The best time to visit Palawan is between November to April when the island is basking in its dry and sunny season. March and April are the hottest months and bring with them very high temperatures, so November to February are more enjoyable months to visit, especially if you want to stay active.

There are two airports on the island: Puerto Princesa and El Nido. Puerto Princesa is the capital of the island and is where most people fly into. However if you want to skip Puerto Princesa and head straight to the limestone islands surrounding El Nido I would say to fly into El Nido instead. It’s a six hour bumpy van ride to drive from Puerto Princesa to El Nido so it will save you a lot of agro if you fly there directly.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I would have planned my trip around Palawan slightly differently if I had known the things I know now. Learn from my mistakes and use this itinerary for the perfect trip to Palawan. Fly into Puerto Princesa airport and spend two nights in the capital making sure not to miss the world-famous underground river. Travel to Port Barton by road which is a four hour journey from Puerto Princesa. Spend three nights in Port Barton enjoying the beautiful beach at San Vicente and swimming with turtles. Travel to El Nido by road which takes five hours. Spend five nights in El Nido embarking on island hopping trips and boat tours around the limestone islands. Get the fast boat to Coron which takes four hours, but make sure to book it as soon as you arrive in El Nido as it gets booked up days in advance. Spend three nights on Busuanga embarking on boat trips around Coron and exploring the island by moped. Fly from Coron to Manila. This itinerary minimizes travel time and means you don’t have to go back on yourself.

It’s worth stopping in Puerto Princesa for a couple of nights as from here you can visit the mesmerizing underground river. It’s counted among the 7 wonders of the natural world and is the largest navigable underground river in the world. It take one and a half hours to drive to the underground river from Puerto Princesa and doesn’t have to be done with a tour. We did it ourselves by moped, you just have to make sure to get the permit beforehand from the Coliseum.

The next stop is the idyllic town of Port Barton. Port Barton is a charming seaside town and is also where you can embark on boat trips to swim with turtles. A few kilometres away you’ll also find the longest beach on the whole island of Palawan which boasts beige sands and beautiful waters.

The next stop is El Nido which is the gateway for exploring the stunning limestone islands which surround it. From here you can embark on daily boat trips to beautiful islands. A few of my favourites include Cadlao, Shimizu and Pangulasian.

The next stop is the beautiful island of Coron. Whilst everyone calls it Coron, you’ll actually be staying in Coron Town on the island of Busuanga. You can’t stay on Coron island but you can explore it by boat and there are plenty of organised tours offering the ultimate boat trip around the island of Coron.

The underground river is one of the most famous sights in the Philippines, earning its place on their 500 pesos note as one of the nation’s proudest wonders. 8.2 kilometers in length, it’s the longest subterranean river in the world and impresses even the most well-worn travellers. As you sail along it you’ll pass incredible natural formations made from stalagmites and stalactites.

The Big Lagoon is my favourite place in the whole of El Nido. As you sail through the passageway lined by enormous limestone karsts you’ll pass from deep turquoise waters to crystal clear pools.

It’s difficult to pick one highlight in Coron as the whole island is encircled with crystal clear bays and emerald lakes. If I were to pick one it would be the Twin Lagoon where you can swim from one lagoon to the next by swimming underneath a rock.