Palawan, Philippines
Palawan, Philippines
Palawan is a tropical island in the Philippines home to breathtaking scenery and natural wonders. The island is a developing and welcoming destination that holds true to the its authenticity by preserving its culture and protecting its nature. Its shores are lined with white sand beaches, swaying palm trees, vibrant coral reefs and smaller islands. Rainforests and jagged cliffs stretch across the landscape as lagoons and caves lurk within. Captains of outrigger boats take travelers on tours or bring back the day’s fresh catch. Happy locals exchange smiles, strike up friendly conversations, sing nightly karaoke and share in their love of snacks. We spent over a week here between Puerto Princesa and El Nido, exploring the island’s beaches, lagoons, coral reefs and caves.
Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa is one of the main entry points to Palawan. It’s a traditional Filipino town home to local restaurants, rustic stays and access to other parts of the island, including the world renowned underground river.
Puerto Princesa Underground River
The Puerto Princesa Underground River is the world’s longest navigable underground river. We toured a section of it by boat on a day trip from Puerto Princesa.
Getting to the underground river was an adventure of its own. We were shuttled across the island along winding roads to the Sabang Boat Terminal, a pier dotted with colorful outrigger canoes. We boarded one and boated across the bay to reach a small beach. On shore, a trail lead through the forest, past wild monkeys, to the a boat launch and the cave entrance.
Pro Tip. Bring or rent ear protection to muffle the dangerously loud boat engines.
The captain rowed us into the dark mouth of the cave, waiting a few moments for our eyes to adjust. The sounds of squeaking bats, swooshing swallows and continual drips of water echoed around us. The smell of guano was hard to ignore. Upriver are large chambers with various rock formations. Jagged stalactites, rippled surfaces and crystalline flow stones comprised the cave’s walls and ceilings. There is a strong emphasis on silence and not disturbing the cave environment. The capital pointed out key formations while an audio guide narrated.
We booked our tour with Corazon Travel & Tours. Its included round trip transportation from Puerto Princesa, our tour of the underground river and lunch.
Sabang X Zipline. An overwater zip-line from a cliff to a small island 800 meters away. From the harness we overlooked the vibrant blue waters, sandy beach and forested mountains.
Manlipien Beach. A sandy beach with views of the zip-line and shallow aquamarine water. There are a couple fresh fruit and juice vendors nearby.
Sarang Restaurant. A buffet lunch spot near the Sabang Boat Terminal with Filipino dishes like fried galunggong fish, garlic rice, boiled yam, seaweed, fresh pineapple and ube bread.
Places to Eat & Drink
Ka Inato Main Branch. A Filipino restaurant in Puerto Princesa serving local dishes. We dined here for our first meal in the Philippines, ordering a spread of local dishes including:
Seafood Kare-Kare.A peanut curry mixed with veggies and seafood.
Binusog na Pusit. A whole squid grilled and stuffed with veggies.
Afritada. Sweet tomato sauce with shrimp, vegetables and garlic rice.
Mang Cary’s Bulalo. A Filipino restaurant with bamboo walls, wooden tables and tropical plants decorating the dining room. We shared multiples dishes including:
Fish Lumpia. Crunchy rolls stuffed with shredded fish and deep fried.
Talong Salad. A salad made with steamed eggplants, cucumber, red onions and boiled eggs.
Grilled Tuna. A tuna steak grilled, peppered abd served with sides of mango salsa and garlic rice.
Flan.A delicate caramel custard that takes influence from the Spanish colonial period.
Where to Stay
We stayed at Casa La Aitor, a small hotel along a dirt road in Puerto Princesa with spacious apartment style rooms, an outdoor pool and an onsite cafe. Reserve on Booking.
El Nido
El Nido is a hub for marine activities, adventure parks and pure relaxation. We spent a lot of our time underwater, underground and beneath palm trees as we visited caves, coral reefs, tropical islands and white sand beaches.
