One house, all the cousins
1 / 6 · SHARMAINE MONTICALBO
Back to Discover experience · GoSmart Experiences
Philippines Island-Hop · Palawan
7,000 islands, pick a few
1 / 6 · SHARMAINE MONTICALBO
7,000 islands, pick a few
Philippines Island-Hop · Palawan
Adventure Wild Hidden
Ready to make it real?
Book it yourself on the next step, or let a GoSmart specialist plan it with you.
Find things to do in Palawan Talk to a specialistWhy you’ll love it
Bangka boats, hidden lagoons, and beach barbecue for pocket change. A GoSmart specialist tailors the route, the stays, and the pace to you.
Why it works
The bangka's outriggers slap the swell as you round a limestone headland and the water goes from blue to an unreal green. The boatman cuts the engine, points at a gap in the karst barely wide enough for the hull, and you drift into a hidden lagoon that goes silent.
Worth knowing
The dry season runs roughly November to May, with the calmest seas and best visibility. Outside that window, boat trips get cancelled when the swell picks up.
Towns here run largely on cash and ATMs are scarce and unreliable, so bring more pesos than you think you need. There is also a small environmental fee for the El Nido lagoon tours, payable on arrival.
The reefs are fragile and heavily visited, so pack reef-safe sunscreen and keep your fins off the coral. It genuinely makes a difference to how these spots hold up.
About the place
Palawan is the Philippines' long western island, anchored by El Nido in the north and Coron to the northeast, both surrounded by towering limestone cliffs, wartime wrecks, and impossibly clear lagoons.