As you can see from our reviews, most of our guests love our service, while a small minority do not. This page is designed to steer away those who might not like the conditions, making everyone happier. For us, we mostly have problems with those who do not read much of the information we send them but come with their own expectations. This is a developing country and not everything is perfect, but the beaches are and the people are sweet, something we would like to maintain and not let become spoiled by unnecessarily sour experiences.
Here are some of the conditions which some may not prefer:
- we specialise in custom private tours off the beaten path. Unless you book a stay at some of the fancy resorts along the way, the basic accommodation we ourselves can arrange, such as bamboo beach huts, tents, or even simple hotels (check here for a list of both fancy and basic accommodation along the way), can offer only basic facilities. There are toilets and showers everywhere, but sometimes you may just have to squat and flush the toilet with a small bucket drawn from a big bucket of water, or something similar to “shower” yourself with. An example could be one of our regular stops near Sibaltan, Pical.
- the accommodation is usually very basic. Many places have limited electricity, such as noon to midnight in San Miguel, Linapacan, or the frequent 6pm-10pm in Pical. Smaller islands might be like Pical. Some have diesel generators and can power aircon overnight, but that will need to be paid for extra. The boatmen are slowly stocking up on battery powered fans for the tents. Sometimes it is best just to sleep on a breezy beach under the open stars, but make sure there are no sand flies. Best to discuss your requirements and preferences with the boatman.
- the toilet on the boat can be very basic, without even a roof. Just a simple booth, but not a problem to ask the boatman to pull over somewhere in town, or you can just go into the ocean.
- the waves and weather can get a bit rough sometimes, as indicated on the forecasts page. Whenever a low pressure area develops in the open ocean east of the country, as soon as it even starts approaching the east coast, the standard coast guard reaction is to issue a warning. But this is the same super safe approach applied by the embassy of your own country, which possibly issues a dire warning in bold red letters not to come to this country. I asked the coast guards in and exmayor of San Miguel in Linapacan if any accidents have ever been reported along our regular route and they claimed absolutely none. There are 82 islands between Sibaltan and Coron to provide plenty of shelter. The typhoons generally hit the east coast and are then pushed northward to the upper tip of Luzon before they go down to Vietnam. They rarely make it through the middle of the country, but when they occasionally do (I lived in Linapacan for two years), by the time they get there they are fairly tame. In any case, the boatmen know when it is or not safe to go out and will not risk their lives or boats for some extra income. Therefore, if you hear any warnings by the coastguards, this is NOT grounds for cancellation of your tour. If the weather gets too rough, usually the boatmen will sit out the storm for a day or two and then continue. The last year I lived in the area I counted 8 typhoons passing around the country and our operations needed to pause only for a few days on two separate occasions.
- SE Asians can be very relaxed, living in such paradise, and not be the most punctual. If you are due to meet somewhere, best make it in a pub or restaurant and let them come to you.
- In some areas you may experience roosters hollering or pigs squealing or snorting at certain hours, or mozzies (mosquitoes) biting at dusk and dawn. We generally avoid any beaches with sand flies, but doesn’t hurt to ask if you are sensitive to that.
To sum it up, our tours are not for everyone, but if you want to get off the beaten path, into beautiful pristine nature, remote beaches and meet and live like truly rural and hospitable Filipinos, then our tours are for you. We have different sized boats, so if you are scared of big waves, you can arrange one of the larger boats. The accommodation can quite vary, from fancy resorts you have to book in advance yourselves, to basic huts or inns, to tents.
You can join or book one of our private custom Palawan boat tours between El Nido and Coron. Tons of paradise beach islands to see along the way, excellent snorkeling in crystal clear waters, caves to explore, Spanish fortress and much more. Completely off the beaten path!
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I give 5 stars because they actually helped me to arrange the tour to Balabac in last minute. However, because the money wired through the local bank in my country took time to be processed, so i missed the boat due to peak season as many people paid before my money was received by the tour guide.As most of people usually feel, once your money has been transferred out to someone you do not know, you probably frustrated that your money would not be able to be refunded.But not in my experience. I dont need to be worry, the owner refunded me the money he has received (minus the bank fees). He promised to refund me and he did it. It was around 18.700 Pesos.So, eventhough i didn't manage to go with the tour, but i am really satisfied with their legitimate and great business practice. Hopefully, people will try their services and not worry about their legit business!Thanks a lot!
