Melo Villareal
Things You Must Experience When Visiting Palawan
An island of ethereal beauty, nothing could be more definitive of the place than the crystal clear waters surrounding it, the seascapes no less enchanting than any other beachfront in Southeast Asia. Travelling in this slice of Heaven, known as “the last frontier” due to its 50,000 year old artefacts, is exactly what you should be doing, the tourist-friendly Palawan that is left underrated and thoroughly under-explored.
Pasadingan Beach in El Nido
From rugged terrains to white sandy beaches, jungle-clad mountains and picturesque fishing villages, Palawan, named ‘Top Island in the World” by Conde Nast Traveler’s Reader Choice Awards, offers an abundance of incredible things to explore.
Here is the selection of what you simply must do to have your trip complete when you find yourself in Palawan.
1. Take a dive from Sangat Island
Sangat Island by Mark Rochefort via Flickr
Located 40 minutes away from Coron by speedboat, the perfect Lost experience awaits as you stay Robinson Crusoe style or opt for a watersport setting, explore concealed hot springs or discover a wild boar farm here. Exploring Japanese shipwrecks sunk during WWII is not to be missed when visiting Sangat Island.
2. Trek through the underground river
Known as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, the Puerto Princesa Underground River is a natural marvel with ancient rock formations, mineral caves and bewildering fossils.
Inside the Underground River of Puerto Princesa photo by Gov.ph
3. Discover incredibly rare animals
Searching for purple crabs, Philippine mouse-deer, Philippine pangolins and creepy Palawan bearcats is a must. Take a dip with tropical fish in El Nido.
Bearcats or Musang photo by Paweesit via Flickr
4. Sate your hunger with Puerto Princesa’s culinary delights
What you should try is midget bananas rolled in hot coarse palm sugar, caramelized and served in Puerto Princesa, while one is acquainted with Palawan’s oldest indigenous Batak mountain people.
Banana cue by Andrew Abogado from Singapore, Philippines Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
5. Ride the Sabang X Zipline
Sabang Zipline by Sabang X Zipline FB
This is the longest zipline in the Philippines. You start 150 feet (46 meters) above sea level and land on a beach, while enjoying the stunning view of the bay. The ride is only about 1 minute and 30 second, but you will remember this 2600 feet (800 meters) of pure fun forever and will want to do it again.
