One of the most beautiful beaches I've been to!…read more As recommended by a local we spent the day at Nacpan Beach, which was well worth the trek. Since we were staying in El Nido, it's about 45 minutes north, so we hired a driver to take us here. Once we got off the highway to where the beach is located, you go through a rural town so the roads were really muddy and wet from the rainfall earlier that day. And since we were in a tricycle it was a bumpy ride! But so worth the trip. Clear water with crashing waves and it's spacious. We came on a weekday and though there were a lot of people, it didn't feel at all crowded since the beach is so long. Along the beach are restaurants, small stands with drinks and snacks and places to rent boogie boards and other swim gear. We spent half a day here and we didn't even want to leave. The water was so nice and warm, and all you wanted to do was swim and hang out. I hardly spent any time laying out on the sand since the water was so nice, but many people do, as it's such a relaxing and calm beach. If you're staying in El Nido - Nacpan Beach is a must-visit! Loved every minute I was there.

Bummer our Plan A was cancelled due to high waves & high winds. We looked for an alternate 45…read moreminutes from El Nido and this was Nacpan Beach. This is a pretty remote location. We were able to have a driver in a tricycle bring us out here and wait for about 1 1/2 as he has family in the area (lucky us). He went to see them and hopefully he returns at a suitable time. Nacpan Beach is gorgeous, but unfortunately the currents were too strong to allow people to go swimming. They also have a small restaurant on the beach. I ordered grilled fish (mackerel) & Garlic rice. The fish was Only 150 pesos. Go figure 2 pieces of whole fish for 150 pesos what a great deal. The only problem is they move at island speed. It took almost 45 minutes Normally this wouldn't have been such a problem but our driver was suppose to be back in an 1 1/2hr and he actually showed up earlier (go figure Filipino time)

Very fun lagoon that can get pretty crowded since it is the first stop of the A tour. Recommend…read morecanoeing and checking out the small water path that is straight and then veers a sharp left. It can fit a canoe but it will be tight. Ask your ship crew members to help with pictures. They always do an amazing job.

Big Lagoon, little Lagoon, Secret Lagoon and on and on, there are lagoons on all four El Nido…read moretours. As the name says this is big , long and a must do with a kayak. Firstly, your tour boat isn't going to take you inside you need to rent a kayak, about $6 and let you guide take you in because he knows the place and all the hidden cliff openings and side section that you will miss if you go it alone. You need to slowly float down the crystal clear water from the entrance and into the lagoon and truly appreciate the natural beauty around you. Because most likely this will be a once in a lifetime advangure for you.

My favorite beach in Coron. White soft sand, clean, secluded, water was just the right temperature…read moreand just lovely. It was one of our stops during our boat excursion and the place where we had lunch. Afterwards, my niece and I swam, hung out and just relaxed. I will definitely come back here with my family.

Without getting into a boat, or paddling out a bit, it's actually pretty hard to find a hotel in…read moreNorthern El Nido with a swimmable beach right outside your front door. Duli Beach is an exception! We were brought here to swim by our tour guide after the Coast Guard had closed down the island hopping tours for the day due to the hurricane. The beach is absolutely pristine and has what seems like an endless amount of white sand to go with it. The couple who owns the beach is lovely and are quite new to the area. We settled in pretty quickly for a quick swim and grabbed some drinks at their beachfront bar. This is where I discovered vegetarian pork rinds for the first time and the boy got so obsessed he got an extra brand for the road! He was a happy camper munching on this and his Red Horse. Me on the other hand was more disappointed with my banana smoothie which was made with no ice....which was basically a mashed banana. I asked if I could get ice in my smoothie and the owner apologized that they had no ice since they were running on a generator. I am perplexed to why this was even offered on the menu. Other than that for swimming it was great but it was a bit out of the way and secluded for us to stay for more than an hour.

Tropical island in the Philippines [PALAWAN Philippines]…read more We dedicated a whole day island-hopping in Coron Palawan. It is one of the most amazing islands in the Philippines, with massive limestone peaks, multicolored lagoons, and great water activities like kayaking, snorkeling or scuba diving. We rented a private boat for a day tour. There were nine of us. Coron town is authentic, rural and cheap! Perfect town with a great balance of delicious Filipino food, shopping, and cheap transport. We used tricycle rides to get around. All the restaurants we dined in had live music entertainment. Filipinos love to sing. We stayed in Bacău Bay Resort for four nights. It was peaceful since it was away from the main town. Our room was spacious and comfortable with modern amenities. Buffet brunch was included with the room. The locals were friendly and felt safe in the island. I absolutely loved shopping here too. Review #3369

