A Practical Guide to Island Hopping Tour A in El Nido, Palawan
El Nido on Palawan Island, in the Philippines, is a world-renowned destination famous for island hopping, snorkeling, swimming and relaxing on sandy beaches. One of the most popular tours to explore El Nido's cluster of islands is tour A. In this post we will outline things you can see and do on tour A, how much the tour costs and how is this boat trip like.
When you ask travelers what destination would they recommend for island hopping, exploring beautiful beaches, and for the best water activities, we believe that the Philippines would have been high on the list.
If you ask us, El Nido on the Philippines' Palawan Island is unquestionably the number one place where we would like to return one day to see natural beauty, both above water and underwater again.
When in El Nido, you have plenty of options on which tour to choose from the standard range of boat day trips named A, B, C or D. Here in this post is everything you should know before booking the most popular tour out of those four, tour A.
Do you want to know what you can see on tour A, what places will you visit, what stops will be included on your itinerary and how much things cost?
Keep reading then!
THINGS TO SEE AND DO ON ‘A’ TOUR
Tour A offers a great mixture of beautiful beaches, lagoons with turquois water, limestone cliffs, perfect snorkeling. Here are places usually included in the standard tour. Tour operators usually visit destinations in the same order, but you can ask around if someone don’t have a different itinerary so you won’t have to share lagoons and beaches with that many people.
SMALL LAGOON
You can read about new rules in El Nido below in this post, but in short, you must decide whether you want to visit Small Lagoon or Big Lagoon, it is impossible to visit both in the same day.
Trust us both lagoons are stunning, only the Small Lagoon is, well, tinier. But the water is similarly beautiful and clean, and limestone cliffs rise dramatically from the sea.
BIG LAGOON
Before traveling to the Philippines, we probably did not know that water can be so turquoise.
Add cliffs surrounding the lagoon and dramatic landscape, and Big Lagoon will quickly become your favorite spot you will be dreaming about a long time after your vacation ends. Water in the lagoon is shallow, and boats always had troubles to navigate around the bay, but today no ship can enter the lagoon, so you can either rent a kayak or swim inside to enjoy the beauty around.
SECRET LAGOON
El Nido is not a secret destination anymore, and neither is the so-called Secret Lagoon.
Secret Lagoon is sometimes known as Hidden Lagoon, but it is still the same place. The lagoon is rather small, so it can get crowded in the high season which can spoil the experience, but when lucky enough it can be a highlight of your tour.
You need to swim through a small hole in the side of the limestone to get to the lagoon. We should probably mention here that all tours in El Nido require a bit of swimming, so make sure you feel comfortable in the water before signing up for the tour.
On the other hand, we met many non-swimmers who were wearing life jackets all the time or even stayed on the boat.
It is perfectly fine, you only need to know what to expect to avoid disappointment.
SHIMIZU ISLAND
Shimizu Island is a traditional lunch spot, an incredibly stunning lunch spot we must emphasize.
Before our guides set everything up, we could enjoy yet another ridiculously beautiful place. It is possible to snorkel here as well, but currents can be strong, especially in the afternoon, so ask your guide first to make sure swimming is safe.
7 COMMANDO BEACH
Seven Commando Beach is usually the last stop on the full day tour as it is the closest to El Nido town.
You can do whatever you like on this beautiful stretch of long white sandy beach. Coconut trees line the beach, you can relax here, buy a beer or snorkel, whatever activity you prefer after the long day out.
The beach got its name because a legend says that seven Japanese commandos end up living here for several years during WWII.
HOW TO BOOK 'A' ISLAND HOPPING TOUR TOUR
You have two options on how to reserve your island hopping tour: directly in El Nido or online. We think you should not have a problem to find a certified tour operator with 'A' tour available on the spot, but it can happen that Big Lagoon will be already sold out on the date of your choice.
Booking online is always a bit more expensive, but when you know your exact travel dates, you can secure your tour with entrance to the Big Lagoon in advance.
HOW MUCH 'A' ISLAND HOPPING TOUR COST & NEW RULES
Unfortunately, it is not true that more you pay the better quality you get when it comes to standard boat island hopping tours in El Nido.
You can shop around El Nido and try to bargain, but we are not sure it is possible anymore as the government standardized prices of tours on Palawan, and you should pay a fixed rate for 'A' tour, 1200 PHP per person.
