Planning to have a visit to El Nido? However, your budget hinders you to do so. Well, there’s no need to worry, you can now have the chance to discover the hidden treasures of El Nido. With the available cheapest El Nido package tour that is applicable for tight budget travellers, you can have this wonderful chance of a lifetime.
In this blog post, we will share to you the budget-friendly tour packages when you want to travel to El Nido. Aside from that, we have here some travelling tips that you might find helpful prior to and during your travel in this breathtaking province in Palawan. So, let your adventure begins here!
Travelling to El Nido
El Nido geographically surrounds the main island of Palawan. Along with this, it also rings the 45 islands pointing to Bacuit Bay. Aside from that, El Nido is a nature’s treasure garden supporting marine life. Due to this, El Nido continuously belongs to the list of the best beach attractions in the world.
Despite being a tourists spot, El Nido is such a quiet town. Moreover, it only has a small town proper and the big establishments residing there are very few. But, you can also count those small businesses operating there like stores, hotels, travel agencies, and restaurants.
Furthermore, Puerto Princesa is the nearest city neighbour of El Nido which can be travelled for about five hour-drive. El Nido, Puerto Princesa, and Coron are all part of the most famous Palawan’s tourism triumvirate. This means that these three places are the most visited provinces in Palawan where El Nido resides in the middle.
Ways to get to El Nido:
Initially, two ways are available in order to get to El Nido and avail your cheapest package tour. Here are the two options in getting to the said province in Palawan:
- Getting to El Nido Option #1:
Take the Puerto Princesa route. In doing this, you could fly at that main gateway in Palawan. When you’re there, ride a minivan and take the 5-hour drive over a bumpy road.
- Getting to El Nido Option #2:
Flying to the Busuanga island route. This route will allow you to go to Busuanga in Coron and from there, ride a ferry boat. Moreover, the boat will take you from Coron to El Nido with a boat riding average of around 3-4 hours.
At this moment, there is a third option to go to El Nido. This is via the newly built airport outside the municipality of El Nido. Basically, this airport is just 15 minutes away from the province. Furthermore, the airport code ENI caters flights from AirSWIFT that usually operates between El Nido and other tourist spot destinations in the country. This includes Manila, Cebu, Boracay, and Busuanga, Coron.
Things to know when travelling to El Nido prior to availing the cheapest package tour
When you want to travel to El Nido, you must have to know this information especially when you are foreign of this land.
The Language
Tagalog is the most spoken language within the town. However, English is the one widely understood and spoken by many. Meanwhile, there is also part of the population that can speak Cuyonon and some Visayan languages.
The Time Zone
The Philippine Standard Time (PST) is UTC+8. Moreover, this time is similar to that of Singapore and Malaysia which are both one hour late from Japan.
The Currency
The main currency used is the Philippine peso in which Php100 is equivalent to 2 US Dollar, 1.75 European Dollar, and 2.75 Singaporean Dollar.
The Modes of Payment
Most of the establishment at El Nido prefer cash payment transactions. But there are some restos and resorts that transact using credit cards.
Travel tips when travelling to El Nido
Visiting other places like El Nido involves some important details that you must have to keep in mind before stepping into it. Here are some of the helpful tips when you want to travel to El Nido and explore its wonders:
Make an early hotel booking
When you are already decided to visit and travel to El Nido, better to book immediately online. This will help you get the best available lowest tour rates. Additionally, you can even have the chance to grab the cheapest El Nido package tour.
Aside from that, you can also prevent encountering fully-booked rooms. Early bookings may also save you time and money. Furthermore, this will also help you to prevent the stress of bringing too much cash on the date of your trip. So, make sure that you make an early booking and this is highly advisable.
Experience the El Nido island hopping
Having your first tour in El Nido would be unforgettable if you experience the main highlight of the town. This could be achieved by having boat tours within the islands of Bacuit Bay. Primarily, there are four main island tours in El Nido – the Tour A, Tour B, Tour C, and Tour D. Basically, Island hopping in El Nido may let you see the best attractions that are usually found in Tour A (Lagoons and Beaches) and Tour C (Hidden Beaches and Shrines). So better to check them out.
Look for online prices and discounts
Doing this may help you save more bucks. Check over discounts given by tours and airport/hotel transfers. Moreover, you could also check the cheapest El Nido package tour that will also help you in saving.
Bring cash
Bringing cash is the safest option to get money. As mentioned, the mode of payment in El Nido is mainly cash-on-hand basis. So, do not depend on getting money from ATMs as there are limited within the municipality of El Nido. Moreover, pre-booking online is much better to help you lessen the need for cash.
Book for a minimum of a 3-day trip
The usual itinerary of El Nido Island hopping begins early in the morning and might end at the late afternoon. Moreover, to have a trip on El Nido, considering the long travel from Puerto Princesa, you’ll need a minimum of 3 days. But, an additional 1 day is advisable in order to enjoy the entire day for island hopping.
