If you have only about two weeks to travel through the Palawan area, I would suggest my travel itinerary for this shorter time frame. If you have about a month, this page is for you. If you have more than that, at the bottom of this page is a link to other worthwhile places you can visit in the Philippines.
I’d suggest you fly into Puerto Princesa. Generally I’d say it is not worth staying there, but if you do you can check out the link for things to do and where the live music scene is.
You can grab a van to Sabang, which takes about 4 hours, but at the airport we grabbed a cab for about 2-2,500p which took us there in about half the time, the cab driver played my music via his bluetooth, and the ride was much more comfortable.
Sabang is a nice town to hang out in for a bit, you can check out the underground river tour, and once you’re ready to move on, I’d suggest the next stop would be Port Barton. Ideally ask around and get your own private boat there, because the inland route can be somewhat lengthy and complicated.
From Port Barton you can try to get a boat to El Nido, or van it somehow. El Nido is good for a few days, but be warned that the famous lagoons are quite packed with tourists. The town itself though does have a good live music scene, zipline and other fun stuff, so if you have a whole month, then the town is good for at least a couple of days.
I wrote this for a friend who wanted to rent a motorbike and boot around Palawan island for a couple of months, but I would not suggest this, because you’d have to return the bike back to Puerto Princesa at some point and it would be difficult to move on from there, or you’d have to cover your same tracks.
From El Nido you can beach hop your way to Sibaltan and continue on to Coron from there as explained in my shorter term suggested itinerary.
Sibaltan is a village well worth visiting, a cool place to hang out for a few days, and if you ask around the locals, you can rent a motorbike and head south for a bit of a drive.
Once you are back in Sibaltan you can catch a ferry to Linapacan and hang out there for a bit, or if you have the budget for it, either hire a private boat or join or form a group tour to take you on a multi-day boat tour to Coron. There are 82 paradise beach islands along the way, with excellent snorkeling in fantastically clear waters, caves to explore, cliff diving into the ocean and a Spanish fortress.
Coron itself has a fair amount to offer and a fun nightlife, again good for at least a couple of days. From there you can rent a motorbike fairly cheaply and worth a few days trip around the island.
On from Coron
You should be able to spread out the above over a nice one month period. You might even consider renting a motorbike in Puerto Princesa to do a loop to the south, where there is a crocodile farm, and potential problems with Muslims in the far south, but I haven’t heard too much in terms of rave reviews concerning this — at least an option worth considering.
If you are out of time I’d suggest taking the 2Go ferry back to Manila. It is a fun overnight slow ferry with the usual karaoke party. You can sleep comfortably and save on accommodation, even get a cabin if you want to be fancy.
But if you do have lets say another month, as my friend for whom I wrote this page has, I’d suggest you can head eastward to explore some of the Visayas.
If you have about a month, I’d suggest to fly from Coron to Cebu, rent a motorbike in that city and make your way around that island, at some point hopping over to the island of Siquijor before making your way back to the city of Cebu.
If you have more than a month then you can doddle your way towards Cebu by taking a ferry to the kitesurfing haven of Cuyo, from there a ferry to the city of Iloilo, rent a motorbike there (we have a contact if you need) to make your way around that island of Panay and Guimaras, then the island of Negros before you make your way to Cebu.
The Philippines is obviously not a country you can visit in a mere two weeks (this page only covers less than half of it). There are more than 7,000 islands and best to approach it like it is instead many countries. It’s a great country to visit, because English is an official language and almost everyone speaks English quite well. It is also Christian, so you are not frowned upon for drinking beer, and unlike a lot of other places in South East Asia, the locals clean up their garbage every day and generally maintain a respect for their beautiful nature.
