Trip report: Coron and Palawan in the Philippines (page 2 of 3)

The underground river: We walk along the beach to reach the port where the bangkas leave for the underground river. The entrance fee, including transport and an audio guide, is 1,100 pesos. Individual passengers have to wait until there are enough people to fill a boat. Priority is given to groups arriving in vans from Puerto Princesa. It’s a real procession of bangkas heading toward the river. A roughly 5 km ride takes us to Saint Paul Beach. Along the way, you can spot numerous coves and completely deserted beaches where it would be nice to dock.





We cross a small forest and arrive at the cave entrance. Everything runs like clockwork: we put on life jackets, protective helmets, and pick up an audio guide before boarding a rowboat to avoid polluting the cave.

Only the boatman has a flashlight on his helmet to light up the spots indicated by the audio guide—there’s no other lighting along the underground route. Everything is done to protect this cave, which is listed as the seventh natural wonder of the world. Unfortunately, we can only navigate the first 1.5 km, even though the cave stretches for 8 km. The place is stunning. The show starts at the cave entrance, continues with the discovery of numerous stalagmites and stalactites with poetic names, rocky cavities sculpted by rushing water, and the charm of sailing through an otherworldly dimness.







To return to Sabang, some decide to walk back through the forest (5 km), but we opt for the boat. We have lunch at a buffet restaurant near the dock for a reasonable price. The afternoon is spent lazily by the pool.

Puerto Princesa

Our vacation is coming to an end. A van takes us to Puerto Princesa, the largest city in Palawan (400,000 inhabitants). We’re back to heavy traffic. We book a city tour, but it’s outsourced to a specialized agency, and it doesn’t match what we expected. The van picks up tourists from different hotels, and the guide asks passengers to choose between the crocodile farm and the Palawan Butterfly Eco-Garden and Tribal Village. Most vote for the crocodile farm, even though we wanted to see the latter for its tribal dance show. The farm has limited interest: a few crocodiles in dirty, poorly maintained ponds, some snakes, and birds. Then we head to Mitra Ranch, where we still wonder what there was to see besides a view of part of the city. Plus, it’s particularly dirty. We stop at Baker’s Hill, a famous bakery. This stop is interesting because the place has created a sort of amusement park with original decorations that delight the kids. You can also see beautiful exotic plants displayed nicely.

Puerto Princesa (continued) What wasn’t mentioned in the tour description were the stops at souvenir shops we could’ve done without. We end our tour at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, dazzlingly white. All the doors are open, which ventilates the space and offers a bit of coolness.







We’re staying at Hôtel Carpe Diem. The rooms are tastefully decorated. The tropical garden is absolutely stunning.



The only downside is that it’s far from everything. For a quiet afternoon, we have the choice: private pool or shared pool.





We go for the private pool that comes with our room. We’d been advised to finish our evening at the Baywalk, but we don’t feel like leaving our cozy spot.

Hi Jean-Claude We’d decided to skip the underground river on our itinerary because we were worried about overcrowding. In the end, did it seem okay? Jacques

Yes, it's well organized, and if you're staying in Sabang, you can try to go before the vans arrive from Puerto Princesa or later in the late morning or afternoon.

Cebu As a precaution, we decided to head to Cebu the day before our return flight. A Philippines Airlines ATR took us there in the late afternoon. A short flight of about 1 hour. We hit the traffic jams typical of big cities again. We stayed at the Elizabeth Hotel, which is only worth it because it’s downtown, close to the massive Ayala shopping mall. That’s where we had dinner, by the way. Our last day in the Philippines: we ordered a Grab (the Asian equivalent of Uber) to get to the Basilica of the Holy Child. Once there, we couldn’t enter the grounds because our clothes were deemed not modest enough. This was the first time this happened to us, and unlike some places (mosques, Hindu temples, etc.), there was no option to borrow or rent modest clothing, as is common elsewhere. From the sidewalk, we could see an outdoor mass and the devotion of the faithful. We settled for visiting Magellan’s Cross nearby—a wooden cross erected by the first explorers when they arrived in Cebu, housed in a chapel open to the elements.



In the square, there’s a small market overflowing with exotic products—guaranteed freshness and fragrances. We enjoyed one last coconut there.