What an amazing experience to visit a place that I've only seen in travel brochures. Palawan is…read moregorgeous with clear, blue water; coral reefs teeming with sea life and ship wrecks; white sand beaches; hidden lagoons and numerous islets to explore. My niece was able to get us a cheap 3 day package deal which included airfare, transportation to and from the airport, hotel accommodations with free breakfast, and one full day of island hopping with lunch included. It was an hour flight from Clark International airport and a 30 minute car ride from the Busuanga airport. The road to Coron Town Proper was long and winding. Since we arrived earlier than our check in time, we had lunch at the hotel's restaurant. Afterwards, we bought essentials at the convenience store on the first floor, then walked across the street to get water shoes (a necessity to protect your feet from the corals and to ensure your footing on slippery surfaces), a waterproof cover for our phones, hubby's swim trunks and my niece's sunglasses. My nieces and nephew were so excited to go snorkeling that they spoke to some locals. They introduced them to a boat captain who agreed to take us on a half day tour of Barracuda Lake, Hidden Lagoon and Smith Beach. My favorite spot was Smith beach which had white sand, lots of HUGE starfish and two friendly cats. The sun was setting which gave us gorgeous lighting for our pictures to capture our first day in paradise. The next day on our island hopping tour we went to Twin Lagoons, CYC Beach, Skeleton Shipwreck, Green Lagoon, Kayangan Lake, and Siete Pecados. Hubby's favorite spot was Skeleton Shipwreck with it's many colorful corals, exotic tropical fish, and of course, a 25 meter long Japanese ship that sunk during WWII. My favorite site, however, was the Twin Lagoons. It's best to go there early in the day when the tide is low, because you can kayak through a tunnel beneath the limestone mountain. We had to bend over backwards to be able to pass through, which gave us an opportunity to examine the interesting rock formations above us (please see video). On our last day, before heading home, my cousin and I climbed the looooong staircase to the top of Mount Tapyas. It took us about an hour for us to climb up and then down the 700+ steps. We took multiple stops to rest and take pictures. It was a nice climb, most of which was shaded by trees; it was an ideal spot to take in the width and breadth of Coron. Sadly, we must say our goodbyes. What I'm most grateful about this trip is the time spent with loved ones, and the opportunity to enjoy the simple things in life: the warmth of the sun on my skin, the wind through my hair, waves lapping at my feet, the gorgeous colors of the sunset and the welcoming rays of the sunrise. Life is good! Amen

We had a day tour in Coron and part of the itinerary includes a beach side picnic lunch at Smith…read moreBeach. Smith beach is immaculate. Since the beach is small in size, there is a limited number of boats able to dock on site aiding in crowd reduction. The waters are crystal clear with white powdery sand. Like most of the terrain, you are surrounded by picturesque limestone cliffs dating roughly around 180 million years. For 30 pesos (USD 50 cents), I scored some fresh coconut juice from the locals to eat with my meal. It was the perfect drink to keep me hydrated on a warm day. The vibe is very tranquil. If relaxation is your thing you could spend hours just laying out, getting your tan on or reading beach side. The waters are relatively calm and most of all warm. Fish sightings for sure and thankfully we did not encounter sharks.

This was our last stop on our half day tour of Palawan. We were fortunate to be the only ones here…read moreon a Monday afternoon. As our outrigger boat approached, we saw the jagged limestone cliffs, clear blue water, small white sand beach and a few man-made huts. We enjoyed the warm water and saw many huge starfish. On the beach we played with the two sweet resident kitty cats. It was a relaxing way to end our first day in paradise. TIP - It's all about timing, don't come when it's crowded, especially the weekends. You can switch around the order of your tour, so you can go to the next stop if Smiths is crowded then come back later. It helps if you can get here early before the regularly scheduled tours start (around 9am), or make it your last stop.

I grew up in Southern California and l also lived in Hawaii for two years, so I've got high…read moreexpectations when it comes to beaches. CYC beach looks better from afar: white sand beach lined with mangrove trees, surrounded far and wide by shallow turquoise waters and coral reefs. Our boat was anchored far from shore; but we were able to stand on the bottom with the water level just below our necks (I'm 5'2"). Hubby has been an aquarium hobbyist since he was young, so he's looking for sea-life. Lots of sea urchins here; but he didn't see much else that caught his eye. Be careful where you swim because there are certain spots where the little fish nip at you, maybe they're protecting their nests? One very interesting thing about Coron as a whole is that in many places where you go swimming, you'll experience alternating currents of warm water and cool water: it's the weirdest sensation (and no, no one peed in the water). So comparing this to other beaches in Coron, it's just ok.