I first knew I wanted to go to Palawan when I saw pictures that our friend (@travelmechic) posted of the insanely gorgeous water. Plus it was a place I had never heard of before. After doing a bit of research we soon decided that we wanted to go to El Nido and Coron.
Loving Everything about El Nido
El Nido was the perfect start to our Philippines adventure. The town was lively and fun and the scenery gorgeous! We stayed 4 nights and wish we had even longer.
Check out our El Nido travel guide here.
Offshore Adventures in Coron
After El Nido, we had high expectations for Coron. We ended up being a bit disappointed. All of the boat tours in Coron were amazing and some even superior to El Nido, but the vibe was off in the town. I’m still glad we went. Check it out for yourself and see what you think.
Read more about our experience in Coron here.
Getting to Palawan
We flew from the US so it was quite a hike! We flew directly from Atlanta to Seoul on Delta and then from Seoul to Manila on AirAsia. Once in Manila, we flew directly to El Nido on Airswift. Another common option is to fly to Puerto Princesa and take a van.
Getting around Palawan
Within the islands you can fly or ferry. Flying is more expensive but way faster. We arrived to El Nido by plane but took the Montenegro Fast Ferry from El Nido to Coron. It took around 4 hours and was surprisingly smooth. Once on the islands you can take cheap tricycle tuk tuks aka “trikes” everywhere. Or if you’re feeling adventurous rent your own scooter! (Be warned, we witnessed a lot of injuries.)
Palawan was the most beautiful place we visited in the Philippines and it is an absolute must-do on your itinerary!
Sitting pretty in Palawan,
-Ray
Note: We visited Palawan in March 2019.