El Nido to Coron Sea Safari
5 Days Starting in 59CV+22R, Barangay Buena Suerte, El Nido, Palawan, Philippines and ending in Coron Town Proper, Coron, Palawan, Philippines
Visiting: Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Miniloc Island, Matinloc Island, Cadlao Island, Nacpan Beach, Duli Beach, Linapacan, Linapacan Tourists Camp, Dicabaito Island, Ditaytayan Island, Coron Island, Twin Lagoon, Kayangan Lake, Siete Pecados, Maquinit Hot Spring, Coron Town Proper
Tour operator:
Tour code:
ECSS5
Recommended For:
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
2 - 10
Physical rating:
Medium
Age range:
2-80
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians, Meat
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Active, Adventure Tours, Camping, Cruise, Walking Hiking and Trekking
Interests:
Activities:
Private Available:
Request A Private Tour
Tour Overview
Explore the highlights of far northern Palawan on a 5-day El Nido-Coron expedition -- cruising, kayaking, snorkelling, sightseeing & camping on idyllic white sand beaches. The trip uses a large, roomy motorized outrigger banca. Participants have their own single or double sea kayaks, sit-ins unless otherwise requested. These are used by participants to wend their way between idyllic sand-ringed and palm-fringed islands and explore the myriad lagoons of the Calamian-El Nido archipelago. With the boat shadowing, you can do as much or as little kayaking as you wish, professionally supervised by your kayak guide. The program is flexible, allowing sleeping on board or camping on the beaches near the boat’s nightly anchorage, the latter always the popular option. Why? Access to your private island hideaway is by your own sea kayak paddled by you. Yes, there's always a guide to lend assistance in his/her own kayak. And, erection and dismantling of your tents are taken care by a camp manager, who’ll set up your comfy tent complete with camp mattress & camp pillow, hotel linen, bath towel and beach towel. Most campsites will have a basic toilet. Where there isn’t a loo, there’ll be a small tented bathroom with a chemical toilet: Your shower is a solar bag shower under the stars. A camp cook will prepare your meal, served with your favourite beverage. What happens for the rest of the evening can be read in the stars. This is one of Tribal Adventures’ signature million heavenly star-rated experiences!
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : El Nido-Coron Sea Safari
Location: Big Lagoon, Small Lagoon, Miniloc Island, Matinloc Island, Cadlao Island, Nacpan Beach
Accommodation: Camp
Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner, Morning merienda Afternoon merienda Sundowners
Meet up at 9am at beachfront of Eco Hotel. Introduction of team Tribal Adventures and the crew of the expedition banca, who will take participants gear to expedition boat.
At beachfront your guides will familiarise kayaks, snorkels, doing a basic fitting out of each participant to single or double sit-in sea kayaks. Brief try-out on the shore of Corong Corong beach before heading to expedition boat, anchored offshore.
After boarding there will be a safety briefing and outline of the day's itinerary. With tick off of Coast Guard, push off is scheduled for 10am. Captain and lead guide will determine the route and timings for cruising, kayaking and snorkelling.
Morning merienda will be taken soon after departing Corong Corong. Interspersed between bouts of kayaking and snorkelling will be lunch and afternoon merienda, the latter native Filipino snacks like turon, chocolate rice, suman rice cakes, fried banana and fried camote (sweet potato).
Scheduled highlights include the Big Lagoon and Small Lagoon, Miniloc and Matinloc islands, as well as sites on Cadlao Island. But where destinations are being overly loved to death, we will move to more remote locations, sending a message of disapproval of over-tourism.
Tribal Adventures' commitment is to provide the optimal expedition experience when circumstances prevent the letter of an itinerary being followed.
We hope participants exhibit the spirit of adventure that invariably makes the road less travelled a more fulfilling experience than following what the crowd fancies. The determination to diverge lies with the lead guide, who'll likely seek feedback from participants, though ultimately hers/his decision is final. As an aside -- and this you will hear at the initial briefing on board -- where a decision to alter the itinerary is taken for reasons of safety of participants, crew or team the lead guide, with the boat captain, have the final say.
