If you are looking for a great time in El Nido, make sure you book with Gani. We arrived in…read moreFebruary of 2018 and booked Tour A and Tour C. Unfortunately due to the weather, we were not able to go on Tour C but Tour A the next day. We had a great time. He hooked us up with a great Banka (boat) and crew. While we were waiting for the weather to clear, Vren helped find other activities for us to do. She was a big help and very friendly. We would highly recommend Hello El Nido for your trip to El Nido.

Unless you have access to a private jet, you will have to use El Nido Boutique & Artcafé to book a…read moreplane trip to El Nido. I don't know how they are as a cafe, but as a travel agency they are medicore. My credit card information was not stolen *Knock on wood* and I got to point a and point b so I can't complain too much. That being said, my only interaction with them was via the internet and if it were not for review sites assuring that this company was legit, I would have not made a trip to El Nido at all. To reach the company you need to email them your personal information including passport number and preferred dates of travel. Since they only have a few (small) flights going out each day, you may or may not get a flight. They will then check with ITI (the private plane company) if they have any flights available and get back to you. It took several back and forths to finally confirm my flight with me being the one to have to pester them for details and confirmations. I also was disappointed to see that they did not take any initiative to confirm or cancel my flight when I realized that it was in the middle of a hurricane. It ended up working out at the end but I think their customer service could greatly have been improved.

We first booked private tour A for 10 with Irene who was super helpful and showed us the breakdown…read moreof all the different fees we had to pay. We had 4 adults, 1 senior with mobility issues, 3 kids (ages 7- 9) and 2 toddlers (ages 3-4). It Was the cheapest of the 3 places we compared pricing with for the same Package. They also offered water shoe rentals for the grownups (100pesos per person), but unfortunately didn't offer any for the kids. My kids and I did fine with our tevas, crocs, and slide sandals, but could definitely see the benefit of having water shoes if you prefer them. They accepted Pesos only (no credit card) 21,500 (not including kayak rentals or gratuity), about $46USD per person for full day excursion, including lunch. Toddlers were free (3 and 4 year old)! Had we done a group tour, would have been closer to 14,000 pesos ($30USD per person), but would have been a shorter tour (9:30am-3:30pm vs our 8am-4pm), you would have had to take a car to town, and been with a group of 15-18people. Victor was the main guide leader and he and their team on Wild Angel were awesome and so accommodating with our elderly mom and 2 toddlers. Victor and Jon Jon frequently carried the toddlers to and from the boat to land and onto the kayak taking us to shore, keeping them safe and comfortable each time. They also made sure to escort our elderly mom at every turn, keeping her safe and supported. They Picked us up right at the beach of our hotel, the Nest (also highly recommend). One benefit of private tour is we didn't have to take a car to town and wait to be assigned a group/boat. First stop Big Lagoon. You have to rent kayaks (300php for double, 350 for triple, pesos/cash only). They also offered a guide to escort/paddle you for free, but you still had to rent the kayak. Victor took the initiative, taking one of our phones to snap some awesome photos of our group! We skipped Secret Lagoon since he said it was rockier, you had to swim to certain things, which was not an option for our mom and toddlers. We had such a great experience, we ended up booking Tour B with them 2 days later (18,000php) and received the same excellent service. The weather was not as cooperative and we got caught in pouring rain in the afternoon, but that didn't stop us from snorkeling and enjoying the caves and sand bars. We booked and paid for both tours in person after speaking with Irene (who is also readily available to answer additional questions via WhatsApp), but she mentioned that they were all booked up online on the following days, as we moved into the weekend and the holidays (we visited the week before Christmas). I am guessing there is a credit card option if you book online if that is your preference. The extra time and attention given to our group was well worth the extra cost to pay for a private tour on both days. Not expected, but they were even keeping a close watch on the kids while at the beaches and in the water. The entire team was great and they helped make our trip to Palawan really fun! We're glad to have booked with them and highly recommend.

