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Setting foot in the Philippines calls for a must-visit to the paradise island of El Nido. Here's a comprehensive guide from A to Z for a comfortable and seamless solo travel experience!
Pre-trip Notes
What to prepare?
- Bring USD and be aware of the exchange rates at the airport and in the city
- For your phone, bring a flat charger, as round ones are a bit rare
- Print all your flight tickets as hard copies (airports always ask for them)
Getting to El Nido
- Hanoi - Manila: approximately 2300k for a round trip, depending on the booking time
- Manila - Palawan: for the journey to El Nido (you can also add Coron), about 1400k round trip like domestic flights in our country
- From Palawan airport (PPS), head straight to El Nido in a 9-12 seater, cool and air-conditioned, taking about 5-6 hours depending on the driver (book early, as you'll see the vehicle as soon as you exit the airport - very convenient, and Klook staff warmly welcomes you. The car will be returned at the bus station (not at the hotel), and in the evening, it will also be picked up at the bus station to return
- In addition, in El Nido, there is El Nido Lio Airport - 6km from the center (extremely convenient for travel, saving time and energy, but slightly more expensive, about 3-5 million round trip for the Manila-El Nido route)
What to Eat in El Nido?
Seafood is everywhere - fresh, fragrant, and delicious!
- Art Cafe: near the beach, beautiful space, gentle, scenic. The menu includes Western dishes, seafood, and delicious Apple beer (~300-350k/person)
- SeaJane Restro Bar: fresh live seafood, choose whatever you like, steamed dishes are all available (~300-350k/person)
- Mang Gary’s Bulalo: specializes in delicious beef, seafood, and tasty grilled garlic rice (~300-350k/person). The food here is a bit salty, so consider it
- There are also other restaurants: many on the street, try the fresh juice and smoothies for ~100k/cup (delicious, nutritious, all made from island fruits)
Where to Go in El Nido?
As it's an island, you'll have various tour options, and all are well-prepared, so no need to worry too much!
- Tour A - 1200PHP (recommended): includes Big Lagoon (exquisite beauty), where you'll kayak to explore. Entrance fee is 200PHP + boat rental 500PHP for 4 people. Tip: It's better to rent a small boat for 2 people, costing around 300 pesos per person
- Tour B - 1300PHP
- Tour C - 1400PHP (a must-go)
- Hidden Beach is a hidden gem behind the rocks; you have to swim and walk a bit to get there
- Matinloc Shrine (incredibly beautiful): you have to jump into the sea, swim a distance, and crawl through a rock crevice like a cave deep under the sea to get inside, exceptionally beautiful.
- Tour D - 1200PHP
Notes:
- In addition to the tour cost, you'll need to buy a ticket called 'environmental protection fee' for 200 pesos/person, valid for 10 days (buy this fee only once, keep the voucher)
- Rent shoes for 100 pesos/day to avoid stepping on coral reefs and damaging your feet (highly recommended)
- If you have time, stroll around the town, visit waterfalls, or take inland tours
- It's advisable to book tours on Klook in advance; prices are more affordable, with staff picking you up at the hotel and providing lunch on every tour! I loved the service in El Nido; everyone is friendly, enthusiastic, and adorable. I'll share the detailed itinerary below.
6 Days 5 Nights Itinerary
Day 1: HAN - MNL - PPS - El Nido
- 1h-7h: Hanoi - Manila, the capital of the Philippines (departure at 1 am, arriving at 6 am)
- 7h: Immigration procedures, currency exchange at the airport (fast and cheap, you can exchange money in Vietnam before or at the airport upon arrival, very convenient)
- Uber and Grab are popular here, so use them for quick travel. Check your flight terminal beforehand, then move by free bus or Grab to be on time (if connecting to a domestic flight)
- 8h-11h: Manila - Palawan (domestic terminal at a different Terminal), about 1 hour 30 minutes flight
- 12h-18h: Palawan - El Nido (bus station)
- 18h-20h: Check-in at the hotel, freshen up, rest
- 20h-22h: Dinner at Art Cafe, stroll around the streets, and prepare for the exciting day ahead.
Day 2: El Nido Island Tour C
- 8 am: Tour guide picks you up at the hotel and takes you to the boat.
