Morne
South Korea
I'm planning a trip to Palawan for 7 days. Flying into Puerto Princesa and planning on spending some time El Nido. Can anyone offer some tips? What to do? Places to stay etc. Thanks
I would recommend spending most of your time in El Nido as there's so much to see and do there, it's a beautiful place! So perhaps only 1 or 2 nights overnight stop in Puerto Princesa City (where you will probably fly into) to go to the subterranean underground river and then travel up to El Nido for your remaining time so give yourself plenty of time for the beautiful island hopping, boat trips and relaxation on offer up there. For some tips on how to get there from Puerto Princesa, I'd recommend looking at http://puertoprincesatoelnido.com/ Hope this helps - enjoy your trip!
I stayed at SPIN in El Nido and absolutely loved it
http://www.journeytodesign.com/2015/11/12/el-nido-in-style-spin-designer-hostel/
If you're planning to do a boat tour there, I'd suggest you find 4 friends and rent your own boat, it's so much nicer than the crowded tours with 30 people (and if you're 5 or more people actually cheaper too)
http://www.journeytodesign.com/2015/11/12/el-nido-in-style-spin-designer-hostel/
For El Nido you won't need much help figuring out what to do. There are three main boat tours offered, and pretty much everyone takes at least one of them. The main strip of beach and the two or three surrounding streets hold 90% of the restaurants, markets, shops, bars, etc. In any case, you'll mostly just want to soak up the beach life!
There are some dirt cheap hostels, some nice hotels, and some guesthouses along the beach that are private and clean, but simple. I really enjoyed my stay at one of the guesthouses. They are all basically the same. So, it's your choice as to what level of comfort you're going for!
In Puerto Princesa definitely book ahead of time. I didn't and ended up in a really yucky (and a little bit scary) hotel. The tuk-tuk drivers at the airport will ask you where to and then try to take you to a place run by their family/friend/girlfriend/etc. So know where you're going and that you have a reservation. On my return journey I stayed at Casa Linda Inn and loved it. Cheap and cheerful!
Enjoy the mango juice in Palawan - it's the best!
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