Puerto Princesa or El Nido are located in opposite parts of the amazing island of Palawan in the Philippines. They both have amazing beaches, decent nightlife, neighboring islands and you will some decent food.
The city of Puerto Princesa has its own airport. And has accommodation that suits all budgets as well as good restaurants and several shopping malls. On the other hand, EL Nido is nowhere near as developed as Puerto Princesa. It does have its own airport but it is small with only a couple of daily flights.
In this post, we will compare Puerto Princesa and El Nido in the Philippines. Let’s get started!
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Is Puerto Princesa Or El Nido Better?
Puerto Princesa and El Nido are both great places to visit for a variety of reasons. El Nido is a small region that is growing rapidly and Puerto Princesa is also developed with shops and restaurants.
We will try to make it easier for you to compare Puerto Princesa or El Nido in terms of the things to do in each place, accommodation, and any other factors that would have an impact on your visit.
Lets compare Puerto Princesa and El Nido!
How Far Is El Nido To Puerto Princesa?
The distance between El Nido from Puerto Princesa is 260km.
Getting To El Nido Or Puerto Princesa
To get to either El Nido or Puerto Princesa, you firstly need to get to Palawan. There are 2 options to get to which are.
- Ferry.
- Plane.
By Ferry
From Manila for Puerto Princesa. The Super ferry from Manila to Puerto Princesa every Friday and back to Manila every Sunday.
It can take between 17 to 22 hours from Manila and that includes a stopover at Coron.
By Plane
There is an airport in Puerto Princesa. There are direct flights from Cebu, Manila, and Busuanga to Puerto Princesa. The main airlines that go to Puerto Princesa are.
- Air Philippines.
- Cebu Pacific.
- Philippine Airlines.
- Southeast Asian Airlines.
If you fly into Puerto Princesa, El Nido is much more accessible since you can get there on a bus to El Nido.
There is an airport in El Nido Airport. There are direct flights from Busuanga to El Nido Airport provided by AirSWIFT but flights do not go every day.
Places To Stay In El Nido And Puerto Princesa
El Nido and Puerto Princesa both have a good supply of guest houses, hostels, and hotels. Here are a few places to give you an idea of what is available if you are planning to either one.
Remember to check the reviews and book a place that suits your interests while traveling.
El Nido Accommodation
El Nido has a good variety of guest houses, hostels, and hotels. There are over 220 properties in El Nido with prices starting from $14 a night.
Cadlao Resort and Restaurant
Rating 8.1, Prices start from $213 for a bungalow
Cadlao Resort has an outdoor pool overlooking the beach with standalone bungalows with balconies and free WiFi. The bungalows are air-conditioned and come furnished with an in-room safe, private bathroom, and seating area.
Maligaya Beach Bungalows
Rating 8.5, Prices start from $80 a bungalow
Maligaya Beach Bungalows are surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens and offer free WiFi throughout the property.
The bungalows come with a wardrobe, a flat-screen TV, and a private bathroom. Every room is fitted with a balcony with garden views.
Aquing’s Place
Rating 9.3, Prices start from $30 for a double room
Aquing’s Place is less than 1 km from Caalan Beach and an 11-minute walk from Papaya Beach. Aquing’s Place provides accommodation with free WiFi, air conditioning, and access to a garden with a terrace.
Puerto Princesa Accommodation
Puerto Princesa also has a good variety of guest houses, hostels, and hotels. There are over 200 properties in Puerto Princesa, with prices starting from $12 a night.
Hibiscus Garden Inn
Rating 9.4, Prices start from $79 for a double room
Hibiscus Garden Inn is surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens, as well as a 24-hour front desk and provides free Wi-Fi access in its public areas.
Rooms come with air-conditioned rooms that are furnished with an in-room safe, a cable TV, minibar, fridge, and seating area.
Best Western Plus
Rating 8.7, Prices start from $119 for a double room
Best Western Plus offers free WiFi access and an indoor pool there is free private parking is available on site.
All rooms are air-conditioned and come with a flat-screen TV with cable channels. Every room is fitted with a private bathroom with a bidet.
Sheridan Boutique Hotel
Rating 8.5, Prices start from $35 for a double room
Sheridan Boutique Hotel offers accommodation with free WiFi and free private parking. They offer a 24-hour front desk, room service, and currency exchange for guests.
Rooms are fitted with a desk, a flat-screen TV, and a private bathroom.
Nightlife In El Nido Or Puerto Princesa
The Philippines is not so much known for its wild nightlife but the El Nido or Puerto Princesa does have decent nightlife.
Let’s compare the nightlife between El Nido and Puerto Princesa.
