5 Things To Do In Palawan, Philippines
One destination of our South East Asia Trip was Palawan in the Philippines. We spend 3 weeks there and we want to share our Top Things to do in Palawan, Philippines.
Not every experience in the Philippines was a good experience. People tried to trick us as well, but we had really good times, met really good people and spent time in the most amazing places of the world.
Here are our Highlights of Things to do in Palawan:
Nacpan Beach
The Nacpan Beach is one of the best beaches I have ever seen. The water is crystal-clear and warm, but also refreshing. The beach is so beautiful and clean.
The roads to get there are a little rough, so i would recommend to take a tricycle if you are not used to ride a scooter. We got a tricycle driver for one day, which was about 15 euro and he drove us to every places we wanted to see.
We arrived early in the morning at Nacpan Beach and we were really impressed. The white sand, the little islands around and of course the crystal clear and blue water was like in a dream.
There were a few locals, who played beach volleyball together and we joined them. It was so much fun to play with locals and they were so good.
After the game we had lunch and it was the best Chicken Adobo we have ever eaten!
We walked along the beach, got a kayak for an hour and peddled to the little neighbour island. When we arrived there, one of the locals said “ Welcome to secret island. It is not secret anymore” 🙂
It was an unforgettable day in Paradise.
Cacnipa Island
The beautiful small Island called Cacnipa is located on the east coast of Palawan, about 30-45 minutes boat ride from Port Barton.
There is only one Resort on the Island, the Coconut Garden Resort, which is amazing. We planed to stay there for 3 days, ended up staying a whole week, because we didn’t want to leave this magical island.
We loved the lonely beach with the crystal clear water. It is one of the most relaxing places I have ever been to.
Snorkeling in the mornings around the riff of the beach was the best: there are so many different species of fishes and we found 3 turtles on Cacnipa Island. The underwater world is incredible there.
I will never forget how i felt when I was chilling in the hammock in this beautiful scenery on Coconut Island!
Small Lagoon
In El Nido the locals offer you several tours to explore the islands around. We booked a the Tour A. One of the stops was at the small lagoon. The boot drops us in front of the entrance of the lagoon and we rent a kayak. We had so much fun kayaking and exploring the small lagoon. The water is so nice and the atmosphere unbelievable.
You will see the world with different eyes surrendered by high rock formations in your little kayak
The Small Lagoon in El Nido, Palawan should definitely be on your Bucket List 🙂
Underground River, Sabang
The Underground River in Sabang is on of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. It is a huge river cave, which you can explore by boat.
It is about 80 km north of the main city Puerto Princesa. From Sabang you can hike there or take a boat to the entrance of the Underground River.
The cave is complete dark, so you sit together with up to 7 people in a boat and you have a flashlight.
There are so many bats in the Underground River, so the helmed is helpful to save your head from bat shit as well 🙂
It is really fun to see this amazing Underground River with all these rock formations.
Nagkalit kalit Waterfalls
The Nagkalit kalit Waterfalls are located deep in the forest about one hour away from El Nido in the north of Palawan. We had our personal tricycle driver for one day (for 15 euro) and one of our stops of the day was the Nagkalit kalit Waterfall.
I did not expect much when we hiked for about 45 minutes through a lush jungle and crossed small rivers.
When we arrived there I was speechless. It is a really beautiful waterfall, we climbed down and got in the refreshing cold water. It was such a great feeling and a perfect day in Palawan, Philippines.
You want more informations about the Philippines?
Go to our Destination Guide for the Philippines!
Best Massage In Saigon - Hoa Sung Spa
You are looking for a place to escape the busy City Ho Chi Minh? A place to find your inner peace and pure relaxation?
Treat yourself to a spa package at Hoa Sung Spa in Saigon and you will feel like in another world.
After a few busy days of sightseeing and shopping in Saigon we got the Spa Package “Oriental Care” in the amazing Hoa Sung Spa.
When we walked in to their wellness oasis, we were offered a delicious ginger tea in a great atmosphere. That made us feel very welcome.
It is a really beautiful Spa place with nice decoration, a lot of flowers and the owner is so friendly and nice.
Our Spa Package started with a steam bath, which we really enjoyed. After that the friendly ladies scrubbed our body with coffee powder. They wrapped our with coffee powder covered bodys in foil and we could relax for 15 minutes with nice wellness music before we washed the coffee powder away in the shower. It smelled so good, felt good and made our skin very soft.
