Even After Repeat Visits, El Nido Can Still Offer Plenty of Surprises

Advocating for sustainable tourism is a complicated business for a travel writer. After all, every flight you book adds to your carbon footprint, every hotel you write about strains local resources, and every hidden gem you reveal risks getting overrun. The guilt grows even deeper when the place you keep returning to and have grown to love sits on contentious land.

And then you meet operators like Bearcat Travel & Yacht Charters, which offers a counter-narrative: that visiting paradise doesn't have to mean contributing to its downfall, showing how even a sixth trip to El Nido can uncover fresh, responsible ways to explore.

"Tourism generates income, but you don't need massive crowds to build a viable business. The alternative to high-volume tourism is capturing mindful, slow travelers who value fair trade and sustainable practices," co-founder Windi Tapawan tells the press in a visit at the newly opened Bearcat Travel Lounge back in June.

She explained that they're actively developing new routes and creating new itineraries to "decongest traditional tourist corridors and lighten that load," whether it's a yacht trip to Port Barton or an expedition to Malampaya Sound, where you can see rare Irrawaddy dolphins. They also "bring together conservationists, local government officials, and organizations in an informal setting to discuss actionable solutions."

The company works with the Centre for Sustainability Philippines—a women-led, youth, environmental non-profit organization based in Puerto Princesa City—on environmental education, and is in discussions with the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) and the Sulubaai Environmental Foundation to formally incorporate their research and reef restoration practices.

"We are deeply focused on promoting sustainable tourism because Palawan is the last frontier," says Windi. At the heart of this is partnering with communities that share the same values.

One example of Bearcat Travel's eco-friendly initiatives is bringing tourists to the seldom-explored 412-hectare forest in Barangay New Ibajay, managed by the Dewil Eco-Mangrove Association (now a cooperative).

"Their mindset isn't 'how much money can I make,' but rather, 'welcome, let me show you my mangrove forest'," says Windi.

It features a one-hour boat tour (P550/person) of the 3.5-kilometer Dewil Mangrove River and a stopover at the bamboo-made boardwalk, where the bangkero-slash-guide—an expert on all things bakawan—effortlessly identifies species by their leaves and trunks: Ceriops tagal (local name: "tangal"), Rhizophora mucronata ("bakhaw babae"), Rhizophora apiculata ("bakhaw lalaki"), Xylocarpus granatum ("tabigi"), and more. He said there are at least 13 species in the mangrove forest, some of which may have been around for 60 years.

DEMA has been safeguarding and facilitating ecotourism in the area since 2018, with its members having participated in water search and rescue training, environmental training, and food processing. The Dewil Eco-Mangrove Tour officially opened in June 2019, but their progress was abruptly compromised by the pandemic. But its members, while dwindled in number from 39 to 19, soldiered on and they have now officially formed a cooperative to diversify the community's livelihood.

"Inland, we also take guests north to Duli Beach. Unlike the coral-bottomed beaches elsewhere, Duli offers soft sand and smooth, rolling waves, making it an amazing spot for beginner surfers."

Out there is Taran Beach Club, a 20-pod accommodation by Tao Philippines, which not only operates off-grid base camps like Taran, but also holds expeditions in El Nido, Limapacan, and Coron.

Tao Philippines started out in 2005 with two friends who bought an old fishing boat and took their friends on an adventure. Now, it's known for its two- to four-night stays on The Balatik, a traditional Palawan paraw built by Gener Paduga, heading to remote islands in Palawan. And making it all happen is a crew named "Lost Boys"—mostly Tagbanuas who know the sea better than anyone, local women who are in charge, and a community of 500 people on the island.

Like food served aboard The Balatik and Tao's base camps at Tao Beach Farm and Camp Ngey Ngey, Taran's kitchen features a cuisine that is "born at sea — in smoky kitchens, over open fires and in borrowed island homes" (according to their website), with the star of the show: the smoky, tangy kinilaw.

Bearcat has its own flagship vessel: the M/Y Isla, a 1961 58-foot trawler yacht owned by Filipinas Yacht Inc., co-founded by Windi, her husband and Bearcat co-founder Greg Bloom, Apa Ongpin, and Owen Stull. This gives their guests the flexibility of bespoke experience, whether it's an island-hopping adventure at their own pace (no more having to choose from the famous Tour A, B, C, D), a Bacuit Bay sleepover on a boat, a romantic sunset cruise with a four-course meal and cocktail, or the occasional joiner tour.

"When you compete strictly by slashing prices, you end up destroying the destination. If you charge fair rates, you can reinvest in proper infrastructure, compensate local hosts fairly, enforce eco-friendly guidelines, and deliver a superior customer experience," Windi says about their private charter.

Faced with the reality that it can take years for government ordinances to pass, she believes that the "private sector needs to lead by example." This includes working to install proper mooring buoys, so boats won't have to drop their anchors in coral zones. "Boat owners should agree of their own volition to protect the reefs that feed their livelihood."

It is concrete solutions like this that make a compelling case for sustainable tourism, which often feels like greenwashing, but sometimes worth a shot. Because in a place as extraordinary (but fragile) as Palawan, how we visit matters just as much as where we go.

Bearcat Travel & Yacht Charters is Esquire Philippines' 2026 Editors' Choice for Travel Agency in the annual Esquire Essentials.

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