cave. The cave entrance is quite small, with enough space for 2 people, so if it gets crowded, you can dive down 2-3m to pass underneath those who are slowly swimming through to enhance the experience.
Leaving Secret Beach, our group continued to Star Beach, a small but beautiful white sandy beach. The highlight here is the rich coral reef lying close to the shore (depth of 1-2m) within about 30-40m, then it plunges steeply to a depth of about 20-30m like a cliff edge. Looking down from above, you can see the water color change dramatically from emerald green to deep purple.
There are plenty of corals and fish swimming around below, making the experience infinitely more beautiful than the first spot, Cadlao Lagoon. Our group snorkeled here for an hour without getting bored.
Lunchtime arrived, and the boat docked at Talisay Beach for lunch. Lunch included grilled fish, grilled chicken, grilled meat, steamed octopus, and fruits prepared directly on the boat while everyone was snorkeling. Lunch was included in the private tour price, and we only had to buy some extra beer to enjoy on the boat.
The sea at Talisay Beach is quite beautiful with various shades of blue. After lunch, we boarded the boat, swaying gently, and took some amazing photos with this sea.
Next up is Mantiloc Island. Here, there's a dock for boats to anchor, a small church, and a viewpoint on the cliff where you can observe the entire Mantiloc Island (the fee to go ashore is 100 Peso/person). However, since I've set foot here on my previous El Nido trip and only have the desire to snorkel and admire corals and fish, our whole group went straight into the water.
The coral reef terrain near Mantiloc is similar to Star Beach but with many large schools of fish swimming around amidst beautiful corals located at the edge of the steep rock. You have to dive down about 5-6m to truly appreciate the beauty.
After finishing snorkeling, the whole group boarded the boat back to Big Lagoon. Big Lagoon is like a huge saltwater lake, surrounded on all sides by rocky mountains and accessed through a wide channel about 30m wide. At low tide, the water level is only about 40-50cm high, and you can wade through it, but when the water rises, it can be up to 1-1.5m deep. The most exciting activity here is kayaking. With our group of 6 people, we rented 03 kayaks (300 Peso/kayak).
Inside Big Lagoon, there's a fairly wide shallow water area with characteristic emerald green color. Standing on a nearby rocky outcrop, you can take beautiful panoramic photos of this area, resembling a paradise.
Not far away is Small Lagoon, also surrounded by rocky mountains but with only a very narrow entrance. You can only swim or kayak through a small cave where only 02 kayaks can pass at a time. Inside the lagoon, the water is clear and not too deep (about 2m), resembling a huge swimming pool. The kayak rental price is similar to Big Lagoon (you can skip this spot if you've already experienced enough at Big Lagoon).
At the end of the tour, our group returned to the pier around 4:00 PM. To maximize the El Nido experience, as soon as we disembarked, the entire group immediately rented a tricycle (a type of three-wheeled vehicle for passengers in the Philippines) with a one-way fare of 100 Peso/vehicle/3 passengers to Las Cabanas Beach (a sunset beach, about 5-6km from El Nido town). Here, you can sunbathe on the long sandy beach, swim in the sea, sit and enjoy a beer while watching the sunset, or do ziplining.
18h00-19h00: Return to the hotel, freshen up, and rest to get ready for dinner.
19H00: The whole group takes a stroll around the night market, also buying a 4G SIM card (as we've been busy touring for the past 2 days and haven't had time to purchase one). The largest network provider in the Philippines is Globe. Last year, I bought a 3G SIM card at the airport for 300 Peso, which included 1.5GB of free internet for 7 days, but the telecommunications infrastructure in El Nido was quite poor at that time, so it was almost unusable. This year, the network has improved with 4G LTE. I bought a 4G SIM card from a convenience store in El Nido for 60 Peso and added 50 Peso for a tourist package with 1GB of free internet for 3 days (total cost 110 Peso). Although not as fast as 4G in Vietnam, the speed is acceptable.
This time, I planned to return to Art Café for dinner because they serve delicious food at reasonable prices (unlike Jarace Grill from the previous day). However, when we arrived, the place was too crowded and there were no available tables, so our group wandered around and found a new, beautiful café with delicious food called Café ATHENA.
We ordered 7-8 dishes and each person added 02 bottles of beer, costing about 600 Peso per person.