Do NOT book with this company…read more We stayed at the Cadlao Resort in El Nido with all intentions of going on one or two excursions during our 3 night stay. When we arrived, they wasted no time checking with us upon arrival (separate from Resort staff) to make sure we booked with them since their store front is on-site. After settling in, we inquired about rates, days/times and availability. Our first day, the very next day actually worked out as a small group outing which would depart early to beat the crowds while also not losing the integrity of a private tour feel. We decided to move forward and lock that in. Later that same evening we were approached by a staff member to inform us that one of the couples canceled but for 500php more we could still go; because we already had the mindset of going, we agreed to those terms. On the morning of, we departed at 845am from the Cadlou Resort waters with the boat crew. Immediately, we witnessed sarcastic and inappropriate comments from the crew, relating to current world events that are simply no joking matter. After about 5 minutes into a 40 minute ride to our first destination the engine stops... the crew is unable to restart and get us back up and running. For about 10 minutes, we remain calm and quiet. Then we start to drift towards the flow of boat traffic as well as the cliffs. The winds start to pick up as more and more boats begin to head outward. We start to ask the crew if there was another boat coming.... Brushing us off they said another one is on its way out. Now that it's been 20+ minutes and no other boat is in sight we begin to get verbal with the crew and demand to call for help and to return to our resort. We already started seeing other tours head out ahead of us which is why we paid a premium in the first place... to avoid the crowds. With the first sign of any bit of luck, we see a Navy boat with full crew onboard and immediately begin to flag them down. With the help from a third boat who had 15-20 guests onboard to attend the same excursions, we were luckily pulled in and return back to the port safely by the Navy officers. Seriously...? The Navy had to save us from our boat colliding with the cliffs or being struck by other boats..!? Looking back now, that was extremely dangerous and possibly could have been deadly. We planned on going back on-site and getting an immediate refund but the tour company assured us that we would be given a speedboat take us 4 (myself, my wife and a nice couple from Spain) out on the same tour but with much safer and quicker accommodations. Upon our return, we checked in at the office only to find out that they added two more couples to our tour the next day but figured they'd refund us the 1000 pesos required earlier. The next day comes and my wife wakes up with a headache and nausea. I walk over to the office at 730am to let them know we are unable to join and would like a refund per the policy agreement. The clock turns to 7:31am and the miserable old woman who was working the counter checks the time and refuses to give us the full refund, giving me excuses left and right about stuff that was already paid for... since that 1 minute passed during our conversation. With the world crisis of COVID-19, you would think this woman would be appreciative that we are taking proper precautions to quarantine and not potentially infect other resort/tour guests or staff. Instead, she showed no sympathy, poor customer service, or sensitivity to what is currently widespread around the globe. One minute passes during our conversation, and she steals 2800 pesos from us because we were not within compliance according to her company's standards. The lack of professionalism all around made me feel the need to write this so that others are fully aware of what they're getting themselves into. Had their equipment not malfunctioned, had they been prompt with calling for backup or assistance, we would have completed our excursion that we waited so long for that very first day in El Nido. Instead, we were blindsided by this scam of a company policy after KNOWING that they already had been the cause of why we weren't able to complete it in the first place. PLEASE USE ANOTHER COMPANY!!! ASK FOR REFERRALS ELSEWHERE! DO NOT USE J BENITO TOURS IF YOU STAY @ THE CADLAO RESORT I hope this saves other vacationers from the disastrous experience that we had to witness and all of the stresses that came along with it.

This is a boutique airport with limited flight in and out. It's essentially a one room operation…read morethis you do not want to get here any earlier than two hours before your flight. If you arrive earlier, they may ask you to stand outside the airport I. The heat. As this is such a small airport, you do not need to be here any earlier. Upon arrival be prepared with your boarding pass and ID as they won't let you in without them. Then you will go through security. You will then check in any luggage. Afterwards you will enter the waiting room. Within the waiting room there is a coffee shop with reasonable price drinks and snacks. Plus there are super clean bathrooms with toilet paper. Boarding is super easy. You will be board in the tarmac. Entrance to the plane is by stairs. Quote an experience and may be worth a picture or two! Cheers!

Very small airport! Luckily we were staying in Lio Beach area, only 5 mins away. Watching the…read moreplanes take off and land were cool to see while relaxing on the beach. The operations here are smooth and efficient. 1 overall security, 1 waiting area, 1 plane to load or unload at a time, and the list goes on. There are less than 20 commercial flights a day here and they fill up fast. El Nido was a great part of pur trip and flying in/out of this airport was very convenient.