Accommodation is in a tented camp at a Nacpan beach resort, about one hour by the expedition boat from Cadlao Island. The fastest route to the campsite is by kayak, riding the waves into shore. The fainted hearted can hitch a ride in a double kayak with a guide. There's still a chance of a spill. But there should be no damage done as you are issued two smallish dry bags -- one with hotel linen, towel, pillow and pillow slip -- the other for your personal clothes. For your electronic devices you need to supply your own dry bag or Pelican case!
The camp manager, other Tribal team members and boat crew will ferry the tents, mattresses and other gear to shore AND erect the tents. They'll have a cooler of drinks for your Sundowner. Dinner, hosted by Tribal Adventures, will be at the resort unless advised otherwise. The same with breakfast the next morning.
Day 2 : El Nido-Coron Sea Safari
Location: Duli Beach, Linapacan, Linapacan Tourists Camp
Accommodation: Camp
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Morning merienda, Afternoon merienda, Sundowners
After breakfast, participants kayak out to expedition boat, assisted by guides to get through the breaking waves off Nacpan Beach. Crew will break camp as kayakers head towards Duli Beach to meet expedition boat and board for trip to Linapacan archipelago, with their pretty coral for snorkelling, pristine beaches and sublime sea kayaking.
When the boat leaves the Palawan mainland on the right, it's a crossing over some 10 kilometres to the start of Linapacan and an island hopping adventure, punctuated by kayaking and snorkelling and wandering beaches.
Arrival at Linapacan Tourists Camp before sunset: Tribal Adventures tents on the beach
Day 3 : El Nido-Coron Sea Safari
Location: Dicabaito Island, Ditaytayan Island
Accommodation: Camp
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Morning merienda, Afternoon merienda, Sundowner
After breakfast, paddlers kayak out of camp, circling a nearby lagoon before getting picked up by the expedition boat, which heads out of the Linapacan Islands towards the Dicabaito channel, heralding the start of Culion and its satellite islands.
The group is on the boat for much of the day, so the captain and guides will look to stop en route for a snorkel or two, and if conditions permit, another paddle before reaching Ditaytayan and its sandbar, our intended campsite for the night.
The boat crew and guides will set up camp, with tents positioned to capture sunset AND sunrise. Camping by Tribal Adventures is comfy, with camp mattresses and hotel linen, but it is nevertheless camping with direct connection to nature. If your tent's on the sandbar and the wind blows up overnight you can feel likely Dorothy in Wizard of Oz, or if it rains and you've removed the fly you will be wet until you -- or your alert camp manager -- re-places it.
Meanwhile, as the camp is being readied there's an island to circle by kayaks, a reef to snorkel and a wondrous sandbar to walk on and take pictures. Remember to grab a sundowner at sunset, and the following morning -- a freshly brewed coffee at sunrise. And, yes, there's always tea--tea leaves in a pot.
Day 4 : El Nido-Coron Sea Safari
Location: Coron Island
Accommodation: Camp
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Morning merienda Afternoon merienda Sundowner
After breakfast, breaking camp and boarding the kayaks, the expedition moves to the southwest tip of Coron Island, Calis Point.
If the easterly amihan blows the journey will be clockwise up the lengthy west coast, darting into lagoons, and gliding over carpets of coral, stopping to beachcomb and to snorkel.
If it's habagat, a westerly, then it's anti-clockwise paddling the extraordinary "time-tunnel" undercut cliffs that lead ultimately to the secret lagoon -- a sacred place for the native Tagbanua owners of Coron that demand silence. Unless you're a handful of people who know the language of the lagoon.
Anti-clockwise, with Coron's sheer cliffs to our left, makes it compelling to touch base with a Tagbanua elder. In all likelihood, the group will have the privilege of visiting a Tagbanua community to pay their respects, even if participants are clockwise-bound.
