Kayaking in El Nido

7 days

duration

November-May

Season

More than 7.000 islands are waiting for you

El Nido is a village located in the north-western part of the island of Palawan, in the Philippines. It is the access point to the Bacuit archipelago, a group of amazingly beautiful islands with steep limestone karst cliffs. Several of them will be part of our adventure.

On the other hand, you can enjoy Bacuit Bay. A wonder comparable to others in Southeast Asia that share the same tectonic plate: such as the Vietnamese bay of Halong and the Thai islands of Phuket and Krabi.

The limestone formations, emerging over the turquoise blue waters of small white sandy beaches and drilled by lagoons, create worlds as magical as the Secret Beach of Matinloc, which can only be reached after diving through a hole between the rocks or the big and small lagoons of Miniloc Island.

DEPARTURE PLACE

Manila

ARRIVAL PLACE

Resort chosen on an island in the Bacuit Archipelago

ARRIVAL TIME

2 to 3 hours by plane and boat

TRAVELLER PROFILE

Including families with children

INCLUDED

Hotel	Lunch
Local transport	Professional guide

NOT INCLUDED

Diving equipment

Extra Excursion

END OF THE JOURNEY

Manila

The tropical climate and insularity explain the exceptional biological richness of this region of the planet.

The best time to visit the Palawan area is from November to early June, avoiding the rainy season – from June to September – which can spoil the enjoyment of white sand beaches, rainforests and transparent seabeds.

Day 1. Departure Date

Once you arrive in Manila, normally you have to spend the night in the city because it is almost impossible to connect directly to our final destination. We will find a good hotel where to sleep and depending on the time we arrive we decide if we want to make a quick mini-visit to the historic area or simply want to rest in our hotel.

Day 2

Breakfast at the hotel. Early in the morning, a car will take us to a local airfield to catch a plane to the Lio Airport of El Nido (75 minutos). There we will be waiting for a traditional bus, a jeepney, which will transfer us , in about 5 minutes, to a small pier where a speedboat with our escort will be waiting for us to take us to the chosen resort. Depending on the hotel chosen another option is to fly via Puerto Princesa (the capital of Palawan) or another small airport in Busuanga. If instead, we have chosen the Amanpulo resort, on the Aman chain, it can only be reached by plane chartered by the resort itself. It is located in Pamalican, a private island in the middle of the Sulu Sea.

Day 3

Today is a relaxing day to enjoy the white beaches of the islands next to the resort and swim in its crystal clear waters.

Day 4

Today we will go kayaking through the big lagoon and the small lagoon on the island of Miniloc, famous for its crystal clear waters. A typical Filipino boat will take us to the area and from there we will take our kayak. The archipelago of Bacuit is wonderful and hundreds of islands await for us. One more surprising than the other one. For example, the nearby island of Shimizu has a lot of fish and in the area there are many places for diving, such as the long tunnel of the island of Dilumacad, which leads to an underwater cavern.

Day 5

Today is diving day, and if you do not know how to dive, it can be a good opportunity to do what is called a Discover Scuba or a one-day training course to see if you like it. Failing that, snorkeling is also a fantastic possibility. Diving or snorkeling can be done practically anywhere. We will discuss a couple of sites which, depending on where ypur chosen resort is located, are more or less suitable. Making distances by boat is not the same as by plane or car. For example, from El Nido a Corón you need about 6 hours by speedboat

The best experience is to approach the island of Corón, north of Palawan. There we can dive to enter the cemetery of sunken Japanese ships during the World War II known as the „Corón Fleet“. A unique place with sunken ships for all levels of diving, from the most expert to beginner level In this place during World War II American aviation sank a group of Japanese navy ships that anchored in shallow water and whose remains are now enjoyed by wreck divers.

El Calamianes archipelago, located between the Chinese Sea and the Sulu Sea, is a true diving paradise and does not have to envy anything to El Nido. The main islands of the group are Busuanga, Coron, Culion and Linapacan.

Another interesting point is about 150 kilometers south of Puerto Princesa, in the Sulu Sea, is the Marine National Park of the Tubbataha Reef, a protected area of almost 100,000 hectares of marine habitats, with three atolls and a wide high sea areas. In the reef ecosystem there are whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles and Napoleon fish. The Tubbataha reef and the nearby Basterra are only accessible, from February to June, on organized trips.

Day 6

Relax: Today we enjoy the beaches and activities that can be done in the Resort. Our kayak is stranded in the sand, in front of our cabin. Always ready to take a ride with him.

Day 7. Return

After breakfast, and depending on when our flight leaves from Manila International Airport, a speedboat will transfer us to catch one of the 3 regular daily flights from El Nido to Manila. Once there, we will change Airports, from the local to the international one. You have to calculate the times very well because there are many routes and all of them take their time. But we already have that calculated.

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or visit the Subterranean River in Puerto Princesa, World Heritage. Several companies fly from Manila to Puerto Princesa, capital of the Palawan Island, it´s just an hour and a half to fly. The Subterranean River National Park, a spectacular limestone karst landscape with 11 different ecosystems, awaits us about 50 kilometers northwest, along the west coast of the island. Crests, hills and cliffs are combined with moist forests, mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs. The park shelters numerous species in danger of extinction, but the main attraction is the Cabayugan, a river that disappears under the Mount of Saint Paul and flows underground along 8.2 kilometers, meandering through caves and stalactite and stalagmite formations, before emptying directly into the Chinese Sea. The river mixes the sweet water with the salty water and, at its lowest point, is influenced by the effect of the tides. From Sabang, you can take a small boat that reaches the entrance of the river cave and there you can take a canoe and at the light of a lantern, navigate through a labyrinth of rocks and water. Outside, a perfectly marked path runs through the jungle under which the river flows.

Philippines, withmore than 7.000 islands, is a wonderful place you have to visit. Specifically, Palawan is the fifth largest island of the Philippines, which extends to the west, in the Sulu Sea, facing Malaysia. At the same time, its province, is formed by almost 2,000 islands. In the Northwest is El Nido It is known for its wild landscapes of virgin nature. Its endless beaches, mangroves, mountains and challenging cliffs with UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park, in the Sulu Sea, and Biosphere Reserve. The underground river (and National Park) of its capital, Puerto Princesa, the wrecks of Corón Island, recognized as one of the best places in the world for diving and its famous crystal clear lagoons, are just some of what you can discover. I f you like little adventures, combined with relaxing on the beach, diving or explorar. No doubt this is your place.

Calamianes Archipelago. The archipelago is located between the Chinese Sea and the Sulu Sea, northwest of Palawan, past El Nido. The main islands of the group are Busuanga, Coron, Culion, and Linapacan.