Most people visit El Nido for the stunning Bacuit Archipelago, or for the sensational boat trips through the island chains to Coron. These are for sure amazing, but another option is to rent a moped and ride the loop around the El Nido peninsular for something that is a little simpler, cheaper and quieter . There’s something just so fun and adventurous about leaving the busy touristy town and resorts of El Nido Town and within less than 20mins be in what feels like a different world of super quiet roads, real Philippino villages with no tourist facilities, world-class near empty beaches and views that make you gobsmacked so few people visit here. Really worth it
Top tips:
- The route is simple – there is a very clear circular route that follows around the peninsular’s edge and then cuts back across the interior on the TayTay-El Nido National Highway (don’t let the name fool you – it’s a single lane road barely wide enough to drive a truck on). You’ll only leave this main circuit route for 5-10mins at a time for certain beaches
- Renting is super easy – can do so just about anywhere in or around El Nido, don’t need a license and won’t pay more than 700 pesos / US$12 for the day’s rental (500 pesos) plus petrol. Just rock up and you’ll have be leaving on the moped within 10mins max
- Driving tips – this is South East Asia with different road rules and dogs / pigs / whatever darting onto the road. But these obstacles are generally only in the towns and, as long as apply a bit of common sense, the danger is very limited. Think of it the same as picking up a push bike
- Quality of road – the road is absolutely fine except for around 3km of non paved road in the interior crossing and maybe half of the detour routes to the north west beaches. For these sections you’ll get bumpy non concrete roads, or a bit muddy
- Places on the route you must stop at:
- The beaches in the north west – Nacoan Beach is the famous one (voted world’s best beach) and with great beach clubs along it. But if looking for the quiet vibe, go for Duli Beach just past it. Just as nice and with only one small beach surfing shack
- Views down across the east coast – you’ll see these at various places on the route
- If looking for place on the remote east side for lunch, Ursula Beach Club was nice and not many other options. You access it by driving along the beach which is also fun
- Ille Cave is really worth it – get a guide to enter
The Bacuit Archipelago is seen as one of the highlights of the Philippines – hundreds of islands with huge jagged limestone sides looking like something from the Lost World often opening up to reveal a turquoise coloured lagoon or perfect white sandy beach. Most people go by a tour to check these spots out, but its also worth considering doing some diving around here – you still get to have the experience of taking a boat through the beautiful islands, but with some diving also included. Only things you won’t see are the lagoons and spend time chilling on a beach
Top tips:
- Make sure you dive the Tunnel on Helicopter Island – you know that scene at the beginning of the Little Mermaid when she’s in her cave? Yep, that’s it. A 40m / 130ft long tunnel that runs through Helicopter Island, has two entrances and a large wide cave in the middle cave. It also has the benefit of some great micro things to see – variety of slugs and even Mandarin Fish
- South Miniloc Dive is also great – this is actually the more famous dive. There is a huge Cabbage Coral Garden (more impressive than is sounds) and thousands of Yellow Snappers
- I went with Submariner Diving Centre and would recommend
- Where to stay – El Nido has way more options than the likes of Coron, but still light on mid range (or at least very few if don’t book ahead). I’d actually recommend The Outpost Beach Hostel – it’s a party hostel, so be prepared for that, but it more than makes up for it with its sensational views out to the archipelago
- When to go – for weather, you ideally want November to May as this is when it’s driest in Palawan. For visibility – lower your expectations. The sensational 80+ visibility to the east of Palawan in places like Tubbataha Reef is not found in El Nido. But, it is by no means restrictive and aiming for April – May time will see a clear improvement
The islands in the north of Palawan between El Nido are some of the most stereotypically idyllic tropical beach paradises you can imagine – hundreds of islands surrounded by perfect white sand, gorgeous clear turquoise water, tropical reefs, and only occasionally sprinkled with tiny villages along the shoreline. Whilst there are many places around the world, and even in the Philippines, that can offer trips through very similar settings, it is the ease of access to these trips (multiple trips leave every day), reasonable price (think less than US$1k for 6 days vs minimum x4 for an equivalent liveaboard), and focus on interacting respectfully (and genuinely) with the local communities that makes the Palawan experience stand out. A must if visiting Palawan . . . and almost a must if visiting the Philippines
Top tips:
- Go with Tao Philippines. Whilst there are around 10 companies offering these type of trips, Tao are the pioneers, have the scale, and everyone I’ve spoken to has raved about them. Put it this way – I can see they consistently have 9+/10 ratings
- Expect it to be fairly basic. The Tao Philippines site gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect and tries to manage the expectation (www.taophilippines.com) – basically don’t come if you’re a princess, but in summary:
- The boat – you’re on a large Philippine-style bangka boat for the day – plenty of areas to lounge around on. Nothing private. Up to 25 on the boat (we had 24 and didn’t at all feel crowded at any stage)
- Sleeping – you sleep in village bamboo huts by night. Think a 3m / 3m (10ft x 10ft) bamboo platform on stilts, with a roof covering by two bamboo sides leaving an entrance and exit either end, a thin single mattress surrounded by mosquito nets. Goes without saying – no aircon
- Food – surprisingly good
- Showers – cold water, shared bathrooms
