Palawan

Palawan is the Philippines' westernmost province — a long, narrow island stretching about 450 km from north to south between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea, with hundreds of smaller islands and islets within its boundaries. It is consistently voted one of the world's best island destinations and was declared the Philippines' last ecological frontier due to its extraordinary biodiversity: the province is home to five UNESCO-listed or Man and Biosphere Reserve sites.

For most international visitors, Palawan is synonymous with two distinct destinations: El Nido in the north and Puerto Princesa in the centre-south. El Nido is the gateway to the Bacuit Archipelago, a cluster of about 50 limestone karst islands and outcrops rising dramatically from the Bacuit Bay. The area's hidden lagoons, pristine beaches, and extraordinary marine biodiversity make it a dream destination for snorkellers, divers, and island-hopping enthusiasts. El Nido town itself is a small, unpretentious place with a growing selection of beachfront restaurants and accommodation ranging from basic guesthouses to high-end island resorts.

Puerto Princesa is the provincial capital and a UNESCO-designated city. Its most famous attraction is the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature — featuring a navigable underground river that flows through a spectacular cave system for about 8.2 kilometres before emptying into the sea. The underground river is visited by permit, with tour operators in the city organising day trips that include a boat ride through the cave interior.

Coron, in the northern part of Palawan province on Busuanga Island, is a third major destination and one of the world's premier wreck diving locations. The bay contains several Japanese warships sunk during a US air attack in 1944, now colonised by corals and teeming with marine life. Coron's lakes — particularly Kayangan Lake, often cited as the Philippines' cleanest lake — are also a major draw for snorkellers.

The wildlife of Palawan is distinctive: the island chain has its own endemic fauna including the Palawan bearcat, the Philippine pangolin, and the Palawan peacock-pheasant. Turtle Islands in the southern province supports one of the largest nesting populations of green sea turtles in Asia. The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Sulu Sea, is accessible only by liveaboard dive vessels from Puerto Princesa and represents some of the most pristine coral reef ecosystems in the world.

The best time to visit Palawan is from November to May during the dry season, when seas are calm enough for island-hopping and the weather is consistently sunny. The wet season from June to October brings rough seas that can ground island-hopping boats for days at a time, though Puerto Princesa remains accessible year-round.