{"id":543,"date":"2013-10-06T04:02:23","date_gmt":"2013-10-06T04:02:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelcake.site\/?p=543"},"modified":"2025-04-10T16:45:34","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T16:45:34","slug":"the-best-of-palawan-philippines-part-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/the-best-of-palawan-philippines-part-i\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best of Palawan, Philippines. Part I."},"content":{"rendered":"

As I mentioned in an earlier post,<\/a><\/span> I recently vacationed in Palawan, a stunning island province in the Philippines. Its raw natural beauty and its remarkable people blew me away.<\/span><\/p>\n

Words don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t quite do it justice, but I hope these pictures can give you a glimpse of what made this place so special.<\/span><\/p>\n

In no particular order,<\/span><\/p>\n

What makes Palawan so great? Part I.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1. El Nido’s rock formations<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Limestone spikes rising dramatically from azure waters, set against a backdrop of dense, tropical greenery\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthat\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the view you get when exploring the bays around El Nido town.<\/span><\/p>\n

Astonishing is putting it mildly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Heart<\/a>
Heart Island, El Nido<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Kinilaw<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

This Filipino classic became my daily obsession. <\/span>The popular dish is found throughout the Philippines, but particularly in Palawan. Diced fresh fish or shrimp, gently cooked by the tangy marinade of vinegar and calamansi (or lime) juice. Then spiced off with garlic, herbs, red onions and chillies. It’s the Asian cousin of ceviche and an absolute flavour bomb. Every place puts its own spin on it, so no two kinilaws are the same. I ate my weight in ot and I never once got bored.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"tuna<\/a>
non-stop kinilaw<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Being in Palawan during low season<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll admit, I was worried. We were heading there in <\/span>typhoon<\/span><\/i> season. I pictured endless rain, soggy shoes, and card games in a damp hotel room.
\n<\/span>Yes, it rained\u00e2\u20ac\u201dalmost every other day, but showers usually lasted between 20 minutes and two hours. And despite a few cloudy spells, the sun was more than eager to burn my skin.<\/span><\/p>\n

But here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the payoff: barely any tourists. We had major sights practically to ourselves. Even the dreaded group tours turned into private boat trips\u00e2\u20ac\u201djust Douglas and me, for the price of a 15-person shared one.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bonus: lower hotel prices and plenty of room to negotiate sweet deals. If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re cool with the occasional tropical downpour, low season is the time to go.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"tropical<\/a>
tropical storm brewing up<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"typhoon<\/a>
typhoon sea<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. BBQ-lunches on the beach<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Every island-hopping tour includes a lunch stop. The boat crew brings out charcoal, a fresh catch, some meat, fruits, and veggies\u00e2\u20ac\u201dand turns it all into a feast.
\n<\/span>I came in expecting the usual bland group-tour food. What I got was a freshly grilled, deliciously local beach BBQ served on powdery sand, under palm trees.<\/span><\/p>\n

I mean\u00e2\u20ac\u201d<\/span>come on<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BBQ<\/a>
BBQ on the beach<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"buffet<\/a>
buffet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. Kayangan lake- Coron island<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Ready for a refreshing swim in what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s said to be one of the cleanest lakes in Asia? Kayangan Lake is a mix of salt and fresh water and is one of the seven echanted lakes of Coron.
\n<\/span>The indigenous Tagbanua tribe once believed spirits dwelled here and performed rituals to transfer them to larger lakes. Nowadays you can enjoy a serene, spirit-free dip in the calmest of waters while enjoying the scenery.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Important tip: go early. Really early. Before the boatloads arrive and shatter the peace.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Kayangan<\/a>
Kayangan lake<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Coron,<\/a>
view from the top<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6. The simple life<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

\u00c2\u00a0Time slows in Palawan. Days revolve around family, friends, and taking things as they come. The \u00e2\u20ac\u0153tomorrow is another day\u00e2\u20ac\u009d vibe is contagious.<\/span><\/p>\n

You start to reflect on what matters, on how little you actually need to feel fulfilled. You stop rushing. You breathe deeper. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an island state of mind we could all use a little more of.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"El<\/a>
boat washed up in a tree, but it’s all good…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

7. The religion<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

The Philippines is predominantly Catholic, and after six months in Asia, I found the Christian influence unexpectedly comforting. <\/span>Not that I was tired of pagodas, mosques, temples, or ashrams\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit just felt <\/span>familiar<\/span><\/i> to be surrounded by kitschy Maria statues, roadside crucifixes, people saying grace before meals, and church bells on Sunday mornings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who would\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve thought?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"JC,<\/a>
JC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"country<\/a>
countryside gate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

8. The rice fields<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Palawan isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t <\/span>just<\/span><\/i> about beaches and lagoons. Its bright green rice fields offer a whole different kind of beauty. While it may not boast the most iconic terraces in the Philippines, these fields add a peaceful contrast to the coastal scenes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wander through the countryside or hop on a scooter and watch them blur by\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a quiet kind of magic.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"<\/a>
little house in the rice field<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"rice<\/a>
perfect for a walk<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9. Wreck diving<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

More than 20 Japanese ships sank in Palawan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s waters during WWII. Once the site of destruction, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re now underwater gardens\u00e2\u20ac\u201dcovered in coral and teeming with marine life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some wrecks lie 40 meters deep; others are shallow enough to snorkel. Floating from one room to the next with only a tiny torch to light the way gave me full-on Jacques Cousteau vibes.
\n<\/span>We didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see <\/span>that<\/span><\/i> much marine life during our dives\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbut the atmosphere? Unforgettable.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"ready<\/a>
ready for discovery<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"wreck
wreck diving<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

10. Drop dead gorgeous beaches<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen a lot of dreamy beaches, but Palawan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s? Easily in my top 3. <\/span>White sand, turquoise water, swaying palms\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe stuff of clich\u00c3\u00a9 postcards and impromptu photo shoots.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"<\/a>
approaching helicopter beach<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"photoshoot<\/a>
with a backdrop like that, who could resist a photo shoot?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stay tuned for part II with more great things about Palawan!\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Have you ever heard of Palawan?<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

\u00c2\u00a0The post “The Best of Palawan, Philippines. Part I.<\/a>” first appeared on Travel Cake<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I recently vacationed in Palawan, a stunning island province in the Philippines. Its raw natural beauty and its remarkable people blew me away. Words don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t quite do it justice, but I hope these pictures can give you a glimpse of what made this place so special. In no […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":575,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,119],"tags":[5,40,39,44],"country":[220],"class_list":["post-543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-destinations","category-the-philippines","tag-asia","tag-palawan","tag-the-philippines","tag-top-things","post_format-post-format-image","country-the-philippines"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=543"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4350,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/543\/revisions\/4350"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=543"},{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcake.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}