8 Best Things to Do on Palawan (El Nido), Philippines
From its towering limestone cliffs, stunning turquoise-blue lagoons, and pristine white sandy beaches, Palawan, or more specifically El Nido, is easily one of the best places to visit across the Philippines!
For this reason, I wanted to share some of my top recommendations when visiting the island, as Palawan has always been one of my most favorite international destinations I’ve ever traveled to.
International Travelers Only
One of my favorite travel hacks whenever I go abroad is SafetyWing's cheap nomad travel insurance. SafetyWing’s coverage works worldwide, and the long list of activities that they cover is pretty incredible!
Additionally, if you are traveling from outside of the country, I recommend iVisa.com for any travel-related documents because they are an honest, straightforward, and reputable company that has been a big part of the travel industry for a long time!
Things to Buy Before You Travel to Southeast Asia
Prior to visiting Southeast Asia for the first time, I highly recommend reading through my separate article where I talk about a few necessary things that you will want to make sure you have before traveling—most notably, things I wish I had known about before my first trip.
Read My Separate Post: Things to Buy Before Visiting Southeast Asia
How to Get from Puerto Princesa to El Nido?
If your plan on Palawan is to spend most of your time in El Nido, I recommend booking your shuttle prior to arrival.
I say this because getting to El Nido from Puerto Princesa is fairly straightforward, but if you wait to book, it's highly likely that you will be hassled and overcharged at the airport, which is why I recommend making a reservation in advance.
All said, the first option below is exactly what you need to get to El Nido hassle-free!
8 Best Things to Do on Palawan (El Nido)
The following list is written in no particular order of best or worst, but rather, I started with the famous Subterranean River simply because it’s closer to Puerto Princesa than El Nido.
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River NP
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River is truly a one-of-a-kind experience, but that’s not without saying that the whole process to visit this beautiful UNESCO wonder can be a bit confusing!
By this, I mean that beyond paying a small conservation fee, you are also required to pay for a private boat to get to the actual cave. However, it is your responsibility, not the park’s, to charter the boat, meaning that if you can fill the boat shuttle full of people, you’ll pay less individually because the boat is the same price regardless of how many people are being taken in it.
Therefore, you are essentially expected to make fast friends with other people wanting to visit the park in order to ride in the same boat to get there, as the staff won’t necessarily do it for you.
This confusion aside, the experience in the cave is truly something to see for yourself, and you have the opportunity to listen to an audio recording in order to learn about what you’re seeing as your guide paddles your tour through the cave.
All said, if you want to avoid the hassle of figuring out your boat shuttle to the cave, you can thankfully book one of the tours below, essentially taking the hassle out of both the boat ride and transportation from Puerto Princesa!
2. El Nido Boat Tours (Shared)
These tours around El Nido are truly what Palawan is known for, but what you may not know is that all the beautiful limestone sea cliffs, turquoise-blue water, and secluded beaches are not accessible by car.
In fact, the only way to visit all the places that you see in these stunning photos is on one of the tours below.
That being said, the best boat tours in El Nido are Tour A and C, and the locals will tell you the same!
However, later in this post, you can see how to visit Tour B on your own for a fraction of the cost!
3. Private El Nido Boat Tours
The difference between the tours above and the ones below is simply a shared vs. private experience.
That being said, one of the best things that you can do in the Philippines is a private A & C Tour!
I say this because when it’s your private tour, the captain is on your schedule! You can tell the captain when you’re ready to move on, and you can tell the captain where you’d like to spend more time!
For this reason, I couldn’t recommend these tours below any higher!
Snorkeling Advice
Before flying to the Philippines, buy your own quality mask and snorkel. There will be more than one opportunity where you will be snorkeling/ diving during your trip.
If you rely on rental masks, you will be given an uncomfortable one that has been used thousands of times, along with a chewed-out snorkel. Take it from someone who lives in Hawaiʻi; bring your own Mantis mask and snorkel! They are the best and most comfortable masks on the market, by far!
4. Kayaking Tour B
Tour A & C may be what everyone recommends, but what many don’t know is that you can also experience Tour B without paying for the tour by renting a kayak from the north side of Corong Corong Beach.
In my experience, renting a kayak is a cheap, fun way to make it all the way to Ipil Ipil Beach, but to do this, I recommend starting early and preparing to be out all day.
The photo below is from Papaya Beach, while kayaking Tour B.
5. El Nido Scuba Diving
In my experience, the tours in El Nido are more for the beaches and lagoons than actual time spent in the water snorkeling.
That’s why, if you truly want to enjoy the beautiful crystal-clear blue water surrounding El Nido, I recommend going out with a professional to dedicate your time specifically to seeing some of the best reefs in the world! You won’t be disappointed!
6. Nacpan Beach
Nacpan Beach is a beautiful long stretch of white sand located a little ways north of El Nido.
Therefore, if you end up making the trip, I recommend staying in the area for at least a night or two, as Nacpan can be one of the best quiet escapes from the busy nightlife in El Nido.
My personal recommendation is the Mad Monkey Beach Hostel!
Google Maps Directions: Nacpan Beach
7. Coron Ferry (El Nido)
If you have the time while staying in El Nido, consider taking the ferry across the channel to Coron.
I say this because the tours around Coron may be even more beautiful than El Nido, and you can also book your own private boat tours on Coron, just like the ones mentioned above!
8. Port Barton, Palawan
Compared to El Nido, Port Barton is definitely a quiet, more laid-back beach town, which can be perfect for both remote workers and those looking for a quiet place to relax on the beach.
Additionally, Port Barton also offers island tours similar to El Nido, and I highly recommend booking at least one if you plan on making the trip there.
