The Philippines - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 661

INFORMATION
Tourist information The Municipal Tourist O ce (daily
8am-5pm; T 0917 841 7771, W elnidotourism.com) is
near the church; they provide maps, info on the local
area and accommodation. El Nido Boutique and Artcafé
( W elnidoboutiqueandartcafe.com) on Calle Serena is a
better resource for tourist information and you can make
travel arrangements here.

karst cliffs with their fearsomely jagged
rocky outcrops are believed to have been
formed over sixty million years ago,
emerging from the sea as a result of India
colliding with mainland Asia. Weathering
and erosion have produced deep crevices,
caves, underground rivers and sinkholes
in endlessly strange and wonderful
permutations that were allegedly the
inspiration for Alex Garland's novel
he Beach . he result is one of the most
beautiful island seascapes on earth.
El Nido itself is a laidback, backpacker-
friendly place where electricity is
sometimes only available from 2pm to
6am, but it's changing fast. Advance
reservations are essential if you're on a
budget, and especially at Christmas,
New Year and Chinese New Year. Prices
for all-day island-hopping bangka trips
are set by the local government and now
cost P1200-1400 per person depending
on the islands visited, plus a P200
ecotourism development fee valid for ten
days. here are numerous places offering
trips; one of the best is the El Nido
Boutique and Artcafé .

ACCOMMODATION
The Alternative Calle Serona T 0917 595 5952,
E [e-mail]. The waves literally break under
the rooms and the top-floor restaurant has original
beanbag “nests” which you can s ink into over some great
vegetarian food. Free wi-fi. P600
La Banane T 0921 544 7868, E chelgravino@yahoo
.com. Decent backpacker accommodation with two dorm
rooms and a few doubles named after fruit. Once you
settle into the beanbags on the beach you may ne ver ge t
up agai n. Fre e computer access and wi-fi too. Dorm P350 ,
double P800
Relucio Pension T 0926 219 6640, E reluciopension
@yahoo.com. Three tame dogs plod the premises of this
welcoming family home with great-value rooms; th ere's a
balcony upstairs to soak in the wonderful sea views. P700
★

8

Spider Pension House T 0917 541 2885 or T 0929
572 2887. A warm welcome from a very friendly family
who will make you feel at home; ask for room one (P1000),
which has incredible sea views. The Spider is a liated with
the popular Tuba Tours ( W tuba-to urs.co m). Own er Tre cel
gives fantastic massages too. Dorm P400 , double P500

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By plane The town is a 6km tricycle ride (P200) from the
airport. Island Transvoyager ( W islandtransvoyager.com)
flies between Manila and El Nido three times daily (1hr
15min), and tickets (P6750) can now be booked long in
advance through Manila booking agents or the El Nido
Artcafé (see below). There's a strict 10kg luggage
allowance (including hand luggage), but excess baggage
is available at P100/kg.
By bangka Daily morning bangkas to Coron leave at 8am
and cost P1800 including lunch for the 7-8hr trip. Arrange
your ticket at the El Nido Boutique and Artcafé.
By bus and van The bus and van “terminal” is in Corong
Corong, a 10min walk or P20 tricycle ride from El Nido town.
There's a local market here where you can stock up on
supplies for your journey. There are regular (P294) and a/c
(P465) buses to Puerto Princesa (via Taytay and Roxas) with
Roro and Cherry (more comfortable), which take around
eight hours. Faster and more expensive, but often more
cramped vans (6hr; P700) also leave throughout the day.
Palawan Daytripper ( T 0917 848 8755, W daytripper
palawan.com; P900) is the comfortable alternative,
although they currently only have one daily service at 9am.
There are more bus and van services in the mornings and
last trips leave at 10pm. For Port Barton change in Roxas,
and for Sabang jump off at the Salvacion turn-off.

EATING AND DRINKING
There's an increasing array of places to eat, serving
everything from simple Pinoy classics to fresh seafood and
a range of international cuisine.
Balay Tubay Real St. Great little joint for daily live music,
with local bands hitting the stage at 7.30pm. Check out
owner Bong's impressive drawings of those who have
made a mark, from musicians to politicians. Happy hour
5-7pm. Daily 5pm-1am.
El Nido Boutique and Artcafé Calle Serena. A real
travellers' hangout and popular for hearty breakfasts
before an island-hopping trip, El Nido fills up again in the
evening for the live music (every night except Tues) and
cocktails. Meals (P200-400) are e ciently rustled up with
vegetables from their farm 7km out of town. Free wi-fi.
Daily 6.30am-11pm.
Lonesome Carabao Lounge Calle Hama. This homely
American-owned Mexican café-bar is popular for its
burritos, tacos and quesdillas (P250-290), plus its good
tunes and hard-hitting cocktails. They also feature a few
Middle Eastern dishes including shakshouka (P190). Free
wi-fi. Daily 7.30am-10.30pm.