Finding accomodation on the spot in El Nido

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waltervos
waltervos

Hey fellow travellers,

I've got my first trip to The Philippines coming up and I'm having a little trouble planning El Nido. I'll be travelling from Puerto Princesa to El Nido (or somewhere in that area, I've got no real preference) on January 25, which is right before Chinese New Year (January 28, I think). Online (Agoda, Hostelworld, etc.) I find it hard to find something that's available and at the right price (anything between 400 and 1000 php for two people).

For those of you who have travelled to El Nido before, how easy would you say it is to find accomodation on the spot? How much more acommodation is there, that can't be found/booked online?

Hoping for some insight,

Walter

Edited by waltervos
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robxbautista
robxbautista
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Hi Walter,

I'd say it would be quite difficult now to find available rooms when you arrive in El Nido. If it's not online, chances are they're no good or booked as well. You may try to book for just one night and then look around other hostels.

Good luck!

  • Robbie
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waltervos
waltervos
In response to #1

Hi Rob,

Thanks for your message. I decided to book something for the first week anyway. After that, I'm hoping the Chinese New Year rush will be over and we'll be able to find something nice and cheap. It will also give us some time to get to know the island.

-Walter

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Jerry_dog
Jerry_dog
In response to #2

I went to El Nido during peak season last year (April) and I was able to book a room online for just one night. When i got there, there were many hotels with empty rooms so it was easy to book a room for a couple more days, it's just that a lot of those places are locally owned and you can't find em on booking websites. The cheapest room with AC that I could find back then costs 1500 PHP, the cheapest fan room I found costs 800 PHP. Rooms should be around the same price over that holiday weekend, then become cheap again since most locals only flock to El Nido during the summer months so there would be less demand. i met travelers from Spain who went to El Nido last year during Chinese New Year. They said El Nido got pretty crowded, but they still found it quite easy to find a room for two.

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waltervos
waltervos
In response to #3

Hey thanks for the insight, Jerry! I've got the first week booked now and will take that time to find an awesome place to hang around after that.

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mmilana
mmilana

Dear Walter, don't worry about being able to find something on the spot - many places in El Nido are still far away from the online world, so all it takes is just to walk around town for a few days and find the spot that works best for you! If you are looking for suggestions, and not only for accommodation, but also on what to do/expore/eat while in El Nido, please check out my in depth El Nido travel guide: http://gone.cooking/?p=93 and http://gone.cooking/?p=181

Enjoy one of the most beautiful places in the world!

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