Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and that retro backpacker staple, banana pancakes. As the
name suggests shisha pipes (P350) are on offer, too - try
the mint or Red Bull (P400).
Daily 7am-midnight.
La Salangane
33 Serena St
T
0916 648 6994,
W
lasalangane.com; map p.385.
Stylish place overlooking
the beach, with a cool bar and great Filipino/French cuisine.
The best deals are for Pinoy-style fresh fish (from P95),
but it's worth shelling out for the steak tartare (P350) and
trying the
île flottante
(P150) for dessert. They also offer
good, flavoured, home-made rum.
Daily 7am-10.30pm.
Midtown Bakery
Rizal St; map p.385.
The best bakery
in town, with the usual buttery buns, white bread and
pandesal
(bread rolls) and a tempting array of cakes such
as the sumptuous
pan de coco
and chocolate cookies, all
for a few pesos - plenty of budget travellers load up here.
Mon-Sat 7am-7pm.
Sea Slugs
Calle Hama (on the beach); map p.385.
El Nido's favourite beach bar, with candlelit tables spilling
onto the beach and a loyal crowd who come to see their
favourite local band play nightly. Seafood dishes are the
speciality; try the chilli crab in coconut milk (P350). Free
wi-fi.
Daily 6am-midnight.
Skyline Grill
Rizal St
T
0917 257 6978; map p.385.
Cheapest diner in town, with tasty meals for less than
P150. The burgers are pretty good (P100) and the foot-long
sandwiches are a bargain at P65. Upstairs becomes a
popular karaoke bar most nights.
Daily 6am-11pm.
Squidos
Calle Hama
T
0919 227 5537; map p.385.
It's
not on the beach, but this is one of the most popular
backpacker hangouts in town, with cosy tables, free wi-fi
and decent seafood (P150-200).
Daily 24hr.
V and V Bagel
Calle Hama
T
0926 706 0161; map
p.385.
Freshly baked bagels with a host of appetizing
fillings, from the classic New York pastrami to the
“Delicatessen” (cream cheese, smoked salmon, red onions
and capers) - both P265.
Daily 7.30am-8.30pm.
7
DIRECTORY
Banks and exchange
There are no banks or ATMs in
El Nido; the nearest is in Roxas (if it's working), so you
should bring enough cash to last your stay. You can change
money at many of the resorts and may be able to get a cash
advance at the Petron petrol station (daily 7am-7pm) at
the southern end of the beach near the pier (for which they
will charge 7 percent commission).
Internet access
You'll find numerous internet cafés in
El Nido, though the connection only works when there's
electricity (from 2pm). Singh Internet Café is on Calle
Hama; on Serena St there's Game On Internet (most places
2pm-midnight; P50/hr). Numerous cafés and resorts also
have free wi-fi.
The Calamian Islands
The island-hopping, kayaking, diving and trekking in the
Calamian Islands
, north of
mainland Palawan, in many ways trumps the parent island, especially when it comes to
its world-famous
wreck diving
. From the main settlement of
Coron Town
on the largest
island,
Busuanga
, you can explore the awe-inspiring islands and reefs of Coron Bay,
beginning with the lagoons and coves hidden among the staggering limestone cliffs of
Coron Island
. Here you can climb up to volcanic
Lake Lak
, not only a bewitching place
to swim but also one of the Philippines' most unusual dive sites. Further south is
Culion Island
, an intriguing former leper colony, while
Calauit
, separated from the
northern tip of Busuanga by the mangrove-lined Ditapic River, is the home of a
curious
wildlife sanctuary
. The waters around the Calamians are also feeding grounds
for the endangered
dugong
- the best tours to see them are arranged by
Club Paradise
on Dimakya Island (see p.393).
The Calamian group were badly affected by
Typhoon Yolanda
, and though the
landscapes and diving remain largely intact many houses and buildings (including
resorts) were damaged and electricity supply remains sketchy. All of the accommodation
options listed in this Guide were at least partially open at the time of writing, and it is
certainly still worth the long journey here.
Busuanga Island
Busuanga
is the largest island in the group, but is mostly wild and undeveloped, with
little to see beyond the lively fishing community of
Coron Town
on the south coast and
its hinterlands. Coron Town is the main base for exploring the
shipwrecks
in adjacent
