An Expedition from El Nido to Coron – my experience with Buhay Isla as a solo traveller

There are two ways to cross from El Nido to Coron. You can take the ferry, which should take 4 to 5 hours, or make it a multi-day expedition. I decided on the latter, looking for something different and more adventurous.

Multiple companies are offering such expeditions. They stop in different remote islands, and take you to the most fantastic snorkelling spots. If you are lucky you can go cliff jumping and even explore some caves in the ocean. No trip is the same – the weather, the winds and the currents can all impact your experience. When I was researching in preparation for this trip, two top companies were coming up – Buhay Isla and Tao Expeditions. I had read about Buhay Isla in the blog of a Portuguese travel couple I trust and was inclined to go with them. Tao Expeditions is on the pricier side, and I didn’t see much of a benefit in going with them – when it comes to the stops, they are the same, as I would often see their boat alongside ours. So, Buhay Isla it was!

You can choose between 3 days/ 2 nights or 4 days/3 nights and between El Nido to Coron or Coron to El Nido itineraries. For clarity, I did 3 days/2 nights, with the itinerary El Nido to Coron. I took this expedition in April 2024.

The accommodation arrangements

Expect the basics. I did, and I was still impressed! For both nights, we all had a little hut with a mosquito net, a nice mattress, and sheets. It was more than enough, and it was super clean. I found the base camp to be stunning, and you are indeed the only ones there, as these companies have bought this land specifically for this. Everything is incredibly sustainable, and that is a huge part of Buhay Isla – respect for nature comes first. There is no Wi-Fi and minimum electricity. Even if you have it, I recommend you don’t turn it on, as it will attract a lot of different insects. The bathrooms are shared, but be prepared to only take bucket showers!

As a solo traveller, I was afraid I would have to share a hut with another solo traveller, and I’m glad to report that was not the case. It would have been extremely uncomfortable – imagine sharing a mattress in such a tiny space with a complete stranger! When I reached out about it, they didn’t guarantee I would have my own hut which was a source of anxiety.

What about the food?

The food was divine. We had two chefs on board who cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner for us, with some snacks in the middle. It was one of the highlights of the expedition. Don’t worry, you won’t starve for sure!

What are the conditions in the boat?

The boat is small, with a top deck where I spent most of the time when navigating. If you are prone to seasickness, definitely take tablets with you. We sometimes spent about two hours or more navigating, and the sea could be rough, which in my opinion only added to the fun.

What to bring with you

They will provide you with a list and I have to say everything they recommended was necessary for me. Definitely at least two swimsuits. A towel. You don’t need many clothes at all, just something to sleep with and wear at night and on the boat. I recommend a rash guard as often I was stung with jellyfish and plankton. A rash guard will also protect you from the sun, especially when snorkelling and you don’t have time to reapply sunscreen. So yes, of course, sunscreen is essential. Take some mosquito repellant as well, and a hat. And if you want to capture magical moments underwater, a GoPro or something similar would be great. A fully charged power bank is also important to keep your phone and cameras charged, as you won’t have outlets out there in the basecamp. They will provide you with snorkelling equipment at no additional costs, so you’d don’t to bring your own!

And absolutely essential is a waterproof bag for all of the belongings you are travelling with. And finally, some wet shoes – this was so useful for cliff jumping, but sometimes I also preferred to snorkel with them, as it would protect my feet from any rocks or even being stung!

The main luggage with all of your equipment is stored at the beginning of the trip in complete safety, and you’ll only access it at the end. Definitely don’t take your passport, or expensive electronics (such as cameras and laptops) with you on the boat, even in the waterproof bag, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Fitness Level

In my trip, we had people of all ages and fitness levels. Even if you can’t swim, you can still go, they will give you a life jacket. However, of course, it will be more fun if you can swim and perhaps even more comfortable. As long as you can swim, you can then choose what kind of activities you want to participate in. Do be aware that every evening we would swim from the boat to the island where we would be spending the night, and then we would swim back in the morning. The swim sometimes would be rough if there were some currents… but I don’t see myself as a strong swimmer and I found it easy overall.

What will you see?

Most activities were around snorkelling, swimming, and of course,e visiting some remote beaches. We were supposed to visit a remote village but it didn’t happen. We got the chance to jump off a cliff as well, something I never thought I would do. And then I did it. It was so scary but I am so glad I didn’t skip!

Endless turquoise waters, white sand beaches, pristine places barely touched by humans. Stunning corals and colourful creatures of the ocean, if you are lucky, as I was, sea turtles and manta rays, plus beautiful starfish as well. Sadly, I’ve misplaced my GoPro footage, so will have to do another post on this one eventually when I’m reunited with it!

What is the experience like for a solo traveller?

Honestly, I think this is great for solo travellers, but of course, as with many things in life, your experience depends on what sort of other travellers you’ll have with you. I was and wasn’t lucky – for some strange reason, 95% of the group was French. There was a big French family, with two couples, three teenage kids, a group of three friends who were also French, other groups of friends from Switzerland, a couple where the woman was also Portuguese and her husband was Lebanese, and two other solo travellers who were also French! This was a bit hard for me as some of them barely spoke any English (the French family just didn’t). I still had fun and appreciated sometimes being left by myself to fully enjoy the solitude those remote islands had to offer.

Everyone was nice though, had some really nice conversations and kept in contact with one of the solo travellers we eventually met in Bali a few weeks later in both Ubud and Lovina, and it was nice to have some company there.

I did have my own hut, which was amazing, and something I really appreciated.

How safe was it?

100% safe. As I mentioned, if you don’t swim there are life vests on board, alcohol consumption was kept to the minimum and the crew made sure they were taking good care of us. Again you don’t have to participate in any activity you don’t feel comfortable with. The basecamps were clean and the staff there was also so helpful. The food is always delicious and no one ever got sick. It is important though to choose a reputable company, and I can say with confidence that Buay Isla is one of those. The day before your departure there will be a briefing session (mine was in El Nido) where they’ll take you through every safety measure and ask any questions you might have.

Is it worth it?

Yes, every single penny of it. I saw the most beautiful beaches, and I swam in the most beautiful waters. I could not believe it. It was surreal. I loved that for three days I was just letting myself be taken by this boat, without having to plan every minute of my day. The food was delicious and such a great way to be in touch with the Filipino way of life. Just be prepared to let go of some comforts for a couple of days, and you’ll be fine.

It couldn’t have all been perfect…what did you not like about it?

The stray dogs. This is an issue in the Philippines, but what shocked me to the core was seeing dogs in such remote places, starving and thirsty, clearly ill. These were islands, and so clearly these dogs were brought there by humans and were just left there to die. This is a huge cultural shock – sometimes in these countries they don’t value the life of a dog as much as we do in the Western world and I was particularly bothered when we raised it with the crew and were told that people barely have anything to eat, so why would they bother with the dogs… and whilst there is an argument to it, I also have to ask ‘ then why have they brought the dogs here with them?

So that was hard. We did leave food leftovers for them to eat, but again, very difficult for someone like me, an animal defender, to witness. So just beware of this – not only when deciding whether or not you want to do this expedition, but even visiting the Philippines, as in Palawan this was an issue all around.

Other than that, I really can’t complain. It all just went really well, and the conditions were even better than expected.

If you are looking to visit Palawan, I recommend doing this expedition and it became a highlight of my four months in Southeast Asia. I simply loved it. I can also recommend Buhay Isla, just make sure you book it in advance as it sells out pretty quickly!

Love, Nic