It's not hard to find island tours in coron Town proper. There's quite a handful of places selling…read moregroup tours. The reason why we went with JY Travel and Tours was because we had a flyer from them. Advertising does help huh? I think it was 1200php/pax, they'll set us up on a joiner group tour of 3 beach islands. I forgot the first island that we went to, but the other two was Banana island and Malcapuya island. All three were very nice. A buffet lunch was provided at Banana island. We had a tour guide who was very nice and very knowledgeable. Even showed us where the giant clam sanctuaries were. I enjoyed the island beach tour a lot. It's more of a relaxed type of tour,, you can swim if you like. There's snorkeling if you wanna see fishies and corals. Plus the white sand beaches are just above everything else. So make sure you bring a waterproof camera and a giant memory card cause you'll be taking tons and tons and tons of pictures. I had a lot of fun doing the tour. The staff is really good and the guide was awesome. BTW, if you need to rent equipment, it's either they have it or they take you to a spot where you can rent it. Thanks JY Travel and Tours! I had an amazing day because of you guys. I highly recommend you guys to anyone.

JY Travel and Tours was one of the affordable tour service in Coron. We had delicious seafood, we…read morehad great tour experience from our tour guide who is very accommodating, caring and hilarious. It was fun... during the first day. However, during our second day, the personnel from their management did not arrange our tour properly. During our first day, we requested for seafood and for the same tour guide, they said yes, but did not do it during the 2nd day. They gave false promises to us. Also, we booked a private tour (meaning we are paying more than the typical package tour) but it felt like the treatment they did is not worth the price we paid. During the second day, we waited many hours for our boat and our package tour sched was too tight that we cannot savor our stay from one island to another. Of course we complained to them immediately after. They apologized and explained that their management is a little disorganized lately due to the lack of managers. We hope that by this time, they have already fixed their internal problem to avoid this incident to other tourists. We traveled on May 2017

We surely left the best for last when staying at Lagen Island Resort and visiting El Nido, Palawan…read more First, We stayed in water villa 109 for the most optimal sunset & resort views. Upon arriving to Lagen, we received a warm welcome & a beautiful welcome serenade along with warm cloth to freshen up and drinks as we awaited our boat to transfer to the resort (the only way to get to Lagen Island Resort). The entire staff is welcoming, kind, attentive, hospitable and are consummate professionals with beautiful smiles. Ahead of our visit, we arranged private tours offered through Lagen and finalized the details upon our arrival. we had the best time with Arnel (our guide) & Julie (captain of Banog, the premium speedboat we travelled in for all our tours.). Both Arnel & Julie made our tours flawless, perfect, special, fun and unforgettable. Arnel has so much knowledge about the various locations we visited and captured many memorable moments of our outings. Our early morning start with all the tours afforded us to be the first onsite to experience the tranquil, peaceful & natural beauty surrounding us avoiding all the crowds. We were in awe of the glasslike lagoons & cathedral like limestone formations towering over us. During all our tours, We were treated to a beautiful picnic basket of your choice with every tour and last tour included custom handmade hats made of coconut leaves which we took back with us when traveling home to California, US. Our tours were in the mornings and we got back to Lagen by lunchtime to have our midday siesta and to lounge poolside for the entire afternoon/ evening. We dined at Lagen Island Resort bar and restaurant where we were wowed with the entree options and drinks, too and, even saw monkeys frolicking in the bar area one early morning. The careful prep and serving of our food and drinks were delicious & flavorful to perfection. We were also treated with 2 nights of live entertainment by Mike during our stay whose voice mesmerized us. One more thing... I wasn't feeling too well and had an eye irritation. During our stay, I was seen, cared for by Lagen's onsite nurse and doctor who treated my cold and eye irritation. The nurse also seen me in our room, too. By the time we left, I was feeling so much better and my eye irritation was gone. I was so relieved & grateful that Lagen had an onsite nurse and doctor. Overall, We had a magnificent and unforgettable stay at Lagen Island Resort. We loved the garden area, the serene area with hammock and the cove next to our room. It was hard to leave Lagen but know we will be returning to Lagen in the future PH vacays and hopefully, with friends for them to see and be immersed in the most luxurious resort in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines. Maraming Salamat to the entire Lagen Island Resort staff for such an unforgettable, sensational & memorable stay. We look forward to returning to Lagen soon.

