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el nido sailing

Sailing in El Nido - A first-time experience
The Philippines Travel

Sailing in El Nido, Palawan

Chris and I had been hoping for the longest time to try something new in our travels. So during our 15-day vacation, we tried sailing in El Nido, Palawan, and it was amazing! The sailing adventure was also part of our first anniversary.

Sailing in El Nido- how did we start

Anyone who will try this activity is required to take a course. There are different options. We took the 1.5-hour course that explained the basics of sailing.

A guide taught us every little thing we needed to know. Before he began, he asked us five things that we knew about sailing. Well, the truth is, I didn’t have any single idea about sailing, let alone in El Nido. But for instance, Kuya asked us how we would know where the wind was coming from.

Chris got all the answers. He got the water motion, the small color-coded flags tied on the boat, signifying wind directions that tied on the boat, and three more things I have already forgotten. (I wasn’t actively listening, sorry. Oops.)

Furthermore, the guide explained every tiny detail. He made sure that we learned and was informed about the things we needed to know before embarking onsea tripsea. Finally, he also explained what to do if the sailboat capsized.

As a result, te enjoyed learning many things about sailing. The course took almost 2 hours because of the wind that day. In sailing, all your actions depend on the wind.

But what if there’s no wind to keep the boat moving? Well, that’s what the paddle is for. That will be tiring, though.

After the course, we went back to our hotel room at El Mahogany Beach Front Resort to pack and prepare our stuff. 

Things to bring for the sailing

  • Food
  • Water
  • Sunscreen

The following items are already on the boat:

  • Life vest
  • Emergency phone (in case something unfortunate happens)
  • A map showing us the points where we’re allowed to sail in, dock, and do some activities like snorkeling
  • A paddle

And then we were off to some adventures of sailing in El Nido. We couldn’t be more thrilled!

Chris was mostly in charge of the sailing, but we worked as a team. He was the captain, and I was his crew. We worked together to sail in the middle of the ocean. It’s indeed fascinating.

Chris and I had been hoping for the longest time to try something new in our travels. So during our 15-day vacation, we tried sailing in El Nido, Palawan, and it was amazing! The sailing adventure was also part of our first anniversary.

El Nido sailing – what’s interesting about it

Well, the fact that we alone were in charge of our boat. There was no guide to help us, so it was total freedom. We were free to choose the islands we’d go to (but of course, only those on the map). Also, we stopped by Pinagbuntayan Island, a private island that is an ideal place for snorkeling.

It was wonderful to have sailed across the sea and docked on the island considering that we were first timers.

Hence, we kept on sailing through the wide blue ocean, waited and hoped for good winds, and enjoyed the time sailing together even though Chris wasn’t feeling well at that time. Nevertheless, our sailing made our vacation more fun in El Nido.

On the other hand, as the guide advised, we had to be back before 5 pm. Otherwise, they would come and rescue us, especially if they didn’t receive a message from us. 

That being said, in late evenings, the wind is scarce, so it would not be easy to go back to the shore. It’s important to listen and follow the guide’s rules for your own safety. 

Total Price

In total, we paid P3,500 for our sailing adventure in El Nido. We started off at around 130pm and finished sailing at around 530pm. We got a special discount from Uzband that specializes in this water adventure. They also design other water activities such as water camping.

Special thanks to Uzband for this incredible sailing experience.  To know more, you may inquire through their official Facebook or Instagram pages.