Cruisin El Nido

As if to compensate for the long, tiring and difficult land travel to El Nido from Puerto Princesa, crusing around the islands of El Nido is simple, relaxing, and easy. This is because there are a number of reasonably priced island hopping tours being offered by boatmen, restaurants, hotels and resorts in El Nido. They are basically the same, price wise and in terms of the inclusions in the tours. Price ranges from US$ 12 to US $ 33 depending on the number and location of islands included, and duration, whether full day or half day. Lunch is included for the full day tours.

I opted to book my tours through El Nido Boutique and Art Cafe. Their tours require a minimum of four persons. The tours did not disappoint delivering everything stated as included in the package and their boatmen were sincerely friendly and helpful. Tips are appreciated but not a must. I had the same boatmen for 3 days and their friendliness did not change for the 3 boat tour packages that I took. So on my last island hopping tour with them, I gave them a generous tip. The foreign tourists who went with me during these tours did not give tips and they were treated with the same warmth and kindness.

The islands around El Nido are truly awesome with the towering limestone cliffs, white sand beaches and pristine turquoise waters. My personal favorites are the Helicopter Island which has the best beach, and Snake Island which is actually a sandbar, for the scenic views.