Travel Answers

Hi all, We are planning our first trip to the Philippines and would like to stay in a nice resort, not too crowded, with our family (3 kids). My husband and I like to dive and do other activities with the kids. Where best to go? Langen? Miniloc? other? Should we split our time between 2 places? we plan to stay from 7 to 10 days. thanks!

does anyone here have an idea how much it cost to rent a boat that can take minimum 2 and max of 10 pax to tour around el nido and coron for 5-7 days...preferrably just one boat for touring both towns...

i'm just looking to see if Tao expedition is the better deal or if it's better to rent your own boat....

thanks!

Hello everyone,

My boyfriend and I want to do a 3 days, 2 nights island hopping tour in El Nido. It seems to be a great experience and they are not just visiting the standard places. The tour includes food, drinks, camping, snorkling and relaxing on the islands. However, we need at least four people for the tour, but we are currently only two. We'll start on May 9th and we'll be back in El Nido on May 11th....

So, who wants to join us???

For more info, please click here: cect.webs.com/elnidoexpediti...

Cheers, Theresa

Hi,
Exactly 1 year ago a planned family holiday had to be abandoned due to impassable (for a family SUV) road conditions. I had planned to drive Puerto to Port Barton, and then Port Barton to El Nido. Regrettably the Port Barton road was nothing more than a dirt track with HUGE tyre ruts (40 to 70cm deep - no joke) baked cement-hard by the hot sun. Due to this, the second part of our holiday to El Nido was cancelled because I had been told the latter part of the road from Taytay to El Nido was similar.
Now, 12 months on, I want to fulfill my promise to my family for a holiday to El Nido. Once again I want to drive my own Rav4 SUV.
Can anybody with up-to-date local knowledge tell me how much of the Taytay to El Nido road is now surfaced and how much is still 'gravel'?
Secondly, assuming some of it is unsurfaced, and assuming the WORST CASE that it has been pouring with rain, could my family-filled Rav4 SUV safely navigate the road without damage!
My planned trip is April 22nd to April 30th 2013.
Thanks.

Hi All, I was wondering if anyone has had experience with island hopping all the way from El Nido to Coron (or vice versa). I have found a company that does it, but I was wondering if there are any other options available, or whether it is something that I could easily organise once I am there..? Any help would be so much appreciated, thanks guys :)

Hi Community! A small group of us are arriving in El Nido this coming Wednesday 6th, staying for a delightful 6 days. However, we are worried that an active low-pressure area (ALPA) east of the Visayas area is likely to intensify into a cyclone in the next 24 to 48 hours, and although this is a long way from El Nido, in your experience will this bring bad weather for the coming week? Potential cyclone aside, if the forecast is stating rain (which it is for our entire stay) will this be unpredictable? Or partly cloudy with showers? I know this is an age old question and no-one can predict the weather completely, but we would really appreciate some opinions based on your valuable experience. Thanks so much guys!

I'm driving to El Nido for the first time in April 2012 with my wife, teenage son and 9 year old daughter. I've been on-line for several days looking at various places to stay and reading reviews. Here's what I've found..... Some places in the town are ridiculously expensive (as in Php6000 per night) BUT have some horror stories posted against them as regards cleanliness and customer care. Equally some of the budget bamboo cottages are insect infested and lacking in any sort of maintenance. I've stayed in locally built cottages before, but since I'm with my family I want a bit more comfort....and for Php6000 a night I would expect THE ABSOLUTE BEST not stories of green swimming pools and broken toilets! I'd appreciate any unbiased viewpoints on the accommodation in the town.

Hello, everyone, I would like to know what is the best way to get from Puerto Princessa to the underground caves at Sebang and from there to El Nido. I've heard there is a boat from Sebang to El Nido, but I cannot find any schedule for such and neither can I find any bus schedule. I suppose there are a lot of buses, but I would prefer to know their schedule and also how much time they travel. My schedule is very tight so any information will be much appreciated. The perfect plan will be to sleep at PP, to travel in the early morning to the caves and on the afternoon from there to El Nido, where I hope to spend the night and the next day. Thank you!

Hey, Me and my girlfriend were planning on going on Tao Philippines open boat expedition but they are fully booked on 11th March. They have a private expedition available which would work out around the same cost for 4 us of sharing the cost. Anyone interested please let us know. Alternativly if anyone knows of any other trips which would hopefully take us over to Coron then please let us know. Regards Paul

Hi, I tried to get in contact with a few accomodations/cottages in el nido town near the beach. Like Tandikan, Gloria, Rico's en Og's. I emaild them several times but i get no resond. I also tried an other adres but still nothing I tried the artboutique but the cant help me either. I tried to make a reservation because i arrive late and the ones that i get in contact with are fully booked. Hope someone can help me! thanx!

