Island Hopping in El Nido Part Deux

We couldn’t get enough island hopping in El Nido, so we signed up for another round!

From the different conversations we had with our guesthouse and others in El Nido, it was overwhelmingly clear we needed to book Tour C after already going on Tour A (check out the recap here). And boy, we are glad we did, because IT WAS AWESOME! Plus, Matt was able to check an item off his RTW bucket list, similar to what Alana did in Kyoto, Japan at the bamboo forest with her bucket list.

While Tour C is mostly comprised of beaches and snorkeling opportunities, a unique stop off point is the Matinloc Shrine which is on Matinloc Island. This is an abandoned shrine and home that was built in 1982 and it is absolutely stunning. It is hard to believe the place is left for tour groups and individuals to stop in to visit, so we asked a few questions to our guides on the backstory. Apparently a rich German guy and his Filipino wife built the home, but due to issues in getting the necessary land documents signed, it never got completed. We were told the German guy ran for mayor three separate times and lost each contest, which made an enemy out of the winning candidate. The winner then never granted the home permit requests. Too bad.

The area also has some rocks you can climb, which give incredible views of surrounding islands.

After the shrine, the boat headed out for some snorkeling and beach hopping, which was perfect. We really enjoyed the lagoons on Tour A, but we were really excited for the beaches. Oh, and we found Nemo!!!

One of the perks of booking the tours around El Nido is that they include lunch cooked right on the boat by the guides/staff. It is a nice selection of fresh seafood, pork, vegetables, fruit and rice. Yum!

While we enjoyed Tour A a great deal, we were anticipating Tour C even more and it did not disappoint. The day included perfect weather and the beaches were amazing. It was also nice to be out during the non-high season as the crowds are not nearly as bad as during December and January, according to the guides. We had a great time and would recommend Tour C to anyone visiting El Nido.