Lutong Filipino Style: El Nido, Island Hopping

El Nido, Island Hopping - Palawan Food Trip Part 1. I would like to take a break on posting recipes. This time I want to share in pictures our El Nido, Island Hopping Food Trip. By posting our El Nido, Palawan Island Hopping Trip, I hope in a way it could help our readers that are planning to go to El Nido.

Last December we finally have change to go to El Nido, Palawan on an island hopping adventure. The El Nido, Palawan Trip was supposed to happen this year. We originally have planned to first visit Coron and Calauit, Palawan with a side trip to the Underground River in Sabang. But then because Coron was directly hit by super typhoon Yolanda we decided to take the El Nido trip instead and hopefully go to Coron and Calauit this year.

I will not be posting so much on the island hopping experience on this blog that is reserved for a posting on our travel blog, Overseas Pinoy Travels. Instead I am only highlighting the food experience and adventures on our stay at El Nido and the foods that our tour guides have prepared during our island hopping tours.

Tour - A Lunch at Simizu Island

Tour - B Lunch at Snake Island

To get the most out of the trip we have planned to take at least 3 of the standard island hopping tours that are available.

Tour A - Visit the 3 lagoons on Miniloc Island. Small Lagoon, big Lagoon and Secret Lagoon, snorkel around Simizu Island and enjoy the white Sand on Entulala Island.

Tour B - A visit to Snake Islands, Cudugnun Cave, Catherdral Cave, Lagen and Pinabuyutan Island.

Tour C - Snorkel tour at Matinloc, Tapuitan Islands Secret Beach, Matinloc Shrine, Hidden Beach and Helicopter Island. Tour C was eventual abandoned halfway because of high waves due to bad weather.

We have opted to DIY itinerary instead of going to travel agents that offers tour packages this way we have more control on our time, places to visit and free choice on where to stay. With the exception of our island hopping tours, all our bookings are made online. Our island hopping tour booking was made upon our arrival, you may choice to book your tours on recommendations from your transport van driver or from your hotel either way it is cheaper than booking thru a travel agent in Manila.

Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Tiger Airlines fly to Puerto Princesa City daily, we have opted to take Cebu Pacific.

Land travel from Puerto Princesa City to El Nido takes about 5 to 6 hours. There are a lot of shuttle vans and RoRo aircon buses that run between Puerto Princesa City and El Nido. But do remember that the travel time is about 5 hours or more if you are taking the bus which departs at certain times only. I you are not comfortable to travel on a smelly and awfully cramped shuttle vans then I would recommend taking the Daytripper Transport Palawan, service includes airport or hotel pick up, comfortable seats with leg room and snacks, clean 10 and 12 seater vans and you could book and pay online.

Our hotel booking was made thru Agoda, there are good pension houses to stay if you are on a limited budget. We stayed at Zaniya Pension House, there is no point staying on an expensive and overrated hotels at El Nido there is not much difference on quality, anyway you will be out island hopping most of the day and when you return to your hotel you will be dead tired and want to sleep right away. Be warned that electricity in El Nido is only on from 2PM to 6AM, chose a hotel or pension house that have generator.

Dining and breakfast is not a problem, the town may be small but there are some good places to eat. For breakfast there are plenty of choices from the restaurants and eateries that line the beach front, just be there early before the boat boarding times of your island hopping tours, these beach front restaurants and eateries are also convenient for a quick snack after returning from your island hopping trip and before heading to your hotel.

For dinner obviously because we stayed only for limited time we were able to try a couple of restaurant in the town and at the beach front.

We had freshly made brick oven pizza pasta and salad at Altrove Trattoria.