El Nido is a town at the top of Palawan where limestone cliffs rise straight out of a bay full of islands, and the water between them is the color of a swimming pool. It is the Philippines that everyone has seen in a photo, and with four nights and the right tour it is one of the easiest beach trips in Asia with children.
Getting there is the hard part. Fly Manila to El Nido direct on the small plane if the budget allows, it saves a five hour van ride from Puerto Princesa. Or fly to Puerto Princesa and take the van, which is fine for kids over six with snacks and a tablet.
Tour A is the island hopping day that matters. A bangka, the outrigger boat, to the Big Lagoon by kayak, the Small Lagoon, Secret Lagoon through a hole in the rock, Shimizu island for lunch on the beach, and Seven Commandos beach at the end. Six hours, a grilled fish lunch on the boat, and every child in the water at every stop. Book a private boat for a family, it costs a little more and it goes at your pace.
Where to sleep and the second day
Sleep on Corong Corong or Las Cabanas beach, ten minutes south of town, where the resorts have pools and the sunset is in front of you. Town itself is loud and the beach there is for boats. Nacpan beach is an hour north and is the wide sandy one for a full beach day.
Tour C is the second boat day if you have it, with Helicopter island and the snorkeling at Hidden beach. Or a kayak day in the bay, or a zipline at Las Cabanas, or a day of nothing at the pool.
Four nights. Then a ferry or a flight to Coron for the wrecks and the lake, or back to Manila. The water shoes, the rash guards and the reef safe sunscreen are not optional here, the coral is real and so is the sun.
Planning Philippines with kids? Start with the full Philippines family travel guide, or send me the ages and the dates and I will come back with what is really available.
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