- Electronics – half the evening stops have charging (helps to bring a powerbank), none have wifi, cell coverage is patchy depending on network
- Expect a backpacker vibe. For anyone who has travelled through South East Asia, you know what I mean. Chilled out, not expecting 5 star (or 3 or 4 star!), probably doing this as part of a bigger trip, respectful, up for fun. Age is only one of many factors that reflect the vibe, but typically the age range is 18-45
- What do you do? Expect a lot of sailing through tropical paradise, snorkelling, chilling out on distant beaches or beaches you’ll be sleeping on
- November was PERFECT. Not too hot, very little rain, very few mosquitos, and fewer fellow tourists at this time of year
- 3 days / 2 nights or 6 days / 5 nights? It completely depends on your appetite for chill, how much time you have and which route you are doing. I booked 3 days / 2 nights (from Coron to El Nido), knowing I could change my mind and extend on the 3rd day, which I didn’t do. After meeting up with my group on their 6th and final night, and after discussing with many who have also done the 6 days, I would summarise as:
- 3 days / 2 nights – I left thinking I’d had a wonderful time, fantastic group and it was one of the highlights of the Philippines. I’d “done it” and didn’t need another 3 days of the same tropical island experience, and was able to use the remaining 3 days for scuba diving in the same islands, sleep in a nice hotel (it feels soooo good after sleeping a little rough) and generally explore other areas
- 6 days / 5 nights – you get the full chill experience, get to stay at “The Farm” (which was the best place to stay) and experience the highlight of the trip which was the final day in the Bacuit Archipelago
- If going El Nido to Coron, go for the 3 days / 2 nights. If Coron to El Nido, go for the 6 days / 5 nights
On 24th September 1944 over a period of only 15mins, 120 American Navy fighters and bombers attacked and sunk the Imperial Japanese Navy support fleet in the sheltered harbours near Coron. 10 ships ranging from 160m / 525ft oil tankers and sea plane tenders to smaller 25m / 80ft gunboats were sunk that day, and the result is some of the best wreck diving in the world that can be easily accessed on day trips from Coron Town (detailed dive tips listed in the Tips section below)
As with so many dives in this part of the world, the surrounding scenery is also idyllic-paradise-lovely, which makes this a really enjoyable experience even for the non divers who can join in snorkelling some of the shallower wrecks and generally just enjoying the islands. It’s also the start point for an adventure through overall Palawan, and the start / end point for the unforgettable experience of sailing through the island chains from Coron to El Nido (see the 3/6 day island experience here)
Dune du Pilat is Europe’s tallest sand dune and, on the face of it, sounds a bit dull . . . I mean, it’s just a sand dune right? Seen heaps of them . . . but . . . it’s actually a better experience than you’d initially think. For one, the views from the top at 110m / 360ft are pretty impressive as you look across the various sand bars offshore and the giant spit of the Cap Ferret bending around in the distance. Secondly, the contrast between the turquoise island paradise to the west, the evergreen forest to the east and the bright white / yellows of the sand dune are one of those sites it’s fun to gorp at for a while. And finally, the whole walking along a giant sand dune largely on your own away from fellow tourists (see top tip below) is just cool. Very much makes sense to be down as one of the Lonely Planet’s top highlights of France
Top tip – the vast majority of fellow tourists get to the top of the dune from the stairs that lead up from the main northern end car park, walk around a bit in that area and then head back down the stairs again to the car park. I can see how this would be a tad underwhelming. Instead, start to walk southwards along the top ridge of the dune – after a short time you’ll have it largely to yourself, have better views of the surrounding forest and find that walking along the ridge is far easier than the sand you’ll have been waling on before. We walked along maybe 2/3rds of the way and then ran down the dune (which was fun) and the walked back along to the northern point of the dune via the shoreline, where we were able to walk around the dune on paths back to the carpark (you could of course just avoid this shoreline-route and walk back along the ridge if don’t fancy the longer route). Whole walk from car park back to car park, including stopping a couple of times, took us around 2.5 hours
Extra tip – go barefoot. Far easier on the sand
Isla Mujeres is one of the those super pleasant, pretty, small tropical Caribbean islands that are hard to dislike. But it’s the island’s contrast with nearby Cancun that just gives you a feeling of ahhhhhhhh . . . this is more like it 🥰
I’d actually suggest that, unless you’re in Cancun for lash / partying, and assuming you have more than a couple of days, to stay in Isla Mujeres instead. It’s just so much more pleasant and the ease of access, with ferries leaving for Cancun every 30mins and only taking 15mins, means you can easily pop to the mainland . . . if you want to leave. We were planning on staying in Cancun for 5 days at the end of a 6 month travelling trip and very quickly left for Isla Mujeres – sitting watching the sunsets from the west coast with practically no fellow tourists around, we had no regrets
Top tip – the northern tip of beaches along the spit is beautiful, but can get a little busy because this is the port for the ferry from Cancun. Instead, try to stay on the west coast. We loved staying at Casa Coco by Coco B Isla and eating at Zoetry Villa Rolandi
Wow it really is as picture-perfect as you’ve been led to believe! All the ingredients of a fairy tale:
– small church perched perfectly on a small island ✅
– sitting in the middle of crystal clear water with only the light lapping of town boats ✅
– castle nearby hanging over a precarious ledge to the water ✅
– backdrop of the Julian Alps ✅
An Instagrammer’s dream!