After dinner, everyone went back to rest early after a fun-filled day, as well as to prepare for an early start the next day to catch the fast craft to Coron Island.
Day 3 (02/5/2017)
5h00-5h30: Rise early, pack up, check out of the hotel, and head to the port (a 10-minute walk from the hotel).
5h30-6h00: Complete the check-in procedure at the port and pay the terminal fee (20 Peso per person). From El Nido to Coron (about 150km by sea), there are only 2 options: taking the fast craft by Montenegro Lines, which takes about 4 hours, or taking the regular boat, which takes 8 hours. Due to the fear of tickets being sold out (as there is only one fast craft departure at 6 am each day), I booked tickets online through the website https://biyaheroes.com/ and paid via Paypal. The cost was 1,760 Peso per person + 10% online booking fee + 5% Paypal fee, totaling around 970,000 VND per person (including currency conversion fees). We received the vouchers via email and simply presented them at the port for ticket collection and check-in. You can also purchase tickets directly at the port, at agencies in the market area, or even at your hotel for the same price of 1,760 Peso per person without additional online fees like our group incurred.
6h20-10h30: Due to a large number of passengers, the check-in process took a bit longer, and the boat departed slightly behind schedule. Montenegro's boat is spacious, resembling Vietnam's hydrofoils, and it sails smoothly like an airplane, so there's no need to worry about seasickness. You can also take advantage of this time to catch up on some sleep after the early wake-up.
10h30-11h00: Arrive at Busuanga port (the main island in Coron). We hired tricycles to return to the hotel, costing 100 Peso per tricycle for 3 people. The hotel is situated on a hill, centrally located in the town, making it convenient for transportation.
11h00-13h00: To make the most of our time, we went for lunch right away. The restaurant, named Blue Moon, is located on the main street of the town, just a 5-minute walk from the hotel.
The food is delicious and includes curry chicken, beef steak, fried potato-coated meat, beef stew, assorted stir-fried vegetables, and San Miguel beer, all reasonably priced at around 500 Peso per person.
While waiting for our order, I took the chance to explore and immediately booked an afternoon tour. As we arrived in Coron close to noon, all the available island tours (which depart in the morning) were fully booked, leaving only the city tour option (visiting the town, churches, Tapyas Mountain summit for a panoramic view of Coron, Maquinit Hot Spring, shopping center, etc.). Since our group's main desire was to explore the island beaches, I arranged a private tour to suit our preferences. In Coron, tour costs are itemized rather than packaged like in El Nido and are slightly more expensive.
Among the island tours, tours A and B are considered the most beautiful. If time is limited, the Coron Ultimate tour is recommended. This tour combines the best spots from tours A & B at a price of 1,500 Peso per person. For solo travelers joining group tours, the price is 750 Peso per person for tour A and 950 Peso per person for tour B (including lunch, island entrance fees, life jackets, tour guide; snorkeling gear (mask + snorkel) is not included and costs 150 Peso per person). Joining group tours is very cost-effective for individuals.
However, our group still prefers privacy, so we opted for a private boat. Whether for half a day or a full day, the price is fixed at 3,500 Peso per boat (including a tour guide fee of 500 Peso, excluding lunch). The entrance fees for each destination (island fees) range from 100-300 Peso per person (if you stay on the boat and do not intend to go into the water, you will not be charged). Snorkeling gear (mask + snorkel) costs 150 Peso per person.
I saved the best spots (Coron Ultimate) for the following day for a complete experience. Therefore, this afternoon, our group will visit the remaining attractions from Tours A+B that are not included in the Coron Ultimate tour.
13:30: After lunch and some rest, our group gathers at the tour agency to meet the tour guide and arrange for a tricycle (a large one capable of carrying 6 people) to take us to the pier, costing 10 Peso per person.
The first stop on our half-day itinerary is Baracuda Lake, a brackish water lake surrounded by limestone cliffs located on Coron Island (entrance fee is 200 Peso per person). Upon arrival, you have to climb wooden stairs over large rocks to access the water inside the lake.
You can swim in this lake, and it's mandatory to wear a life jacket when entering the water.
When I dived down, I saw the lake resembling a very large well with no visible bottom, and the underwater rock walls extended straight down to the deep floor.