At one beach, there's a walk through the family's garden of bananas that's bounded by a sheer limestone cliff which monkeys usually seen scampering up it as participants pass by en route to a view of a placid lagoon worth climbing a cricketty ladder to get to.
Whether clockwise or anti-clockwise, we'll get a beach to settle for the night after an awesome paddle whichever direction.
The beach will be narrow as all Coron beaches are. During a king tide participants have had to build dikes at midnight. For a Dutch family, the response to inundation was a happy reminder of home!
But the sand is super soft and white, a product of waves wearing down limestone. The coral reefs surrounding the beaches make for special snorkeling. The beaches back on to limestone cliffs, some sheer and vertical and hundreds of metres high.
Day 5 : El Nido-Coron Sea Safari
Location: Twin Lagoon, Kayangan Lake, Siete Pecados, Maquinit Hot Spring, Coron Town Proper
Accommodation: Camp
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Morning merienda, Afternoon merienda, Sundowner
After breakfast, Paddle from camp with guide, and if clockwise, shaded till after midmorning by the limestone cliffs.
Expedition boat, after boarding camping gear, will catch up with merienda and a stint back on the boat as it motors round Coron to the northwest coast.
With kayaks back on the water, the paddle of Coron's famed tourist highlights commences.
Not necessarily in this order, the sites will be:
Twin Lagoon, Kayangan Lake, Siete Pecados -- and Maquinit should participants want to brave a hot spring!
But it's the lesser known places (unknown to those other than paddlers like us and the Tagbanua) that might just take your breath away. There's two lagoons with innocuous entrances that mesmerise. They are only accessible by lower draft lengthy sit-in kayaks that you'll be paddling. And forget it, if it's low tide.
Adventure can't be contrived. But be assured if one door to an adventure site shuts, another door to a different, less explored site opens!
That's the optimal commitment of Tribal Adventures.
As the sunset gets low in the sky, the expedition boat arrives at Lualhati Park in the recreational boat port of Coron town.
If you have a book for a Coron town hotel, Tribal Adventures will get you to your hotel. Arrival should be by 6pm.
What's Included
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1 bottle of Mineral Water per person per day
1 sterilised reusable water bottle with ample refill of commercial bulk drinking water. We limit use of single use plastics
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Accommodation
Serviced tented camp on beaches using camp mattresses. Singles have a smaller tent rated for 2-3 persons and twins & couples have a tent rated for 3-4 persons. Hotel linen of top and bottom sheets, with small camp pillow and pillow slip each.
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Drinks with Meals
Local beer, local rum and brandy, limited wine, ample freshly squeezed calamansi juice
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Entrance Fees
Camp, marine park, departure fees included
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Free Wi-Fi at Accommodation
No guarantee, but best efforts to share use of available mobile wi-fi device of boat.
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Fully Guided
One kayak guide per 5 participants. 1 camp manager. 1 cook. 1 assistant cook who doubles as nanny for young children aboard. Additionally, there is the boat captain and 2 crew
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Local Taxes
Included is 12% Value Added Tax
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Meals – Full Board
Breakfast lunch & dinner plus 2 meriendas and a sundowner
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Tipping and Gratuities
Not required but appreciated
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Families are welcome and children able to swim may kayak with parent, supervised by guide. Children can remain on board while parents paddle, supervised by a team/crew member. There is no additional charge. Complimentary drop off to Coron hotel at the e
What's Not Included
Check out our Q&As
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Is there a supplement for solo travellers?
No, but expect a smaller tent for single accommodation
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Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?
Curious & active adventurers entertained by nature. If you're a party-goer forget it.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
25 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Remote camping with hotel linen probably would, but makeshift camping is beyond the remit of health and safety
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Am I contributing to any charity by booking the tour?
Better than a charity: Empowering tribal Filipinos, already with full control of enterprise Kayak Inn, Antique. More to come.
