Traveling to the Palawan Islands, Philippines

Unless you live in Australia or other parts of East Asia, it is unlikely that you have heard of the Palawan islands. Situated west of Manila, there are approximately 1768 islands, total extreme length about 650 kilometers from north to south. It was believed about 40 million years ago that the islands detached from Mainland China.

Ever dream of having your own private island, well now is your chance and if that squeezes your wallet, how about holiday a private island? Palawan is absolutely stunning, but be prepared to pay premium prices. You pay a top-notch price for a yet to be developed tourist landscape.

Perhaps most known in the west for serving as a location for Tomorrow Never Dies, it Is not a surprise why such a location was selected. It is truly one of the last untouched and East Asia's last ecological frontiers. Most islands have beautiful white sand beaches, clear waters and immense rain forests. For those whom are avid snorkelers and scuba divers, there are unlimited choices of coral reefs (11,000 square feet) along with a plethora of fish.

The fact that most of you need to traverse the globe also makes it less of a tourist destination (although in high season my local families choose these islands as a holiday of choice). The journey take you to Manila, where according to your arrival time, you most likely need to spend the evening. Most flights take off in the morning to Palawan arriving in the capital city of Puerto Princesa. From there, the journey still continues, via a bus ride to a local harbor where you will take a typically 1-hour boat ride to your island of choice. There are a few islands that have private planes from Manila, such as the most exclusive and private island owned by the Amanpulo Resort (of the Oman resorts). It will set you back depending on season between $450 - $900 per night, or the El Nido, which will also cause a dent in your wallet. For the rest, be prepared to spend about $150-$300/night in peak season. If you are staying in the capital city, prices are extremely inexpensive, but it's not worth spending one minute.

As someone whom recently stayed for 1 week, it was noticeable that even in Western standards the island and various accommodations were quite expensive, yet lacked the service you expect from paying such prices. Outside of the exceptional beauty wand water, although the people are wonderful, they lack clear training and many times it takes quite a while to traverse language issues. $300/night and only one newspaper available to guests is a bit rough on the edges. Again, if we were not paying luxury prices this wouldn't be a complaint. Food is quite heavy meat oriented and fried food is abundant. If you are looking for a spa food holiday, Amanpulo withstanding, you will leave you craving for fresh greens. And lastly, if you stay 1 week, you are essentially stuck on the island. Local boats only carry passengers to and from the harbor (for airport transfer) or on group related sports activities. Island hopping, is yet to exist. Upon reading various reviews, I noticed consistent criticisms to the same.

Again, well worth the visit, but better to know the challenges upfront.