Next stop is Green Lagoon, a small pool surrounded by cliffs on two sides, with relatively shallow and clear water resembling a large swimming pool (entrance fee for this spot is 100 Peso per person). Having visited many beautiful lagoons in El Nido, after a brief photo session, our group decided not to swim here anymore and moved on to the next spot.
Quin Reef is where we stopped to dive and admire the corals, with an entrance fee of 150 Peso per person.
There are quite a lot of beautiful corals here in various colors like yellow, green, and more.
And especially, we found the Nemo fish here.
The final destination in our journey is Atwayan Beach (also known as Sunset Beach). This beach is surrounded by crescent-shaped cliffs, resembling a small bay. When the tide rises, the water almost covers the white sandy shore. There are many leaf huts here, perfect for sitting and enjoying the sunset while having a drink.
If only there were seafood BBQ here, it would be amazing, but unfortunately, the island only sells beer and peanuts for drinking. So after resting, we paddled the boat back to the shore as sunset approached.
In the evening, we went to dine at a BBQ restaurant near the boat pier called Island Coron Bay Grill.
The restaurant was quite crowded, with live music, delicious and affordable food including grilled squid, grilled meat, grilled intestines, tuna in sauce, grilled chicken wings, chicken curry, San Miguel beer, etc. The whole group ate and drank to their heart's content, spending only about 600 Peso per person. After dinner, we booked a private tour for the next day and then went back to rest to recharge for the exciting day ahead.
Day 4 (05/03/2017)
7:00-8:00: Everyone had breakfast together at the hotel's rooftop restaurant for a reasonable price of 100 Peso per meal, with options like egg sandwiches, smoked meat, or beef with rice accompanied by tea or coffee.
8:00-8:30: Arrive at the tour agency to meet the tour guide, everyone is taken to the market by tricycle to buy groceries, beer/drinks for lunch (lunch is not included in the tour price but will be prepared and cooked by the boat crew for free). The cost for this lunch is quite cheap, only about 200 Peso per person. The first destination is Siete Pecados, a beautiful snorkeling spot.
Here, there are many colorful fish swimming among various types of purple corals, leafy corals, and more. The fee for this spot is 100 Peso per person.
Next, the boat moves to the most famous spot in Coron, Kayangan Lake (entrance fee is 300 Peso per person). This is a fairly large lake, and you have to hike quite a distance to reach it. However, in my opinion, the most beautiful part is not inside the lake but the boat docking area outside. This docking area has wooden bridges along the cliff, with one side being the emerald green water and the other side being leaf huts and green and red foliage climbing on the mountain wall.
That's why, when climbing up the stairs past the cliff to cross to the other side of the lake, there's a spot called Kayangan View Point to overlook the boat docking area. Since it's quite crowded here, you have to wait in line for about 30 minutes to climb up to the viewpoint for photos. The view from here is breathtaking if not obstructed by a few tall trees.
Across the stairs is Kayangan Lake, crowded with tourists, so you might consider jumping into the lake to swim or not. And one thing is mandatory, if you go swimming, you must wear a life jacket (unlike in the sea).
Leaving the bustling Kayangan Lake, the boat continues to Twin Peak Reef for snorkeling (fee here is 150 Peso per person). It's around noon, the sun is shining, so observing fish and corals will be beautiful. Perhaps because this spot is not included in Tour A or B, there are few boats here except for private ones like ours. They call this place Twin Peak because it has 2 small rocky peaks emerging from the sea. From the edge of the rocky peaks to about 30m away is a fairly shallow and comfortable coral reef area, only about 1.5-2m deep before it drops steeply to depths of 20-30m. I rate this as one of the most beautiful snorkeling spots in Coron that I've been to.
Dock at Twin Peak and enjoy the self-prepared lunch from the market. We playfully teased the eager fish with just a little rice or watermelon rind, and they swarmed near the surface.
The boat continues to Twin Lagoon (entrance fee is 200 Peso per person). Similar to other lagoons, it's surrounded by limestone cliffs, but what makes Twin Lagoon special is that there are two beautiful lagoons connected by an underwater cave passage. To cross to the other side, you can either swim through the 5m-long underwater cave (not recommended for non-divers) or climb up the wooden stairs.