El Nido Nightlife
El Nido has developed into a bit of a party spot. Corong-Corong Beach is where the nightlife happens in El Nido.
It even has its own version of the full moon party. Similar to the full moon party in Thailand but not as crazy. It is free to enter and held every month.
The full moon party includes the usual live bands and DJs as well as the fire dancers and giant bonfires. If you’re not in El Nido during the full moon, there are plenty of beach parties and there’s always something going on.
Puerto Princesa Nightlife
When it comes to nightlife in Puerto Princesa, you can go out for dinner and have a few drinks. You will find a pretty decent choice of places for partying and clubs.
You will also find karaoke bars, live music, and cheap beer open until 2:00 a.m. Katobom is a great place to have a few drinks.
And Chez Rose is a nightclub in town that stays open until 4:00 a.m. And Sakura is also a great choice.
What To Do See In El Nido Vs Puerto Princesa
El Nido and Puerto Princesa are both are blessed with amazing beaches, and neighboring islands to explore as well as other places to visit.
Here are some of the best things to do in each place.
Things To Do In El Nido
El Nido is developing and growing in popularity, especially as a beach destination. As well as a great place if you want to relax and enjoy the laid-back vibe.
Here is our list of things to do in El Nido.
See The Beaches
The beaches near El Nido are generally unspoiled with white sand, turquoise waters, and coconut trees.
There are a number of awesome beaches around El Nido
- Nacpan and Calitang – El Nido’s Twin Beaches.
- Seven Commandos Beach.
- Papaya Beach.
- Las Cabanas Beach.
- Marimegmeg Beach.
You can also have a drink at the bars along the beach that sells snacks and beer.
Kayaking Or Snorkeling
You can go kayaking or snorkeling in El Nido. This is an opportunity to explore El Nido. And you can enjoy some breathing taking views.
See The Cathedral Caves
The cathedral caves are shallow caves that are shaped like cathedral spires. The cathedral caves look spectacular but swimming in them is prohibited due to strong currents and possible sea snakes.
You can hire a local boat in and around El-Nido. You want to get here with low tide cause if high tide the boat cannot get inside the cave.
Visit The Small And Large Lagoons
The Big Lagoon or Small Lagoons in El Nido is a wonderful one-of-a-kind color surrounded by tall rock formations. It’s nothing short of breathtaking.
Things To Do In Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa is normally the first place to visit when going to Palawan in the Philippines. Mainly cause of the airport.
Here is our list of things to do in Puerto Princesa.
Go Island-Hopping To The Honda Bay Islands
There are islands near Puerto Princesa and plenty of island-hopping tours to Honda Bay. The island is located on the mid-eastern coast of the city.
The most popular islands you can visit are.
- Cowrie Island.
- Luli Island.
- Starfish Island.
Visit The Underground River
The Puerto Princesa Underground River become recognized as one of the wonders of nature in 2012. The cave is impressive and you can listen to its history through a headset.
You will see loads of bats inside the caves and outside there are monkeys and monitor lizards. A visit to the underground river trip is definitely good, especially for animal lovers.
See The Beaches
The beaches near Puerto Princesa are not as good as the beaches in El Nido. There are a number of good beaches around Puerto Princesa you can enjoy.
- White Beach.
- Kalayaan Beach.
- BM Beach.
- Chez Rose.
Go Ziplining In Ugong Rock
Ugong Rock is worth visiting and involves a hike, with a rewarding view when you get to the top. And an opportunity to take pictures taken along the way.
And finally, you can choose to hike down or buckle up to the zipline and fly down from the mountain.
USEFUL TRAVEL RESOURCES
Book Accommodation
Booking.com has a large range of properties from hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and resorts where you will find the best deals. Airbnb and Hostelworld also have a good range of places to stay at good prices.
Booking Flight
Skyscanner is a flight search comparison website that searches millions of flights all at once. Ultimately it is the best flight comparison website online at the moment.
Booking Transportation & Things To Do
Rome2rio and 12Go are useful to plan how to get anywhere by searching train, bus, car, and ferry routes. Especially useful in countries like Vietnam or Thailand. While Klook is great for exploring things to do in each place.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is cheap and more than likely you will never need to use it but you will have peace of mind if something does happen, you are covered in case of an emergency. World Nomads have great customer service and competitive prices.
Check out our resource page for the best companies to use when you travel.
Wrapping Up
Finally, which one to choose really depends on your personal preference. For people looking for vibrant nightlife with beach parties, with a lot of exploring to do then it is El Nido.
On the other hand, if you are looking for more of a place with good nightlife but not wild. With nice beaches nearby then Puerto Princesa is for you.
And that’s it for now! I’d love to know if this guide on is Puerto Princesa or El Nido Better has helped you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there is more to add.
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