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Forget Bali, Phuket, the Maldives, and every other jam-packed, overpriced Asian island travel blogs tend to overemphasize.
If you’re looking to not only get your mind blown by the stunning nature but also enjoy some much-needed peace and quiet, Palawan is where you should be headed.
A tropical paradise in the Philippines, home to breathtaking scenery and rich culture, and where you can find incredible hotels for around $80––by the beach, at that!––it is the perfect alternative to the other foreigner-dominated tourism hotspots.
However, if you want to experience it in all its glory, you better get there quickly before it, too, becomes too popular of a winter getaway:
The largest island in the namesake province, Palawan is a modern Eden in the western Philippines best known for its diverse ecosystems, jungle-cad mountains, unspoiled bays, and numerous satellite islands brimming with marine life.
Some would call it the ‘mini Maldives‘, but we would beg to differ: Palawan is in a league of its own.
So This Is What Makes Palawan Special
For starters, life here doesn’t revolve primarily around tourists, as in the Maldives or other resort destinations of the resort: it is a vibrant island community that nearly a million Filipinos call home.
As you drive along the sand-fringed coast, you’re more likely to pass through more ethnic fishing villages, completely unspoiled by the 21st-century development boom, than mega-resort complexes and leisure centers.
Similarly to the culture, the nature here has been left virtually undisturbed: in El Nido, a small municipality straddling a turquoise sea, tourists will find virgin white-sand beaches, crystal-clear lagoons for bathing and snorkeling, and Palawan’s iconic limestone cliffs.
It is also the gateway to Bacuit, an archipelago of islets lying just off the Palawan mainland, famous for its uninhabited landmasses, that essentially serve as a safe haven to wildlife, from exotic fish, to sea turtles.
Oh, and this island-hopping tour from El Nido costs only $22.16!
Don’t Sleep On Puerto Princesa!
The cultural and administrative capital of Palawan, Puerto Princesa is yet another must-see on the island, being a base for boat trips through underground limestone chambers, and being traversed by a UNESCO-listed Subterranean River.
With this full-day trip costing from $46.96, you can travel on the world’s longest navigable underground watercourse, gorge on a sumptuous Filipino-style buffet, and even enter smaller caves on canoes with a professional tour guide.
Overground, Puerto Princesa plays host to well-preserved, Spanish-era landmarks, dating back to the colonization period, including the 19th-century Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral, as well as street markets selling delicacies for as cheap as a dollar, and charming plazas.
Beautiful Natural Landscapes
Over in Coron, it’s all about the monumental volcanic peaks and epic hikes, and some would argue no trip to Palawan is complete without summiting Mount Tapyas for views (we’re inclined to agree, as the golden-tinged landscape at sunset hours feels almost otherworldly).
If you’re not the adventurous kind, you can still swim in one of Coron’s many pristine lakes, edged by Palawan’s distinctive rock formations, dive around a historic Japanese shipwreck lying at the bottom of translucent waters (from $111.68), or simply relax in a spa.
Coron is one of the best areas in Palawan for some self-pampering at affordable prices, with the cheapest room rates at Bacau Bay Resort Coron starting at a surprisingly economical $84, but it’s not the only one:
Hotels Cost As Little As $80
Over in Honda Bay, one of Palawan’s most scenic coastal stretches, where powdered-sugar sands unfold along azure seas, there are boutique hotels charging tourists as little as $82-a-night (check out Go Boutique Inn), or even $63 (Microtel by Wyndham).
Naturally, at those prices, we’re not talking ultra-luxurious, all-inclusive, but if a double room with comfortable bedding, ocean views, and a modest breakfast spread all seem like good-enough a bargain to you, you’ll be spoiled for choice.
Looking for the five-star treatment instead?
There are incredible islands in the surrounding archipelago with their own resorts: think Matinloc, where there are pools and private beaches to be enjoyed ($275), or even the El Nido Resorts in Pangalusian Island.
A private island, it has expansive tropical forests for backdrops, a 750-meter white-sand beach protected from littering as there are almost no tourists, marine sanctuaries, spa facilities, and 42 deluxe accommodations (if you have $706 to splurge per night).
Americans Are Loving Palawan!
With so much to offer, it’s no wonder Palawan has already hit 1 million visitors by August, being projected to host a record-number of guests before year’s end, and out of the foreign entrants, Americans are leading by a wide margin.
37,248 U.S. passport holders had vacationed in Palawan by summer, far ahead of the French and the British, with roughly 32,000 and 26,000 each.
Overall, it’s a great year for tourism on the island, as international arrivals keep growing, and it gets recognition from a number of world-renowned publications, including Travel + Leisure, which has just listed it as the 13th best island destination globally.
It’s not exactly the easiest and most accessible island, with most tourists arriving domestically from Manila or Cebu––and in the case of Americans, after at least two stopovers––but the affordable prices, fascinating Filipino heritage, and of course, the paradisiacal beaches are worth their while.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