El Nido Town Center. The town center is beachy haven with vegan cafes, local bakeries, coffee shops, boutique hostels, seafood restaurants, tour offices and beachwear shops. It’s still a small town with micro markets, barber shops, pharmacies and plenty of local residents. Colorful ribbons span across many of the streets while tricycle taxis drive below. Steep and lush cliffs flank the town while outrigger boats sit anchored in its crescent shaped bay.
El Nido Tours
El Nido has a well choreographed circuit of four tours making stops at beaches, caves, coral reefs, sandbars and islands around the El Nido and Bacuit Bays. We boarded outrigger boats over a course of three days for tours A, B and C.
Good to Know. Each tour lasts about 6 hours, starting between 9-10am and retuning between 3-4pm. A lunch spread with Filipino dishes is served around noon.
Pro Tip. Pay for the Eco Tourism Development Fee (ETDF) in advance at the El Nido Municipal Hall. They’re needed for any tour and valid for up to 5 days. Bring extra cash on the tours for snacks, drinks and additional fees to certain sights and for kayak rentals.
Where to Book.All tours can be booked in person at El Nido Beach in front of Mabuhay Sports Bar. Bring cash for payments and proof of your ETDF. Alternatively, tours can be booked ahead of time with Corazon Travels & Tours.
Tour A
One of the most popular circuits around El Nido. It visits multiple beaches and lagoons over the course of the day. It’s the perfect way to enjoy beach time, kayaking, snorkeling and swimming.
Seven Commandos Beach. A white sand beach with a palm groves and turquoise swimmable waters set against a steep tree covered mountain. There is a beach bar with fruit shakes, cocktails and fresh coconuts. Order the coconut with rum poured inside for a tropical buzz.
Big Lagoon. Rented kayaks and paddled into a shallow channel lined by sharp rocky cliffs and shrubs. The channel varied in color from light blue to deep navy. We entered a lagoon and paddled left, kayaking through a very narrow cave. Once outside of it, we paddled further across the lagoon where no one else visited. In a few shallow coves were coral, jellyfish and even a small shark.
Shimizu Island. A rugged and lush island in the bay with several small sandy beaches. We stopped along one of the beaches to swim and for lunch.
Secret Lagoon. A hidden lagoon only accessible by crawling through a narrow opening in the rock cliff. Beyond is a milky blue lagoon with vertical rock cliffs opening up to the sky beyond.
South Miniloc. On the south side of Miniloc island between Secret Lagoon and Payong Payong Beach is a cove teeming with corals and marine life. The corals are all at a shallow depth and easy to snorkel above and between. Fish seemed to acclimate around our presence as we observed them. Electric blue clams, colorful christmas tree corals and rainbow scaled tropical fish were seen across the reef. Several anemones with clown fish swimming around swayed in the currents while spiky urchins hid in crevices below.
Tour B
An often overlooked tour on the A to D circuit making it more peaceful than the others. It visits beaches, snorkeling spots and caves. It happened to be our favorite tour even with unfavorable weather!
Cathedral Island. A thriving shallow water coral garden just below the surface. It makes up a sprawling landscape of colorful corals home to many variety of reef fish and marine life. We snorkeling overhead, observing the stunning structures, clusters of sea creatures and strange reef formations. The sight was easily the highlight of the day one of the best living coral reefs we have seen.
Cathedral Cave. An ocean cave named for its tall vertical columns and rocky ribbons lining its walls. The cave is only observable from outside due to poisonous sea serpents living within.
Entalula Island. A sandy beach with a palm lined shore and snorkeling area about 100 meters off shore. Below the water are nodules of living corals, anemone with families of clown fish, leafy sea grass and blue star fish.
Snake Island. An island advertised for its snaking sandbar accessible during low tide. The tide was high when we arrived however we discovered rows with dozens of large starfish covering the ocean bottom.
