El Nido, Is a group of islands that are beautiful and very peaceful and relaxing Sanctuary, a…read moreheaven on earth. You can hike, go stay on a beach, do kayaking, paddleboarding it is all just wonderful. The surrounding area is just also amazing. The Corals are so healthy and the local government enforces an environmental approach to El Nido tourism that will make the beauty of these islands last in years to come. The price to stay at a resort is extravagant for Philippines standards and many activities, like island hopping, and food are not included in the basic room price. But you can still make it here as a backpacker if you want too.

El nido Palawan is fabulous! The water is warm like a bath. The fish are abundant. The town people…read moreare so delightful. The H hotel was the best! I used Kubera travel and tours for our private boat tours. They were excellent!

If you are looking to visit Palawan, by this point you have likely read El Nido has everything you…read moreare looking for in a Philippine island experience. To thoroughly enlighten your Philippine island experience, you may be assured the El Nido Boutique Artcafe can and will gratefully and comprehensively meet and or exceed your every need or wish. Vivian is a comprehensive resource for the amazing tour reservations and much more. Collaborating with Turtle Divers which is only a few yards away from the Artcafe's amazing shop and cafe. You certainly want to take full advantage of the Tours offered to experience fully the beauty of the islands and underwater sea scape and life. If you are really lucky you will have Rene' as your Tour guide. You will be amazed and delighted by the spread of local dishes provided on the tours. As well the Artcafe itself and staff are all wonderful with live music in the evenings Greg and Parker Parker- USA

We went here on a recommendation from our Airbnb host. The views were amazing but just keep in mind…read morethat they have two spots, one right in front of the water and one just across the street. The location right by the beach has great views but very little coverage from the sun and it's very hot. The other location is more shaded at the top level and might be more comfortable. The food was pretty good but if you're looking for a western breakfast it won't be exactly that so manage your expectations. Still, the service was great and we enjoyed our time there

Paolo is an Italian sailor with great experience...he has travelled all over the world with his…read moreGrand Soleil 52 and is now located between El Nido and Coron. Believe me, he (and April, his girlfriend, as well) is the best choice when in El Nido (or in Coron) to visit all the secret beaches and lagoons. Kind, patience and with a deep knowledge of the territories, he will help you to live an awesome experience. The boat is well equipped and comfortable. April is very kind, smiling and a great cooker: she prepares delicious meals during the cruise. We had an unforgettable experience with them and would highly recommend to choice Paolo and April in case of sailing in El Nido.

We were in Palawan Philippines from 02/04/18 - 02/07/18. We were suppose to be doing the…read moreunderground cave off the coast of Puerto Princesa Palawan which is suppose to be one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. Unfortunately the weather would not permit this to happen and the tour boats weren't allowed to take people out because of the wind and wave action occurring. The agency that we booked our 4 day excursion to Palawan through came up with an alternative option to go to Iwahig and watch the fireflies in lieu of the cave excursion (interesting, but a poor substitute). The area along the Iwahig River is known as an area where fireflies gather in large swarms and nest in the trees at night. We were told that the numbers vary due to a number of variables. The tour boats take you out on the river where the guide shines a flashlight into the trees causing the fireflies to light up. The unfortunate part is you are NOT allowed to use a flash on your camera. It was funny because I took a number of shots with my iPhone. The results were awesome (a black screen). Oh well They also served a very mediocre buffet as part of this excursion. My recommendation is skip the buffet and get dinner in town instead. Like I said it was a substitute for the cave trip and interesting, but not a substitute for the underground cave.

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.