The municipality of El Nido, Palawan is unique primarily for its white-fine sand beaches, limestone cliffs, lagoons and sand bars scattered around its imposing karst-dominated islands and surrounded by rich and protected marine sanctuaries. To experience these gems, one has to avail of the four (4) standard island hopping tours regulated by the local authorities of El Nido town. Operators of these tours are found in every corners and streets of the town proper as well the various accommodations and online travel operators for a standard rate per person.

On our first day, we decided avail of the most basic tour, Tour A. For Php 1,200 (USD 26) per person, we explored the Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Simizu Island, Secret Lagoon and 7 Commandos Beach from 9AM to 4PM. Included in the price are the mask & snorkel, life vest, guides and of course, the hearty seafood lunch. This rate, however, does not include the one-time Eco-Tourism Development Fee (ETDF) of Php 200.00 (USD 4) per person which is valid for up to 10 days. So, for the next seven hours or so, we would drop our jaws in awe as we explored the magnificent islands.

SMALL LAGOON

BIG LAGOON

SHIMIZU BEACH

7 COMMANDOS BEACH

In our case, we availed the services of Lagoon Tour El Nido with contact number: 09263049680. Booking can be done right on the day of the tour but make sure to be there early in the morning. Aside from island hopping, they also offer sunset cruise, sunset dinner, fishing, inland tours and shuttle van reservation.

TRAVEL NOTES

• Make sure to bring a reliable swimwear, preferably rash guard and coral shoes since you might need to walk to explore especially at the Big Lagoon on low tide.
• Bring with you a handy first aid kit (pain reliever, loperamide, antiseptics)
• Charge your cameras and phones fully and bring with you a water-proof bag/pouch for your gadgets
• Don’t forget to bring extra dry clothes.