Backpacking in Palawan, The Philippines

Overall I really liked the Philippines. I chose it because I read it's less crowded than other Southeast Asian countries. And I always like to be where there are fewer tourists. The people are friendly, it's fairly easy to get around, albeit expensive, and the country has a good feeling to it. I took a two week solo trip in January, and spent a little over a week in the Philippines at the beach, before flying to Taiwan. Turns out I didn't tire of the beach, so it would have been nice to explore more islands in the Philippines.

White Beach in Port Barton

I flew to Manila, and straight to Puerto Princessa in Palawan, without leaving the airport. I gave myself 4 hours in between and checked that my flights were from the same terminal (I flew with Cebu Air). I didn't have any problems. But you should check where your flight leaves from because the terminals in Manila are not connected, so you have to either take a taxi or a shuttle to transfer between terminals. I read that the traffic can be so terrible, it can take over an hour. Also you should know that you can exchange money in the airport and the rate is good, equal to, or better than what I saw in Palawan.

Note that many blogs say that there is no wifi or internet in Palawan. I had no trouble whatsoever in the places I visited or the hostels I stayed at. I had no trouble with power either. But maybe it's different depending on the time of year.

PALAWAN

Where did I travel to?

PUERTO PRINCESSA

I liked Puerto Princessa. I stayed there for 1 night to rest after my long journey to the Philippines. It is a low key city with a very local feel. I stayed at Golden Pension House which was clean and conveniently located. They were very friendly and there was some hot water in the shower.

I ate at a vegan cafe called Ver De, and the food was really good. I also wandered a bit around the main market, and went to the mall. You can get a sim at the globe sim shop in the SM mall, or in the SM department store itself (where I got a 20 GB one for maybe $4).

Golden Pension House - at the end of the road

Ver De Vegan Cafe

The Market at Puerto Princessa

PORT BARTON

This town is truly a backpacker gem. Full of hostels and almost no resorts. It's a nice place to chill - there are some good cafes, nice beaches within walking distance (or a short boat ride), lots of people to meet, and a still authentic vibe as the locals live in and around the town.

I got to Port Barton in a shared van that I booked through the app 12go. The company I used was Recaro, and it was totally fine. I booked them also to head up to El Nido (4 hrs) from Port Barton. The ride from Puerto Princessa to Port Barton is about 3 hours.

The shared van transport

 I stayed at Garpeza Backpackers and I enjoyed it. The room was basic but clean, the vibe was low key, and there was always someone to talk with in the lounge area. My favorite cafe was Fat Cat - the food was really tasty. Also, I had breakfast everyday at Milano Cafe, a cafe run by Italians. The coffee was good, and the food was fun.

Garpeza Backpackers - my room

At the Fat Cat Cafe

Lunch at the Fat Cat

Milano Cafe

The whole town runs along Port Barton beach. You can also take a boat from Port Barton beach to White Beach. Another beach to visit is Coconut beach, but I didn't actually make it there.

Port Barton Beach

White Beach

I also did the Island Hopping Tour and it was great. Much better than the tour in El Nido. Our boat was fun with good music and good vibes. And we were all alone on every island that we stopped at. There are a lot of beautiful shells, but please don't take them. It's lovely to visit and see them on the sand, so it's better they stay there. Also, part of the tour takes you to see starfish. Please don't take them out of the water - it's not good for them. People do this just to take photos.

EL NIDO

I didn't like El Nido that much. It's touristy and inauthentic. Even the boat tour I did felt like a rip off. Everyone goes on boat tours in El Nido. In the morning it seems like there are a million people waiting for their boat. I chose tour D because tour A and C are the most popular, and I don't like to be where everyone is. We visited one of the famous El Nido lagoons, and did some kayaking. I am sure once you've seen one, it's just like the rest. No need to do more than one tour in El Nido. I also spent time on Vanilla Beach. It's one big stretch that is connected to Las Cabanas beach, and Marimegmeg beach, and we walked the whole strip. The farther you go, the smaller the crowds. Overall the beach is nice, I enjoyed it. It's about a 10-15 min tuktuk ride outside of town.

Vanilla Beach, El Nido

Tour D - Small Lagoon El Nido

El Nido Tour D

Guarding our Kayak

Las Cabanas Beach, El Nido

I stayed at Spin Hostel and had a good experience. It looks pretty snazzy. The rooms are small and basic, but have hot water and air conditioning. I didn't think the food was any good in El Nido, and the lines are long for dinner. I ate at Gorgonzola Pizza, and Big Bad Thai. But then on the last night I ate at Ver De, the same restaurant as in Puerto Princessa, and it was great.

Spin Hostel

Tofu and Plantains, at Ver De

Overall, I think you can skip El Nido. Maybe if you are not backpacking, and you stay in some fancy resort on the beach it would be cool. I didn't have an easy way to explore outside of the town since I was traveling solo and didn't rent a motorbike. To leave El Nido, I booked a flight with Air Swift from the local airport. It's pricey, but easy. But note that the flights are always delayed by something like 5 hours. So it's super unreliable if you have a connecting flight.

MANILA

I spent one night in Manila, and I liked the vibes. I stayed in Makati at Abraham hostel, and felt safe heading down the road to eat and to a seven eleven. The hostel itself was okay, a but shabby. But the location is good and near the airport. I also spent some time at the mall in Makati at Greenbelt and Glorietta - it is pretty much identical to shopping in the US. And the prices are the same too.

Manila Abraham Hostel

Packing:

• Water shoes are a must. There are sharp rocks in the water. I mostly went with sandals that are good for hikes that include water. I definitely scraped my legs several times when I slipped.

• Mosquito repellant - there are so many mosquitoes in the Philippines. I didn't take Malaria pills since I think the risk is low. Dengue fever is more of an issue, but January is not the season. Bring repellant in advance, it's expensive to buy there.

• Sunscreen - must bring enough in advance. Several people had issues with fake sunscreen they sell in the shops on the islands. You can pick up at Puerto Princess at a place like SM, but better to bring in advance.

• A lightweight quick dry beach towel

• I brought my own snorkel and flippers. Though on the boat tours they give you snorkels.

• Buy an Ocean Pack back for your valuables before your El Nido boat tour. Or before any boat tour. You will thank me.

• A hat

Cash:

Many blogs say ATMs don't work properly on the islands, so I brought enough cash in advance. You use cash everywhere, except to pay for your hostel if you book it on booking. I am sure in Puerto Princessa it would be possible to get cash at the bank. The best exchange rate I saw was at the airport in Manila.

Sim:

I got an Airlo esim which worked fine but was pricey. In Puerto Princessa I bought a local sim (Globe) 20GB for $4 and it was great.