Is Palawan worth the trouble?
 

So I'm trying to decide on an Asian vacation destination for later this year. There seems to be a lot of buzz about Palawan Island, Philippines these days as a great "undiscovered" beach/snorkel/adventure destination. Heck, I think Conde Nast Traveler just declared it "best island in the world."

So is it? :)

Since there are no luxury chain hotels (aka "The Maldives"), the fancy-pants bloggers don't talk about it. And it's not the easiest place to get there: it's not served by any alliance airline. So you have to get to Manila (itself a bit out of the way), and then fly on a Phillipine airline to Palawan.

I've been to most of the southeast Asian countries, but never the Philippines, so I'm not exactly sure what to expect. I figure it will be a little like Sabah, Malaysia, because it's geographically fairly close.

My research so far has been preliminary, but I don't get the sense that good lodging options are as cheap as in Bali or Thailand. True? This is relatively important to me because, without the opportunity to use hotel points, and the added expense of getting to this remote island, I want my lodging to be good value.

I know I'll have to stop in Puerto Princesa, but can anyone recommend a week-or-so itinerary on the island?

Usually undiscovered means by the major hotel resort chains. There are luxury resorts there but they are not part of any chains. Undiscover also means underdeveloped infastructure.

To get to PPS you need to fly domestic from MNL which means Cebu Pacific or Philair Express. From PPS to resorts is another 2-3hr drive.

The other end of Palawan is El Nido which is another great place for snorkeling/diving. It is a private flight from Manila. Driving from PPS to El Nido is not recommended as it is on very poor back roads.

Now the good part:

Yes it is worht discovering before it gets over developed. I have visited in 2006,08,12 and have seen signs of development and commercialism progressing. They are on the radar of the cruiselines as of 2013.

Palawan is the most beautiful place I've been period. The roads from PP to El Nido weren't great but they were hardly impassable a couple years ago. I did it on a dirt bike during a constant deluge & stayed upright. It'll be the bus next time. It's a long slog but well worth it. The flights were just during high season. If you want something shorter and easier - try Coron. It's stunning too.

air asia also flys into PPS from MNL.

It is on my list of places to go and hopefully it will be as nice if not better than Borcay.

Any lodging recommendations? How much should I expect to pay?

About a year ago, I visited Borneo and Bali and stayed in great hotels for well under $100. There were also some chain hotels in ridiculously low award categories. Ditto Thailand and Cambodia. If good 4 to 5-star hotels are going to cost me, say, $200/night, this might not be the right choice for me given the other logistics. Sadly, I might do better WAITING for the development, and then get deals at the chain hotels. :eek:

BTW, I priced some Air Asia flights this weekend and was surprised how expensive the tickets were -- at least for Air Asia. Almost US$100 each way. I assume there are sales? I've also read that air travel in the Philippines is much less on-time than in the rest of the region. True?

There was a super luxurious places I saw in Tay Tay over the water, but the rest of it was kinda 2 star basic for $30-50. Who cares, the place is so beautiful you won't want to be inside anyway. Do the underground river. Kayak out to the islands around El Nido, and check out Kayangan Lake in Coron. There was a boat between EN and Coron, but it's super rough 1 way and smooth the other depending on the prevailing winds that time of year.

That really depends on whether you really need a 5-star property or whether something more casual will do. There are plenty of clean, simple b&b style hotels throughout Palawan - much better choice.

There are also a few truly 5-star resorts (not part of any chain), but they are expensive and IMHO are even a disadvantage, as they are located on separate islands - so you are reliant on the resort's boats to get anywhere.

I've been to El Nido twice and will be going to Puerta Princesa this year. Yes it's worth it - El Nido and Coron are some of the most beautiful places I've seen anywhere. Actually probably the most beautiful....

Thanks. Yeah, we don't need 5-star hotels. We prefer comfortable, high-quality b&bs, inns, etc. If we can find those, and they're $50, we'll be happy!

I don't think you will see any sells for PPS, maybe during typhoon season. AA does usually offer large discounted fares 1 or 2 a year but it is for travel 6-12 months out from the date when you must purchase your ticket so your travel plans must be concrete as AA does not give refunds. These sells usually only last for about a week.

I'm surprised at people claiming Coron to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. Good diving on Japanese wrecks, however? You bet.

With regard to appealing beach destinations in the Philippines, have you considered Boracay?

Easier to get to but very very touristy.

Been diving around Palawan on a live-aboard some years back. It was quite good and compared well with Palau/Sipidan/Maldives from my experience. I am sorry I do not have any experience with staying on the island, but have been to Boraquay which reminds me of Koh Tao in Thailand now ! It was quite different in the early 90's !

We're not divers, but we are avid snorkelers. I recall coming across several articles saying that Palawan was "fantastic" for snorkeling. Is that true?

It is worth every penny. Coron and El Nido are excellent places to have a holiday. El Nido does have high end resorts. But you will have to rough it out a bit in Coron. Not much to see in Puerto Princesa though.

Thanks. I'm inclined to book my tickets to Manila using UA miles (I'm a 1K, so I can change or cancel to my heart's content) and then wait for an Air Asia sale to Puerto Princesa (I'm on their email list: given the recent tragic events, I would expect a mega- sale in a month or two).

Other than combing the tripadvisor reviews, does anyone have a good source for finding Palawan hotels? And for sketching out an itinerary on the island? I think we'll stay about a week.