Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ramen209]

So we are flying into Puerto Princesa for Chuseok week (I know, it's rainy season!).

Has anyone been to Palawan and have any advice on what to do/where to stay?

does anyone know if it's worth the 8 hour bus ride to El Nido? The scenery looks amazing there, but we'd only have 2 days to spend there, plus 2 days of 8 hour bus rides!

Are there any other amazing beaches closer to Puerto Princesa?

Thanks!

[hapigokelli]

My boyfriend and I went to Palawan last winter break. I REALLY enjoyed it. It's a shame that you all dont have the time to explore the whole island because each town is a little different and has some nice things to offer.

If you're interested in scuba diving, I would recommend staying at the Moana Hotel and Dive Center in Puerto Princessa. I took scuba lessons there and was completely satisfied. It's a small hotel, but has a pool, 2 bars and a very helpful staff. Downside: The room leaves a little to be desired, but if you're the backpacking type it will be fine.

In Puerto Princessa you HAVE to eat at Ka Loui on the road coming in from the airport. Mostly a seafood restaurant, it's like heaven.

Skip the butterfly farm in Puerto Princessa, it's lame.

With that amount of time, I wouldn't reccomend El Nido. It was actually my least favorite place in Palawan. If you're looking for deserted beaches and relaxation, you could take the bus to Sabang, which is like a quarter of the distance to El Nido. There are plenty of small hotels with huts on the beach there. No nightlife whatsoever, but if you are looking to escape the insanity of Seoul, this is the place to do it. They also have an underground river tour that takes you deep into a subterranean cave with all kinds of rock formations that I found pretty awesome. They have a mangrove tour that I didn't do but have heard good things about, also.

[ramen209]

Just curious, what about El Nido didn't you like. My boyfriend REALLY wants to go there, and I'm curious what it's like!

Thanks so much for the helpful advice!

[hapigokelli]

The thing about El Nido is that all of the pictures that you see of beautiful beaches and snorkeling aren't actually near the town. The beach next to the town is entirely used for boats and bankas to dock, so you can't swim there. You have to pay to take a tour to some of the islands in order to relax on the beach.

Also, we took a boat to get there and it arrived a little late. We hadn't pre-booked at hotel or hostel because everyone online said it wouldn't be a problem. Well, by the time we got there the was literally NOTHING available. We ended up staying in a really loud place called Rovic's where the walls were made of wicker so you could hear people screaming and talking all night. There also wasn't any electricity during the day, which wouldn't be so bad if the place had had any windows. We had to go buy a flashlight in order to get our stuff out of the room.

All that aside, the town was just really loud and busy and a little bit touristy. If you do go to El Nido, I would try to go to one of the hotels that are a little bit outside of town like Taiyo Village. We stayed there for our remaining nights after we fled Rovic's. It's a little bit of a walk (and the flashlight came in handy for that too.) But for me, after a long day of diving or island hopping, I just want a quiet relaxing place and everywhere in the town is pretty loud. They also serve a free large breakfast every morning that you can eat outside while watching the tide roll in.

If you do go to El Nido. I HIGHLY recommend eating at the El Nido Corner restaurant. I had the best pizza of my life there and also ate some amazing tiger prawns. It was so good we went back for 3 or 4 meals. There was also a place called The Alternative that had realy tasty vegetarian dishes.

Now that I think about it, I believe you can fly from Puerto Princessa to El Nido on a little prop plane. That would cut down on your travel time significantly. Try looking on Zest Air.

[ttompatz]

[re:cursive]

I really enjoyed my time at El Nido. The main beach wasn't amazing for swimming but there was a friendly vibe, a great view looking out to the island and good food and drinks both on the beach and the street running parallel to it.

You don't necessarily need to get on a boat to get to the good beaches. There are great beaches with next to nobody on them accessible via land. We caught a tuk-tuk to a deserted beach a little out of town and walked back. It wasn't that far from the main strip and was beautiful.

Once you walk around that headland at one end of the main beach and go past the graveyard there's a number of cheap places to stay that are peaceful and laid back.

We really just headed to the main strip for eating and drinking and found it to be a good base to explore the surrounding area and islands. It was a thoroughly enjoyable couple of weeks.

I wouldn't recommend doing the trek there and back for only 2 days though.

The suggestions of Sabang and Puerto Princessa are good ones.

[alwaysbeclosing100]

one of the best places i have ever been.......dont go there expecting boracay.....go to sabang underground cave and honda bay.......i rented a motorcycle and rode out to the prison farm and croc farm.......the scenery is stunning........the market in puerto is awesome.......dont miss the church in puerto and also the fishing villages on the east and south sides of puerto are awesome.........other than the organized tours palawan takes a bit of exploring and is pretty much off the beaten path.......best way to see the island is to rent scooters or motorcycles as riding everywhere in a trike would suck..........you might also think about coron/busaunga for a couple of days.........i stayed at a dive hotel in puerto.......it is not near the water but i really like the vibe of the place and it is cheap http://www.moanahotelpalawan.com/ .....many people stay at the puerto pension http://www.pal-onl.com/pension/ you might also try.... http://www.lolaitang.com/history.htm i have lots of pics....... email me at alwaysbeclosing100 at yahoo dot com there are 4 or 5 small hotels in puerto that dont advertise at all on the web...... except for maybe 1 hotel i saw or some of the higher end resorts a lot of the puerto hotels are a bit rustic but still charming....... the hotel next to sabang beach is really really nice and not a terrible price for a night or two.........if you go there ready to explore and get away from the crowds and even get lost for a short time you will have a blast........

[Yaya]

I was in Puerto Princesa in March and had a good time, but yeah, don't expect Boracay. I was content to just see the trees and greenery and the locals were really friendly. It's also not dangerous as I walked the streets at 2 a.m. without fear.

In addition to Kalui, you should also hit Kinabuch, a sports bar and grill with ample outside seating, pool table and bar. I was there almost every night during my stay in the city.

I went to Honda Bay and liked HALF of it. My tour took me to Snake Island (mediocre) but then we hit Pandan Island and it was like a Boracay in the rough. The beach was GORGEOUS.

I declined to take the eight-hour bus ride to El Nido. If I want to go, I'd rather fly there straight from Manila than take the bus. I was also warned that it can get dusty on the way there via bus.

All in all, I don't regret going to Puerto Princesa but other places with a beach await.

One more thing -- the fare for a motorbike taxi is eight pesos in the day and 10 at night. Do NOT pay more and get off the taxi if the driver insists on more. I got ripped off by paying 50 pesos for a ten-minute ride from the airport to a hotel.

Better to just give the taxi driver the fees I quoted after getting off. If you have to ask, then he'll try to scam you.

[alwaysbeclosing100]

on a further note i was on the flight to manila with two guys who rode motorcycles from puerto princesa to el nido and back.........it is a long hard ride which probably takes 3 days............i had several people confirm it is nearly impossible to do in 1 day unless the roads have improved........i didnt believe that it took more than one day by motorcycle but they said 3 days was ideal and 2 might be possible.........they said you you can rent motorcycles one way to el nido from puerto and ride the bus back or fly.............the only atms on the island are in puerto princesa so make sure you have ample cash if you go overnight outside of this city.............