We are planning to go to El Nido November 14-19. Two questions: 1) The weather forecast is solid rain the entire time. Does this mean that it will be raining all day long, or just sprinkles on and off? 2) Are there any recommended ways to get to the Underground River from El Nido? Thank you! Christina

Hey! Anyone traveling to El Nido on Dec 18 - 21? My friends and I are looking for travel buddies we can share van rentals with. Hope to find some new travel buddies here! THANKS! =)

I am looking for a place to rent a boat (engine boat) to go on a tour by ourselfs for some days. Is there anyone knowing where find this?

We are four Norwegians going to the Phillipines in November this year. We would like to go island hopping in Palawan (maybe from Coron to El Nido or the other way around?). We have contacted Tao Phillipines, but they are fully booked. Is there anyone who knows where we can book a tour like this? We would like to travel 5D and 4N, and spend the nights at new places every night. Is there anyone out there who can help us? Read more: VT Forum temporarily unavailable

Hey guys, I am about to go to El Nido on Palawan and need to make a flight back to aust on the 18th. we are intending on leaving on the 17th of Aug but I am concerned about the weather etc and the chance that we may get stuck in the Palawan. What do you guys think? Are there chances of a typhoon in the next week and if so will this stop all transport back to Manila? Also, a few notes about cancellations of flights. Is this just due to the weather? Any recommendations advice would be appreciated.

Who's going to El Nido on Aug 18-20? We would like to share expense with the van and tours :)

Hi, Our group is going to El Nido by van from Puerto Princesa on July 16. Anyone who would like to join us & share on van rental? We need 6pax more.

I'm looking to fly to Palawan in July from Manila. Would much prefer to fly to El Nido rather than Puerto Princessa (not keen on the road journey to El Nido) but have read some bad reports about the reliability of these flights and difficulty in getting refunds when they're cancelled. Anyone got a view on the reliability factor of the related airlines? Thanks in anticipation.

Hi! Would like to ask how is the land travel from Puerto Princesa to El Nido? How's the road? and how many hours to get there? I'm thinking if we can bring our 6 month old baby when we go there. What hotel do you recommend that has a good accommodation? room with a/c and refrigerator. i need a refrigerator to store breastmilk. thanks so much in advance!

We will be there in early February. Obviously we want to do some island hopping but it's also likely that we'll want to have 1-2 days where we just stay put and relax right at the hotel. Is a beachfront hotel in El Nido a recommended place to do this, or can you suggest some place else? Thanks!

hi! we are planning to go to el nido via puerto prinsesa, do you have any idea how to go to el nido? what are the available means of transpo? their schedules and contact numbers, if any. how many hours is the estimated travel time from puerto prinsesa to el nido, vis-a-vis? do you know any good, but reasonable accommodation in el nido(other than lagen & miniloc :)) thank you! :)

hi all, im going to el nido this december around 6 - 11 or 4 - 11, gonna get my dive cert and would want those insanely beautiful island boat tours on the side :) anyone up for it just holler :) i just know this perfect dead center cottage in the town :D

Questions: 1) Is it worth it if I stay at both resorts? I'm thinking of maybe 2 nights in Lagen and 2 nights in Miniloc (for the sake of the experience), but if it's almost the same, I'll just choose one resort. 2) What are the activities that's available in Lagen but not available in Miniloc and vice versa? 3) Is it normal for a solo traveller to stay in lagen or miniloc? Or both places are more appropriate for couples? Because I'm planning a solo trip to either resort. Thanks!

What will i have to pay to have good clean and tidy room a/c fresh linen good shower and where? thx u

Is it possible to travel from El Nido to Coron in Dec. by boat? or is there a flight to Coron?

Hi, Could you please tell me if there was many mosquitoes in the resorts of El Nido? Thank you Tracy

In our trip to El Nido last year, we tried twice to see Secret Beach. The first time our guide said the water was too high. The second day, we actually went to where the entrance is. The water was very unruly and, once again, the entrance was submerged. We are returning this Augist and hope to see it on this go. What's the secret to being able to tell whether or not the opening will be accessible?

We have been to El Nido once previously (April '09) and are looking to revisit in the first week of August of this year (2010). Are weather conditions good enough to get island hopping for a couple of days and some hiking in? We are planning on staying 5 nights. TIA.

Hi everyone, I'm interested in staying at the malapacao island retreat but just want to verify thats actually real and not a scam?? Does anyone know of this retreat and can tell me what they think of it. Also can anyone tell me more about the weather. I'm really eager to come out there as soon as possible but am not sure its the best time to come as is entering rainy season. Is the weather really that bad may/june/july time?? Does it rain most days?? Or are most days still sunny? What about the weather october/ november time?? Ah im so confused, I really want to come out there soon, but I'm getting the impression I should wait untill february time when the weather is at its best. Any insights on my queries would be wonderful :) Best wishes to everyone Lucy

Hi, does anybody know if Seair will be flying out of El-Nido this coming April?