Cudugnon Cave & Beach. A beautiful beach with a sandy palm lined shore, bat cave, underwater garden and small restaurant. The cave lead into a pitch black chamber with large flow stones, stalagmites and a colony of sleeping bats. Under the sea is a garden with leafy grasses, swaying anemones, tropical fish and iridescent blue clams. After cave exploring and snorkeling, we ordered mai tais from the restaurant and sipped on them at the beach.
Tour C
A beach hopping tour making stops at a variety of beaches over the course of the day. It’s the second most popular tour on the circuit around El Nido.
Helicopter Island. An island with a sandy tree lined beach at the base of a cliff. The water gradually gets deeper the further out and the coral becomes more lively with multiple large structures, colorful fish, sea stars and clams. It’s not as lively as points on other tours but still beautiful.
Hidden Beach. A shallow snd sandy beach reachable after swimming up a channel with aquamarine water nestled between jagged rock walls. The channel had many small jellyfish that stung as we swam. Luckily they were relatively painless.
Matinloc Shrine. A island shrine with several steps carved into the rock leading to a panoramic lookout over the channel. On a sunny day a gradient of turquoise, aqua and marine blue can be seen along the drop off below the water. We even spotted a sea turtle coming up for air.
Secret Beach. An underwater cave that leads to a “secret beach” just beyond. The high tide and strong current prevented us from reaching the beach.
Talisay Beach. A narrow beach with a steep drop off just meters from shore. The ledge of the drop off is covered in colonies of spiky black sea urchins and tropical fish. All of the coral was bleached or decaying. On shore is a small cave and a shack with snacks and drinks.
El Nido Beaches
Crong Crong Beach. A lengthy beach lined with boutique hotels, tropical styles restaurant and beach shack bars. The water is not swimmable due to jagged coral and hundreds of outrigger boats anchored off shore. It’s a pretty spot to catch the sunset, sip on a cocktail or sit down for a meal.
El Nido Beach. A large crescent shaped beach in the middle of town with colorful buildings home to seaside restaurants, bars and hotels. Most tours of the surrounding islands leave from here. It’s a popular spot for beach runners though not the best spot to swim or layout.
Marimegmeg Beach. A golden sand beach named after a 100 year old Marimegmeg tree. Its crescent cove is the perfect spot for swimming in the calm turquoise waters while its sunny shore is ideal for sunbathing and picnicking under the palm trees.
Las Cabañas Beach. A golden sand beach that comes to a point with views of the karst islands throughout the bay. It’s lined with beachfront hotels and restaurants, popular for their sunset views. It’s most accessible during low tide though many areas are non-swimmable due to coral and rocks. The El Nido Zip Line passes overhead from the cliff behind.
Papaya Beach. A idyllic white sand beach with turquoise waters, palm shaded shores and views of Baicut Bay. About 50ft offshore is a coral reef and field of sea grass with tropical fish, anemones, sea urchins and the occasional jellyfish. The beach is sparsely visited due to its remoteness making it a peaceful retreat to spend the day. There is a beach kiosk with coconuts, snacks and drinks for sale. It’s only reachable by boat or kayak. Unlike its neighbor, Seven Commandos Beach, it’s not offered as a stop on any of the tours.
Things to Do
Outside of tours and beaches, there are a few nearby activities that were easy to DIY and experience on our own.
El Nido Zipline. A 750 meter zipline from a cliffside lookout to an island in the bay. We raced side by side, spinning back and forth as we overlooked the picturesque landscapes surrounding us and the ocean about 20 meters below. It’s possible to ride one way and walk back from the island during low tide. We rode during high tide and took the second zip line back, enjoying the thrilling views again.
Pro Tip. Arrive in mid morning or mid afternoon to avoid the post breakfast and post lunch rushes. Otherwise, waits can be up to 2 hours.