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recommendsGérard Benoit2023-02-08I was looking for a personalized excursion to the beautiful bay of Bacuit. Seeing the comments, I contacted Mel. Very responsive, very efficient and perfect organization. The crew were very friendly and very helpful. And I'm not even talking about the meal on board...a marvel. In all fairness, this excursion will remain an excellent memory and I can recommend Mel and his team highly enough. A big thank-you.recommendsAndré Mardoñal2019-10-22⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The island world of Linapacan between Coron and El Nido with the clearest waters in the world is truly a dream for itself! Without a boat you won't be able to see it! But what this boat trips makes so amazing is the crew! Once you come on board they might be shy in the beginning but will make you feel welcome and home from the first moment. Not only that they are looking that you sit comfortable all the time, they will prepare fresh and delicious food what the buy from local markets. They know the best spots and most beautiful islands and will bring you to places where you get this "Robinson Cruisoe feeling". Every day you visit 3 to 5 spots for snorkeling, enjoying a beach or exploring a little island. The accommodation we had was good and simple. We slept in bungalows and tents right at the beach. Sheets and towels were always provided and sometimes towels. After a while you feel like a family on board. We loved living the boat life didn't wanna leave! If you doubt take a longer than shorter trip! For any questions please message me.recommendsSarah Uhan2019-01-31All in all it was a really great experience. It's a once in a lifetime thing to do and you won't get more authentic and basic Philippino experiences anywhere else. We were not so lucky with the wind and waves so we couldn't do all the stops we wanted to unfortunately. So be aware that especially the months from January to May can be very rough on water. But we still saw some great places Benji took us. Benji and his family was very nice and they did everything they could. The food was amazing - always freshly made in authentic Philippino style and way too much for the 2 of us. Make sure to bring enough cash - many of the islands cost extra (entrance fee) and be aware that any kind of accommodation and food (200php per meal) is not included in the boat fee. Also the deposit and commission fee for the agency are a little over the top, especially since the crew does not get any of it. The costs all in all are rather high for phillipino circumstances especially given the basicness of it all. However if you think about that all 5 boat people (in our case) live off of the boat fee alone, you spent the money willingly. Be aware though that accommodation and sanataries are very basic if even existant. So you gotta have the right mindset. Bring tissue, sanatiszer and earplugs to get some better sleep. Another feedback I have concerning the size of the boat. I don't think it is sufficient for more than 4 people. If the weather is like it was these days, you always have to sit on top and it was already a little squeezy with us 2 and 5 boat people. So I guess 4 guests can be fine but more than that won't have the space. There is different boat sizes but make sure to talk about that with Karel in advance. Other than that it was really worth it and we got to see so many great beaches and reefs which we could have never been able to visit without the tour.recommendsEric Liu2018-03-15It was scary to book a 5 day trip with no places to stay confirmed or a strong itinerary. And in the Philippines, communication is difficult. But that is part of changing mindsets to a rural island mindset. In the end, everything worked out. We had some tough moments with bugs. But we also had some amazingly beautiful secluded beaches, the best snorkeling in the world, relaxing on the beach, and freshly made food on the boat while docked at beautiful places (better than being on land). Note, we went with Benji. Recommendations: - you must get a local SIM when you arrive to make sure pickup and everything works out - some islands have bugs - use bug spray! Pros: - a fraction of the cost - away from the crowds - can customize what you want - just ask! - a truly local experience - saw a REAL rural town Cons: - locals aren't really polished tour guides - if you don't ask for it, you won't get it, need to be pretty proactive - pretty simple "activities" - no frills like bathrooms or kayaks etc.recommendsÁngela Deand2017-04-26We can't be more grateful to have had the opportunity of experience the peace in Patoyo Kitesurfing Camping! Spending two weeks in Dimancal Island, gave us the chance to experiment the rural and traditional way of life, in touch with the nature and people. We have learnt how to cook with fire, how to open a coconut and how to survive in an environment where for a time we forget about unnecessary needs, just to focus on enjoy the small details and pleasures of life. Mentioning too the amazing snorkeling and beautiful islands around this place, which make it unique and special. It is a lovely option if you are running away from tourists and overcrowded places in the Philippines. You will find yourself in the middle of virgin beaches and nature, surrounding by charming people. We will definitely come back!recommendsCaroline Danielle2017-02-13We haven't done a Tao tour, but I would suspect that this is a cheaper version of the same thing. Our boat operator (Benji) and the entire crew were were fun, friendly and made an effort to ensure we had a good time. If you get a large group of people together it can be a really inexpensive alternative to other Coron-El Nino and vice versa island hopping tours. The food was good, but more expensive than as advertised by Karl. The price quote we got was 100 php a meal, but the boat charged us 200. Since the food was good we didn't mind the extra expense, but it is important to keep in mind if you're on a budget. Definitely plan for some incidental spending. Our boat did have some mechanical issues and as a result we ended up being stuck in the same place for longer than we wanted to be. That being said, little could have been done about it and the trip was fun nonetheless.recommendsHauk Are Fjeld2017-01-01If you believe that doing the touristic tours in El Nido and going to "The hidden beach" takes you off the beaten path, you are wrong. There are lots of beautiful places in Palawan, but few of these places are without any other tourists. If you want to spend some extra effort on getting away from the tourist places, and don't mind a little "primitive" living, Island Hopping in the Philippines is definitely something you should check outrecommendsArnold Cabiguen2015-05-08The snorkeling in this area is phenomenal. Clearest waters in the world. I guess it's because there is relatively such lower tourist traffic through here, and the locals really protect the reefs!recommendsKarel Kosman2015-05-08Love it so much, just had to say it twice!
We are a family operation managing private custom boat tours in the beautiful Palawan area, and are happy to help travelers with their plans through the country, having traveled a lot of it ourselves and planning to visit it all.