Top Palawan Hotels

Dont miss honda bay tour, many islands with beautiful beaches, great snorkeling, and starfish. Kahlui restaurant has the best fresh seafood there, and has very inexpensive prices, try the lobster, it is awsome!

Went to Sabang to visit the subterranean river. It was an exhilirating experience. Visited Manila Flame Restaurant right next to the hotel - great ambience and very nice staff. Of course we were there too early at 7pm and we were the only customers by then. We left at 10pm when other customers started to arrive. Great sea food at Badjao Restaurant, too! It is far from the hotel but we were lucky to meet one creative tricycle driver who offered to fetch us to and from hotel. Made the whole experience exceptional.

We only stayed overnight at the Legend ''cause our schedule was very hectic. We ate dinner at KALUI restaurant were they served magnificent seafood. Too bad they don''t take credit cards for payment. We had been all over Palawan. Noteworthy places are the Butterfly Garden and the Underground River and its cave. We never made it to the Prison and the Crocodile Farm. The road to Sabang was excruciating since the roads are still under construction. The "Palawan Massage" was an experience I will never ever forget!

We had a delightful visit to Puerta Princesa. The Fleuris Hotel arranged our guide and driver to the UNESCO-rated subterranean river. Our guide, Omar, was excellent. The trip to the river does take a while (about 2+ hours) and the majority of it is a bit bone-jarring on rutted roads. The small village reached at the end of the journey is the departure point for a further 20 minutes boat ride to reach the park entrance where (in our case, following a nice lunch) you then follow a small path to the launching point for the underground river trips. (There is an alternative to walk from the village to the park entrance which is probably nice if you have the extra time; it takes 2 to 3 hours, Omar said.) It seems like a lot of effort to take an underground river trip which, in itself, is under an hour round trip, but it is definitely worth it.<br><br>Amazing sights of the ''inside'' of a mountain: the typical stalagtites and stalagmites, but also veins of marble; internal caverns and caves; and the special experience of travelling by boat too. Experiences are somewhat reminiscent of the Deer Cave, etc. in Sarawak, East Malaysia. It is very quiet as the guide paddles manually and the only lights are the two handheld by the front two passengers which are enough to get a good view. It is probably a place which will continue to (unfortunately) become more modernised over time, so good to see it soon! <br><br>A few tips: the boats do not come straight to shore, so wear shoes/sandals that you can get wet. Shorts and light clothing is fine although there are lots of bats and not everything dripping from above is mineral water. The guides will probably not like to hear this but don''t necessarily volunteer to sit in the front and hold the lights as it does attract pesky bugs (but nothing that bites) and you have to pay attention to the guide''s directions on where at least one of you should shine the light. The other one, though, can do what he/she wishes! We returned from our long day with very nice memories of this unique area and then enjoyed an evening in Puerta Princesa. The main street has a lot of places to eat and some good handicraft stores. A wide sidewalk makes wandering easy. All in all, a delightful visit!

If looking for information about activities on Palawan, I would recommend the travel agency "1700 Islands Travel & Tours" on Rizal Avenue where the staff is quite helpful and friendly.

As I said, Lagen''s a diver or snorkeller''s delight. Look out for the amazing marine life, the beautiful corals and the fabulous sunsets!

Puerto Princesa is a good starting point for a tour of Palawan. Easy and cheap to get around by trike. For tours, try Nagtabon Beach, Crocodile Farm and don''t miss the Underground River in Sabang. Recommend Badjao Seafront restaurant.

