Palawan , philippines
You want to see the most beautiful beaches on Earth? Stop your search at the Palawan, Philippines
How to Reach?
Airport: Puerto Princessa (PPS)
PPS to Palawan - Ride Share in Van (6 hours)
Alternate Airport: El Nido
Accomodation & Transport
Booking.com
Alternate: Directly search at El Nido, Palawan
Transport: Rent a Scooter
Not sure of the general trend, but as a traveller I feel that Philippines is often missed out from the itineraries of Indians. People often choose the alternatives of Indonesia, Thailand and Goa (in domestic) for cheap beach vacations. If your travel is exclusively for beaches, then Philippines can grab the number 1 spot in your bucket list.
Here is a quick itinerary to help you in the planning and also the one that I took with my friends.
Day 1
Subterranean River National Park
Instead of the popular and usual Manila, fly straight to the Puerto Princesa. The airport is popularly known as PPS.
PPS is home to one of the natural wonders of the world - The Subterranean River National Park.
It is one of the world's finest caves with limestone karst landscapes and pristine natural beauty. Designated as UNESCO world heritage site, the caves have natural rock formations depicting shapes of flowers, human faces and some recognisable figures.
Cave Entrance
Natural Formations 1
Natural Formations 2
Mangrove Forests
The mangrove forests at PPS gives a break from the beautiful sea beach and instead takes you to the dense mangrove vegetation with the forest river flowing in the middle. Experience the sight of monkeys jumping from one branch to other, river snakes and lots of mosquitoes! So do carry and use a mosquito repellant cream with you. The row boat will ride you through the forests which may also remind you of the movie Anaconda.
Don't forget to listen to the amazing jingle by the boatman which is for creating awareness for the protection of Mangrove forests.
Day 2
The journey to El Nido is picturesque. Hire a cab or rent a car and drive all the way from PPS to El Nido. It takes around 6 hours to reach with a short break in between.
There are plenty of options to choose for stay in El Nido. The ambience, aura and the people will remind you of a typical beach location in Goa. Take some rest today as the next day is totally in the sea!
Day 3 and 4
El Nido is all about the beautiful islands. There are many tour operators who can take you on a ferry and show you beautiful islands in the middle of the sea. Be a witness to the beautiful and almost untouched islands, sea shores and experience the soothing snorkelling.
And don't worry about the food. Your boatman will do the cooking on the ferry and serve you delicious food on the shore! It is a different experience altogether.
You will see something like this - Slide across to know what is mesmerising:
Day 5
The islands may be over but not the beautiful beaches of Palawan. Head over to the popular Nacpan beach which is a scenic drive from El Nido. It takes around 45 mins to reach. Hire a scooter and get on the roads! This is what the journey looks like:
Nacpan beach will give you ample time to photo shoot with the holdings, relax at the beach shacks and enjoy the different versions of San Miguel beer!
That's me where I openly announce my love for Nacpan ;) !
A 5-7 day itinerary for Palawan is good enough for enjoying the natural beauty, relax on the beaches and enjoy the Philipino life! I can bet that Philippines will provide you with the best opportunities to click the nature and warm people to serve you!