The Alternative Beach Cottages

This place is paradise. We had the most relaxing time of our whole trip here and were so happy to be staying here over the main town or corong corong. The food was incredible and overall service very good. The staff are all very nice and we loved how understated this place is. Thank you for having us.

My son and his new wife said El Nido itself is awesome, but it is made even better resorts like Alternative.

Our stay at the Alternative Beach Cottages was absolute heaven! My mother and I spent 5 nights in the beach front family cottage, and wished we had been able to stay longer (forever, maybe?)! The owner and staff were so welcoming and helpful! The food was wonderfully delicious- and the chef made sure to add a yummy hot pepper to most meals because we mentioned we like spicy food. We booked a boat trip one day, and had a grand time snorkeling, swimming, exploring an awesome cave, and eating a feast prepared for us on the beach! For a peaceful, magical vacation (with lovely snorkeling literally steps from your door!), pick Alternative!

I liked that it was small and family run. It felt like we had the entire beach and cottages to ourselves. The staff and service were so warm and friendly. We had two days of wonderful island tours!

If you want to unplug from the world and immerse yourself into the natural beauty of Palawan, I would definitely recommend Alternative Beach Cottages. The staff are so welcoming and the property is in such a quiet part of the El Nido bay that you would think you've got the whole region to yourself. It really is stunning. The accommodations themselves are basic, but good value for the area. There is no air conditioning, and electricity is turned off for the middle of the day, so if you plan to take an afternoon nap you might sweat. The WiFi and television signal were not working either, which really allowed us to respect the isolation and the incredible privilege it is to visit this part of the world. The dining area overlooking the water is special, and the nighttime lighting is beautiful. The food was very good as well, with variety for those with different dietary preferences. The island hopping guides are great, but note that only one tour is typically offered per day (unless you plan to charter the boat yourself). We had a wonderful and unique experience at Alternative Beach Cottages, and would recommend it if you want to get away from the town and into the beautiful islands without paying a fortune for the resorts. Thank you!!

Anywhere else the room would have earned only 2 or 3 stars, but Alternative cottages is in a 5 or 6 star location. It is on a secluded beach with amazing views of the Palawan islands is all directions. It is a small family run resort (only 16 guests at full capacity) with a very friendly staff. All meals were included and the food was delicious. Drinks were extra and the bar selection was rather basic but sufficient. Use of kayaks and snorkel gear was included and some amazing shoreline and reef drop-offs were right there. The resort turns off the electricity from 10am to 3pm, has no AC and the WiFi never worked for us (I got sporadic cellular service), but if you are looking for a peaceful retreat on a secluded beach this is an amazing place to stay!

I would tell you about our stay, but we were never picked up & therefore didn’t get to stay here. My boyfriend & I waited 3 hours for the pick-up service & didn’t get picked up. We rang the hotel multiple times & nobody answered, we rang hotels.com & they also couldn’t get through to the hotel. We requested a refund (naturally) & a month later I am still arguing to get my money back as hotels.com have STILL not been able to get through to the hotel. Avoid at all costs.

Beautiful location, staff are super friendly and professional. Best place ever :)

Great stuff, stunning view, feel like in heaven. Highly recommended

Very nice resort, expensive as every good hotel in El Nido, only 4 cabines what makes it feel prívate and hommy at the same time, the food was delicious and the staff was super kind, the tours are a bit more expensive than in the port but these guys were so nice with my young kids (12 and 9), helping us to take care of them and making sure that they were enjoying, that completely worth the additional price.