The boat docks for exploration, but can only anchor at one of the two lagoons. Visitors will have to swim about 300-400m to reach the entrance of the lagoon on the other side.
After indulging in swimming hundreds of meters in the lagoon, the boat takes us to Skeleton Wreck (entrance fee 100 Peso per person). In Coron, there are eight Japanese shipwrecks from World War II, and this is one of them. Since it lies at a depth of 8-15m, tourists can observe it by snorkeling without the need for scuba diving like the other seven wrecks.
Those who can swim and dive without scuba gear can try diving to 6-8m to get a clearer view of the wreck (not recommended for non-swimmers, they should just hold onto a life jacket for safety).
Here, besides the wreck, there are plenty of yellow and white striped fish swimming around tourists without any hesitation.
The final destination of our journey is CYC Beach, a very small beach located on an extremely tiny island. There are a few small trees on the beach for shade. This beach is free to visit, and in my personal opinion, it's optional as it's not very impressive.
After returning to the shore, once everyone is cleaned up, our group still has time to go up to the hotel rooftop to admire the sunset over Coron Bay before dinner. The advantage of the hotel being on a hill is the beautiful view it offers.
From 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, our group found a restaurant called La Sirenella Bar & Restaurant right by the sea near the pier.
The food here is delicious, with tantalizing sour and spicy flavors (some dishes taste like Thai food). Even with a satisfying meal, it only costs about 600 Peso per person.
After dining, you can stroll through the night market or visit souvenir shops along the way back to the hotel before going to bed if you'd like.
Day 5 (04/5/2017)
From 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM: Have breakfast and coffee at the hotel as usual. You can rent a tricycle to visit some spots in the city tour like soaking in the Maquinit Hot Spring (located 3km from the town center); hiking to the top of Tapyas Mountain (near the hotel, about 800m hike); and shopping in the town.
For us, after several days of diving, we decided to change pace and hike up Tapyas Mountain to enjoy the panoramic view of Busuanga town and Coron Island before doing some shopping before saying goodbye to Coron.
From 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM: Check out of the hotel. Prior to that, we asked the hotel to arrange a shuttle bus (12-seater) to the airport for 150 Peso per person.
From 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM: Have lunch outside the airport, ordering various dishes from the restaurant, totaling 180 Peso per person (including beer).
Since we had checked in online and printed our boarding passes from Vietnam, we only had to pay the airport fee (terminal fee) of 100 Peso per person. Our flight from Coron to Manila was scheduled for 1:45 PM but was delayed until 3:00 PM, arriving in Manila at 4:00 PM.
Arriving in Manila a bit late, we only managed to go to the Mall of Asia. You can enjoy shopping here with many famous fashion brands. Taxis at Manila airport often overcharge, so it's better to use Grab for cheaper rides using the same app as in Vietnam. I paid only 132 Peso for a 4-5km ride from the airport to the Mall (for 3 people). At the Mall, you can leave your luggage at the Package Service counter on the 1st floor, backside of the Mall (you can ask the security guard for directions), to shop conveniently.
After finishing our shopping spree, we decided to have dinner right here. There are plenty of beautiful restaurants to choose from.
We opted for Mann Hann because it looked nice and the food and drinks were delicious, with reasonable prices.
After dinner, at 7:00 PM, we hailed a Grab car to take us to Naia International Airport (since we took the elevated skyway, we had to pay an extra fee of 45 pesos, totaling 205 pesos for this leg to the airport). Our flight back to Hanoi was at 10:15 PM, so we had 3 hours to both check-in and shop at the airport before departure.
At 1:30 AM on May 5, 2017, we arrived back in Hanoi and cleared immigration. The trip was a success beyond our expectations.
If on the last day you don't want to go on a city tour in Coron, it's best to choose an early morning flight back to Manila. This way, you'll have spare time to explore the Spanish colonial old town in Manila dating back to the 16th-17th century.
You can rent a tribicycle (a bicycle-driven vehicle with a built-in tour guide) for around 500 pesos per person. You'll be taken on a 3-hour tour around the old town.
In the remaining afternoon before flying back to Vietnam, you can go to Mall of Asia as mentioned earlier.
By Mai Quoc Viet
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourMay 17, 2017