When my best friend and I got to Lagen Island on 1/19/19 we were speechless with how beautiful it…read morewas. For months we looked at photos of the resort and daydreamed about it. The photos don't represent how breathtaking this island truly is! Also, a major factor for our decision to book this resort is that this is an eco friendly resort! YAY! Once we disembarked from the boat, we were greeted with large warm smiles, necklaces made from a palm leaf, and a refreshing drink. We were escorted to the front desk and Johnny Ray helped us check in and gave us an overview of the amenities, excursions and explained different dining options for our stay. He accompanied us to our room, on the way he showed us where the different areas were located for dining, the gym, the bar and boutique . When we arrived to our room he showed us which remotes went to what device and where our complimentary slippers were and most importantly to press "0" if there was anything we needed. I like to preplan quite a bit and had explained that I booked multiple island hopping tours through a company in town prior to arrival and gave him the scheduled dates and times. I asked about transportation options back to town. That was when I realized that the complimentary charter they offer back into town where we needed to be for our tours in the mornings didn't workout timing wise (my bad!). He asked me for the tour group info and helped coordinate with them pick up/drop off for us! Lifesaver! PRO TIP: Book all of your island hopping tours/excursions through the resort, it's a lot more convenient! For our dining options we decided to choose the all-inclusive buffet for our meals. Everyday we were so excited to have our breakfast! There were so many options and fresh juices. All the buffet meals were different everyday. There were different staples for every meal that were the same(rice, breads, eggs made to order in the a.m.), which was great because my friend was addicted to their garlic rice! To be honest, we looked forward to every meal here! The room service a la carte items were delicious also. You won't be disappointed, the chefs are amazing! When we got back from our 1st day of island hopping Jazz, the activities coordinator asked us how our day was. I told her during that tour my GoPro was claimed by the ocean and not obtainable but other than that it was a great day! I asked her if she knew where I could purchase another one. She was able to locate one for me in town and Johnny Ray was able to help me coordinate a pick up for it on our transfer to our next resort which was in 2 days. I appreciate them going above and beyond to help me with this, they really did not have to do any of that! All of the staff members are so friendly and so welcoming here that we were so sad to leave. It was about that time and we had to check out and transfer to our next resort on 1/22/19. We arrived at our next resort, 15mins after being there we decided we really wanted to go back to Lagen Island and spend our last 2 nights in El Nido there. While the current property we were at was beautiful as well, it just wasn't Lagen. We truly missed the vibe of Lagen and the amazing team there, we felt more like home there! We immediately called and asked if there was anyway we could come back and unfortunately it was getting late and the coast guard curfew was rapidly approaching. We were unable to make the transfer back to Lagen that night but they had us back on a boat bright and early the next day! We were so excited to be going back "home"! Once we arrived we were welcomed back with warm smiles and open arms! Ms. Jen was so great and truly went above and beyond to get us back to Lagen. She even helped us coordinate a private van transfer to our next destination because a transfer flight I purchased wouldn't work with our connecting flight. I was unsuccessful with contacting that airline, but they were able to contact the airline for me. They truly did way more than we expected for us, faced all of our challenges we had presented from losing a GoPro, flight dilemmas, to adapters for our hair tools, etc. Also, we stayed in a bungalow and the rooms are so nice, the patio was our favorite spot. From the gorgeous view to the peaceful sound of the ocean waves, you won't be disappointed! They exceeded all of our expectations and it's going to be hard to stay anywhere else without comparing the hospitality/team to Lagen's amazing team! We really felt like they were more like a welcoming family here and the whole vibe on the island is so positive! We are currently feeling homesick from Lagen and can't wait to come back! Thank you for an amazing experience here!

Food is good, hospitality is best, good gym. Clean facility & maintained well. Staff are…read morecourteous and very friendly.

DON't stay here! So so so much food poisoning. The food is just horrible. We were all sick 3/4 of…read morethe time. And there is only one place to eat on the island. Worst. Trip. Ever. Look at all the reviews on Google. We informed the manager and he did nothing. Reviews show they continue to have cases and cases of food poisoning even after our complaints.

This was my last stop during my stay in El Nido, had a few hours to kill and this spot had good…read morereviews and air conditioning, win! The food was tasty and plentiful, but the ube latte was the true star, ever since then I've been obsessed with ube. Cute place where I was able to hang out and cool down for a while, and they also had several books available, which made my time there even more enjoyable.

Best coffee in the whole El Nido Area by far. Also we…read moreenjoyed the Ube (purple Yam) cheese cake a lot Also they have my favorite Gin ;) (monkey 47)