The third part of our treatment was a 60 minute massage with warm bamboo, which was amazing. We forgot everything around us and just enjoyed every second of the bamboo massage.
120 minutes in the Hoa Sung Spa made our day. We felt relaxed and got new energy for our further travels.
At the end of our treatment we got a fresh pressed orange juice and another ginger tea in the Lobby. They have green oranges in Vietnam and it was the best orange juice we have ever had. It was so sweet, refreshing and delicious.
The staff of Hoa Sung Spa in Saigon knows how to make people feel good and how to make their customers happy. We can highly recommend to get a Spa Package there and we will definitely come back, when we are in Saigon next time!
THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT TIME, THE AMAZING SPA AND WELLNESS TREATMENT!
Find more information on Hoa Sung Spas Website: http://hoasungspa.com/
Our First Couch Surfing Experience
We were always thinking about trying couch surfing and actually we wanted to do that long time ago during our Europe Road Trip, but it didn't work out.
Kuala Lumpur
Things to do in Kuala Lumpur
Batu Caves
Skybar
Shopping in the city center
Electronics Malls
Chinatown
I LOVE KL Sign
Accommodation in Kuala Lumpur
Hostels
Transportation in Kuala Lumpur
- Kuala Lumpur’s Rapid Transit Network:
It is not the easiest way, but very cheap to get around in this big city. We did almost everything by trains. - Bus:
From the Airport to the Main Train station (called Bandar Tasik station) is only 10RM per person and it takes about 60 minutes. - Taxi:
Taxis are cheap compared to Germany. But before 6 am and after midnight the taxi drivers charge you 25 % on top.
Sabang
Things to do in Sabang
- Take a boat to the Underground River
The Underground River is amazing and definitely worth to see.
Boats are leaving every couple of minutes on the Port of Sabang. It is necessary to buy a permission for it, but this can be bought in a little house there. The cheapest way to do the Underground River is to share a boat with other people. 7 people fit in a boat and the price for the whole boat is 700 Pesos (14 Euro). The boat ride to the entrance of the Underground river is about 20-30 minutes and ends on a nice beach, where monkeys are welcoming you :-)
A 5 minute walk through the jungle leds to the river, where boats and guides are waiting for their passengers. 6 or 7 people fit in the boat, which enters the underground river. Sitting in the front is cool, because this is the seat where somebody gets to hold the light for the dark cave, which is pretty much fun.
The guide tells funny storys about the cave, the bats, the rocks, etc. Fortunately everybody is wearing a helmet, because there is so much bat shit everywhere :) - Relaxing at the beach:
The beach in Sabang is very beautiful, the water is crystal-clear.
Accommodations in Sabang
Puerto Princesa
Puerto Princesa is a nice little town and a good starting point to travel to other destinations on Palawan, like Port Barton, Sabang (Underground River), El Nido or different islands.
Things to do in Puerto Princesa
- Go shopping:
The Robinson’s Mall is a great place to go shopping, you can find almost everything there and have a good lunch in on of the fast food restaurants. - Get a haircut:
A haircut for men is only 40 Pesos, which is about 0,80 Euro. This is the cheapest haircut I have ever seen and the barber takes his time to make it look very nice.
It is really funny, they have photos of celebritys on the wall modelling the different hair cuts. - Get cash:
Don’t forget that Puerto Princesa is the only place with an ATM in whole Palawan, so it is important to get cash there. - Take a MiniVan to one of the destinations around: Port Barton, Sabang, El Nido or the Islands
Accommodation in Puerto Princesa
- Bamboo Nest:
The bamboo nest is an adventurous place to stay. The owner Jonathan has a few bamboo tree huts and also a shared room, which he rents out. The Bamboo Nest has everything a traveler needs: a nice kitchen, where the guests can cook their own meals, hammocks in the garden, a little market to buy food and drinks around the corner and a option to book tours or go diving/snorkelling with Jonathan.
It is only a short Tricycle ride from the airport, which is about 20 Pesos (0,40 Euro) per person. To go to the center is also cheap and easy by tricycle. - Palawan Village Hotel:
This Hotel is a 2 minute walk from the Airport and close to good restaurants and shopping options.
Delicious Food in Puert Princesa
- Ka Inato Restaurant
This is our favourite Restaurant in Puerto. The food is great, the Babyrips was the best! Before your dish, you get a little cup of soup and after your meal a little desert for free. Sometimes it is hard to get a table without reservation. There are a few Ka Inatos in this City. We went to the one, which is about a one minute walk from the airport. - Greenwich
I loved the Lasagne and the Pizza there. It is a cheap and easy place to go for a quick lunch, lurching a shopping day in Robinsons.
Transportation in Puerto Princesa:
El Nido
Things to do in El Nido
- Islandhopping tours:
- Tour A: 7th Commando, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island, Big Lagoon, Small Langoon
The highlights on this Tour were the beautiful Beach & snorkeling at 7th Commando and renting a kayak in the Small Lagoon! (regular Price: 1.200 Pesos) - Tour B: Snake Island, Cathedral Cave, Cudugnon Cave, Pinagbuyutan Island, Entalula Island (regular Price: 1.300 Pesos)
- Tour C:
Matinloc Shrine, Secret Beach, Helicopter Island, Hidden Beach, Talisay Beach
(regular Price: 1.400 Pesos) - Tour D:
Pasandigan Beach, Cadlao Lagoon, Paradise Island, Ipil Beach, Bukal Beach
(regular Price: 1.200 Pesos) - The regular prices for the tours include 200 pesos environmental fee, which you have to pay once and than you can use this for 10 days.
The day we did Tour A, something didn’t work out with our environment permission, so we didn’t pay for it. Our price for tour A was 700 pesos.
- Tour A: 7th Commando, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island, Big Lagoon, Small Langoon
- Explore the beaches around:
- las Cabanas is about 8 minutes by tricycle away and the sunsets are amazing. It is also a good spot to go snorkelling!
- Nacpan Beach:
This is a little further away, about 45 minutes by Tricycle. This is one of my favourite beaches I have ever been to!
- Rent a Kayak:
- Go scuba diving:
Palawan is a great place to go scuba diving and exploring the underwater would. It is a little more expensive than in Thailand or a few other places in Asia, but it is just great there.
Prices are about:
2 dives 2.500-3.000 pesos
3 dives 3.000 – 3.500 pesos
Accommodation in El Nido
- Tandikan beach cottages:
For sure not the best, but one of the cheapest accommodations in El Nido with beach view. 900 pesos per night and coffee in the morning is included. - Rover’s Pension:
This Pension has very nice rooms with Air Con and a nice bathroom. - Entalula beach: A really nice room with a perfect beach view.
Restaurants in El Nido
- Trattoria altrov’é
Very good Italian restaurant, which serves huge pizzas and the best mango shake in town!
We love the Pepperoni Pizza, which we shared a few times. - The Art Cafe
One of the most popular cafes/bars in El Nido, with a nice beach view. - Squidos
This is a little place which serves good food. I Love the Spaghetti with seafood, but we also went there a few times for breakfast. Try the Mango Shake too.
Cacnipa Island
Things to do in Cacnipa Island
- Go snorkelling in the reef at the beach:
There is a reef very close to the beautiful beach with a lot of different species of fishes and also turtles. The best time to go snorkelling is in the early morning, when the ocean is calm. - Relax in a hammock:
The resort has a few hammocks direct at the beach between the palm trees. This is the perfect atmosphere to relax, read a book, sleep and escape the daily stress. - Play beach volleyball, table tennis, badminton, basketball:
There are a few options to do sports in the resort. Everybody can borrow the equipment for free and it is so much fun to play a volleyball game with nice new travel friends in the sand in one at the best beaches in the world. - Go hiking in the jungle:
Behind the resort is a little pathway which goes through the jungle and leads to the viewpoints of Island Cacnipa. - Do a island hopping tour:
For about 300-500 Pesos per person you can book a island hopping tour in the resort. The boat brings you to 3 places to go snorkelling and to 2 nice beaches, where you can enjoy your lunch. - Rent a Kayak:
For 150 Pesos (3 Euro) the resort will rent out double kanus. Explore the beaches around the island by yourself!
Hotel Cacnipa Island
Why You Should Never Book A Guided Tour
After 5 weeks of traveling South East Asia we wanted to do our first guided tour to The Underground River in Palawan. This is a one day tour and includes lunch. The price is 1.541 pesos, which is about 30€ each. We were four people, so 120€ all together, which we thought it was a little expensive, but we decided to go anyway.
We were picked up at our accommodation (bamboo nest) at 8.00 am and picked a few others up at their hotels.
