El Gordo's Seaside Adventure Lodge

Everything was great! Such a lovely place far from the noisy and crowded center. Great view and people! I felt like home.

Nothing to declare.

The host and his family were very friendly and kind.

El Gordo's was one of my favourite hostels that I've stayed at, ever! It's a beautiful, large, ramshackle building on the edge of the bay at the far tip of El Nido town. To get there, you have to go to the end of the road and then walk for 5 minutes through the tiny winding streets of a quiet community of local people. The kind of place where every building is hand-made and seems built on top of another. It's not for everyone, but I adore places like this. El Gordo's itself is perfectly comfortable and has everything you need. Wifi was fast and reliable. They offer a great breakfast for a good price, and can help you with anything you might need during your stay. Gordon and the staff are kind, knowledgeable, and helpful. Common spaces are comfortable and homey with a beautiful view of the harbour, and you can swim when it gets too hot. Because it's away from town, it's very calm and quiet. I felt absolutely welcome and happy there, and would have loved to stay longer.

As much as I loved El Gordo's I wasn't a fan of the town of El Nido itself. It was crowded with tourists and everything is very expensive for the Philippines. The only downside I have for El Gordo's specifically, is that because it's away from the hustle and bustle of the town you have to walk for 15 minutes to get to any restaurants or attractions. But that's just the downside of being in a beautiful, quiet location, and the staff said I could use the kitchen at El Gordo's if I wanted to cook for myself.

While the hosts were very kind and helpful with any requests, the property had a few drawbacks. The access road was quite narrow, and the area was heavily populated with mosquitoes and other insects. Additionally, the air conditioning didn’t work properly, which made the heat quite uncomfortable, and the Wi-Fi connection was inconsistent at times.