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Travel guide
Palawan
4 days · 4 things to do
Best time to go: December to April
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Welcome
Palawan, in a few days
A 450 km island between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea, with the limestone cliffs and lagoons of El Nido in the north, the UNESCO-listed underground river of Sabang in the middle and the Japanese wrecks of Coron in the neighbouring islands. Outrigger boats, white sand and roads that are still slow.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 1 thing
- D2 Day 2 1 thing
- D3 Day 3 1 thing
- D4 Day 4 1 thing
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Nacpan beach free · half a dayFour kilometres of golden sand between two headlands, 17 km north of El Nido, lined with palms and a few bars, with waves for bodysurfing.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Two Seasons Coron Bayside Hotel ↗ · All places to stay by budget →€85 a night
D2
Day 2
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- All day · The Coron wrecks · a full dayA Japanese supply fleet sunk by US aircraft on 24 September 1944 lies at 10 to 40 metres, including the Irako and the Okikawa Maru.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Two Seasons Coron Bayside Hotel ↗€85 a night
D3
Day 3
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Kayangan Lake · half a dayA brackish lake clear enough to see 15 metres down, reached by some 150 steps past a viewpoint over the limestone-studded bay.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Two Seasons Coron Bayside Hotel ↗€85 a night
D4
Day 4
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- All day · Calauit Island · a full dayGiraffes and zebras brought from Kenya in 1976 under Marcos, at the cost of displacing the Tagbanua families living there, still breed here.
Further afield (over 130 km from the base hotel), best as a separate stop: El Nido's Big Lagoon, Las Cabanas beach, Port Barton, Puerto Princesa Underground River.
📲 Book things to do in Palawan on GetYourGuideBefore you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Adobo: meat braised in vinegar, soy and garlic, the dish every family claims to make best.
- Lechon: whole roast suckling pig, the centrepiece of any celebration.
- Sinigang: a sour soup made with tamarind, with pork, prawns or fish.
- Halo-halo: shaved ice layered with beans, fruit, jelly, ube and evaporated milk.
- Calamansi: a small local citrus squeezed over almost everything, and into juice.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Check the typhoon forecast before booking between June and November.
- Take ferries and bangkas run by established operators, and make sure there are life jackets on board.
- Drink bottled water only, and cover up on the boat: the sun at sea burns fast.
- Agree the fare for tricycles and boats before you set off.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ Tagalog
| English | Tagalog |
|---|---|
| Hello | Kumusta |
| Thank you | Salamat |
| Please | Pakiusap |
| Yes | Oo |
| No | Hindi |
| Excuse me | Pasensya na |
| Goodbye | Paalam |
| Do you speak English? | Marunong ka ba mag-Ingles? |
| I don't understand | Hindi ko maintindihan |
| How much is it? | Magkano ito? |
| Where are the toilets? | Nasaan ang banyo? |
| The bill, please | Yung bill, pakiusap |
| Help! | Saklolo! |
| Cheers! | Tagay! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyPhilippine peso (PHP)
BudgetAbout €68 a day, mid-range
Best seasonDecember to April
PlugA/B/C · 220V
Tap waterBottled only
TippingAppreciated, around 10%
Emergency911
EntryVisa-free for 30 days with a passport valid six months beyond arrival, for EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens, with proof of onward travel. Everyone must also register online on eTravel within the 72 hours before arrival.
HealthHepatitis A and typhoid are recommended. Malaria is present in some rural areas, including parts of Palawan, so ask about prophylaxis for your route. Dengue occurs across the country: use repellent.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/palawan
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.