Even though I've been to a lot of places in the Philippines, I have never been to Palawan until January of this year. With all the places to explore in Palawan, I've only been to El Nido so far and I can say that this province is such a gem.

As promised, I will be sharing my itinerary so here goes.

Day 1: Arrival in Palawan

I flew to Palawan via Puerto Princesa and arrived at around 9am. I took a van from the airport to El Nido and the trip lasted for almost 7 hours including the stopover. I arrived past 5pm so I rested for a bit upon checking in before heading out to have dinner.

Day 2: Island Hopping Tour C

For my first full day in El Nido, I did the Island Hopping Tour C. Since I like to plan, I had this arranged in advance so I had nothing to worry about come the tour date. 

Here are the spots that we visited:

  • Helicopter Island
  • Secret Beach
  • Talisay Beach
  • Hidden Beach
  • Matinloc Shrine

Day 3: Island Hopping Tour A

The next day, I did the Island Hopping Tour A. Even though most islands in El Nido look the same, each one offers different sights and experiences. I liked this tour better because it had more activities to offer. 

Here are the spots that we visited:

  • Seven Commandos Beach
  • Secret Lagoon
  • Payong-Payong Beach
  • Shimizu Island
  • Big Lagoon

Day 4: Duli Beach + Nacpan Beach

After two consecutive days of island hopping, I felt a bit tired so I decided to rest during the morning on my 4th day. 

In the afternoon, I went for a drive to Duli Beach to go surfing. Then afterward, I went to Nacpan Beach for dinner and marveled at the sunset. Technically, I do not drive so I chartered a habal-habal or motorcycle with a local driver. I just told him what my plan was and he knew where to go.

Day 5: Maremegmeg Beach

This day fell on a Monday so as a digital nomad, I was set on doing some work that day. I did some work in the morning in my hotel room and then decided to go to a beachfront restaurant to continue working.

I went to Maremegmeg Beach as there were a lot of beachfront restaurants located in this area. Despite the fact that I was working on this day, it was nice and relaxing.

Day 6: Taraw Canopy Walk

After a day of relaxing, I went on my last activity in El Nido which was the Taraw Canopy Walk. At first, I wanted to do the actual hike but since I didn't have any proper hiking shoes or sandals with me, I opted for the safer option. 

This took up a couple of hours of my day. And then I proceeded to spend the rest of the day just walking around town, shopping for souvenirs, and just relaxing at the beach.

Day 7: Departure

It was my last day in El Nido and since my flight was departing at around 3pm, I had arranged for a van to pick me up around 8am. It was a bit too early, but I had to consider the traffic and other possible delays during transport.

Here is the breakdown of my expenses:

TRANSPORT
* Roundtrip Flight from Manila to Puerto Princesa via Cebu Pacific - PHP1,892 (paid using my travel fund)
* Roundtrip Van from Puerto Princesa to El Nido - PHP1,200 (arranged by my hotel)

ACCOMMODATIONS
* 7D6N at Casa Cecilia booked via Agoda - PHP5,962 (standard double room)

TOUR & ACTIVITIES
* Island Hopping Tour A - PHP1,050
* Environmental Fee - PHP200 (one-time fee)
* Entrance Fee to Big Lagoon for Tour A - PHP200
* Snorkel Gear Rental - PHP200 (PHP100 per day)
* Kayak Rental - PHP300
* Motorbike with driver - PHP650
* Surfing at Duli Beach - PHP750

OTHER EXPENSES
* Total cost of motorbike service within El Nido - PHP240
* Food and drinks - PHP3,610
* Shopping - PHP480

TOTAL EXPENSES: PHP18,539

Because I went as a solo traveler, I felt like what I spent on this trip was pretty reasonable and that I did not have to compromise convenience or comfort throughout the trip. When I was much younger, I didn't mind sleeping in hostels or bunk beds but now, I believe that comfort should be a priority when traveling.

As for the travel requirements, here is what you need to enter El Nido as a tourist:

  • Valid ID
  • Vaccination Card or Vaccination Certificate (VaxCert)
  • Approved Travel Coordination Permit or S-PASS 
  • Hotel Booking Confirmation
  • Roundtrip Flight
Please take note that travel requirements for tourists may change without prior notice so it is always best to check the website of your chosen airline. 

I hope this was helpful if ever you are planning to visit El Nido. After my island home Siargao, Palawan is one of the most beautiful places in the Philippines and I would highly recommend going here at least once in your life.