Budget
Budget
Nice
Fancy
Accomodation
(per night)
$15-25
$40-70
$80-300
Food
(per meal)
$2-5
$7-15
$20-40
Activities
$9 scooter rent/day
$20-30 shared boat tour
$80-130 private
Budget
Budget
Nice
Fancy
Accomodation
(per night)
$10-20
$30-40
$80-200
Food
(per meal)
$2-3
$5-8
$10-20
Activities
$6 scooter /day
$2-5 temples
/waterfalls
If you’re looking for a holiday destination that’s all about white sandy beaches, crystal clear blue water and island hopping, Palawan might be the perfect place for that. It’s got the most beautiful paradise islands you’ve ever seen, stunning rock formations that high into the sky and you’ll spend your days on traditional boats hopping from one beautiful little island to the next. If you like that sort of thing, Palawan will definitely not let you down!
Manilla
Manilla is one of those cities that doesn’t have a great reputation, and you don’t really want to spend too much of your time there. If you can catch a flight to the next destination right away I would suggest you do that, but if you arrive late at night or feel like you’d need some rest, it’s absolutely fine to spend the night here.
Puerto Princesa
Puerto princesa is another sort of gateway stop in order to get to the most beautiful places. It’s a lot more laid back than Manilla, but still a busy, not too interesting city. There are some things to do if you want to spend a day or two here. There is a big underground river you can take a boat ride on, there are some pretty nice beaches and islands close by or get the unique experience of visiting a prison and talking to the inmates.
Port Barton
This is where the real fun begins! After about 4 hours in a minivan you’ll arrive at the small and charming little town of Port Barton. It’s super small, there aren’t that many restaurants (definitely not fancy ones) and many of the roads are still dirt roads which is exactly what makes it so different from places like El Nido or Coron. It has a relatively nice beach already, but the main reason to visit Port Barton is the amazing islands right off the coast.
Join a tour or, if you have the budget, rent a private boat and enjoy the beautiful beaches and snorkeling without the big crowds!
El Nido
El Nido is probably the most popular tourist destination in the whole Philippines and when you visit the neighboring islands you immediately see why. It’s absolutely beautiful, almost every single island is its own little paradise and the combination of the karst and limestone mountains with the white beaches and clear blue water is insane. However, because it is SO popular you have to put a little extra care in planning your stay here, or you’ll end up disappointed in El Nido like we were after our first visit.
Expedition boat trip
If you like bounty islands and incredibly beaches – and let’s face it, you wouldn’t be visiting Palawan if you weren’t – you need to do a expedition trip between El Nido and Coron. We’ve done it twice now, and both times it was one of the highlights of our trip. You spend the day sailing between beautiful islands, kayaking, snorkeling and eating delicious food, and at night you sleep in little huts or tents on the beach.
It’s truly a unique experience and you’ll see places you would never get to visit otherwise!
Coron
Coron is the last stop on your Palawan itinerary, but arguably the best! The town is not as busy and developed as El Nido (that even has a McDonalds) but a little bit more relaxed. But the surrounding islands are every bit as beautiful as the ones in El Nido! Visit the famous Twin lagoon, Kayangan and Barracuda lake and definitely add some beautiful beaches to your itinerary as well, like Vivian or Banul beach. And after a long day of exploring the islands, watch the sunset from Mt Tapyas viewpoint!
From Coron you can either fly directly home, fly back to Manilla or take the overnight ferry. This is really cheap, and a nice alternative in case the flights are fully booked, but be careful as they sometimes just change the times or direction without informing you!
Hi! We're Sara & Arjen!
In 2018 we quit our jobs and decided to travel around the world. 5 Years later we’re still at it and now we’re sharing our experiences and tips with you!
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