The most wonderful experience from booking to beach! Karel and Mel were so fast and responsive to my very last minute trip over the holidays. We booked a private boat for two and could not have been happier with our four day trip! We didn’t think about anything other than snorkeling the entire time. Linda, our captain, cooked wonderful meals and took us to totally empty beautiful beaches. We loved staying the night in Pical especially! Wonderful to experience the Philippines this way! Will come back again and would recommend to anyone!
We booked the 3 day 2 night expedition, from Coron to Sibaltan.First of all the booking part was really simple. I organized this trip to the Philippines last minute for my family (my parents and my uncles) but Karel answered all my questions very quickly and really made everything easier for me. It was an incredible experience. Albert, our tour leader, is a wonderful guy, always smiling and ready to help us. They assisted us in everything and really took care of making everything go smoothly. The accommodation on the islands is as spartan as you expect but the location of each hut alone is worth the trip. The wonder of nature was then added to the goodness of cuisine. It's really difficult to argue how you can cook all that goodness on a boat.If you are looking for an authentic experience, in contact with nature, off the beaten track, this company's private expedition is certainly for you.
What an unforgettable experience! We did a two night (3 day) island hopping tour from Sibaltan to Coron. Everything was so well organized and the boat crew were amazing and really made sure we had a great time. The accommodation was rustic, but added to the authentic experience of the Philippines. Karel always responded to any queries we had promptly. Our boatman, Albert, was the most amazing chef and we enjoyed every meal. The crew taught the kids how to fish with a line which was their highlight of the trip. They took us to the most unbelievable snorkelling spots along the way. Would highly recommend this trip.
This is a must to do!!Super ultimate tour is the best with Kayangan and barracuda lake, twin lagoons (my favorite), coral garden (blue fabulous coral) were the best. It’s really worth it to pay for private tour (3500 to 4000 PHP). You will also have to pay for entrance fees (150 to 200PHP by location) and eventually shopping at the market - must do (count 300 for 2 for fish, pork, fruits and vegetables, water).
I was looking for a personalized excursion to the stunning Bacuit Gulf.Based on the comments, I contacted Mel.Very responsive, very efficient and perfect organization.The on-board staff were very friendly and very helpful.And I'm not even talking about the meal on board...a marvel.In all fairness, this excursion will remain an excellent memory and I cannot recommend Mel and his team highly enough.A big thank-you.
This tour went well above all our expectations! I couldn't recommend this enough! The boat crew, captain and tour guide were nothing but amazing, everyone was so kind, helpful and friendly. The crew knew the best spots to visit that weren't overcrowded with tourists, 3 times we were lucky enough to have whole islands to ourselves! It was my partner's birthday while away and everything went above and beyond, bonfire, cake, birthday card, singing and celebrating with us.If you love camping this is definitely a tout you should do, it has been the highlight of our trip!!
Coron is the best place i have ever seen.. picturesque. Beautiful. Peaceful
We booked a 4 days/3 nights private boat trip from Coron to Sibaltan. The organization went very well from the beginning, the owner answered to all my questions, and we were able to choose which islands to visit and where to sleep. The first night we slept in a bungalow in Banana Island, the second we camped in Araw beach and the last we slept in a seafront bungalow builded on a tree in Pical on Iloc Island.The islands in that area are the most beautiful islands I have ever seen, with clear water, lots of coral reef and fishes to see, white sand and almost deserted. The crew was very friendly and polite and they organize every single meal and for camping they give you a tent which was just perfect! This was our highlight in our 2 weeks in the Philippines and I wish I had booked a longer trip. A private trip gives you the freedom to decide where and when to go.
We are a family operation managing private custom boat tours in the beautiful Palawan area, and are happy to help travelers with their plans through the country, having traveled a lot of it ourselves and planning to visit it all.