Then we drove one hour in direction to The Underground River and stoped at one of their shops. I am sure that this was a stop to make us buy food and drinks, and they tried to sell stuff for the the trip. There was a sign posted, telling you that you need drinks, a hat, a flashlight, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, and a few more things, which you can (what a surprise!) buy in their little shop!
We picked up our tour guide there, who started to sell shit, as soon as he took place in the minivan. He told us about caveing, ziplining and other options.
After 30 more minutes we stoped at the Urging Rock Adventures, where we finally realized that this is a complete tourist trap!
They showed us a little movie of people doing the cave tour and the ziplining and having sooo much fun.
But of course you have to pay extra for all of that. And no you can not do only the ziplining, you have to go through the cave first.
All the others who don't what to pay more money to the tour company, which was trying to up sell us, should wait there for one hour. At the urging rock adventures are a massage salon and a little food stand, where they tried to squeeze more money out of tourists.
One girl who came with us wanted to use her GoPro for the ziplining, but she was not allowed to us it on the zip line because they have a professional photographer who takes photos for an additional fee. Or she could have paid another 100 pesos to use her own one!
For the 120€ we could have booked a taxi driver for the whole day, who is honest and not tricky and would have taken us to the underground river and an amazing beach in the afternoon!
The Price is about 750 pesos each if you do it on your own and you save a lot of Money, nerves and time :)
The Underground River is amazing and definately worth a visit!
Please do yourself the favour and don't be a tourist, be a traveler!
Do individual explorings instead of making the rich people even richer.
Why I Quit My Job To Travel The World
Back home in Germany I had a very good job as a Online Marketing Manager, but to travel the world was always in my mind. And to be honest, I love my Job and i want to be in the online branche forever.
The last years I spent my vacations in Thailand, Cambodia, Bali and i did a Cruise Ship Tour from New York to Bermuda, Bahamas, Miami and a few more citys on the east coast back to NY.
This is my World Map on the wall back home in Germany, where I pin my flags in the citys I have been to. But it is not up to date anymore ;-)
But it was never enough for me to go only once a year to a special place in the World. I Love to travel to foreign countries, discover amazing destinations, talk to locals and go on adventures.
Some photos of my last travels:
Bikini Time at the Church Bay Beach, Bermudas
Pyramides in Cairo, Egypt
Skybar in New York, USA
Beach Swing on the Island Koh Tao, Thailand
Getting a henna tattoo at Kuta Beach in Bali, Indonesia
Taking Photos on the Cruise Ship AIDA
Elephants in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Thanks to Mum and Dad, who introduced me to traveling when I was little and took me on vacations to Turkey, Croatia, Italy, England, ..
Every time I came back from a nice holiday trip and had to work again, I got so sad and I thought this can not be everything in life: work from Monday till Friday, have two days off and 25 vacation days a year.
How can I travel to all these amazing places, which are on my bucket list, like Philippines, South Africa, Argentina, California, the Caymans, ...?
Then I met Jeremy on my trip to Thailand last year and he shares the passion for traveling with me.
So one rainy day in the cold German winter we had the idea of the travel blog and started it a few days later to share our storys and inspire other open minded people.
Our blog is born ;-)
AND WE DECIDED TO TRAVEL THE WORLD 
In the blogging process we got a lot of travel ideas, like the Croatian road trip, which we did in May and the Europe Road Trip (Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain) with my convertible car and of course the south east Asia trip, what we are doing at the moment
It was a very hard decision to quit my save job, pass on a fix income and say goodbye to Family and Friends for awhile.
Unfortunately I could not do a sabbatical year at work, which would have given me more security, but when the world is your home, you can get a job anywhere!
It was a very good decision and I feel so free and relaxed, have a lot of positive energy and love my life far away from home. I am young now and this is the best time in my life to life abroad!
Of course there were moments, in which I was afraid and had doubts about my travel the world plan, but I always asked to myself: "what is the worst, that could happen?"
And there is an answer for every question:
- I would not enjoy traveling or miss home:
- --> I could book a flight ticket home every day and go back home.
- Back home I would not find a job right away:
- --> I could always stay with my parents or friends for a few weeks/month till I find a new job.
- I would run out of money:
- --> I could fly home and apply for jobs
So you will always be ok and where there is a will, there is a way!
So be brave and go for what you want and what makes you happy. You live only once! At the end you will regret only the things you didn't do in life!
Do what you love, do it often and always travel with an open mind!
I painted this one year ago and everything is so true!
Love,
Ina
P.S.: If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me in the comments below or send me an email to ina@openmindtravelers.com