Palawan

Palawan has been voted among the world's best islands by readers of major travel magazines several times, and the reason is visible from the air: karst limestone cliffs dropping straight into lagoons of a turquoise rarely seen outside a filter. El Nido's Bacuit Archipelago is the postcard version, forty-five islands and islets, hidden beaches reachable only by squeezing a small boat through a gap in the rock, and snorkelling over reef that has stayed genuinely intact.

Coron, Palawan's second hub, trades El Nido's lagoons for something different: World War II shipwreck diving and Kayangan Lake, often described as one of the cleanest lakes in the Philippines, a mountain-ringed basin of impossibly clear fresh water sitting above the sea. Between the two, Palawan never forces a choice between a Bora Bora-style lagoon and genuine wilderness. The island's interior remains one of the least developed landscapes left in the Philippines.

In El Nido, boat trips follow a set of standard routes, usually labelled Tours A to D, each covering a different group of lagoons, beaches and snorkelling spots. Tour A, with the Big and Small Lagoons, is the most popular, though access to some lagoons is now limited and requires advance booking, and an environmental fee applies. A private boat buys back control over timing, which matters, since the most famous spots fill up fastest around midday. Kayaking into the Small Lagoon early, before the tour boats arrive, is one of the highlights of any visit.

Coron's appeal works both above and below the water. Its wreck diving, around a fleet of Japanese supply ships sunk in 1944, ranks among the best in the world, and several wrecks sit shallow enough for snorkellers to see. Kayangan Lake, Barracuda Lake with its layers of warm and cool water, and the Twin Lagoons are all reached by boat. Coron town itself is small and practical rather than pretty, so many visitors base themselves on nearby islands instead.

The Puerto Princesa Underground River, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a navigable river running for several kilometres through a cave system into the sea. Boats enter a short section with guides, and daily visitor numbers are capped, so permits need booking in advance.

Beyond the main hubs, Port Barton and the long beach at San Vicente offer quieter alternatives: small guesthouses, empty sand, considerably less noise.

December to May, the dry season, brings the calmest seas and the best conditions for island hopping. From June to October, the southwest monsoon can rough up the crossings and occasionally cancels boat trips altogether. Flights connect Manila and Cebu with Puerto Princesa, El Nido and Busuanga, the airport for Coron. The drive from Puerto Princesa to El Nido takes five to six hours, and ferries between El Nido and Coron run around four hours in good weather.

A week to ten days covers El Nido, Coron and one of the quieter areas without rushing. Carry cash, since ATMs can be unreliable, and expect occasional power cuts in smaller places.

A sample ten-day journey could open in Puerto Princesa, with a day for the Underground River, then head north to Port Barton for two nights of quiet beaches and island hopping. From there, El Nido gets three nights, a private boat reaching the lagoons and snorkelling spots at the least busy times, before a ferry across to Coron for three more: a day on the lakes and lagoons, a day of wreck diving or snorkelling, and time to unwind on a smaller island before flying back to Manila.

Accommodation ranges from simple beach bungalows to some of the most beautiful island resorts in Asia, many of them on private islands in the Bacuit Archipelago or around Coron. Staying outside El Nido town, which is busy and often noisy, makes for a more peaceful trip, and beaches such as Nacpan, a long stretch of sand north of the town, are worth the extra journey. Palawan's environment is fragile, and local authorities have brought in measures to protect it, including limits on visitor numbers at the most popular sites and bans on single-use plastic in some areas: bring a refillable water bottle and reef-safe sunscreen, and avoid touching coral or feeding fish.