Back to the mall for some last-minute souvenir shopping, and then we headed to Mactan-Cebu Airport. The terminal is very airy, decorated with lovely wooden statues and models.





The international departures area wasn’t too crowded. The return flight was uneventful, though the Hong Kong–Paris leg lasted over 14 hours—it felt *really* long. All that’s left now is to adjust to the 7-hour time difference.

Summary: Very positive overall. We were lucky with the weather: 17 days of sunshine! Our trip was well-organized by the tour operator, though they were completely hands-off. We received our flight tickets the day before each flight, but everything else was in the travel journal and went as planned. A word about Filipinos: they’re smiley, helpful, cheerful (always singing), and unlike in other destinations, there’s no aggressive solicitation here. The food: the fruits are delicious, local dishes are okay but nothing special—far from the flavors of other Asian countries (Thailand, Vietnam). And, as you’ve gathered, the highlight of this trip was the cruise.

Wow, your thread is so refreshing! Thanks for sharing the trip—it’s such great inspiration for all ages.

Hello and thank you! That’s so kind. If it inspires other travelers, I won’t have written it for nothing!

Thanks for this lively trip report. In 2019, we took our first trip to the Philippines, which really thrilled us (Camiguin, Bohol, Siquijor, part of Negros). When people think about traveling to Asia, the Philippines tend to be overlooked. Yet, it’s a stunningly diverse country where every island is different. Palawan has been on our radar for a future trip, so I took advantage of your story to jot down a few notes. Thanks.

Hi there, and thanks for this travel journal—it was a pleasure to read and full of useful info!

Hi everyone, and thank you. Every post is encouragement for future travel journals.

To thank you, Jean Claude, your shared experience is always a pleasure to read, along with the many photos that enrich it. It’s really valuable and generous of you.

Thanks for your kind comments! See you soon for new adventures. Larri

Hi there, and thanks for all these photos! Married to a Filipina, we haven’t been back since late 2019. COVID effect... We’re hoping to go next year and still need to plan our itinerary—your route is inspiring, who knows?

Hi Larri,

Thanks so much for this travel journal! We’re planning a trip for early 2026 but haven’t set the itinerary (or even the location) yet.

Unless I missed it, I didn’t see the budget for this trip (aside from the flight ticket)?

The cruise really appeals to me (I’ve done one in Komodo before). I assume there are lots of companies—did the agency handle the bookings, or did you do it yourselves?

Planning for February 2026—is that peak season? Since I have some flexibility in choosing dates, I’d love to pick a month in low or mid-season while still "hoping" for decent weather. What’s your take?

Thanks!

Didier

Hello and thank you for your comments. Cost: around 1900 € per person excluding airfare; the agency handled everything (quite well, actually) after many exchanges. The cruise is offered by different local companies (at the same price); it can last longer if you wish. But good weather is essential. Of course, it goes both ways. Indeed, February is peak season (higher hotel prices, usually good weather), but apart from El Nido, we didn’t really notice it. If you have time for your trip, you can also check out my first itinerary (see the start of this post) with the rice terraces and the Visayas. I’m happy to answer any questions you might have. Best regards, Larri

Hello and thank you for your kind comments. I hope you can make it there in the near future. Best regards, Larri

Hi Jean-Claude, Thanks for your two travel journals—I read them back-to-back with great interest. The Philippines is one of our potential travel plans. Since we’re not familiar with the country, I’m more drawn to your 2019 itinerary—except for the 400-step climb, which isn’t really our speed these days... Best regards, Edith

Hello and thank you for your kind comment. Refresh my memory—where are the 400 steps? I can confirm it was a truly beautiful route (2019), with a real crush on the rice terraces (when the weather’s nice, it’s exceptional). Like you, I’ve traveled a lot (see my profile), and I only discovered the Philippines quite late, but I loved it. Thanks again, larri

Good evening, Sorry about that—it’s actually 240 steps at the "Chocolate Hills," I might’ve exaggerated a bit, but it’s still a lot! The rice terraces are always a stunning sight. We saw some in northern Vietnam last October, just before the harvest, and it was a gorgeous golden hue. Best regards.