The Apartments at El Nido (AptElNido for short) is an apartment complex located at the center of El Nido town with 10 well appointed apartments, a total capacity of 48 people and 3+ designated speed boats for island hopping.
This is the best experience for the family where you feel like a local living in your own apartment in town. The best part is that you have a private speed boat service to take you around the islands, minus the tourists, and the #AptElNido team creating the best island picnic experience for your family.
Highly recommended! Here’s our The Apartments at El Nido experience…
First Things First
The 10-room apartment is designed with 3 building clusters, eight (8) apartments having two queen size beds for a maximum capacity for 4 people and two (2) apartments with two rooms for a maximum capacity of 8.
APARTMENTS AT EL NIDO
Manila Address:
Perry’s Building, Pastor Drive, Parañaque, Metro Manila
Telephone: +632 826-5400
Mobile: +63 920 963-8921
Email: info@aptelnido.com
El Nido Address:
Osmeña Street, Brgy. Buena Suerte, El Nido, Palawan
Telephone: +63 48 716-2428
Mobile: +63 920 910-0086
Email: bookings@aptelnido.com
Facebook: The Apartments at El Nido
Instagram: @aptelnido
Website: https://aptelnido.com/the-apartments/
Snake Island
This apartment is a 73.57 sqm unit that can accommodate a maximum of 8 persons, with two (2) bedrooms, living area, dining area, kitchen and two (2) toilets and shower areas with heater.
Room Rate: ₱23,184/night
We stayed at the 2-bedroom Snake Island located on the ground floor with immediate access to the pool.
The beds are quite big and can fit a maximum of 4 people comfortably.
You have your own kitchen and living room for those days you just want to stay in and enjoy the apartment.
The toilets are clean, but remember this is an apartment where you are provided one towel throughout your stay.
You can buy food in the market or order take out to eat in your own apartment with kitchen amenities.
The boys got their own room and toilet so the parents could have their own private room. 🙂
Journey Through The Waters of El Nido (Day 1)
AptElNido have their own speed boat service so the trips are personalized with your own private picnic.
On the day we arrived, we went on a half day speed boat tour with lunch at Pinagbuyutan Island.
You could escape from the touring A-D crowd and experience the island paradise of El Nido in private.
What made the experience awesome was the team grilling the best unicorn fish and liempo over charcoal.
They properly set up the picnic experience with tables, chairs, banana leaf plates and plastic glasses.
You’d love the vegetable dishes like the eggplant ensalada to complete the picnic lunch experience.
The boys loved the liempo and, of course, the red hotdog. 🙂
You could take your time peeling the skin with your hands and sucking the juices of the halabos na shrimps.
You could leave at your own pace and just enjoy the moment playing with the kids.
We spent siesta time on the boat as we hopped from one island destination to another.
Kayak around the Small Lagoon. The boys preferred rocking the boat as they go along.
Explore the Hidden Lagoon with your kids and build memories they will remember forever.
Stop by Maremegmeg after the island hopping for the best sunset view and El Nido’s swimmable beach.
End the trip with a Bella Vita Italian dinner with an awesome beach ambiance at Corong Corong Beach.
Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the safe island hopping and all the blessings as the sun sets in the horizon.
Secret Lagoon
This apartment is an 86.63 sqm unit that can accommodate a maximum of 4 persons with one (1) bedroom suite, balcony, living area, dining area, kitchen and toilet and shower area with heater.
Room Rate: ₱16,744/night
Located on the third floor, this is the best room in the complex with a more romantic setting.
The view of the apartment complex and the pool from the room provide a sense of breathing space.
You have your own private kitchen space where you can cook and organize your private celebrations.
Loved the dining table and the spacious living room which felt like home.
The dinner table opens into an al fresco patio for you to enjoy the El Nido air.
El Nido Town Breakfast
Cafe Athena has a breakfast view of El Nido Bay (which hopefully they rehabilitate soon).
The breakfast food was a bit expensive because of the view but it was perfect for a lazy morning coffee session.
