PALAWAN

The Philippines last ecological frontier with plant and wildlife biodiversity this stunning archipelago-province regularly tops the travel lists for worlds best beaches and islands.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PALAWAN

Palawan’s best-known spots are El Nido and Coron with their spectacular dive sites, but there are also more off-the-beaten-track locations such as Port Barton, Taytay, Roxas, Brooke’s Point and San Vicente to discover, with their promise of authentic food and local experiences including wildlife sanctuary visits.
Meanwhile, the capital Puerto Princesa City is a great place to soak up some history at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral and WWI site Plaza Cuartel, as well as to shop and eat.

WHY IT’S MORE FUN IN PALAWAN

With its beaches, lakes, waterfalls, mineral springs, rivers and creeks, Palawan is a place where activities in the great outdoors take on a new and magical dimension. Diving is a big deal here – expect to see spotted manta rays, green sea turtles and nocturnal marine creatures including seahorses, shrimp and cat sharks. Meanwhile, waterfall-swimming and hiking, jungle trekking and cave boat-trips are among the array of other stand-out pursuits on offer. And don’t miss birdwatching at some of country’s best sites, where migratory birds are joined by 15 species endemic to this province.

CULTURE & FOOD

With a history beginning with prehistoric settlement (seen in the ancient tribal artworks of the Tabon Caves) and proceeding through Malaysian migration, Spanish colonisation, American rule and Japanese invasion, Palawan is much more than its blissful white-sand beaches and incredible natural resources. This is also a province where around 70 cultures live together in harmony, with different languages and dialects (more than 50), beliefs, festivals, art forms and tribes. The best places to get a handle on this heterogeneity are the National Museum and Palawan Museum in Puerto Princesa.
Palawan also has a rich food culture into which all these influences have fed. Among local treats to seek out and sample are superfresh seafood including tamilok (a shell-less saltwater clam, served ceviche-style or fried), crocodile sisig (a sizzling minced-meat dish), lato seaweed salad, hopia bread (a sweet flaky pastry best eaten at Baker’s Hill in Puerto Princesa), danggit lamayo (dried rabbitfish) and chao long (Vietnamese-inspired noodles). Foodies should also make a beeline for San Jose Market in Puerto Princesa.

TOP EVENTS & FESTIVALS

Arawedan Festival, Port Barton – January
a showcase for the area’s beaches, marine reserves, parks and culture.
Kulambo Festival, El Nido – March
Street dancing in kulambo (mosquito net) costumes.
Puerto Princesa City Foundation Day – 4th March
Culture, sports, markets, singing, dancing and food.
Pasinggatan Festival, Taytay – April and May
Regional street dances and a food festival.
Baragatan Festival, Puerto Princesa – June
Song, dance, parades and markets.

CLIMATE

Tropical to subtropical, with two main seasons – rainy from June to October and dry season from November to May. The average annual temperature is 29°C.

TOP 10 THINGS TO DO IN PALAWAN

1. TUBBATAHA REEFS NATURAL PARK

Dive in the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, named one of the world’s best dive sites by CNN Travel, and explore the dive sites of El Nido, including Dilumacad’s underwater cavern and Bacuit Bay.

2. IWAHIG ECOTOURISM AND WILDLIFE PARK

Kayak under the stars in Iwahig Ecotourism and Wildlife Park, and visit Iwahig’s rehabilitation ‘prison without walls.’

3. PUERTO PRINCESA SUBTERRANEAN RIVER

Cruise down the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River.

4. ISLAND HOPPING

Go island-hopping and snorkelling in Honda Bay, discovering Starfish Island and others.

5. WRECK-DIVING

Go wreck-diving off Coron or neighbouring Busuanga Island.

6. TABON CAVES

Venture into the Tabon Caves, where some of the oldest known human inhabitants were found.

7. RELAX ON THE BEACH

Relax on El Nido’s beaches: Secret Beach, Nacpan, Pangalusian and Las Cabanas among them.

8. CLIMBING, ZIP-LINING AND SPELUNKING

Go climbing, zip-lining, spelunking and jungle trekking at Ugong Rock located in Baranggay Tagabinet near Puerto Princesa.

9. LONGEST WHITE BEACH

Visit San Vicente and explore the country’s longest white beach

10. MIMAROPA REGION

Explore more of the MIMAROPA region with its scenic spots including White Island (Mindoro), Bathala Cave, Balanacan Bay and Tres Reyes Islands (Marinduque province) and Fort San Andres, Mount Guiting-Guiting and Bonbon Beach (Romblon).

WHERE TO STAY IN PALAWAN

Palawan: Free of mass tourism and large-scale development, Palawan itself offers mainly highly affordable, locally run lodgings with gorgeous ocean views, although there are also luxury resorts on the smaller, more secluded islands.

Puerto Princesa: For those arriving into Puerto Princesa, the city has an array of simple, clean hotels and hostels.

El Nido: has mainly five-star hotels with secluded beaches and private jetties, although there are also luxury resorts on the smaller, more secluded islands.

Coron: mixes it up, with luxury international hotels, contemporary mid-range options and hip hostels.

GETTING THERE & AWAY

AIR

Domestic flights serve Puerto Princesa, Busuanga and El Nido from Manila and/ or Cebu. Manila or Cebu to Puerto Princesa each takes about 70-90mins. From Busuanga (Coron) to Puerto Princesa it’s around 3hrs 10mins.

LAND

Onward journeys can be made by bus, jeepney, mini-van or tricycle taxi.

SEA

There are also ferries and other boats; a ferry from Manila to Palawan (around 800km) takes about 24hrs. there are ferries from El Nido to Coron; fast ones take 3-4hrs.