Palawan has become one of the most popular provinces in the Philippines. Private islands, white-sand beaches, emerald waters, stunning limestone islands, island-hopping adventures, secret lagoons, and world class shipwreck diving, the archipelagic province of Palawan is an adventure-packed destination that is a must see on your next trip to the Philippines.
Click here to also see my experience in the Ifugao Province rice terraces – a hidden gem north of Manila and some of the most beautiful rice terraces in the world
If you only have 7-10 days to spare, here is the shortlist of what to experience in Palawan:
SHIPWRECK DIVING IN CORON BAY
In the early morning of September 24, 1944, during World War II, a group of American bombers took out an entire Japanese supply fleet hiding among the islands in Coron Bay. Much history exists with this event and ten ships were sank in close proximity of each other. Visibility varies at each dive site but it was an incredible experience diving among these historic vessels.
Aside from the history, the ships are full of sea life and beautiful corals that have made a home out of the massive hunk of metal resting at the bottom of the sea floor. Most of the ships are great for first time wreck divers. Floating through huge spaces where oil once was carried to supply Japanese warplanes and maneuvering through other tight , dark spaces wondering what the shipped must have looked like was a really unique experience.
One specific ship that I dove, the Akitsushima, had personal interest to me since I had learned about the ship from my prior visit to Rabaul, Papua New Guinea (click here to read about my experience in Rabaul). The ship had been in the Simpson Harbour near Rabaul, Papua New Guinea , during the 1942 Rabaul bombings but escaped without being bombed. And the ship had repositioned to the Solomon Islands which is another place I had visited prior to Rabaul. So its interesting that I eventually dove this ship in the Philippines after “following” it from my journeys.
CORON ISLAND
Many day trips begin from Coron Town and most all stop a several locations around Coron Island. The two spots I would recommend and are the easiest to get to by boat are the Twin Lagoon and Kayangan Lake. The Twin Lagoon is a beautiful spot where you can swim to and snorkel. You can feel the cool fresh water mix with the warm salt water. Also, Kayangan Lake is a beautiful inland lake that you must climb 300 stairs up and 300 stairs down to experience. The views on the way up are incredible and the lake is a great place to snorkel. Don’t miss a small, hidden cave that you can swim into on the left side of the swimming area just off the boardwalk when you arrive.
EL NIDO VS. CORON
If I had to choose which village I preferred – Coron vs. El Nido – I would pick El Nido because of the layout adjacent to the beach. Both towns have experienced hypergrowth over the past five to ten years and both have lacked an infrastructure plan. Which means businesses have sprung up in every available space all jammed together. This makes the beach and the street parallel to the beach quite intimate, which is something I like.
Both towns are dusty and dirty and can be chaotic. But as a traveler you quickly overcome these qualities. The only thing I would say about El Nido is the power outages that occur frequently during the day time hours. Most people are out and about enjoying a tour or a beach someplace so the power outage is not a huge deal. However if you decide to stay in town for the day, be prepared for no power. Most decent accommodations and restaurants have generators they can switch on to create power for the guests but some places do not.
EL NIDO ISLAND-HOPPING
Similar to Coron, an island-hopping trip in El Nido is a must do. You can’t walk more than 10 meters without seeing a tourist shop or someone trying to sell you a tour. They have four standardized tour options: A, B, C, and D, each going to different destinations. I wanted to do Tour C which goes to the further away islands like Mantiloc Island, Helicopter Island, and Secret Beach, however the winds were very bad the day I chose to go and the Coast Guard canceled all trips to these islands. Tour A is still beautiful taking you to the big and small lagoons of Miniloc Island and ends at a beautiful beach to relax and enjoy the sun.
WHERE TO STAY
You will quickly see that the ratings for many places in both Coron and El Nido are not that high, especially for cheaper places. So it will make sense to lower your expectations if you are on a budget.
Coron
Because I spent my time diving while I was in Coron, I stayed at the SeaDive Resort that catered to the divers. It had a fun bar and a decent restaurant. However if you are not diving, the Island Hostel is a nicely located place that I heard was nice for backpackers and budget travelers.
Booking.comEl Nido
I stayed at Ogie’s Beach Pension which is right on the beach. The place is very hard to find from the street located behind the hotel (the entry way to the ally that leads to the hotel is directly across from Squidos Sport Bar. I had my own room, which was nice even though it was tiny.
Booking.comHOW TO GET HERE
Coron
Fly into Busuanga airport (USU) from Manila. When you arrive there are many small vans ready to take passengers into Coron Town. Just tell the porters what hotel you are staying at and they will direct you to the correct van.
Ferry between Coron and El Nido
Definitely opt for the Montenegro fast ferry (4 hours) which cost less than $10 USD one way instead of the slow Roro ferry (8 hours). Ask any hotel how to book this or you can go online to book. If you book online, you must go to the local ticket office to exchange for a boarding ticket. Be sure to check to the boarding times since they require you to be present in advance of boarding.
One of the more popular methods to travel between the two towns is to take a three day, two night or five day, four night cruise with Tao Philippines. The expeditions stop at many remote, non-tourist islands along the way. It is a fun, adventurous way to travel with overnight camping stays.
El Nido
AirSWIFT is the only airline that has direct flights in and out of El Nido from several destinations in the Philippines including Manila, Boracay and Cebu. You can also fly in to Puerto Princesa Airport (PPS) on popular airlines like Cebu Pacific, Philippines Airlines, and Air Asia. Once you arrive in Puerto Princesa, you take a 5 hour van ride to El Nido which costs around $10 USD. Many van operators are available to drive between the airport and El Nido.
Have you visited Palawan? What were your favorite locations?