The 6km / 3.7mile run around the lake, the swim over the island and the variety of other outdoor options nearby make this a great experience
Make sure to stay for 1 or 2 nights (as opposed to a day trip) so you can soak up the magical feeling of the place
The UK isn’t known for its beaches, and for good reason – its only warm enough for them 3 months of the year and even less the further north you go! That’s why the coastline of Northumberland, and in particular Bamburgh Beach and Embleton Bay, comes as a bit of surprise when I put them in a list of the top beaches in the world. But before you write it off as nostalgic madness, consider a few factors:
- The castle backdrops – Bamburgh Castle is an imposing 11th century Normal castle that looms over Bamburgh Beach from its crag right on the waterfront and with as much history as almost any castle in the world. England dominates the world for stunning castles by the beach, and Bamburgh is the jewel in the crown. Dunstanburgh Castle, whilst more battered over the centuries, provides a similar backdrop for Embleton Bay
- The quality of the sand – the sand tone in this part of the world is the same as the powdery sand you find in the tropical beaches of the likes of Brazil and the Caribbean, and is so fine it squeaks, which is in stark contrast to some of the pebble beaches you find in the eastern Mediterranean and south of England
- The cute villages by the water – the likes of Low Newton-by-the-Sea, with its gorgeous white cottage square green circled by local pubs overlooking the beach are about as quaint and lovely as anywhere in England
- Few tourists – “best kept secret” seems to have held well for decades and you simply don’t have the volume of fellow tourists as you would in the south of England. The beaches are wide and long, and you will likely have big chunks to yourself
- The Northumberland Coast Driving Tour – you have some great nearby attractions that share the quiet vibe. In particular, Hadrian’s Wall (the well preserved northern boundary of the Roman Empire), Lindisfarne (aka Holy Island – a key centre for the spread of Christianity in Britain in the Dark Ages and infamous site of the first Viking invasions), and the various quaint Northumberland villages dotted no distance from the coast
It obviously doesn’t hit the tropical beach vibe, but is nonetheless beautiful. Just be sure to go in summer!
Hong Kong is a great place to visit either as a destination on its own, or, as many people do, as a nice 2 day stop over between flights. I’ve lived in Hong Kong for 8 years, so . . . I’m biased . . . but also leaves me well placed to give you tips on how to have the best experience
For this review, I’m focusing on 10 classic highlights of Hong Kong and can give some tips that will improve your experience. But my biggest tip overall is that Hong Kong is not just skyscrapers and neon signs – more than 3/4 of HK is undeveloped, 40% is national parks and a mini tropical paradise if you just jump on a ferry or take a short taxi ride. For some ideas that will give you an even better HK experience, see the travel entry for 2 days hidden highlights of Hong Kong – you maybe surprised at just how world-class an experience you can get from these little islands
Hong Kong is a great place to visit either as a destination on its own, or, as many people do, as a nice 2 day stop over between flights. I’ve lived in Hong Kong for 8 years, so . . . I’m biased . . . but also keen to share some tips to make sure you get the best from the place
The biggest overall tip I can give – many people when they think of Hong Kong think of the skyscrapers, the busy neon light lined streets, the sheer hustle of one of the most densely populated places on earth etc etc – and it is indeed all of these things. But it is also 75% undeveloped and 40% national park. In short, it is a world class city, with a tropical paradise a short ferry / taxi away. That is why, for this review, I am focusing on some of the more unusual things to do in Hong Kong for a first time visitor
