El Nido Boat Tour A: Everything You Need To Know
El Nido is world famous for its boat tours around limestone cliffs in aquamarine water, and it is not to be missed during your stay in Palawan. There are lots of different choices for your boat tour, El Nido has four different tour routes A, B, C and D and you can choose to go on a shared boat or a private boat.
In this blog we share everything you need to know about Boat Tour A, the most popular route to go on. There are a few reasons why Tour A is the most popular, first of all it has 4 stops covering a wide range of activities including Kayaking, Snorkelling Beaches and Lagoons. They will also provide you with a local lunch right on the beach, a perfect way to spend the day if you ask us!
El Nido is most famous for its world-class island hopping tours. Make sure to not get scammed and book with a reputable company!
Note: These tours get extremely busy, we were lucky to visit during off-season where the tour was still busy but not overwhelmingly. If you visit in peak season choosing one of the less popular tours (if you don’t like crowds) may suit you better or if you can afford it go on a private boat tour as these can depart from 6am rather than 9am
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Don't miss this El Nido Island Hopping Tour, we chose Tour A.
Where Is El Nido Boat Tour A?
All the boat tours leave from the main beach in El Nido Town, located in the north west of the island Palawan in the Philippines. You can book your tour online here, from one of the many stalls in the town or through your accommodation.
How To Get To El Nido Beach?
The time to meet is always 9am and the Meeting Point for your tour will be the beach connected to El Nido Town. You won’t miss the crowds of people getting on boats, just make sure you stay with your guide to get on the right boat.
We were lucky and our tour provider picked us up from our accommodation and took us to the beach and our boat.
We recommend booking with a reputable company with good reviews to avoid any horror stories.
Boat Tour A What To Expect
There are four stops on El Nido Boat Tour A with a variety of activities, we share what to expect from each activity below. The tour starts at 9am and usually finishes around 4pm, so it’s a full day out on a boat.
Big Lagoon
Big Lagoon is usually the first stop for lots of boats, however when we arrived it was already crammed with boats and our captain decided to move on and come back. Were very glad he did as this was our favourite stop on the whole tour.
The dramatic limestone cliffs carve a path to Big Lagoon, you disembark your boat and hire a kayak for ₽300 each, and head off down the path. With sheer cliffs either side of you as you paddle, the dramatic landscape draws your eyes down through the crystal clear water that you're gliding on. We peacefully made our way around the lagoon marvelling at the rock formations and even found a small cave to explore.
Secret Lagoon
The first stop on our tour and we were a little disappointed with this one. Don’t get me wrong the beauty of Secret Lagoon is unmatched but it was crammed full of tourists, we were even told during peak season guests can wait up to 30 minutes to enter the lagoon.
People aside, this place was magical. We jumped off our traditional boat and into the waves, after a short but tough swim (we recommend wearing life jackets) we came to the entrance of Secret Lagoon. The tour guides will help you through the small opening and you’ll emerge into Secret Lagoon. A pool enclosed by a collection of limestone cliffs, the scenery is unmatched but taken away slightly by all the bobbing life jackets.
Shimizu Island
Shimizu island was our stop for lunch. A picture perfect beach with water as clear as glass and fine grain sand. We spent a good hour here relaxing in the shallow waters and admiring the landscape. Our guide produced a spread of fried fish, rice, adobo, pancit and some other bits for lunch. We also had watermelon for fruit, however we were slightly disappointed by this lunch. We had seen pictures of large fruit platters and beautifully displayed food, this isn’t what we experienced but we know lots of people who did.
Aptly named as seven Japanese commandos were stranded after their submarine sank and sought refuge on the island during world war 2 . The beach is a classic paradise, lined with palm trees, white sand and azure water. We stayed here for an hour exploring the beach and bathing in the shallow water. If you plan on clambering over the rocks and swimming further out beware the rocks can be sharp so we recommend wearing shoes.
El Nido Boat Tour Common Questions
How Much Does The El Nido Boat Tour A Cost?
The tour costs ₽1500 per person.
How Long Does Boat Tour A Take?
The boat tour starts at 9am and returns back to the beach at 4pm making the whole tour experience 7 hours long.
What To Bring For El Nido Tour A?
Water Shoes - The Limestone rock can be very sharp and the Philippines is also notorious for sea urchins, I'm sure you'll see plenty but make sure to be protected!
