We stayed in Puerto Princesa and booked the El Nido Island Hopping Tour. They warned us that we would have to be ready to leave at 4 am and that it is a 6 hour drive to El Nido. Then of course a 6 hour ride back. That sure makes for a very long day. The tour bus picked us up right on time @ 4am. We then drove around to gather up the others who also booked this tour. In all there were 13 of us. The road to El Nido is very well maintained. It was paved the whole way. We did stop for restroom breaks and souvenir shopping. All things concidered it was a nice 6 hour ride. Once in El Nido we hooked up with others. Our guide suggested that we rent thier rubber padded surf shoes because the coral and rocks are sharp and could cut our feet. At first I thought us was just another way for them to make a few extra pesos. I was wrong. These shoes were the best 250 peso I ever spent. The coral is very sharp. We went out on a small boat with our guide and two workers. Our island hopping tour consisted of stops at the Big Bay, the Hidden Lagoon, a snorkling area with beautiful coral and fish and a place called Secret Beach plus lunch on the beach. At Big Bay we rented a kayak and paddled around the bay. It is surround by beautiful cliff walls and has crystal clear water. We were lucky to have a large green sea turtle swim near us. We saw lots of fish and several large birds. We did get out and snorkle a little here. I enjoyed the Big Bay. The next stop was the Hidden Lagoon. The only way into this place is to crawl through a very small opening in the rocks. I mean CRAWL and SMALL! It took 20 minutes for our group just to get in side. Once inside you are surrounded by very high and besutiful rock cliffs. Its was worth the crawl in and out. Next we went to an snorkling area. The rocks and coral and fish were amazing. None of us wanted to leave. After this we stopped on a sandy beach for lunch. Our guide doubled as a chef. We enjoyed fresh cooked fish, shrimp, chicken, pork, veggies and fruits of all kinds. Soda and cool water were also provided. I really enjoyed our lunch! Lastly we went to a place called Secret Beach. Here you can relax on hammoks on the beach and drink a cold beer from the little nipa hut store. You can also swim and snorkle some more. This was a nice way to end the island hopping tour. Now we only have another 6 hour drive back to the hotel.
To avoid the 6 hour drive I suggest staying in El Nido.

A must visit in El Nido!

The beauty of islands here is Truly Captivating. In order to reach the Lagoon, tourists must rent a Kayak at P250 (good for 2 pax) or if a good swimmer, he/she must swim.

Be ready with your waterproof camera to capture Memories!