Before I came to Palawan, I read a few travel guides on Puerto Princesa. I emailed a safari cruiser and a writer as well---Bruce Curran, and he referred me to Chikee Denosta, manager of the Palawan Airport Village hotel. My friend and I got to Puerto a few minutes after 9:00 am on a bright Sunday. I met Chikee later on before checking in the Legend Hotel. A few minutes later, we were out discovering the city. Puerto Princesa (meaning Princess of Ports) is a bustling industrious city. Its main source of income is tourism and agriculture. Our first stop was the Butterfly Garden. Here, we actually saw a butterfly getting out of the cocoon and mating butterflies. (We were supposed to go to the Crocodile Farm, but it''s closed on Sundays.) Next stop was the house of deceased former Senator Mitra. The house had a good view of the Honda Bay, so we took a few pictures there. It was just after 11am. Next stop is Honda Bay. We set out to Sta. Lourdes Wharf, where the docking station was located. Honda Bay consists of about 9 islands: Cowrie, Bat Island, Luli (for Lulubog-Lilitaw) Island, Meara Marina, Starfish Island, Snake Island, Pandan Island and Dos Palmas. Our tour (Php 600.00) included Pandan, Snake and Starfish. Some of the islands you can get in free, while some you have to pay an entrance fee. Dos Palmas is the most expensive. In Pandan Island, we did a bit of swimming, sunbathing and snorkelling. We then sailed to Snake Island--an island name because of the way it was shaped. I love Snake Island. There, you can snorkel and feed the fish. They will really come to you! Plus the view was amazing--clear white sand stretched in the shape of a snake. It was a beauty. Finally, we went to Starfish Island. In fact, we came upon a starfish already at Snake Island, but here there were more. Just so sad that rain poured that afternoon, so we got stuck on the sheds. When we got back to the Wharf, our tricycle man was there. (We paid him Php 500.00 for the city tour, plus the ride to the wharf.) He brought us to VietVille (Little Saigon)-- a place where Vietnamese had found their homes after the time of wars. They serve great french bread for only Php 5.00 here! Afterwards, we were taken to a nearby hot springs resort. Here, you can rent a "room" which had a sort of hot springs jacuzzi in it. Rent ranges from Php 100 to Php 200 for any number of people. We went back to the hotel to change for dinner. Chikee, my friend and I had dinner at Balinsasayaw (derived from a type of bird), where we heaped ourselves grilled squid, calamares and grilled pork liempo. After dinner, we went to the Palawan Airport Village Hotel and Kamarikutan Coffee and Art Gallery. Kamarikutan is known to be a sacred place, and every year, Joey Ayala plays here to chant some music. Day one was finally over. Day 2: Underground River trip. If you’re less than 3, take the jeep. Earliest trip is at 6pm. Last trip from Sabang is at 2pm. (Bring also a packed lunch if you want.) After waiting for more than an hour at the San Jose loading station, we finally began our mountainous tour to Sabang. 2 hours after a very jerky jeepney ride, we were welcomed by the majestic view of South China sea. For travelers going to the Undergound River, you have to pay a Php 150.00 payment for the permit. Then another Php 500.00 for the boat ride. 6 people can be accommodated per boat, so the more, the cheaper. The boat ride (30 mins) will take you to the entrance of the Underground River. If you plan to stay overnight, you can rent a room at Sabang and take the trek to the Underground River. From a pump boat, you will have to switch to a paddle boat, for touring the Underground River. Again, our tourguide was very accommodating and he offered more information than I could handle. The Underground river is 8.5 km long, but the tour was only 1.5 km. Why? Because the boats need to go back in order to accommodate more travelers. The Underground River has one of the world''s best limestone carvings and is one of the wonders of the world. We got back to Puerto Princesa town proper around 430. We went straight to Nasin-aw White Beach to catch the setting sun. Here, beaches close at 6pm. Dinner was late, but superb. We ate at KaLui''s, a famed seafood restaurant at Rizal Avenue (where the airport was also located). We had shrimp, blue marlin and seafood sisig...yummy! For some late night fun, go to Kinabuch''s. It’s a favorite hangout, mostly for students. It had a bar, billiards, and great music. People stay up there till 2 to 3 am. We stayed there for quite a while and ended the day at 1am. Phew! For pasalubong, you can buy salted fish or cashew nuts. Buy at the airport or at the market. It was a wonderful trip, I must say. Short and fun. We had made friends with most of the townspeople and learned a lot of things about Puerto Princesa and Palawan. I would really want to go back sometime soon.

There is only the same restaurant, and that is fine for non back packers. Have to go by boat 45 minutes to reach the coast of Busuanga, and a jeepney from there to other destinations. Coron island was wonderful, you have to know a little climbing to reach the lakes. Coron town seems very real and Filipino.

Coral reefs are spectacular and right off the beach; no need for a boat to go snorkeling or diving. Water is clear and full of large fish as well as the largest variety of corals anywhere and giant clams.