My Boys

El Nido is full of epic views, boat rides, lagoons and many other fairy tale scenes that were thrilling but the memory that holds the most clarity from our recent trip was a slow morning spent at the sand bar in front of our Airbnb.

A Walk To The Beach

Our Airbnb was just a short five minute walk from the beach. The walk felt longer than five minutes because as painful as it is to say, El Nido isn't the cleanest place we have visited. The walk was pretty scuzzy crossing through a number of construction sites and lots of murky puddles and garbage along the way. We talked to others who live in El Nido and that is supposedly the norm. After the dirty jaunt however, there is this beautiful pay off. Worth it!

Sandbar Party

We ran, kicked the ball, swam and played in the sand - all before 8 am! That's what travel is like with kids. Rising early allows for opportunities and beauty only early risers can earn.

Jungle Abode

Last minute plans are not the way to go when visiting El Nido, every hotel within budget was fully booked for our four day visit. I found a dirt cheap place on Airbnb, all four nights came out to the price of around one hotel nights stay.

Bug Me Not Balm

You will definitely need this while in el nido. the mosquitoes are unparalleled.

A Small Space To Play

Hands down I prefer renting a home than staying in a hotel. Don't get me wrong, we love staying in hotels as well however, when we are traveling with kids it is much more affordable to rent a place of your own. The cost per night for a two bedroom arrangement is almost always cheaper and ensures a better night sleep. Plus, you can cut costs by cooking in the home and washing your own laundry.

Kitchen With A View

I knew food would be scarce in El Nido as it's harder for items to find their way to El Nido so I brought oats, peanut butter and stopped at the palengke when we arrived. If you are planning a boat tour of El Nido visit the palengke and pack a lot of snacks.

*My Airbnb go-to menu can be found here.

Labandera

On step closer to becoming Filipino! After our morning at the beach I washed our clothes with a fragrant detergent, Downy Sweetheart, to make sure that pesky damp beach smell didn't follow us the rest of our trip. (Anyone else singing that catchy tune in their head right row? Sweetheart moo'o'o)