Crewed and maintained by SOMA
One scalable fleet across water and land, held to a single visual and service standard.
Everything else about an island hopping day is fixed. This part is not.
The four routes are the same for everyone. The stops are the same. What differs between one boat and the next is deck space, shade, where you sit, what you eat and whether the crew know what they are doing. That is the whole of the difference, and it is not a small one.
The same logic runs inland. A cave and a church want an aircon SUV; a river crossing wants a buggy. Owning both ends of that means we can put you in the right machine instead of the only one available.
Renovated traditional outriggers for smaller-format premium tours. Narrow beam and shallow draft get through lagoon entrances a monohull cannot enter, and the outriggers make a stable platform at anchor. Fitted for sitting and lying rather than perching: shade across the deck, proper seating, room to move under way.
The larger experience boat — more deck, more shade, and the social capacity for a group that wants to spread out. Upper lounging deck, full galley for food cooked aboard, and the space to make the crossing between stops part of the day rather than an interval.
A 45 to 50 foot sailing catamaran for higher-end charters and sunset sailing. Quieter than anything with an engine running, level underfoot, and a different way to see the bay — better suited to an evening on the water or a private day than to covering five stops.
Faster between stops, which matters most on combination days and on Tour C where the outer islands are a long run from town. Take a speedboat if you want more time in the water and less time crossing to it, or if you are trying to reach a lagoon before the fleet.
Purpose-built double-deck expedition vessels — an upper deck for dining and lounging under cover, cabins below, a wide aft deck for gearing up, and a tender carried aboard for reaching beaches with no landing. Solar on the roof, room to spread out over three to five days, and capacity for provisions, fresh water, kayaks and dive gear for the whole crossing.
A scalable land fleet, run to the same standard as the boats.
From rugged military-pattern jeeps to aircon SUVs. The jeeps go where the road stops — riverbeds, ridge tracks, the broken surface north of Nacpan. The SUVs are for the long tarmac days to Taytay and Port Barton, where three hours in an open vehicle stops being fun.
Fast trailblazing off-road cars, two or four up, roll cage and harnesses. The most fun thing in the fleet and the most likely to leave you covered in mud. For the northern tracks and the hills behind town rather than anywhere with a church in it.
Four-wheel off-road quads for trail and beach. Easier to learn than a trail bike and steadier on loose sand, which makes them the default for guests who want the dirt without the commitment.
On or off road, and genuinely capable on both. For riders who already ride — we will ask what you have ridden before we hand over a key, and the answer changes what you get.
From cafe racers to cruisers. The coastal road south of El Nido is one of the better rides in the Philippines and almost nobody is on it. Best done early, before the heat and the buses.
Vessels operate under Philippine maritime authority. Passenger manifests are recorded for every departure, life jackets are carried for every person aboard, and crew are briefed on the route before the boat leaves the beach. On land, helmets and protective equipment are provided with every vehicle and a guide rides with every group.
Anything in the fleet can be taken privately — a day in the bay, a transfer, a photo shoot, an event on the water, or a convoy inland. Tell us what you have in mind and we will tell you what suits it.
The fleet is growing. Availability on a given date depends on what else is running that day.
Tell us your dates, how many of you there are, and what you’d like to see. We’ll put together the days that make sense and come back to you.
hello@soma.tours