Things to Do in Palawan in December
December weather, activities, events & insider tips
Shoulder Season · Good Value
December Weather in Palawan
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
83°F
High Temp
75°F
Low Temp
0.3 inches
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
Is December Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + Dry-season light begins: sea visibility jumps to 25 m (82 ft) for snorkeling and freediving, around Bacuit Bay and Honda Bay. Clarity stuns. Fish look close enough to touch. Worth it.
- + North-east monsoon flattens the west coast. Boat crossings to El Nido's lagoons run smoother with 30-minute delays instead of the usual two-hour waits of November. Sea behaves. Skippers smile. You win.
- + Christmas barrio fiestas mean nightly lechon (whole-roast pig) smoke in village plazas and free folk-dance shows you won't find in January. Drums echo. Crowds clap. Join in.
- + Accommodation prices are still shoulder. Not the 60% spike that starts the week before Christmas and runs through April. Book now. Save pesos. Sleep easy.
Considerations
- − Sun sets at 17:40 and last boats leave El Nido at 16:30; you'll lose two full hours of island-hopping compared with March. Plan shorter. Move faster. Accept dusk.
- − Palawan's UV index hits 8; burn time is 15 minutes without SPF 50; December visitors look lobster-red by day two. Reapply often. Seek shade. Respect the sun.
- − Domestic airline seats fill with returning overseas Filipinos. Expect fully booked Puerto Princesa-Manila hops unless reserved six weeks out. Reserve early. Or stay longer.
Year-Round Climate
How December compares to the rest of the year
| Month | High | Low | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28°C | 23°C | 0.2 inches |
| Feb | 28°C | 23°C | 0.1 inches |
| Mar | 29°C | 23°C | 0.1 inches |
| Apr | 30°C | 24°C | 0.1 inches |
| May | 30°C | 25°C | 0.2 inches |
| Jun | 29°C | 25°C | 0.3 inches |
| Jul | 29°C | 25°C | 0.2 inches |
| Aug | 29°C | 24°C | 0.2 inches |
| Sep | 29°C | 24°C | 0.3 inches |
| Oct | 28°C | 24°C | 0.4 inches |
| Nov | 28°C | 24°C | 0.3 inches |
| Dec | 28°C | 24°C | 0.3 inches |
Best Activities in December
Top things to do during your visit
El Nido Lagoon Kayak Circuits
December's low chop makes paddling into Secret Lagoon and Big Lagoon feel like gliding over glass. Wind is calm until 11am. Aim for the 8am first boat so you can kayak before the midday easterly picks up and turns the water milky. Early starts rule. Silence rewards.
Booking Tip: Book the day you arrive. Operators release spare seats at 18:00 for next-morning trips. Look for packages that include kayak rental in the boat fee. Haggling on the beach wastes daylight. Time is money. Sun sets fast.
Puerto Princesa Underground River Dawn Slots
Park opens at 07:00; the 07:15 permit batch means you enter before coach convoys from Sabang docks and hear dripping water instead of echoing tour-guide megaphones. December bat colonies are active. Look up between stalactites for twitching black silhouettes. Beat crowds. Hear caves breathe.
Booking Tip: Permits are date-stamped; reserve online three days ahead (the pier kiosk sells out by 10am). Bring dry clothes. Sea spray soaks the outrigger return ride when monsoon swell sneaks in. Stay dry. Laugh later.
Coron Wreck Snorkel Circuits
Water temperature holds at 27°C (81°F) and visibility stretches 20m (66ft) before plankton blooms of January. Japanese Akitsushima gunboat sits at 22m (72ft); freedivers can eye the deck gun from the surface on calm December mornings. History floats. You float too.
Booking Tip: Choose operators that leave Coron town at 07:30; later boats cluster around Skeleton Wreck and kick up silt. Ask if tanks are available if you want to duck inside engine rooms. Many switch to compressor-only in peak season. Beat the plume. See more.
Narra Tea-House Trek to Mt. Victoria
December is the tail end of Rafflesia flowering season. Giant blooms can still pop beside the trail at 800m (2,625ft). Trail is muddy but not yet leech city of May. Rivers are low so crossings stay below knee-height. Watch your step. Gawk upward.
Booking Tip: Guides at the jump-off require park registration plus local council permit (processed in Narra plaza, opens 08:00). Overnight on the mountain gets cold at 1,600m (5,249ft); pack a fleece. Layers save nights. Paperwork saves fines.
Port Barton Night-Plankton Kayak
New-moon weeks in December give the bluest bioluminescence. Every paddle stroke lights up like Tinkerbell. Tours leave at 19:00, well after day-trippers bus back to Puerto Princesa, so the bay is empty and silent except for splashing micro-lights. Dark sky. Liquid stars.
Booking Tip: Choose sit-on-top kayaks. Rental seats crack in cooler nights. Bring a windbreaker. Sea breeze drops the apparent temperature 5°C (9°F) after sunset. Stay comfy. Paddle longer.
Where to Stay in Palawan in December
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for December travellers.
December Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Mid December (usually second week)
Baragatan sa Palawan Festival
Province-wide cultural fair in Puerto Princesa with nightly street dancing and tribal craft markets at the Capitol grounds. Arrive by 18:00 to catch the fireworks competition over the bay. Drums pound. Sky blooms. Cheer loud.
16-24 December
Simbang Gabi Night Masses
Catholic dawn masses start 16 December. Towns from El Nido to Brooke's Point set up bamboo choirs and serve free bibingka (charcoal-rice cake) outside churches at 04:30. Non-Catholics welcome. Just cover shoulders and keep voices low during homily. Respect costs nothing. Cake tastes great.
Packing Checklist
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Climate-specific gear, brand recommendations, and what to leave at home.
View Palawan Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Book the 06:00 Puerto Princesa-El Nido van. It reaches the winding mountain stretch before the 08:30 convoy and you skip the motion-sickness pile-ups at the roadside viewpoint. Early bird avoids vomit. Enjoy views.
Island-hopping lunch is rice and grilled pork belly. Vegetarians should tell the boatman the night before so they can grab tofu at the market; December stocks run low by 09:00. Speak up. Or chew celery.
ATM withdrawal limit is PHP 10,000 per transaction; El Nido ATMs empty on weekends when domestic tourists fly in. Queue at Puerto Princesa airport on arrival instead. Land, draw, leave loaded.
Bring small bills for the PHP 200 environmental fee counters. They rarely have change and boats won't wait while you break PHP 500 at a souvenir stall. Exact fare sails faster.
Cell signal dies 15 minutes out of Coron town. Download offline Google Map of Busuanga Island before you sail. Navigate blind. Or prepare.
Avoid These Mistakes
Scheduling flights with under two hours between Puerto Princesa boat arrival and take-off; December swells delay ferries and vans, and airport security lines back up with holiday travelers. Miss planes. Lose pesos. Build buffers.
Booking El Nido tours A-C labels without checking tide tables; Big Lagoon is impassable at low tide even in December's moderate range. Sand bars block kayaks. Check charts. Or turn back.
Assuming 'dry season' means no rain. Skipping travel insurance and getting stuck when afternoon squalls ground flights for half a day. Storms happen. Cover yourself. Read fine print.
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Top-rated things to do in Palawan this December
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