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Follow local and national rules and protocols, which include mandatory vaccination for arrivals as of 10 February 2022. Deep cleaning is standard by team and crew, and masking is required when social distancing not possible.
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Commitment to low impact visitor experiences: Construction native in content, style & execution; locally sourced supplies; tapping locals for team members; supporting and empowering tribal communities; avoiding single use plastics; providing sterilised reusable water bottles with limitless refills.
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
Yes, but Participant will need to hire boat to catch up to expedition
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
2 changes can be made free of charge, thereafter there is a charge
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Probably unnecessary as singles use smaller tents to twins and doubles with larger tents. Thus, no single supplement
Reviews from Travellers on this Tour
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Book with Confidence
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Free Date Changes
Tribal Adventures allows you to make 2 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 60 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Tribal Adventures allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform tribal adventures, 60 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Tribal Adventures requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 14 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of tribal adventures charges.
Up to 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 15 days before tour starts: Forfeit 25% of booking price.
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Tribal Adventures Covid-19 protocols
Transport
Car & Van drivers thoroughly clean and sanitize vehicles nightly and before and after each trip, sanitizing inside and outside door & window handles, seatbelts and buckles, airconditioner switches, dash boards, glove box exteriors, radio and other controls, steering wheel, brake and shift stick. Distancing will apply till further notice: maximum total driver and passengers in Pick-up is 3 inside and 1 outside; for van is 6 inside.
Banca boats: Tribal Adventures will place a maximum number of passengers and crew at 50% of the registered maximum capacity of the vessel. Until further notice, every banca trip will carry a guide or cook who will implement sanitation and best safety protocols, namely boarding with assistance using arm support. The guide or cook will ensure passenger area is clean and sanitised and boat crew comply with health, sanitation & safety protocols. The cook or guide as case may be shall have sole responsibility of food and drink preparation and service from start to finish
Equipment, food service, drinks on tour
Kayaks & tents
During this Covid-19 period there will be extra hygiene and health protocols, with Tribal guides thoroughly cleaning sea kayaks in and around the cockpit/s, the hatches and hatch covers and carrier toggles. Life vests and spray skirts, day-trip hampers and overnight camping equipment will be cleaned and placed into plastic bags, labelled for each guest; the handle area of paddles will be wiped thoroughly with disinfectant immediately before use.
Reservations teams are asked to ascertain the sex, age, build, weight and height of each participant, and if overnight, whether bedding is double or single. On the basis of height estimate from participants we set foot rests of kayak pedals ahead. While Covid-19 protocols persist, clients need to be prepared, under instruction, to set up the interiors of their tents. Tents and shower facilities will be set up with guide and crew taking precautions including using disposable gloves and wiping down strategic parts of tent like zippers, entrance canopies. While the threat of Covid-19 persists clients will need to be willing and able to get in and out of their kayaks without physical assistance of guide and crew beyond aiding in the stabilisation of the kayaks at either ends of the kayak/s. This means that clients need to have some experience with sea kayaking in enclosed, sit-in sea kayaks. Note: if clients have no such experience they need to advise Tribal Adventures so the company can prepare sit-on sea kayak/s in lieu.
F&B, Water
Packed meals for day trips will be prepared & packed by one person only, whose hands are cleaned with soap, who is wearing disposable gloves and a mask. We also need to know of allergies and food preferences. For meals other than packed meals, as far as possible food will be cooked on site and served individually. During the Covid-19 period: EACH CLIENT SHOULD BRING THEIR OWN WATER BOTTLE, while as a supplement we will supply our usual sterilised water bottles. Observing sanitation, we assign newly washed and stored dedicated plates, cups, glassware, eating utensils for each tour participant: A dispenser holding plates etc will be provided each participant. We will urge clients to clean and stash away their assigned eating and drinking vessels and utensils. Tribal Adventures supplies fresh spring water in bulk for drinking, the tap of which is wiped with sanitiser after each use. For further questions please contact Greg via tours@tribaladventures.com
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