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GETTING TO EL NIDO
El Nido is located about 430 km southwest of Manila and about 240 km north of Puerto Princesa. Getting to El Nido can be half the fun, although the quickest (but most expensive) way is certainly by a charter flight directly from Manila . Two airlines currently service El Nido from Manila , Island Transvoyager and South East Asian Airlines . ITI flies twice daily, directly to El Nido and takes about 75 minutes. SEAir makes a stop in Busuanga prior to landing in El Nido. Although this flight takes longer (overall 90 minutes), the low altitude flight (often 6000 ft) from Busuanga to El Nido gives one of the most spectacular bird's eye views of the hundreds of islands between Busuanga and mainland Palawan. Another flight option is to fly to Puerto Princesa (many carriers such as Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific service Puerto Princesa) and then take public or private land transportation to El Nido (drive time approx. 6 hrs). Public transportation is inexpensive (500 pesos or about $12 USD each way, but the buses are not air-conditioned and can be crowded. Private transport is more expensive (9000 pesos, $215 USD) but you get a nice air-conditioned van with the ability to stop and take pictures or have a relaxed lunch at your desire.
There are public cargo / passenger ferries that travel from Manila to El Nido but the sailing time is often more than 30 hrs. Contact Atienza Shipping Lines or San Nicolas Lines for schedule and prices. More luxurious ferries travel to Puerto Princesa with similar sailing times. |
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The Super Ferry offers accommodations ranging from dorm-room style bunk beds, to private first class cabins. Once in Puerto Princesa, travelling to El Nido is by land transportation with choices as above.
One option that is becoming popular is flying to Busuanga and cruising (banca) to El Nido via Coron. The cruising time from Coron is about 6 hours but is very weather dependent. The cruising can be very nice offering fantastic views of the islands, or can be a rough ride. Usually the summer months (Feb – May) offer the best chance of good weather as the winds are calm and from the east. This option is not recommended during the rainy season when monsoonal rains and wind originate from the southwest.
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