Palawan completely swept us off our feet from the moment we arrived in Coron. Our adventure began with a sunset hike up Mount Tapyas, where panoramic views over the islands and harbor set the tone for the days ahead. We packed plenty into Coron’s incredible “Ultimate Day Tour”: kayaking through the mesmerizing Twin Lagoon and Green Lagoon, snorkeling at Balinsasayaw Coral Garden, swimming in the crystal clear waters of Barracuda Lake, taking in the iconic viewpoint over Kayangan Lake, and exploring the hidden cave at Kayangan Lake. We also spent two days wreck diving with Corto Divers on Coron’s famous WWII shipwrecks. While visibility and currents weren’t exactly in our favor, shifting our focus to the macro life turned out to be a blessing in disguise as we were blown away by the sheer quantity and variety of nudibranchs covering the wrecks. To reach El Nido, we joined a 3 day/2 night island hopping expedition with Seatours Palawan, which ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. With only 10 passengers onboard (far fewer than the larger boats carrying 20+ people), there was plenty of room to relax, feast on endless food, and bond with new friends. Days were filled with snorkeling, swimming, cliff jumping, remote beach stops, karaoke sessions, and overnight stays in simple but surprisingly comfortable beachfront bungalows. It was such a fun and unforgettable way to travel between Coron and El Nido. Once in El Nido, we squeezed in another full day tour featuring some of Palawan’s most iconic scenery: kayaking through the breathtaking Big Lagoon, swimming into the Secret Lagoon, snorkeling at South Miniloc, and relaxing on the white sands of Entalula Island and Seven Commandos Beach. Palawan easily became one of our favorite destinations in the Philippines, and next time we visit, we’ll definitely budget more time, especially for El Nido, which deserved far longer than we gave it.
Aerial view of Coron right before we land
Turboprop plane used to fly to UNESCO world heritage Palawan
Welcome committee in Coron
Traditional, wooden, stilt house community in Coron
Becky in front of a Coron sign
Mermaid detail on a building in Coron
Learning about the Morazan Maru Wreck at Corto Divers where we signed up for 2 days of diving
Banyan tree on our hike up to the peak of Mount Tapyas
Panoramic view of Coron from the top of Mount Tapyas
Sunset selfie from the top of Mount Tapyas
Viewpoint along the trail to the summit of Mount Tapyas in Coron
Rolling landscape of Mount Tapyas
Hiking up 720 steps for this panoramic sunset over Coron Town and the surrounding islands
Robby enjoying his octopus meal at Levine's Restaurant
Becky in front of a vibrant mural at Levine's Restaurant in Coron
This striking limestone karst rock formation is near the Twin Lagoon
Tourists kayaking the Twin Lagoon
Robby kayaking the turquoise waters of the Twin Lagoon
A traditional Filipino outrigger boat (bangka) anchored at the stunning Twin Lagoon
Becky loving the Twin Lagoon, a pair of dazzling aqua lagoons set amongst a backdrop of vertical, jagged karst walls
The stunning natural beauty of Coron on full display at Twin Lagoon
Becky on the top deck of our bangka at Twin Lagoon
Kayaking around the Green Lagoon
The stunning emerald green waters of Green Lagoon
Beach 91 on Coron Island in Palawan
A fabulous lunch buffet on offer at Balinsasayaw Resort
Becky at the infinity pool at Balinsasayaw Resort
Boarding our bangka for the next portion of our island hopping tour around Coron
Bangkas anchored at Barracuda Lake
Barracuda Lake is popular for snorkeling and scuba diving, famous for its dramatic thermocline and halocline layers (where water temperatures shift from 28°C/82°F at the surface to 38°C/100°F at depths of 14 meters (45 feet)
Sheltered bay at Barracuda Lake
Bangkas anchored near Kayangan Lake
Wooden walkway leading to Kayangan Lake
The iconic panoramic view from the Kayangan Lake Viewpoint
Becky at the Kayangan Lake viewpoint
Visitors love visiting Kayangan Lake for swimming and snorkeling
Kayangan Lake is widely celebrated as one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in Asia
Hidden cave at Kayangan Lake
Robby exploring the hidden cave at Kayangan Lake
Yummy biko offered as a snack at the end of our tour. This traditional Filipino sweet sticky rice cake is dense and sticky, made from glutinous rice, coconut milk, and brown sugar
Halo-halo is a traditional Filipino dessert - leche flan, ube purple yam jam, ube/vanilla ice cream, nata de coco (coconut gel), kaong (sugar palm fruit), macapuno (coconut strings), sweet beans, mango/jackfruit, shaved ice and evaporated milk
Dugong tours are on offer from Coron
The red eggs are salted duck eggs, known in the Philippines as "itlog na maalat"
We spent 2 days diving the wrecks of Coron. Our first wreck was the Olympia Maru, a famous World War II shipwreck that lies upright about 24 to 30 meters below the surface
Dive master John giving us a briefing on the Olympia Maru shipwreck
Visibility for the Coron wrecks was dismal so we decided to focus on the colorful nudibranchs instead!