El Nido Via Ferrata Canopy Walk. An adventure park with a suspension bridge and steep walkways through the jagged and razor sharp cliffs towering above El Nido. Along the route are views of the cliffs ending at a platform with a panorama of the town and harbor. The route down has a couple spider web shaped platforms for observation and photo opps. We booked day of at the ticket office around 10am.
Jayven Kayak Rental. A kayak rental at Corong Corong Beach with full day rentals. We paid 600 PHP for a double kayaks, returning it before sunset. From here, we kayaked around the boat dotted harbor, rugged cliffs and to Papaya Beach about 45 minutes away.
Shop at the El Nido Public Market. A local farmer’s market with booths of vendors selling fresh produce, vegetables, eggs, herbs and groceries. There is a central area with butchers carving meats and fish mongers preparing the day’s catch. Shop keepers are friendly and eager to help. We bought a bounty of items to cook various local dishes. It’s open daily and still bustling until 7pm. The market is cash only and prices are very fair.
Places to Eat & Drink
Lion’s Sunset Lounge. A beautiful beachfront restaurant decorated in bamboo, thatchery and natural materials. Their menus features Filipino and tropical dishes. We ordered the calamari rings, ground crab burger and a filet of tuna steamed in a banana leaf.
El Nido Bakery. A bakery in town with a display of golden baked pastries made with local flavors. We stopped in for pineapple cake, banana bread, salt bread and hopia ube, a flaky pastry filled with bright purple ube jam.
Tales of the Islands. A vibey restaurant and bar with a daily buy one get one happy hour from 3-7pm. We stopped in after a tour, ordering the Coco Tropical, an anise flavored piña colada and a classic sangria.
Happiness Beach Bar. A cocktail bar along the main beachfront road in town. We stopped in for their buy one get one happy hour after a tour. Try the frozen margaritas and daiquiri!
Orange Pearl Restaurant. A beachfront hotel restaurant with views of the islands and bay. We stopped in for their buy one get one happy hour after zip lining and relaxing at Maremegmeg Beach.
Jarace Grill. A seaside restaurant at El Nido Beach with the freshest selection of seafood displayed on ice. We hand chose a red snapper and squid to have charcoal grilled with a side of Filipino garlic rice.
Don Macchiatos. A small coffee shop beloved for their 39 PHP lattes (less than $1 USD). Try the iced ube latte for a local flavor!
Brunch El Nido. As its name implies, they do one thing, brunch! Their food menu offers egg dishes, overnight oats, sandwiches and fruit bowls. Bean bags sit at tables on the second floor, perfect for longing with a coffee, mimosa or sangria.
Art Cafe. A beachfront cafe and bar at El Nido Beach with freshly baked local pastries. We stopped in for a tuna empanada and cassava bread.
Filipino Cuisine
Having spent three weeks island hopping across the Philippines, we got to eat and cook several traditional Filipino dishes. We tasted so many delicious local flavors at restaurants in Puerto Princesa, El Nido and on our tours.
Sotanghon Noodle Soup. A thick and savory noodle soup often made with chicken, carrots, cabbage and sotanghon noodles. We replaced the chicken with marinated tofu giving it a chicken noodle soup flavor.
Kinilaw. A Filipino style ceviche made with vinegar washed seafood mixed calamansi lime juice, coconut cream, red onions, hot peppers and ginger.
Adobo. A national dish of the Philippines seen on menus across the country. Its base has a seared protein simmered with a sticky soy sauce glaze made with vinegar, brown sugar and pepper.
Garlic Rice. Rice cooked with fresh or fried pieces of garlic. It’s served with almost every meal.
Lumpia. The beloved Filipino style spring roll stuffed with a protein. It’s typically served deep fried and crispy. We made a version using local Bangus fish.
Banana Turon. A breakfast or dessert style lumpia made with fresh banana filling and sometimes ube jam.
Bangsilog. A traditional Filipino breakfast pairing with grilled or fried fish, fried eggs and white rice.
Pancit. A commonly served noodle dish stirfried with carrots and cabbage.
