If you may have landed on this web page, you already know that you’ve 4 choices for island hopping in El Nido – tour A, B, C, or D, and are in all probability questioning if tour B is price your time.
El Nido is a well-liked vacation spot, and regardless of which island hopping tour you be part of, you might be certain to share the day with numerous different folks. I’m completely happy to report that not like the favored tour A and tour C, tour B is a bit on the under-the-radar aspect, and is subsequently your alternative to go on a bunch tour with out the group.
I visited El Nido in November 2022, and joined tour A, B and C throughout my 5-day keep. Here’s my trustworthy overview on the tour B that will help you resolve if it’s for you:
How to Book El Nido Tour B:
I booked all of my El Nido excursions by means of Klook, which I extremely suggest, as I didn’t should spend anymore time on the lookout for a bunch tour while on the journey. Because of that, I used to be capable of plan my days forward of time, and if you’re a Type A like me, you’d respect that, too.
I used to be stunned to see that the tour is marketed at the next value on the island, which, whereas I’m positive is negotiable, I very a lot choose to have had it booked forward on-line. El Nido can also be a really money primarily based city, so in case you ebook the tour in particular person, you might be more than likely to should pay in money. Speaking of which, come to El Nido with adequate money! Even although there appear to be loads of ATMs on the town, they don’t all the time work. Currency alternate charges are very poor – I realized that the onerous method.
How Much is El Nido Tour B?
El Nido Tour B itself prices $18.89, and in contrast to tour A & C, didn’t require any further entrance or kayak rental charges. If you want to hire a snorkel and masks, it’s a further 150 PHP (about $3). There’s additionally a obligatory environmental price to pay at 200 PHP, which is legitimate for 10 days and can be utilized for different excursions. These charges are collected in money solely.
It ended up being the most affordable tour I took on El Nido, and though it’s marketed as a 4-5 hour tour on the reserving web site, it ended up taking the entire day from 8:30am – 4:30pm.
El Nido Tour B Itinerary:
Hotel switch will not be included on this tour. You can prepare for a tricycle journey for about 300 PHP to the meetup level, which is Klook’s counter at Jhanna’s Inn earlier than 8:30am. then, relying in your luck, your group could depart anytime between immediately to an hour later, relying on the coastal guard clearance. This is the fact of group excursions, don’t let it spoil your day! Once you board the boat, you might be required to placed on a life jacket to ensure that the boat to depart. The tour information launched himself and the remainder of the boat crew, which encompass a prepare dinner, a captain and two boatmen.
First Stop: Pinagbuyatan Island (half-hour)
Unfortunately, the day began with fairly a little bit of rain for us, however that didn’t cease me from having enjoyable! Pinagbuyatan is an isle that’s well-known for its limestone formations that had been shaped hundreds of years in the past. I loved swimming within the rain and monkeying everywhere in the limestones by the seaside. We additionally had the seaside all to ourselves for an excellent quarter-hour. This is one thing to bear in mind when island hopping – you may’t management the climate, so simply make one of the best out of it, no matter it’s!
Second Stop: Papaya Beach (half-hour)
I’ve to confess that I do not know why is that this seaside named after papaya. The tour information did defined however I used to be too busy placing my water sneakers on to leap within the water as a result of fortunate for us, the sky cleared and the solar was out! The seaside presents a mixture of white sand, blue water and plush jungle perfection that appears straight out of a Hollywood film.
Third Stop: Cathedral Cave (quarter-hour)
El Nido Tour B is also called the Cave Tour because it takes you to 2 totally different caves, and the Cathedral Cave is certainly one of them. This is a fast cease simply to search for into the cavern-like cave shaped within the cliffside of one of many islands – most tour boats are too huge to enterprise very far inside. We spent about quarter-hour right here for everybody to take flip to get footage earlier than heading to a different cave.
Fourth Stop: Cudugnon Cave (45 minutes)
To get to Cudugnon Cave, it’s essential to squeeze by means of a tiny opening into full darkness and do a small climb as much as a well-lit cave. If you might be claustrophobic like me, the doorway would possibly take a little bit of a psychological prep-talk, nevertheless it was very cool to take a look at the within of those limestone cliffs and get a distinct perspective of El Nido’s islands.
Fifth Stop: Lunch Spot (1 hour)
I didn’t catch the identify of this island, however we solely stopped right here for lunch. It is a longtime spot with bamboo huts and a basketball court docket, good for lunch break and a fast recreation.
Sixth Stop: Snake Island (1 hour)
I later discovered that that is sometimes the very first cease for tour B, however I suppose in my case, the tour information wished to attend for the sky to clear to take us right here. Unfortunately, once we arrived at round 1:30pm, the tide was too excessive that the long-lasting sandbar was barely seen to us. That was simply our luck, however in case you got here on an excellent day, this can positively be the spotlight of the journey.
Snake Island is known as for the lengthy sandbar that stretches from the island clear throughout to a different. There’s a fast hike as much as a viewpoint you can take a bird-eye view of the sandbar from.
Seventh Stop: Snorkeling level (45 minutes)
This was an additional cease that was not included within the itinerary. I’ve a sense that the tour information wished to make it as much as us for the climate situation. We arrived at a wonderful seaside because the solar got here again out, and snorkeled above lovely corals and small fishes.
Is Tour B Worth it?
While I didn’t have one of the best expertise with tour B, it was completely due to the climate situation which is one thing uncontrollable. This tour doesn’t get as a lot love as Tour A or C however for me, it ticked the entire bins with sandbars, caves, and uniquely-shaped islands. Best of all, there weren’t as many individuals on Tour B, which was a pleasant distinction to the extra fashionable Tour A and C.
If you might be planning on doing 2 island hopping excursions on El Nido, I’d suggest choosing one between the favored A and C, and go on tour B for a change of state of affairs, and in addition a quieter expertise.
What to Bring on Your Trip
You might be out on the ocean your complete day, so it’s finest to return ready! Here’s every little thing I introduced on my island hopping journey, and so they all match right into a 10L dry bag:
I hope this text offers you a transparent overview of what to anticipate on El Nido Tour B. If you have an interest in testing the opposite group excursions on El Nido, learn these subsequent: