Travel guide to South Palawan.
Everyone who travels to Palawan does Puerto Princesa’s Underground River and island paradise El Nido (and maybe some places in between) and many visit Coron. But barely anyone travels to South Palawan, meaning the very most southern islands, close to Malaysia. In between Puerto Princesa and Rio Tuba there’s not much to do, but at the very south there’s a bunch of gorgeous islands. So to me and my buddy Don it seemed like the right place to go! Especially after 2 crowded tourist-trap-tours, which would only get much worse El Nido.
Traveling to South Palawan
The drive to Rio Tuba is very scenic and worth it even if you’re not going down further. After 6 hours in a minivan, 20 minutes on a tricycle and 4,5 hours on a boat we finally made it to Balabac. Only to be hugely disappointed, as the town was dirty & stinky with nothing to do. No place to swim anywhere nearby, no restaurant, no motorbikes for rent (not even from locals, but persistence might have paid off), no driver to take us around the island (bad roads due to rain) and no boat available to take us island hopping; the thing we came for!
The only available tour-boat (according to the coastguard) was booked already by Filipinos and we were told there was no other way to arrange a boat… We left the next morning with the 6am boat to stay at the appealing Bancalan Island that we saw the day before, surrounded by one endless beach and beautiful water.
Bancalan island:
Staying at South Palawan
Bancalan island only receives a handful of foreigners a year, so we got some surprising looks. We were taken to the only ‘guesthouse’, which didn’t have any rooms available due to construction and whatever other reasons. But we were directed to a house nearby where the friendly Sanchez family kindly offered one of their own nice rooms for p150 a night. Without any restaurant on the island, they made us wonderful food every day (Philippine food isn’t always very good, to us foreigners, so were very happy) and during 4 days we enjoyed a real authentic off the beaten track travel experience.
We did 2 half day (5am-12pm) tours on a small boat, fishing and visiting some of the wonderful nearby islands and their lovely inhabitants. We could not have wished for much more. Catching fish and then grilling and eating it ‘cowboy style’ on a deserted island was simply fantastic. Finishing off the day drinking gin/water/flavoured powder with the locals was a great way to get to know each other and they really enjoyed talking to us.
Unfortunately we weren’t able to visit the prettiest island, Onuk Island. Apparently that could only be done from Balabac, due to registration and permission. The distance is quite far as well, so it would be a very long boat ride. There’s a waterfall there too at Balabac, which is said to be really nice. Not sure if that’s really the case.
Patawan island:
Useful information about traveling to South Palawan
Traveling to the southern Palawan Islands:
To get to the southern islands in 1 day from Puerto Princesa: arrange a minivan pickup from your guesthouse or catch one at roughly 4am at the San Jose bus terminal (which will likely pickup guests in town first). That way you should able to catch the boat at 11am in Rio Tuba. Ours departed at 10:50 though and depending on the number of passengers it will depart between 11:00-13:00.
Registering at South Palawan islands:
You’ll need to register yourself as a visitor at Bancalan and Balabac and maybe other islands as well. At Bancalan you’ll also need to register yourself for safety reasons at the marine office. It is actually even advised to bring a ‘bodyguard’ or someone extra (besides the boat driver) for protection. Read the Safety section below. In our case we had a retired marine, who took us around with his son Jerry, great people.
We were told that no matter which islands you go to, you’ll need to register to Balabac. Information is often not correct. We didn’t know anything about registering and at Balabac no one told us. Since we just came from there, we were definitely not planning on going back and having to stay another night there. No one made an issue of it.
Island hopping in South Palawan:
Island hopping is mostly done from Balabac, but can be done from Bancalan too, just find a boats guy. Keep in mind that waters get rough, especially later in the day. Expect to pay p2000 for a full day tour. Start early. I advise 2 half day tours. Not only because of the wind and rough waters, but a full day is simply too long on a small boat. Expect a sore bum, getting splashed and sunburned. Bring sea sickness tablets if you’re prone to that.
To visit the ‘hotspot’ Onuk island, stay at Balabac, register and get permission from the major to visit his private island. A fee will need to paid.
Tankahan Beach:
Swimming, snorkeling & fishing in South Palawan
There’s nice beaches, don’t expect them to be very clean though, except after high tide. The water is lovely, but often shallow. So its best to time your swim at high tide and beach bumming at low tide. Yep, not ideal.
Dynamite and cyanide fishing has and continues to kill the corals. You won’t see a lot of fish either during snorkelling and won’t catch many, if many. Don didn’t catch any, the locals caught a few.
Phone, internet & electricity:
There’s no internet connection (yet) at these islands and electricity is limited. Also the cellphone connection barely worked.
Safety in South Palawan islands:
This Muslim part of South Palawan is not the safest of places to visit, due to drug trafficking (Bancalan is red alert zone apparently) and Abu Sayyaf presence in the south of the country (mainly south at the ‘mainland’ though). Also there’s a higher risk of Malaria, islands as Bancalan are fairly safe though as they’re palm tree islands, islands as Rizal with forest and water streams have the highest risk. But honestly, the list of incidents that happen in my own home is much larger. So how scared should you really be. Yes, you can get kidnapped here and your head might get chopped off. That is not cool, of course, but compared to the dangers back home I wasn’t that worried.
Patawan island:
Links to check out!
View all photos and videos of South Palawan. If you’re reading this, you will probably be visiting other parts of Palawan, have a look at my other Palawan posts.
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Hi, we are Martien Janssen and Jen Yap! I am a Dutch Travel Photographer & Filmmaker, specialising in Landscape, Aerial, Night Sky and Time Lapse Photography. Jen is a doctor from the Philippines who does most writing here. Follow us as we travel create cool photos & videos!
An interesting read, I am planning on backpacking here next winter, I’m glad I have read your article and now know what to expect!
I will share this post on my G+ so others can read 🙂 thank you
Cool!
This is great! we have been wanting to head to the Philippines for a long time now and this has given us even more reason to do so 🙂 thanbks for the great tips and location shares! will check this blog out again when we finally get there 🙂
Thanks, have fun! Don’t miss my other Philippines posts!
Video is really interesting! I’ve never been there, but it looks really cool and I would love to visit it! 🙂 Especially the sunsets, so pretty!
Thanks!
I loved your photos! This looks like some kind of tropical paradise where we’d love to spend some time!
Thanks!
Wow! Those are drone photos? Have drone on my shopping list for a while 🙂 Island hoping sounds like fun, never thought of it before. Thanks for the tips!
Yes! Good choice, but beware that some countries are very difficult when it comes to drones.
Wow those are some serious safety warnings for sure! Great write up and pictures!
Thanks 🙂
As beautiful as it is, it seems rather difficult to travel there. Why did you have to register and have a bodyguard? Sounds a little scary. The photos look like it is paradise!
It’s only a bus & boat ride away though. Registering is very common in the Philippines, many places want to keep a record on visitors. But because of the presence of Abu Sayaf terrorists in the south of the country (not so much this area, but in 2004 or 2005 they have kidnapped a bunch of local people here) they advise extra protection and want visitors to register in case anything happens, they want to know who’s around.
Those drone shots are incredible! Awesome way to give readers a real sense of the destination. Your post has inspired me to get down to the Philippines this fall 🙂
Awesome, have fun! It’s some real adventure compared the ‘beaten track’ El Nido.
Wow, I love the photos of this place! I’d never heard of South Palawan before – so thanks for putting it on my radar 🙂
Right on! Careful though 😉
Interesting, would love to visit
Thanks!
Oh boy! Bancalan Island looks so beautiful. Your photography skills are impeccable. I would love to snorkel and go Scuba diving there. Cheers!!
Thanks! Don’t expect much from that here though, cyanide fishing still happens, kills the corals 🙁 They catch big Lapu Lapu fish, which they sell for a lot money to Malaysians especially.
Wahh proud pinay here! Funny been in Palawan but never been there
Almost no one goes there, and I’m happy they don’t 😉
Looks so amazing and inspiring! Would love to visit this place
It’s a unique experience! So different from the crowded El Nido.
When you’re a Filipino and haven’t been to Palawan is such a bummer. I always wanted to go backpacking. In fact, I have tickets for several times already but it always gets canceled. I am looking forward to setting foot in Palawan in the future.
Don’t stop trying!
Hey mate, I’ll be going to Southern Palawan this winter and was wondering if you could give me an idea of the prices to expect for things like accommodations, island hopping tours and any contact information that you may have. It would be greatly appreciated! Please feel free to contact me through my email.
There’s not many facilities there for tourists, so unless you’re staying at Balabac (has 2 homestays that I know of) you’ll have to rent a room at locals and have them cook you or buy your food at a shop. It will be dirt cheap though, you won’t spend more than a 5-10 euros a day (they never asked us for food money, they just left it up to us). I believe we paid €40 per daytrip on a boat for 2 people, which is cheaper if you’re 1 person I guess, but also depends on your negotiation skills. Price included boatman + ‘bodyguard’ + fuel + food. Beware of safety issues as mentioned in the blog. South Palawan is off the grid completely.
Tip: If you go, you would make some great friends if you buy some cheap gifts from Puerto Princesa or whatever. Up to you, but I wish I had. Barely anything is available there, buy some glasses and watches for instance, they all love that..
Cheers. Appreciate the info and will definitely buy some small things to take down there with me. I am going to have a tent and hammocks for camping, so we are hoping to find a couple islands we can do that on. I will have a water purifier, stove etc, but I’m not entirely sure how easy it will be. It seems possible from some of the other blogs I have been reading though, any insight on that? I think the biggest question of all, is it possible to get any beer down there (because a couple of beers are always needed when island camping) or is drinking frowned upon there due to it being a predominantly Muslim population?
I think Balabac and Bancalan will be the only islands islands to buy anything ‘proper’, the other islands just have a few huts. I don’t recall beer (I think they don’t have that, they just love the cheap stuff), but we drank rum and coke or whatever. Drinking is no issue. Have a drinking night with a few locals, it will help them open up and they enjoy meeting a stranger for a change.
I doubt camping etc should be an issue. Keep in mind you’ll have to register as a visitor, in Bancalan we had to register at the marine as well. People aren’t really used to visitors and seem suspicious, they thought we were CIA when flying our drone.. Just be open to people and let them know what you’re doing, to avoid any suspicion, especially because you’re camping. Have fun!
Appreciate all of your info! Really looking forward to it. We will have about 6 or 7 nights down there, so it will bean adventure indeed.
Hi Bryan, great choice man, I’m sure you’ll love it. Let me know how the trip was!
So bad news…Got to Rio Tuba and that was as far as I could make it. You can read below about my story.
Six of us will be going to Rizal in Jan ’19. Bamboo shack on the beach, no Net, no TV, just fish, rice, veggies, snorkelling in the reefs and monkey watching. An almost unspoiled paradise. As close as it gets nowadays anyway. I thought the problems with Muslim rebels was pretty calm nowadays?
As far as I know, yes!
So an update for my trip as of mid-February 2018:
I went down to Rio Tuba in Mid February and was told it is not safe for foreign guests (non-filipino) to go there at the time being. I had a very nice lady at the docks of Rio Tuba calling around to numerous numbers I gave her and some family that she has down there. The same response from all, they strongly discouraged foreign tourists from visiting at the moment. I spoke with a man sailing through the Philippines and he also told me that he would not stop for anywhere for muchtime in and around the Balabac region. They are still operating boats (quite expesive – 6-7,000php for 3 day trips) for Filipinos though.
Perhaps you can take a public boat down and have no problems. If boat operators that make money from tourism are encouraging foreign guests to stay away though, it’s probably for a reason. To the foreign tourists, is it really worth putting yourself in danger or the other people with you as well?
Bummer! Sorry to hear about it Bryan..Did they say why there’s a safety issue now? What did you do instead?
Yeah, they said there was a foreign couple killed along with a Filipino woman and her child that were with them. Wasn’t able to get more details from anyone other than that.
While down at the docks in Rio Tuba I spent the afternoon walking around and chatted with many wonderful families and played with some of the kids. It was a bit strange though as you could feel a bit of tension between the Muslim and non-Muslim residents there. On the surface everyone seemed to get on without any problems, but when talking with some people in their homes it seemed that many weren’t very fond of the Muslim population there…why? I couldn’t tell you. But everyone was very nice and welcoming to me at least.
After, I had to make the long trip back to Puerto. I have been to Palawan many times, so headed to my favorite place…Port Barton. There is one family I know there and so I went out and about with them and stayed out in some of the islands off the main land. I also went back to Palawan Camping for my 3rd or 4th time, and to the the least, it was simply amazing as always.
I also wanted to check out Araceli off the east coast of Palawan, but didn’t have the time this trip. Next year I plan to get there by motorcycle and spend some time exploring, it looks like a wonderful place! Hopefully in the future things get better in the south as well and I have a chance to go camping down there.
Hi, where did you stayed in Port Barton? I am planning to go there too but I am not sure if I can still go after Balabac (well, just plan B). Thanks
it was a random place right at the beach, nothing special or anything that I’d recommend te be honest.
Hi, do you think it is safe to go alone? I am a female btw so, I am curious but I am not scared tho. Planning to spend my birthday alone in solitude LOL
Thanks.
As I understand from Brian (see comments) you’re currently not advised/allowed to go..
I’ve been to Balabac many times and never had to advise anyone of my arrival…I stay at the Sing and Swing guest house when in town it’s not bad and I arranged a boatman to take me down to the old lighthouse at the bottom of the island…there’s many other things to see I just walked around the island as the roads just out of town turn into walking tracks anyway which only motorbikes can travel on, but what I found strange that when the track was going over a small river they had but up a two lane bridge which you could of driven a truck over and I just camped in my two man tent on the beach no worries…
Interesting. I found myself at Balabac in a pretty terrible accommodation, no boat to take us anywhere (we were told no one was willing to take us to the lighthouse due to strong current), no boat to take us island hopping (the only boat for that was booked). We went for a walk, but never found anything interesting and were told there wasn’t even a beach that we could reach walking. If we could have just rented a motorbike, fine, but even that was out of the question.. In regard to registering, you obviously don’t know (as we didn’t), because later I read about it at other blogs as well. Someone at Bancalan said we actually had to travel back to Balabac to register there, for being at Bancalan! We didn’t.
I had a number of a boatman called Tino he took us down to the light house we walked back from there we had a two man tent so just camped along the way back to town I did that in 2009 I’m back in Palawan again soon can’t wait.
Did you read Bryan’s comment? He recently wasn’t allowed to go Bancalan, I think Balabac is the same..
Drone photos are amazing.Really highlight the beauty of these places
Thank you so much Lesley, it’s great fun using a drone for photos 🙂
Thanks Lesley, appreciated 🙂
In love with the photos in your post! The water is so clear it appears to be luminous! How expensive is S. Palawan compared to other parts of SE Asia?
Thanks. It’s pretty cheap, because there’s barely anything to spend your money on. The place is not setup for tourists at all. Expect boat daytrips to be more expensive, because you need to rent a locals’ boat, 2 boatsmen and pay for fuel (more expensive here than other places). I believe we paid php2000/€40 for a full day (10 hours) trip for 2 people. Note that currently the place is a no-go zone, due to recent ‘incidents’, read about it in the comments
Palawan is on my bucket list. For how many days you recommend to go there?
I’d say 10-15 days to do Coron to Puerto Princesa is enough. More time is great ofcourse, more time to chill and to wait in case weather is bad. But 10-15 is roughly enough to see the important sights.
Interesting text and lovely photos. Such pleasure to read and enjoy! SE Asia is on our bucket list for the next year. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for reading 🙂 Enjoy!
Nice post and Amazing photos! A lot of useful information, the Philippines are high on my bucket list!
Thanks! Many great places to visit in the Philippines, it sure is a gem with still many places to be discovered. Hope you make it there!