My Print - Palawan
Hiking Checklist - Philippines
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in the Philippines.
Osprey 3L Water Bladder - The Osprey 3L water bladder is the most universal hiking and backpacking water bladder on the market, and it’s my go-to because of the slide-off seal that allows it to be quickly filled from the top. Additionally, individual parts are easily replaceable, such as the bite valve.
Blister / Heel Protectors - I swear by these cheap, amazing heel protectors to prevent blisters for nearly every kind of hiking and backpacking that I do!
Black Diamond Headlamp - Personally, I recommend the Black Diamond Storm because it is one of the brightest, lightest, and longest-lasting headlamps on the market—and trust me, the weight-to-battery-life ratio really does matter!
Hiking / Trail Running Shoes - Depending on the type of trail, I prefer to use either the Keen Targhee for longer, more rugged hiking or the HOKA Zinal Trail-Running Shoe for lighter, less intense trails. In either case, both have been amazing to me for many years across countless environments, and both can be found in men’s and women’s sizes. - (Men’s Keen / Women’s Keen) (Men’s HOKA / Women’s HOKA)
Waterproof Rain Shell - You never know when it may rain, and I’ve learned over the years that a rain shell is far better than a rain jacket. By this, I mean that it’s best to have something that the water will roll right off of, which is why I recommend the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L available in both men’s and women’s sizes.
High SPF Sunscreen - Packing high-SPF sunscreen is a must for long days outside!
5 Things to Know Before Visiting Palawan
1. Why Am I Recommending These Viator Tours?
One of my favorite things about booking through Viator is the reserve-now-and-pay-later option. As long as you’re booking more than three days in advance, you have the option to book ahead and cancel in the future if you change your mind.
2. How to Get Around Palawan?
If you checked out my Cebu article, you would have seen how having a car was essential to fit in the amount of things we were able to do in one day. But on Palawan, I’d say that renting a car is up to your own personal preference.
I say this because the shuttles that I’ve included in this post are great ways to get around the island hassle-free, but if you’d like to have a little more freedom to travel between places like the Subterranean River, El Nido, Nacpan Beach, and Port Barton, then booking a rental car is a really nice and convenient option.
3. Why Do I Recommend a Private El Nido Tour?
More than anything on Palawan, I highly recommend a private El Nido tour because on the normal group tours, you are generally scheduled with at least 15 other people on the same boat, and your tour is restricted to the boat captain’s time.
However, when you book a private tour, you can spend as much or as little time as you want in any location, and you will be able to get all the photos you want, as other tours come and go because of their stricter time schedules. Additionally, your captain will likely do your tour in reverse to be able to visit certain islands at non-peak times around the main tour schedules.
Then, on top of everything mentioned above, we were served a delicious, fresh five-course meal on our private tour, which they made for us on the boat using fish that one of the workers caught while we were swimming! To this day, that meal was one of the best memories I have from the Philippines!
All said, I think the reasons for choosing a private tour are obvious, which, again, I recommend Tour A & C.
4. Things to Know About the Small Lagoon (Tour A & C)
Going along with the private tour mentioned above, my friend and I had the best time on our tour, spending about an hour and a half in the Small Lagoon on kayaks! Spending this much time would have never be possible on a regular tour.
However, in order to be able to see the Small Lagoon, you need to bring additional cash with you, so that you can rent a kayak!
The extra fee seemed a bit annoying, but entering the small lagoon on kayak is absolutely a must-do and another one of the best things that we did in the Philippines!
5. My Experience Waiting for an El Nido Boat Tour
During our stay on Palawan, we knew there would be a lot of rain, so we wanted to get to El Nido right after the Underground River to have the best chance for a good day on one of the tours.
However, when we arrived in El Nido, we ended up waiting for about three days in the pouring rain while all of the streets in El Nido were flooded with a foot of water.
The tour company kept saying, “Wait until Monday! Wait until Monday!” because they knew that Monday would give us the best chance for good weather, and they were right!
When Monday finally came around, the rain cleared, and it was one of the best and most beautiful days we could have asked for on our private tour!
Overall, I bring this up to say that if you pay in advance through Viator for a private tour, the companies, at least in my experience, were very honest, and they were more than willing to refund us had the weather did not work out.
More Southeast Asia Posts
If you’d like read more about some of my favorite Southeast Asia destinations and recommendations, check out my separate posts below!
Best Way to Find Places to Stay!
Wherever I travel, I love to start my search for places to stay on VRBO.
Even if I don’t end up booking through them, I think it’s one of the best ways to see what’s in the area!
Washington
Best Way to Book Rental Cars!
I travel quite a bit, and I know firsthand that finding a good rental car deal can be a challenge, but that’s why I recommend comparing all of your options with Discover Cars.
In short, Discover Cars is a well-known, reputable business that allows you to search for the best deal across companies, and they have the best full-refund cancellation policy I’ve ever seen, valid up to 72, or sometimes even 48, hours prior to your reservation!
Book Here: Discover Cars
Discover Cars!
Safety
Staying safe when traveling to the Philippines is all about making smart decisions and not becoming complacent.
This is not to say that the Philippines is an inherently dangerous country, but there are parts that are more unsafe than others, which is why it’s important to check the current travel advisories on the U.S. State Department website before traveling.
Furthermore, petty theft and poor water quality are among the biggest preventable concerns to be aware of—along with numerous venomous snakes that are typically only encountered when hiking.
All this to say, common sense goes a long way in the Philippines, but if you stick to the more popular islands, I hope it can become apparent how safe traveling to the Philippines can be!
As always, find the most up-to-date information and conditions on the official U.S. State Department website.
U.S. Department of State: Philippines
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