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Why Go? Puerto Princesa & Nothing defi nes more than the water around it. Around ...... 373 With seascapes the equal of any in Southeast Asia, and wild- Sabang & Around ...... 381 life terrestrial and aquatic, the ’ most sparsely Port Barton & Around ...385 populated region is also the most beguiling. Because of its El Nido ...... 388 silhouette – a long sliver stretching 650km all the way to Coron Town & Borneo – there’s a certain liberating logic to travel here. Busuanga Island ...... 396 Centrally located Puerto Princesa (Puerto) is the culinary Island & capital and primary gateway to nearby rural and oceanfront Around ...... 402 tranquillity. The majority of travellers go north, without ques- tion the highlight. Skimming along in bangkas around a maze of uninhabited islands feels somewhat post-apocalyptic. The coastline serves as an alternative highway ferrying trav- Best Places to Eat ellers between fi shing villages and tourist-friendly towns. In » Fresh grilled fish on a the south where the topography is more rugged, it’s possible bangka cruising through the to explore jungle-clad mountains though facilities are decid- Bacuit Archipelago (p 394 ) edly rustic. Diving and island-hopping snorkelling trips in the Bacuit archipelago and Calamianes group manage to captivate » Kalui (p 377 ) both those seeking adventure and those wanting to unwind. » Beachfront restaurants in El Nido (p392 ) When to Go » Badjao Seafront Puerto Princesa Restaurant (p377 ) °C/°F Te m p /Humidity Rainfall inches/mm 40/104 20/500

16/400 Best Places to 30/86 Stay 12/300 20/68 » Nipa hut in a remote 8/200 10/50 fishing village (p386 ) 4/100 » Sangat Island Reserve 0/32 0 (p 399 ) J FDNOSAJJMAM » Flower Island Beach Resort (p 388 ) Mar-early May May-Oct The Nov-Feb Cooler The best time for southwest mon- and drier, a popu- » Daluyon Resort (p 382 ) sea travel. soon, with heavy lar time to go. » Krystal Lodge (p 397 ) rain at least in the afternoon. 371 To Manila Mamburao ORIENTAL 0 100 km Santa Cruz 0 60 miles MINDORO OCCIDENTAL Sablayan MINDORO NATIONAL PARK Mindoro Strai San Busuanga José Busuanga Island Island t Concepcion Coron S O U T H CALAMIAN C H I N A GROUP ANTIQUE S E A Culion LinapacanIsland Str ait Linapacan Island Bacuit e Archipelago El Nido Agutaya C Island g u yo PALAWAN PALAWAN Liminangcong PALAWAN a Taytay Bay W CUYO s Taytay e st P ISLANDS Cuyo s Imuran a Bay ssa a Araceli assage Mayday Bay San Vicente g P P Dumaran e

Port Barton ast Island E St Paul Bay Roxas n Sabang Cuyo Caramay a To Iloilo Bahile w San Rafael Bacungan Honda Bay a Tagburos l Long a Point CAGAYAN Puerto Princesa ISLANDS P Malanut Bay Tabon Aborlan Village Bay Caves Narra Malapackun Island Quezon Iraan Bay Rasa Island Rizal Island Bay Mt Matalingahan Sofronio Española (2086m) Tubbataha Brooke's Point Reefs Rio Bataraza Tuba Ursula Basterra Welcome Reef Point Island Bancorn Island Island

Balabac Island SAN MIGUEL ISLANDS MALAYSIA S U L U (SABAH) S E A

Palawan Highlights 1 Snorkel your way in and 3 Move to the slow village 5 Breeze through the out of lagoons – nature’s pace, from hammock to beach countryside outside Puerto aquariums – in the Bacuit and back again, in Port Barton Princesa (p 373 ) on a Archipelago (p 394 ) (p 385 ) motorcycle 2 Wriggle through the 4 Make the most of a day portholes of WWII-era wrecks in Sabang (p 381 ), from while diving around Busuanga fl oating through the cavernous Island (p 396 ) darkness of the underground river to chilling on the beach at sunset