There is no direct public transport from Sabang or Port Barton to El Nido. First we took a bus, direction to Puerto Princessa, got off at the main road. At the main road we got on a bus to El Nido. Maybe it is a little bit complicated but the transfer is very well organized. The stop over at the main road was not longer than half an hour. Unfortunately, the shuttle buses are not comfortable for tall people. There is a very little space for legs and the bus trip took about 5 hours. Fortunately, several stops on the way let stretch the legs.
We found accommodation at the Stella Maris for 1700 pesos (double room with bathroom and hot water) in El Nido. Next we bought ferry tickets to Coron, our next destination. It was two days before departure. There is only one ferry from El NIdo to Coron a day and the tickets are not usually available for the next day. You need to buy them online at least a week before the departure.
The main attraction of El Nido is Island hopping. There are 5 or 6 versions of Island hopping tours. The most popular is version A. The price of full-day tours was from 1,200 to 1,400 pesos. The price of the tour includes lunch and water. Don’t forget to take sunglasses, sun-blocker, water shoes, towel, drinking water, snorkeling equipment. The snorkel, mask and water shoes can be rented from the organizers for 100 pesos each. During the tour money are needed to buy a beer or soda drinks. However, it is not a good idea to take passport, money and other valuables, because tourists get on and off the boat from the sea. We visited five islands during the tour. We spent 30-40 minutes on each site. One of the site was a snorkeling site. It turns out that the colorful reef is very modest. Colorful fish drew my attention. The rest of the visited sites were tiny islands with micro beaches. The beaches look much better from a distance than on the spot.
El Nido beach is very disappointing, in fact it is only the port. There is only a very narrow strip of not-so-clean sand. Only a few people, mostly local children, take sun beach and swim in the sea.
The next day we went for a day trek (about 12 km) to Las Cabaños. At the beginning we walked down the town to Corong beach. Corong beach is only a very dirty harbor. Sewage from nearby houses went directly to the sea. We was walking along the Corong beach and finally reached Las Cabanas beach. The beach is clean and lies on the edge of the bay next to the open sea. Thanks to the location the water is also clean and you can swim. On the way back, the main attraction was a bazaar in El Nido. We bought delicious mangoes at 180 pesos per kilo, coconut 40 pesos per piece and pineapple 60 pesos per kilo. Conclusion. I do not recommend the trek. It is not attractive. Nevertheless, if you decide to do it, it is essential to take water shoes. Walking down the Corong beach sometimes it is necessary to go on rocks . It is easy to hurt a feet.
The last day was very relaxing. We rented a motorcycle (500 pesos +100 peso fuel) and went to Twin Beach and Nacpan Beaches. Both beaches are located right next to each other and about 20 km from El Nido. They are clean and white sand beaches. The sea is also clean. On a hot day it is easy to find a tree shadow. Twin Beach and Nacpan Beach are very picturesque. There are hotels next to the beaches. The more expensive ones are right next to the beach, but you can find cheaper ones 50 -100 meters from the beach. I recommend to find accommodation next to the Nacpan or Twin Beach. It is more attractive site than El Nido. Island hopping may be purchased at hotels located next to Nacpan or Twin Beach.
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