Island Hopping

Island Hopping in Hundred Islands National Park

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At the Tourist Welcome Center at Lucap Wharf, Alaminos, Pangasinan we were given 2 choices for our island hopping adventure. Either we get the Day Tour or we hire a Service Boat for a day.

The Day Tour costs 800 Pesos for 1-5 pax and would only take us to three developed islands – Governor, Childrens and Quezon Island with a time limit of 20 minutes per island and the boat will leave us at the last island and will just fetch us at our desired time.

The Service Boat costs 1,400 Pesos for 1-5 pax and we could have the boat for the whole day and we can go to any island we want without any time limit. We get to have our own tour guide too which will be our boatman.

Since one of our target was to visit Cathedral Island, also known as Marcos Island, and do some cliff jumping to splash to the waters of Cathedral (Imelda) Cave, the Day Tour would not be our option. Besides, I am not a fan of developed islands so it is best to stay on the less developed ones.

Here’s an account of what happened to us during our island hopping tour inside the Hundred Islands National Park

10:46 AM – Arrival at Alaminos Town Proper from Bolinao via mini bus (45 Pesos/pax; Travel Time 1 hour 15 minutes);

10:47 AM – Rode tricycle to Lucap Wharf; 50 Pesos/tricycle

10:57 AM – Arrival at Lucap Wharf; Went into the Tourist Welcome Center to ask for details

11:14 AM – Registered at the Tourist Welcome Center. Paid the 20 Pesos Entrance Fee for a day

11:20 AM – Ate lunch at Lucap Wharf eateries

11:45 AM – Went to the Boat Dispatcher for the start of the Island Hopping

Boat Dispatcher at Lucap Wharf

11:54 AM – Start of Island Hopping. Woohooo!!!

12:22 PM – Arrival at Governor’s Island. Check View Deck and go around the island

at Governor’s Island view deck

12:39 PM – Took a wrong turn to Pinoy Big Brother house. We got to a secluded beach

Bolinao – Alaminos, Pangasinan Budget & Itinerary

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View from Bolinao Lighthouse

View from Bolinao Lighthouse

Summary

No. of Pax: 4 pax
Budget: P2,700 – including transportation, lodging, entrance fees & tours
Duration: 2 days – 1 night
Estimated Start: Day 0 – 11:00 PM Assembly at Five Star Pasay
Estimated End: Day 2 – 12:00 MN at Victory Liner Cubao
Lodging: Kubo at Abrac Beach, Patar, Bolinao
Activities:

  • Tricycle Tour and Beach Walk at Patar, Bolinao
  • Island Hopping in Hundred Islands National Park

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Suggested Itinerary

Day 0
1100 PM Assembly at Five Star Pasay; Buy tickets
1200 MN ETD to Bolinao, Pangasinan; P442/pax
Day 1
0600 AM Arrival at Bolinao, Pangasinan; Walk to Adora’s Restaurant; Ask directions from locals
0610 AM Breakfast at Adora’s Restaurant
0700 AM Walk to Market to buy packed lunch and ingredients for breakfast the next day
0730 AM Hire a tricycle to tour you around Bolinao and for you to be picked up at Patar Beach tomorrow in the morning. P800/tryc; 4pax/tricycle
0745 AM Start of tricycle tour; ETD to UP Marine Institute
0800 AM ETA UP Marine Institute; Entrance Fee P10/pax
0945 AM ETD to Enchanted Cave
1025 AM ETA Enchanted Cave; Entrance Fee w/ swimming P70/pax; Parking Fee P15/tricycle
1100 AM ETD to Wondeful Cave
1110 AM ETA Wonderful Cave; Entrance Fee P40/pax
1150 AM Early Lunch at Wonderful Cave; Packed Lunch
1230 PM ETD to Cindy’s Cave
1240 PM ETA Cindy’s Cave; Entrance Fee P50/pax
0110 PM ETD to Bolinao Lighthouse
0125 PM ETA Bolinao Lighthouse
0200 PM ETD to Abrac Beach or your desired Kubo Lodging in Patar
0210 PM ETA to Abrac Beach or lodging; Check-in – P1,000/kubo during off-peak; can fit up to 4 pax; Settle down and rest! Don’t forget to remind your tricycle driver to pick you up the next day around 8AM
0330 PM Walk by the beach up to the end of Abrac Beach; Don’t forget to bring snacks, water and something to cover you from the heat of the sun; You can rest in between
0420 PM Arrival at the end of Abrac Beach
0430 PM Walk back to your lodging
0530 PM Arrival back at lodging; Don’t go in yet; Time for sunset watching!
0600 PM Freshen up; P10/pax shower
0630 PM Walk to La Parola Restaurant; Bring flashlight as the road in front of the restaurant is quite dark.
0640 PM Dinner at La Parola Restaurant
0740 PM Walk back to lodging; Don’t forget to bring a stick for the dogs.
0750 PM Back at lodging;
Day 2

El Nido, Palawan 4D3N Alternative Budget and Itinerary

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As of November 16, 2013: The Island Hopping Tours have now increased their rates. Please check my post here for the updated prices.