You also need to pay the additional environmental fee 200 PHP per person which is usually not included in the price offered on the streets or online, but you pay it only once, and you can use it for any other tour within ten days.
Tour 'A' is the most popular out of four trips offered in El Nido (A, B, C, D), so more strict rules have been applied lately to ensure environmental balance and protection against over tourism.
How does it work?
When we visited El Nido back in days, we could have traveled to both, Small Lagoon and Big Lagoon, but this is not possible anymore. You need to choose only one destination as there is a certain limit of people who can get in the place daily because both lagoons now belong among Palawan's Premium Destinations.
You need to choose a certified tour operator with permission to sail to the lagoons and pre-register yourself at least one day before departure.
It is impossible to say which lagoon is prettier as both are stunning - take whatever is available. You also need to pay an additional entrance fee to either Big Lagoon or Small Lagoon, 200 PHP.
On top of that, boats cannot enter lagoons, so you need to either rent a kayak for 300 PHP or swim inside.
We certainly understand those rules, as El Nido is one of the most heavily visited places in the Philippines, income from tourism is extremely important for all people living there, and the government wants to make sure that this place won't soon face the same problem as the notorious Boracay Beach.
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
FOOD ON 'A' TOUR
We must admit that we still cannot decide whether the best part of the island hopping tour was the crystal clear water and limestone islands or the food.
The food part was excellent.
We always stopped on a beach - on this tour A it was the Shimizu Island where our guides prepared great lunch for us (they were cooking it since morning on the boat).
Lunch is served as a buffet, and we usually had fresh fish, chicken, rice, vegetables, salads, paella, and a wide selection of fresh fruit.
Drinking water is sometimes included and sometimes not, ask in the office, but we would take at least a liter, just in case.
GROUP TOURS VERSUS PRIVATE TOURS
El Nido is for sure the pearl of the Philippines, and we understand you would like to enjoy it privately, but unfortunately, it is not possible.
No matter if you are traveling with a group tour or with a private tour, you will be following the same schedule and visiting the same places, so the only advantage of taking a private tour is that you won't be sharing the boat with strangers during cruising from one point of interest to another, but note you would have to dig deep in your pocket.
Realistically we would have considered taking a private tour only when traveling in a larger group with friends or family.
The price for the full day private tour is between 6000 PHP to 7500 PHP.
WHERE TO STAY IN EL NIDO
El Nido was once a small fishing village, but the word about its beauty has already spread out. Nowadays, almost no Philippines itinerary is complete without visiting Palawan and El Nido, that's why you can find here many hotels and hostels for every budget trying to satisfy the high demand.
Budget | ElBimbo Travellers Lodge - If you are looking for a clean private room with private bathroom and traveling on a budget, this is the place to go. Wifi also works well, which you should not take for granted in this part of the world.
Mid-range | Amakan - Bed | Bunk | Breakfast - Centrally located hotel offers a wide range of accommodation, great breakfast, air-conditioning, comfortable beds, and helpful staff. Best value for your money in El Nido.
Luxury | Panorama Resort - Excellent rooms set on a private beach are the main reason why to spend your time in this resort. This place has a modern look, offers an outdoor swimming pool and great food as well.
Alternatively, search for your accommodation via Hostelworld.
WHAT TO PACK FOR EL NIDO ISLAND HOPPING
You don't need to bring much for island hopping near El Nido, but here are a couple of things we think are essential to pack as the tour lasts 8 hours.
Waterproof Bag | This is our favorite water-resistant bag we use to protect our electronics during water activities.
Snorkel Mask & Fins | You can rent snorkeling gear for 150 PHP, but we think it pays off to have own not only because it is more hygienic, but also rented equipment is not often in the best quality.
Water Bottle | El Nido works to cut down on single plastic use, but ask your tour operator if drinking water is included. If yes, take your own reusable water bottle.
Phone Waterproof Case | We don't know anyone who leaves the phone on the room when setting off for a day trip, so buy a waterproof case to protect your phone.
GoPro | Adventure underwater camera is perfect when traveling around the Philippines as snorkeling is perfect here.
Sunscreen | Sun is way too strong in Asia, especially when you spend all day in the water, so having a quality sunscreen is a must.
MONEY
You need to bring cash with you only if you plan on renting a kayak in either Big Lagoon or Small Lagoon, or in case you would like to buy coconut water or another refreshment on one of the islands.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