Happiness Beach Bar was one of our favorites for authentic Middle Eastern and vegetarian food.
We ordered pancakes and breakfast food from Happiness and ate them at the poolside during the morning swim.
The Hub hostel is just across AptElNido and it is quiet in the morning, perfect for breakfast.
Breakfast was just OK. I liked the tacos and Mexican street food options available for breakfast.
Balai Kubo, for all your healthy and vegetarian breakfast cravings, is a few minutes walk.
Journey Through The Waters of El Nido (Day 2)
The speed boat, equipped with proper life vests for kids and snorkel gear, could be angled for the best pic.
We had lunch at Star Beach, a private base camp by Tao Philippines.
During a Tao expedition, you stay overnight on the island in tuka huts with kulambo.
This was literally the best meal we had in El Nido, and just thinking about this meal makes my mouth water.
They caught the freshest alimasag, and you could taste their sweetness and easily peel the meat off the shell.
Eat-all-you-can taba ng talangka with the best ones coming from the bading (gay) crabs.
The squid was also market fresh and grilled medium (not overcooked) with the perfect sawsawan.
The cucumbers not only tasted good but were also presented well with personalized carving.
The main highlight of the meal was the unicorn fish, a specialty of El Nido waters.
The meat itself was very fatty specially the belly part for the ultimate umami experience. Ang sarap!
The boys loved the eat-all-you-can mangoes, and you could eat all of them with your hands. 🙂
Thank you for the most awesome island hopping experience in El Nido!
After lunch, kayak in the Big Lagoon because they now have a policy allowing only one visit per day.
Don’t forget to visit the Hidden Beach by entering into the cave which kids would surely enjoy exploring.
Final Thoughts
We’ve been to El Nido a number of times throughout our blogging career but this is one of the best El Nido experiences we had with the family by far.
The private speed boat experience with a well-curated picnic experience in an island away from the tourist crowd is quite unique. You get to be a local during your stay with your own apartment at the center of town where every dining and party spot is just walking distance.
The rooms are well-designed for a family getaway, and you can book a cluster or the entire complex for your family reunion.
Thank you to Paul Tugade and the AptElNido Team: Bong (speed boat captain), Garry (officer in charge), Boks (tour guide) and Eds (marketing team) for the awesome El Nido experience!
APARTMENTS AT EL NIDO
Manila Address:
Perry’s Building, Pastor Drive, Parañaque, Metro Manila
Telephone: +632 826-5400
Mobile: +63 920 963-8921
Email: info@aptelnido.com
El Nido Address:
Osmeña Street, Brgy. Buena Suerte, El Nido, Palawan
Telephone: +63 48 716-2428
Mobile: +63 920 910-0086
Email: bookings@aptelnido.com
Facebook: The Apartments at El Nido
Instagram: @aptelnido
Website: https://aptelnido.com/the-apartments/
Journey Through The Waters of El Nido
A non-typical way of exploring the islands of El Nido!
We have speed boats that you can rent out to enjoy the islands at your own pace and style for only ₱16,000 with lunch in the island!
Inclusions:
• 8-hour use of speed boat for 8 pax
• Captain
• Crew
• Tour Guide
• Gas
• Snorkeling Mask with Breath Tube
• Swimming Flippers
• Towels
• Life Vests
• Drinking Water
Note: Exploring the islands of El Nido requires ALL tourists to pay a ₱200 Eco-Tourism Development Fee (ETDF) good for 10 days. You may pay this fee at the Tourism Office (please keep the receipt as it’s very important) or we can do it for you so you can just relax.
Some areas also require additional entrance fees such as:
• ₱200 for the Big Lagoon
• ₱200 for the Small Lagoon
• ₱150 for the Cudugnon Cave
• ₱100 for the Matinloc Shrine
Other Fees:
₱300-350 for Kayak Rentals at the Big and Small Lagoon
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: Our experience was courtesy of the good people of The Apartments at El Nido. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions and insights.
P.S.