Champorado. A chocolaty rice porridge made with cocoa powder and evaporated milk.
Calamansi Juice. A Filipino juice made with calamansi limes. It has a citrus flavor similar to a mixture of lime, lemon and orange.
Taho. A layered dessert made with silken tofu, tapioca pearls and brown sugar sauce. It’s a common street food dish sold by vendors carrying large steel tins.
Ube. A starchy root vegetable famed for its deep purple color. It’s cooked down into a number of dishes, mostly desserts. We used it to make a sweet jam using a Filipino friend’s family recipe.
Halo Halo. The unofficial national dessert of the Philippines. It’s an icy layered treat made with sweetened jellies, root vegetables, corn and cereal drizzled with sweetened condensed and evaporated milks.
Where to Stay
El Nido Lofts. A small apartment complex with a handful of lofted studios. It’s a central spot located between the town center and Crong Crong Beach. From here, most places were only a 20 minute walk away. Reserve on Booking.
Getting Around
Tuk Tuk. The three wheeled hybrid of a car and motorcycle is the most efficient way of getting around El Nido. Tuk tugs are readily available on the street. Plan to pay in cash and negotiate price before getting in. Typical rides cost between 100 - 300 PHP depending on distance.
Between Puerto Princesa & El Nido. The best way to get between Puerto Princess and El Nido is by taking a shared transfer. Shuttles are available from either town’s transport terminal or by booking ahead with a scheduled pick up. After 5 hours of very winding roads, a couple pit stops and speedy driving, we made it to our destination. We booked with Corazon Travels & Tours on Get Your Guide the day before.
Warning! If you suffer from motion sickness, this is not the way to travel! The road is full of fast twists, turns and hills.
Good to Know
Cash Only. Many businesses and restaurants are cash only. There are ATMs and currency exchanges in town. Withdraw cash in the local currency (Philippine Peso) for the best exchange rate.
Language. Tagalong is the national language of the Philippines. It’s heavily influenced by Spanish. English is commonly spoken by most people.
Power Outages. There are near nightly power outages about an hour after sunset lasting from a few minutes to over an hour. This was especially true in Puerto Princesa.
Drinking Water. Tap water is not safe to drink, cook with or use for brushing teeth. Only used bottled water. Let tap water run clear before using it.
Rain Storms. There are frequent rainstorms lasting around 20 minutes, even on sunny and clear days. Always carry an umbrella!
Single Use Plastic. While not entirely banned, it’s strongly encouraged to avoid single use plastic. Bring a re-usable straw, cloth grocery bag and insulated water bottle.
Beware of Jellyfish. There are signs at every beach warning visitors to beware of jellyfish. We spotted several ranging from the side of a ping pong ball to the side of volleyball.
When to Visit. We visited in late May through early June on the curb season between spring and summer. We experienced more warm and sunny days than the couple cloudy and rainy days.
Elsewhere in The Philippines
We spent three weeks island hopping around The Philippines, witnessing its incredible nature and wildlife, experiencing adrenaline rushes on outdoor activities and immersing ourselves in Filipino culture and cuisine. Overlook the vast palm groves and ride the surf breaks of Siarago. Swim with whale sharks and canyoneer the turquoise rivers of Cebu.
For Next Time…
Palawan is one of those destinations you hope will never change. We imagine coming back years from now and reliving our adventures all over again in addition to experiencing some things we missed.
Coron. A rugged and mountainous island with a rainforest, lagoons, coral reefs and ship wrecks. Similar to El Nido, it has its own circuit of 4 tours. The island is reachable by ferry 4 hours from El Nido.
Nacpan Beach. A lengthy golden sand beach about an hour north of El Nido by tricycle. Though semi-remote, it has small resorts, beach bars and lounge rentals.
Tour D. The only tour on the El Nido circuit that we missed due to timing. It visits island lagoons, coves, beaches and snorkeling points.
