Things to Do in Palawan

About Palawan

The water in El Nido's Big Lagoon is an unnatural shade of aquamarine — the kind of color you'd reject in a travel photograph for looking too processed — contained by limestone karst towers that rise two hundred meters straight from the Sulu Sea and smell faintly of brine and something older, like rock that has been wet for centuries. Getting here involves a 90-minute bangka boat from El Nido town past cliffs draped in hanging vines and over coral gardens visible through six meters of utterly clear water, and the journey earns its keep as much as the destination does. To be fair about Palawan: this is not a polished destination. The road between Puerto Princesa and El Nido is 240 kilometers of alternating smooth asphalt and crater-field deterioration that takes five to six hours by van — and that's on a good day. Electricity on many island resorts runs off a generator that cuts at 10 PM. Infrastructure outside the two main towns runs out fast. That's the honest version. The other honest version is that this 450-kilometer island province contains two UNESCO World Heritage sites — the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park and the Tubbataha Reef — some of the most biodiverse coral systems in the world, and a concentration of extraordinary scenery that would embarrass most countries. An island-hopping tour from El Nido covering Miniloc Island, the Hidden Beach on Matinloc, and the Secret Lagoon runs around PHP 1,500 (about $27) and delivers more raw beauty in six hours than many destinations manage in a week. The crowd at Coron's Kayangan Lake can hit 500 people by midday in peak season; arriving at 6:30 AM when the first boats dock means you might have the mirror-flat water and the limestone amphitheater behind it to yourself. Palawan tends to reward travelers who come prepared for some discomfort and leave rewarded far beyond what they planned for.

Travel Tips

Transportation: Puerto Princesa's airport handles most international arrivals; El Nido has a small airstrip connecting to Manila and Cebu on prop planes that are fine but worth knowing about before you book. The van shuttle between Puerto Princesa and El Nido runs around PHP 600 ($11) with operators like Cherry Bus and Roro — book the morning departures if you can, as afternoon arrivals into El Nido mean scrambling for accommodation in the dark. Tricycles in Puerto Princesa city run PHP 10-15 per person for shared rides along fixed routes. Grab works in Puerto Princesa but essentially disappears north of the city. One potential pitfall: vans between towns sometimes oversell seats; book directly with the operator and confirm your seat the night before.

Money: Bring significantly more Philippine Peso than you expect to need before leaving Puerto Princesa. El Nido has a handful of ATMs that reliably run dry on long weekends and holidays — this is not an exaggeration and has stranded more than a few travelers. BDO and Metrobank branches in Puerto Princesa's SM City mall are your best bet for reliable withdrawals, and the bureau de change there gives better rates than airport money changers. Most resorts and dive shops in El Nido and Coron now accept cards, but island-hopping operators, bangka captains, and market vendors are cash-only without exception. The insider move: withdraw at least PHP 5,000-8,000 ($90-140) before heading north, then top up cautiously if you find a working ATM.

Cultural Respect: The Tagbanua people hold ancestral domain rights over significant portions of the Bacuit Archipelago — certain lagoon areas require community permits beyond the standard El Nido tourism fee (currently PHP 200 per person), and the fee structure exists for a reason worth respecting. Puerto Princesa is notably more conservative than the beach resorts: walking Rizal Avenue in a bikini top draws quiet but unmistakable discomfort from locals. At beaches throughout Palawan, topless sunbathing is culturally inappropriate across the Philippines and will earn sustained, uncomfortable attention. Worth noting: Palawenos are warm to visitors who make an effort to be respectful — a simple 'salamat' (thank you) goes further here than in many tourist-heavy destinations.

Food Safety: Puerto Princesa has a legitimate dining scene along Rizal Avenue and the Baywalk — the kinilaw (raw blue marlin in coconut vinegar with ginger and chilies, the Philippine answer to ceviche) is fresh enough to order confidently at established restaurants like Ka Lui on Trinidad Road. The flavor is sharp-sour, clean, and unlike anything you'll find outside the Philippines. Away from Puerto Princesa, island resort kitchens cook whatever arrived on the supply boat that morning, and quality is unpredictable. One consistent win anywhere on the island: a fresh buko (young coconut) hacked open beside the beach costs around PHP 50-80 ($0.90-1.40), delivers immediate hydration in 32°C humidity, and tastes exactly like something that grew twenty meters from where you're sitting — because it did.

When to Visit

Palawan's weather isn't just a preference question — it directly determines whether the island-hopping and diving that define the experience are even possible. The Southwest Monsoon (habagat) brings swells that cancel bangka tours for days at a stretch, and when the sea is running two to three meters, El Nido's limestone lagoons are simply unreachable. So the stakes here are higher than most destinations. The dry season runs November through May, and this is when Palawan earns its reputation. From December through April, skies tend to be clear, morning seas are calm, and underwater visibility at Coron's Japanese WWII shipwrecks — the Okikawa Maru, the Irako, lying in 30-40 meters of water since 1944 — can reach 20-25 meters. These are among the world's great wreck dives, and dry-season conditions show them at their best. The trade-off is predictable: hotel prices in El Nido can run 40-60% higher between January and March compared to off-peak months, and the most-photographed spots (Shimizu Island, the Small and Big Lagoons on Miniloc) fill up by mid-morning. Book accommodations three to four months ahead if you're visiting between Christmas and February — decent guesthouses in El Nido town fill completely. November and May are likely your smartest windows. Seas are generally manageable, prices tend to drop 20-30% below the January-March peak, and the crowds thin noticeably. November occasionally catches the tail of the Northeast Monsoon, but most years it clears by mid-month and delivers warm, largely sunny weather. May is warm and dry through most of the month — daytime temperatures sit around 32-34°C (90-93°F) — though the last week can turn humid and unstable as the wet season approaches. June through October is difficult, and worth saying plainly. The habagat brings sustained rain and four-meter swells that ground the bangka fleet for stretches of three to five days. El Nido's offshore islands become inaccessible during strong weather events, which happen regularly from July through September. Puerto Princesa and the Underground River stay more consistently open — the river tour runs in most conditions and the cave system is spectacular regardless of season — but the full Palawan experience depends on the water being calm enough to reach the outer lagoons. Budget travelers who can absorb canceled activities and rearranged plans can find rates 40-60% below peak, and the interior forests and waterfalls around Sabang and San Vicente look extraordinary after weeks of rain. But if this is a once-in-three-years trip, the wet season gamble is probably not worth the savings. For temperature reference: dry season daytime highs run 30-34°C (86-93°F) with lower humidity; wet season sits at similar temperatures but with significantly higher humidity and frequent afternoon downpours. Key events worth knowing: the Puerto Princesa City Fiesta in late January brings local crowds and higher accommodation demand; the Paraw Regatta in February draws traditional outrigger sailing races in El Nido waters and is worth watching if you're there; and the Baragatan Festival in June marks the provincial anniversary with street performances in Puerto Princesa. Christmas through New Year is when Filipino family tourism peaks sharply across all of Palawan — book everything you can in advance and expect prices at their highest.