Important things to know when travelling to El Nido
When you plan to travel to El Nido, check the following details below. These might give you a little help prior to and during your trip to one of the most beautiful provinces in the Philippines.
Trips to El Nido is not expensive
When people hear of El Nido, they initially think of an elegant, rich island resort. So, with this perception, they think that travelling to El Nido is costly. However, there is available cheapest El Nido package tours ideal for tight budget travellers.
Furthermore, it is also good for your budget if you would opt to stay for hotels and hostels that offer budget-friendly rates. Well, if you are financially well-off, then go for a luxury resort if you want.
Trips to El Nido is pretty much ideal for solo travellers
If you are looking for the cheapest El Nido package tours, then it is better to travel in solo. Aside from that, it is also easy to do the island hopping all by yourself.
List of the cheapest El Nido package tour
If you’re on a tight budget but you want to experience the beautiful nature of El Nido, that’s no biggie! Here is the list of the cheapest El Nido package tours to choose from depending on your budget so that you may enjoy the El Nido trip without hassle.
Cheapest El Nido Package Tour #1:
The price for this package tour is Php 3,900 per package.
This 3-days and 2-nights package is very affordable and can already delight you with all the enjoyable water activities. With this package, you can also have the chance to discover the limestones. In addition to that, you can also experience various water activities such as snorkelling, sunbathing, swimming, and even bird watching.
Also included in this cheap El Nido package tour is the exploration of the diverse ecosystems of El Nido. These can be found when you hop over the hidden beaches and high limestone cliffs.
What are the other inclusions of this package? A 2-night accommodation, daily breakfast, and Tour A Island hopping. It also includes a free lunch at the beach on the second day. All permits, the airport transfer, and entrance fees are also part of the package inclusion.
Cheapest El Nido Package Tour #2:
When you choose this package tour, prepare your budget of Php 5,900.
If you want to add in your trip the discovery of Palawan’s beauty, you can add this to your trip by opting for this package. The additional route to the Underground River of Puerto Princesa can also be experienced. You would miss the most famous wonders in Palawan if you skip this package tour.
This cheapest El Nido package tour includes 3 days and 2 nights’ accommodation on an air-conditioned room. It also includes daily breakfast for 3 days, picnic lunch, plus a tour guide. In addition, transportation to the airport, entrance fees and permits are all part of the package inclusion.
Cheapest El Nido Package Tour #3:
Opting for this package please be ready with the price of this package tour that is around Php 4,973.
This cheapest El Nido package tour consists of 4-days and 3-nights’ accommodation on an air-conditioned room. It also includes daily breakfast for 4 days unless otherwise stated. There will also be a barbeque picnic lunch over Tour A and a picnic lunch for island hopping, plus a tour guide. In addition, transportation to the airport, entrance fees and permits are all part of the package inclusion.
Notes for this package:
Since there are limited slots acceptable at the Big Lagoon and the Small Lagoon per day, tourists can choose one lagoon to visit. Its either you opt for the Big Lagoon or the Small Lagoon alone. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to visit both. For this reason, you may have the option not to include those spots in the package. This is applicable to all tourists and travel and tours agencies.
Cheapest El Nido Package Tour #4:
Same with package tour #2, this package has the price Php 5,900.
Sometimes, a 3-day tour is not enough to explore El Nido. That’s why an additional 1 day is a must. Spending 4 days in El Nido will give you more time to discover additional hidden treasures of the province. Moreover, spending the 3-nights of ultimate relaxation will give you a nice rest.
This cheapest El Nido package tour consists of 4-days and 3-nights’ accommodation on an air-conditioned room. It also includes daily breakfast for 4 days, picnic lunch over Tour A and Tour C, plus a tour guide. In addition, transportation to the airport, entrance fees and permits are all part of the package inclusion.
Cheapest El Nido Package Tour #5:
Choosing this package tour will let you spend the price of about Php 9,300.
Visiting the beautiful province of El Nido, you may say that it is full of countless natural wonders. Now, to fully discover every corner of El Nido, this cheapest El Nido package tour is a good option. The package tour itinerary includes going to the underground river of Puerto Princesa.
This cheapest El Nido package tour consists of 5-days and 4-nights’ accommodation on an air-conditioned room. It also includes daily breakfast for 5 days, picnic lunch over Tour A and lunch on Tour C, plus a tour guide. In addition, transportation to the airport, entrance fees and permits are all part of the package inclusion.
Wrapping Up
Travelling to El Nido seems to be an expensive trip for some. Fortunately, there is the cheapest package El Nido that provides a budget-friendly journey. So, opting for these tour packages, you can have the best travel experience of a lifetime.
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