Palawan
Limestone islands rising straight out of glass-clear lagoons, with a underground river running through the middle of it all.
Best time to visit
November – May
Fly into
El Nido (ENI) or Puerto Princesa (PPS)
Good for
Island hopping, diving, lagoons
Suggested stay
6–8 nights
El Nido’s lagoons, minus the tour-boat scrum
Big Lagoon and Small Lagoon show up on every island-hopping brochure, and the classic Tour A boats still pack them out by mid-morning. Book a private banca instead, or just leave an hour before the group boats do — the same turquoise water, almost nobody else in it.
El Nido town makes the obvious base, but Port Barton and San Vicente to the south are worth a few nights if you want the same limestone cliffs with a fraction of the crowd, and prices to match.
What the week actually looks like
Mornings start early for a reason — the light on the lagoons is best before nine, and the water stays calmer. Spend the middle of the day moving between islands by boat, then come back to town for lunch once the sun gets hard overhead.
Save a full day for the Puerto Princesa Underground River if you’re routing through — it’s a two-hour drive or a short flight from El Nido, but the boat ride through the cave system is unlike anything else on the island.
Worth building your trip around
Big Lagoon, El Nido
Paddle a kayak in past the karst walls at first light, before the group tours arrive with the crowds.
Puerto Princesa Underground River
A UNESCO site for good reason — an eight-kilometer navigable cave river through limestone formations.
Nacpan Beach
Four kilometers of empty white sand twenty minutes from El Nido town, with just a few beach shacks for lunch.