Go Pro & Waterproof Phone Case - Get the most incredible photos and videos with these
Dry Bag - Keep all of your valuables salt water free
Loads of Water!
Snorkel (you can also hire these)
Wear your Swimming Costume as you spend most of your time in the water
What Are The Other Boat Tours In El Nido?
You can also explore El Nido through Boat Tours B, C and D.
Best Places To Stay In El Nido
El Nido has lots of areas for you to stay in. You could stay in the centre of the town, everything like tours, bars and restaurants will be a walk away as your based in the hub. The town is quiet in the day but comes alive at night. If you don't want to stay in the town or are on a budget look at other areas such as Corong Corong.
We use Booking.com and HostelWorld for all of our stays around the world!
Below is a list of top accommodations we recommend for El Nido, Palawan:
Top Things To Do In El Nido
Famous for its white sand beaches, vibrant coral reefs and crystal clear water surrounded by limestone cliffs, El Nido has become a tourist hot spot in recent years. There is definitely no shortage of things to see and do in and around this beautiful town, below we share our favourite attractions so you don't miss out.
Top Pick: El Nido Boat Tour
This is a must in El Nido! We went on Tour A during off-season and were told it gets extremely busy so maybe try out one of the other Tours on offer if you are visiting at peak season.
Best Beaches: Napcan and Duli Beach
Duli Beach is a locals surfing beach with azure water, palm trees and white sand. Although a little drive away, we think it’s worth it.
Off The Beaten Track: Head To Port Barton
A 3 hour drive from El Nido, Port Barton is a small fishing village which is less developed but still set up for tourism. We loved it here and the Boat Tour is amazing.
Best Place To Eat: Fuego El Nido Proper Burgers
El Nido is packed full with Western restaurants but we were disappointed with nearly all our meals. So take our advice, spend a bit more and go get yourself an amazing burger.
Other Things To Do In El Nido
Once you're done in El Nido, head over to Coron!
Essential Travel Items You Need
 | Lifestraw - Filtered Water Bottle Allowing you to fill up water whenever and wherever with peace of mind plus you’re helping the environment! |
 | Jungle Formula - High Deet Mosquito Spray The weak sprays will not work! Make sure to bring a high deet percentage spray made for the tropics. We also use Mosquito Wipes. |
 | Water Shoes - Lightweight with Protection Stay protected from Sea Urchins with these, also useful for snorkelling, waterfall hikes and more. We also love our Microfibre Towels and Dry Bag. |
 | Universal Travel Adaptor With Multiple USBs Life while travelling will never be the same again! Charge multiple devices all at once in any country... game changer. |
Top Tips For Travelling The Philippines
If you’re visiting the Philippines here are our top travel tips:
Book flights in advance - they can become expensive if you leave it last minute… oh and check your luggage allowance to skip expensive check in fees at the airport. Don't forget your Apple Airtags to track your bags
Agree on taxi prices upfront - when getting into a tuk-tuk, tricycle or taxi, make sure you agree on a price or they have a meter, so many tourists get ripped off with a huge price tag at the end of the ride.
Take it slow - don't feel the need to see all the islands, we recommend picking a few and doing them properly. See the island in full, find some locals and sing Karaoke..
Embrace the chaos and get stuck in, the locals are friendly and love to help and share information about their home!
For a checklist of what's needed to pack for your trip, read: How to Pack for Backpacking to South East Asia: Backpacking Essentials and Accessories
We love our DJI Mini for all of our drone shots!
Final Thoughts on El Nido Boat Tour A
If you’re in El Nido a boat tour is a must! Looking back we might have picked a quieter boat tour such as D or splashed out for a private tour but were still so glad we did the tour. The dramatic landscape alongside the sift beaches and tranquil water is not to be missed!
The highlight of our trip was Big Lagoon, kayaking in our little yellow boat through the sharp limestone cliffs dwarfed us and made us understand why so many people are drawn to El Nido, it really is the jewel of the Philippines.
Don't miss this El Nido Island Hopping Tour, we chose Tour A. Also checkout this El Nido Napcan and Duli Beach Tour!
Travel Tools To Help You Plan
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Thank you for reading and enjoy your Philippine adventure. Reach out to us over on Instagram @KateandMikesTravels. We always love to hear from people who read our blogs!
For our Filipino friends: Maraming salamat sa pag babasa, hangang sa susunod nating pag kikita, mamimiss namin kayo, mabuhay ang pilipinas! Salamat
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