Robby smiling on our bangka after two days of wreck diving
Tasty Filipino lunch served as part of our diving package
Selfie with dive master John from Corto Divers
Crammed in a tiny tuk tuk for the ride back from the pier into town at the end of our dive day
These golden, deep fried snacks are a popular Filipino dessert called Buchi
Embarking on a traditional Filipino bangka boat for a 3 day 2 night island hopping expedition from Coron to El Nido
Philippine Coast Guardsman inspecting our bangka before we are allowed to proceed on our island hopping expedition
Our first stop was at Ditaytayan Island where we snorkeled and checked out the tiny beach
Our expedition only had 10 passengers and we ate well! So much yummy and varied food was served each meal
Crew member taking a nap on our bangka's outrigger
Friendly boat crew member
Araw Beach - another beautiful island stop!
And always time for some puppy cuddles
This portion of our expedition revolved around free flowing rum cocktails
Making friends with the rest of our fellow passengers - we were so lucky with our fun group!
Making our way to our first campsite of the expedition once the sun started to set
Puppy staying onboard the boat for the night
Robby making his way to our beach hut
We arrived just before sunset and had enough time to get our bearings
Our bungalow for the night. We were surprised to find out that we had electricity and a fan!
Gorgeous sunset over Palawan
Happy to be exploring Palawan!
Our simple (and comfortable) bungalows courtesy of our 3 day 2 night expedition
Robby decides to give fire dancing a go!
Fueled by rum! Having fun with everyone after a night of karaoke
We had a great night's sleep in our simple but comfortable A-frame bungalow (plus you can't beat this view)
A young mother proudly shows off her son
Wooden footbridge to our bangka as we prepare for day 2 of island hopping between Coron to El Nido
A colorful bangka anchored just off the island of Linapacan
Cliff jumping at Doble Nueve (8 meters high)
Kmaal campsite in Linapacan features rustic beach huts
Lunch on day 2, so yummy!
Becky on the top deck of our bangka as we get ready to explore Lacalaca Island
Natural rock arch at Lacalaca Island
Posing in a natural arch on Lacalaca Island
Robby in a natural arch on Lacalaca Island
Becky enjoying beautiful Lacalaca beach
Lacalaca was the perfect island stop on our Coron to El Nido expedition
Dried fish hanging on a line at Lacalaca Island
Beach dog; Lacalaca Island
Hammock time on Lacalaca Island
Rocky islets located near Malcapuya Island in Palawan
Robby getting kisses from the boat puppy
Our rustic beachfront accommodations on Gintu Island
Sunset point on Gintu Island
Playing Uno while we wait for our cook to prepare dinner on Gintu Island
Our dinner feast is served - pork adobo, fried eggplant, tofu, grilled squid, fried chicken and tomato pasta
A rainbow on the last morning of our Palawan expedition
Boat puppy from a different expedition. It must be a sibling of our boat's puppy!
A bangka anchored in front of Manlihan Island
Last amazing meal prepared by our boat's phenomenal cook!
Ivan presenting pork sisig (minced pork, chopped onion, and chicken liver) which was surprisingly tasty!
Expedition friends (Sandra, Francesco, Milos, Diana, Andy, Lucia and tour leader Ivan) on our SeaTours Palawan 3D2N tour from Coron to El Nido
Getting crammed into a van for the ride from San Fernando Port to El Nido town
Decorated mannequin on display in El Nido Town
Street scene in El Nido Town, which is nestled up against dramatic limestone cliffs
Fresh prawns and lobster on display at a beachside restaurant in El Nido
El Nido Beach - it looks stunning but beware of the "niknik" (sand flies)!
A tiny place to eat at Oppa Korean Kitchen in El Nido
Street cart selling balut and penoy (boiled fertilized duck egg served as a nutritious delicacy)
Tasty burgers at Paradise Kiss in El Nido!
"Talk Dirty to Me" laundromat in El Nido
Colorful kayaks on El Nido Beach
Bangkas anchored in the bay of El Nido
Need a dry bag or sun hat? This guy has got you covered, and at bargain prices!
Karst limestone cliff near the Big Lagoon in El Nido
Kayaking to the Big Lagoon
A vendor on a makeshift boat tries to sell souvenirs at the Big Lagoon
Robby striking a pose at the iconic Big Lagoon in El Nido
The Big Lagoon is a must visit destination known for its dramatic limestone cliffs, serene emerald green waters, and shallow channels which can only be explored via a kayak
We rented a kayak to check out the Big Lagoon and paddled quickly to escape the other day trippers!
After paddling through a narrow, shallow channel, we finally reached the Big Lagoon and were mesmerized!
Kayaking is the only way to reach the Blue Lagoon (swimming is not allowed)
Robby at the Secret Lagoon
The entrance area of the Secret Lagoon (also known as Hidden Lagoon), located on Miniloc Island in El Nido
Robby at another "secret lagoon" during low tide
Snorkeling near Payong Payong Beach at South Miniloc
Natural arch at Entalula Island
Dramatic limestone rock formations on the beach at Entalula Island
Seven Commandos Beach is a popular, stunning white sand beach near El Nido
Coconut trees at Seven Commandos Beach
Vellago Resort in El Nido is on a secluded island that can only be reached by boat. It is an adults only property with intimate bungalows and a private beach area
Bangka at Seven Commandos Beach
BABA Street Food restaurant in El Nido
Robby enjoying our food at Pong's Pares. We had sizzling pork belly (liempo) served on a hot plate as well as bulalo (Filipino bone marrow soup)
El Nido's tiny airport. We heard that flights often get delayed or canceled but got lucky with our flight!
On time departure as we board our turboprop plane from El Nido back to Manila
Goodbye beautiful Palawan...until next time!
