9 Things you (probably) didn’t know about El Nido?

So, luck of all luck, we get to El Nido and have a few days of the best weather we have had in a while, and then it starts to rain. And it keeps on raining. I mean, it has been four days of rain. That, of course, doesn't stop anyone from getting down and getting their vacation on. We've been in EL Nido for two weeks now and, to be honest, are loving it. It is a beautiful place, the beaches are amazing. And having the chance to spend some time with our friends is a little very ok, lol.

So what have we learnt so far?

 

El Nido is a small town 6 hours away from Puerto Princesa. It’s a tourist town, and most of the buildings in El Nido are bars, tour shops, or hotels. Forget about the supermarket or the nice road. There are no lights and no stops. It’s safe. You can walk around with no fear. Coming back home at 4 in the morning is not a problem. 

When you are booking your ticket, you will probably be checking for flights straight to El Nido. Sounds fair, but don't. Instead, get a ticket to Puerto Princessa and then from there take a van(read minibus taxi) to El Nido. It will save you money. A fair price is 450 to 500 pesos. If your driver says 600, negotiate. Negotiation is a cornerstone of the culture. Also, don't forget there is the “foreigner tax” (the extra they will try to charge foreigners cause they think you don't know).

If you are used to taking the prices of things according to the tags, you need to leave that tendency behind. Here, you can negotiate, and you will win a lot of the time. But remember to keep it fair. 

The people are pretty cool. They are super nice and not only to people they know. They try to be helpful as much as possible.  This can lead to problems because they hardly ever say they don't know and will instead direct you in the wrong direction. 

As a side note, if you invite a local to dinner or the bar, know that you are expected to pay. 

Dress-wise...the locals can be more conservative, and so opt for covering up, particularly the chest area. This, of course, does not include the beach. In town, though, things are different. You will probably not be confronted for revealing a little, but you may get a stare or two. If you reveal too much, the locals may get offended, so the sheer crop type may not be the way to walk around town.

Other than that, pack for heat. Shorts, loose-fitting t-shirts and sandals are winners; anything else and you will be constantly waddling through pools of your own sweat.

Tricycles are the main means of getting around. If a motorcycle and a van had a baby, you would get the tricycle. They seat five people. Four in the passenger area and one behind the motorcycle driver. What they look like is not important. What is important is that you make sure to tell them where you are going clearly and also make sure to tell them what you are willing to pay. 

If you don't, they may take you for a ride, literally and figuratively. Ask around to find out how much your ride may cost. Generally, it is 10 pesos within the town and upwards as you leave town. The most we had to pay was Las Cabañas, which was 150 pesos from town. All else fails to see rule 3. 

Most of the people in Elnido use scooters or tricycles to get around. Since the streets aren’t large. However, it is still very safe. I haven’t seen any accidents. The plus is you can rent a motorcycle for a day/week/month at around 400 pesos/day. We suggest renting it for one day, doing some cycling sightseeing and then using the tricycles for everyday things. See number 6.

Do not drink the water! Okay, that is a little alarmist. What I meant to say is do not drink the tap water; drink from those blue bottles that your hotel/Airbnb will have, and look for Nido Life (Drinking water provider). If you do drink the tap water, you may end up with a few hours spent on Mr Loo, which will just be a stain on your holiday.  However, it is totally safe to shower with it as well as brush your teeth and do any such activities. Sometimes, we even cook with it, but it is best to boil it first. 

As a tourist area, you may find El Nido to be more expensive than Puerto Princessa in some ways. But this is negligible. I took a night out of 6 bars one night, and it only cost 10 dollars. And that was with drinking, eating and a whole load of other things.

That being said, take note there are only two ATMs in the town, one at BPI Bank and another at the Municipal Building. You have to carry cash, as card machines are not a thing in most restaurants or bars. 

The internet can be rather slow, but who needs the internet with natural beauty like this? Well, writers and online freelance workers like me, but that’s another story. We were able to get great accommodation with excellent WiFi here. 

Some of these seem bad, but it all blends together to make a great and interesting place to stay and experience. Check out our first impressions of El Nido here.  

El Nido has been great. We have seen and done so much. We have done everything from tourist stuff like boat expeditions to helping out friends with renovating their coffee shop to learning more about how things work around El Nido. And I have to say there have been numerous occasions when we have thought of just settling down here, but then the urge to travel keeps us on our toes. Another week or two in El Nido, and it will be time to move on.