- 9 am - 5 pm: Swim, kayak, lunch, admire the sea, coral, and beach
Ps. Wear vibrant clothes for beautiful photos, bring a waterproof bag to protect your phone (store valuables in it), and avoid bringing unnecessary items. Be sure to have sunglasses, hat, cap, full-body sunscreen, apply sunscreen on exposed skin to prevent sunburn like mine
- 8 pm - 10 pm: Dinner, stroll around the streets, souvenir shopping
Tour C is truly worth experiencing
Day 3: El Nido Island Tour A - Palawan (PPS)
- 8 am - 4 pm: Similar to Tour C but Tour A is a bit more gentle and includes Big Lagoon (very beautiful)
- 5 pm - 7 pm: Swimming + dinner.
Tour A is truly for those who love to 'live in the moment'
In this area, after finishing the tour, there are several options for you to consider:
- Around 8 pm, take the return bus to PPS and stay overnight in PPS to catch an early flight the next day. My team's schedule included Malaysia, so we chose this option
- Around 9 pm, there's a 45-seater sleeper bus to PPS (spacious and comfortable to sleep on, but only stops at Cherry Bus Company's designated stops (book on Klook), then take a tricycle to the airport or hotel). Fly back to Manila, spend a day exploring the capital, visiting Intramuros, The Venice Piazza Grande - with a stunning blue river, incredibly surreal,... and then return to Vietnam.
Day 4: Palawan (PPS) - Manila - Kuala Lumpur (KUL)
- 7:25 am - 9 am: PPS - Manila
- 9 am - 11 am: Transfer from domestic to international terminal, breakfast, shopping,...
- 11:55 am - 5 pm: Manila - KUL (a 5-hour flight, long, tiring,...) exchange money,. Now, this place is in the same time zone as the Philippines and +1 hour compared to Vietnam.
- 5 pm - 6 pm: about 70km, the team, a 15% discount, the bus is on time, with staff waiting at the exit to guide you to the bus, no worries about getting lost!
- 7 pm - 10 pm: Dinner, sightseeing at Pavilion (large, beautiful, spacious, perfect for posing and shopping)
- 10 pm - 12 am: Jalan Alor Night Market (about 600m away) walk to explore the street, have supper here (full of food)
Day 5: Kuala Lumpur and Outskirts
- 9 am - 1 pm: Took the Batu Caves Tour on Klook, visited a metal factory, silk shop (the guide picked us up at the hotel right on time, be punctual or they might leave without you). Remember to wear comfortable long clothes
- 1 pm - 3:30 pm: Lunch and shopping at Lot10 (there are many food options in B1 basement) in front of it, there's a delicious and affordable Tealive bubble tea shop, give it a try
- 4 pm - 9:30 pm: Firefly Watching Tour (monkey garden, fortress, dinner, firefly watching on the river). After this, I found the fireflies here smaller than those in my hometown, so the viewing experience wasn't as stunning, but overall, it's still beautiful and poetic. Remember to bring mosquito repellent, wear long clothes, or you'll be bitten by the river mosquitoes like crazy
- 9:30 pm: Visit(ask the guide to drop you off at the nearest point) for photos, watch the water show
- 10:30 pm: The whole team continued to have fun, so we went to Alor for more entertainment and dining (this area is lively, bustling all night, they even sing and dance until 2 am, Tạ Hiện in Vietnam closes music at midnight).
Day 5: Kuala Lumpur - Hanoi
Waking up, the whole team checked out, and the Klook car was ready to take us to the airport early (heard that the airport here is crowded, everything takes a long time, and it's indeed TRUE) so manage your time wisely. Thus ends my trip, the whole team became 'sunburned' but extremely satisfied because traveling independently is much more comfortable, with Klook it's easy and cheap to prepare, so very happy with this trip.
This trip is an incredibly memorable journey for me
El Nido DIY Travel, No Worries with Klook
Thank you, Nguyen Hoang Anh, for your incredibly helpful travel review of El Nido. Wishing you many more exciting journeys in the near future.
#teamKlook, do you want to travel to the Philippines independently? Don't forget that Klook offers a variety of services/day tours for you to explore to your heart's content. Not to mention the plethora of articles sharing experiences, tips, and solo travel insights on Klook's Blog. What are you waiting for? Start exploring now!
