PALAWAN

This long sliver of an island province deserves its exotic 'last frontier' aura. Stretching from the MIndoro Strait down to the tip of BOrneo, It's magnificient submerged mountain range range of unrivalled ruggedness. You could spend a lifetime discovering new island, beaches, reefs, particularly in the Northern regions around El Nido and Busuanga Island. As other parts of the Philippines are done to death, the danger is that Palawan will also start to suffer from too much attention. But a passionate local environmental movement and strong eco-tourism ethics may help Palawan buck the trend and get as much of tourism as tourism gets out of it.

Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City and it is the largest province in terms of land area. The islands of Palawan stretches from Mindoro to Borneo in the southwest. It lies between the South China Sea in the northwest and Sulu Sea in the southeast. The province is named after its largest island, Palawan Island

PALAWAN IS FAMOUS FOR....

THE PEARL OF ALLAH WAS FOUND HERE

The Pearl of Lao Tzu (also referred to as Pearl of Lao Tze and Pearl of Allah) is the largest known pearl in the world, measuring 9.45 inches in diameter and weighing 6.4 kilograms (14.1 lb) or 127,574 pearl grains or 31,893.50 carats.[2] The Service mark on the phrase "Pearl of Allah" has been registered July 18, 2006 by Gina Diane Barbish and Victor M. Barbish for charitable fundraising.

The 9.45-inch Pearl of Allah is the world's largest. It was found by a diver off the Philippine island of Palawan in 1934 and is stored in a museum in that country.

Calauit Game Preserve & Wildlife Sanctuary

It is a unique game reserve and wildlife sanctuary of exotic African animals and endangered endemic animals of Palawan.
Established on August 31, 1976 by virtue of Presidential Decree No.1578, this was initiated in response to the appeal of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature to help save African wildlife when former President Ferdinand Marcos attended the 3rd world Conference in Kenya. By virtue of RA 7611 (SEP), administrative jurisdiction of DENR was given to the local government of Palawan, effective December 31, 1993. Management of the area is the responsibility of the PCSDO (Palawan Council of Sustainable Development Office). It is located in

Calauit Island, Busuanga, Palawan.

Coron Reefs, Coron Bay, Busuanga
Seven enchanting lakes surrounded by craggy limestone cliffs attract hundreds of nature lovers to Coron Reefs in Northern Palawan, near the town of Coron.

Busuanga Island, whose main town is Coron, is the jump-off point for numerous dive operators. The principal dive sites are 12 World War II Japanese shipwrecks sunk on September 24, 1944 by US Navy action. They range in depth from the surface to 40M. This large variety offers exciting wreck exploration for enthusiasts, from novice divers and snorkelers and recreational divers to experienced TEC divers. Dive operators offer PADI dive courses ranging from Discover Scuba to Assistant Instructor, Technical and Enriched Air Diving, as well as other specialty courses. Dive operators offer day diving, snorkeling trips, and overnight dive safaris. Live-aboard and charter boats also offer diving in the area.

El Nido Marine Reserve Park

UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park 1999
This park features a spectacular limestone karst landscape with an underground river. One of the river's distinguishing features is that it emerges directly into the sea, and its lower portion is subject to tidal influences. The area also represents a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation. The site contains a full 'mountain-to-sea' ecosystem and has some of the most important forests in Asia. -UNESCO

Tubbataha Reef Marine Park 1993
The Tubbataha Reef Marine Park covers 332 km², including the North and South Reefs. It is a unique example of an atoll reef with a very high density of marine species; the North Islet serving as a nesting site for birds and marine turtles. The site is an excellent example of a pristine coral reef with a spectacular 100 m perpendicular wall, extensive lagoons and two coral islands.

HOW TO GET THERE

AIR

Palawan's main airport is in Puerto Princesa, but pLawan also has a whole bunch of small airports in the north, with regular flights to/from Manila and Puerto Princesa. On Busuanga Island, there's an airport in the southern town of Coron and the YKR airport to the north near San Jose. On the Palawan mainland, there's the Lio Airport north of EL Nido, and another airport at Sandoval, about 20km south-east of El Nido,

BOAT

Shipping Lines serving Palawan include Negros Navigation and WG&A. Sulpicio Lines is chiefly a cargo operator in Puerto Princesa, although you might be able to arrange a berth to/from Luzon or elsewhere with them.

see more pictures here.