Alternative tours in El Nido are popping up and giving tourists another way to traverse through the 45 islands and islets of Bacuit Bay. Besides avoiding the huge crowds of the lagoons and most popular beaches these tour operators give visitors options with different itineraries, routes, and start times. If you’re looking for style and speed opt for Skipper Charters or El Nido Yachting Club. If you’re looking for a party with unlimited drinks Mellow Yellow or Le Boat are there for you. For foodies Kraken is your best bet. Expeditions are also getting more popular and in our opinion the best way to visit the islands but that’ll be a separate post. For now here are alternative tours in Bacuit Bay.
Mellow Yellow
Photo by IG @kyrajenner
Mellow Yellow dubs its tour as Tour Z. They’ve got drinks, music and island-hopping all done at a late start for those wanting to sleep in.
Lonely Planet has it’s own description, giving you a pretty good vibe of what to expect.
“While the focus on this tour is on drinking, the hangover-friendly 10.30am start puts Mellow Yellow on a different schedule than other tours, hence fewer crowds at key Bacuit Bay sights. It’s the biggest and cheapest of the party boats, and it’s just P500 extra for drink-all-you-can.” Mellow Yellow (Lonely Planet)
This boat has more staff to cater to all your needs. They stop at 4 different location mixing up drinking with activites such as snorkeling, paddle boarding, or playing volleyball. They’ve got a great lunch buffet with all the originals from the island-hopping boats you’d expect plus extras. Another added benefit is the free massage you get!
Price P1500, Book at MYAdventures office in Serena street or Real street
Kraken’s Boat gives guests a combination tour of the regular island hopping tours. They schedule their boats to give you all four regular tours in two days. Choose between a combination of tour a and b or tour c and d. The boat is huge, providing the group with a 50 square meter platform as well as a wide beds to relax. They start later at 11am and float around the bay until sunset. They’ve got pocket wifi, play music throughout the tour, and have a toilet. Kraken specialized in food giving you a huge spread of Filipino and Mediterranean food. They provide drinks, towels, water shoes, snorkels and kayaks meaning you won’t have to take out any extra cash while on tour.
Book for 2500 php with a maximum capacity of 22 people. Book at their office on Hama Street near Sava Bar.
For the last couple of years Skipper Charters has been the only speedboat tour company. They go beyond just the typical island-hopping itinerary. The speedboats touring through the bay are still increasing but this group is still one of the top tour companies with great food, beautiful boats, and amazing service. If you’ve got extra time try going further north away from Bacuit Bay and into Linapacan archipelago (halfway between El Nido and Coron), into some of the clearest waters in the world.
El Nido Yachting Club is your opportunity to sail through Bacuit Bay in style. This group has tons of options for you whether you want to cruise on a wooden boat, a 50 foot catamaran or a 30 foot speed boat, they’ve got something for everyone. Once you choose your boat you’ll need to figure out if you’re wanting a half day, a full day or a sunset cruise. Regardless, you won’t be disappointed by the boats or their service.