Since I found the 3 Days 2 Nights itinerary short and the first 4D3N itinerary not so awesome for a trip in El Nido, Palawan I decided to create a longer and more awesome itinerary.

Summary

No. of Pax: 4 pax
Budget: P5,000 – airfare and airport terminal fees not included
Duration: 4 days – 3 nights
Estimated Start: Day 1 – 9:30AM Arrival at Puerto Princesa
Estimated End: Day 3 – 5:00PM flight out of Puerto Princesa
Lodging: Fan Room
Activities: Island Hopping, Cliff climbing, Trekking, Waterfalls and Hot Springs

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1
0930AM Arrival at Puerto Princesa Aiport
1000AM Go out of the airport and ride tricycle to Junction 1 (P8/pax)
1005AM ETA Junction 1; Ride multicab going to San Jose Terminal (P12/pax)
1030AM ETA San Jose Terminal; Walk to Lexus Terminal
1100AM ETD to El Nido, Palawan
0130PM Stopover at Roxas, Palawan; Late Lunch
0400PM ETA El Nido, Palawan; Reserve for Van going back to Puerto Princesa; Walk to lodging
0410PM Arrival at Lodging; Check-in; Book your Island Hopping Tour C the next day; Book your Cliff Climbing and Island Hopping Tour A the next next day; Explore town
0630PM Dinner
Sleep

El Nido, Palawan 4D3N Budget and Itinerary

4 Comments

As of November 16, 2013: The Island Hopping Tours have now increased their rates. Please check my post here for the updated prices.

Since I found the 3 Days 2 Nights itinerary short for my trip in El Nido, Palawan I decided to create a longer itinerary.

Summary

No. of Pax: 4 pax
Budget: P5,000 – airfare and airport terminal fees not included
Duration: 4 days – 3 nights
Estimated Start: Day 1 – 9:30AM Arrival at Puerto Princesa
Estimated End: Day 3 – 5:00PM flight out of Puerto Princesa
Lodging: Fan Room
Activities: Island Hopping, Cliff climbing, Trekking, Waterfalls and Hot Springs

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1
0930AM Arrival at Puerto Princesa Aiport
1000AM Go out of the airport and ride tricycle to Junction 1 (P8/pax)
1005AM ETA Junction 1; Ride multicab going to San Jose Terminal (P12/pax)
1030AM ETA San Jose Terminal; Walk to Lexus Terminal
1100AM ETD to El Nido, Palawan
0130PM Stopover at Roxas, Palawan; Late Lunch
0400PM ETA El Nido, Palawan; Reserve for Van going back to Puerto Princesa; Walk to lodging
0410PM Arrival at Lodging; Check-in; Book your Island Hopping Tour A the next day; Book your Land Tour the next next day; Explore town
0630PM Dinner
Sleep

Feeling the Love on El Nido Island Hopping Tour

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Updated November 28, 2013.

El Nido, Palawan Island Hopping Details

If you have read about my 300 Pesos per night lodging at El Nido, Palawan then you already know that I went to El Nido without researching about the place.

El Nido is famous for its island hopping. Being alone and having a limited budget I was afraid that I would not be able to do Island Hopping. Fortunately, the Department of Tourism in El Nido had a solution for this. All the rates of the tours are on a per person basis.

What tour operators in El Nido do is that they group different travellers on boats so that it would not be too expensive to rent one whole boat making all types of travelers happy. With my very affordable lodging and their payment scheme for island hopping, I now certify El Nido, Palawan as a Solo Traveler friendly place.

What’s the worst thing to happen to a solo single traveller during a island hopping tour? It’s to be grouped with two people who are on their honeymoon!

With the newly weds

With the newly weds

Yes, they were sweet. Yes, I did feel their love for each other. And yes, our bangkeros were teasing me that I should get a partner for my trips. LOL!

Moving on, let me show you some of the pictures why I would recommend El Nido, Palawan as a solo traveller destination and also a honeymooners destination.