Palawan — El Nido & Coron

The country's crown jewel

Palawan is the Philippines at its most cinematic — a long ribbon of island province where karst cliffs rise straight out of jade water. El Nido's lagoons and hidden beaches, Coron's wreck-diving and crystal lakes, and the UNESCO-listed Puerto Princesa Underground River sit within a single trip.

The Puerto Princesa Underground River has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999 and one of the New7Wonders of Nature since 2012 — a navigable river running for kilometres through a mountain, entered by paddle boat into a cathedral of limestone and bats. Permits are capped daily, so it is one of the few stops that genuinely has to be booked ahead.

North, El Nido sits under the cliffs of Bacuit Bay, where the boat tours are lettered A to D: the Big and Small Lagoons on Tour A, Secret Beach and the hidden coves on Tour C. And Coron offers something no other Philippine island can — a fleet of Japanese warships sunk in a single 1944 air raid, now among the world's best wreck dives, alongside Kayangan Lake and the thermoclines of Barracuda Lake.

We coordinate your flights into Palawan, the inter-island transfers, your accommodation, and the daily island-hopping boats — so all you decide each morning is which shade of blue to swim in.

Best time & what to pack

When to go

The dry season from November to May brings the calmest seas and clearest water. Easter and the December–January peak book out early — reserve flights well ahead.

What to bring

• Reef-safe sunscreen, hat & rash guard
• Dry bag and water shoes
• Quick-dry clothing and a light cover-up
• Cash for island fees and small towns