Private Island Hopping Through the Philippines

I’ve traveled all over the Caribbean and seen some pretty spectacular beaches and impossibly blue waters. But nothing holds a candle to the islands of the Philippines. And the archipelagic province of Palawan—with its towering limestone cliffs, colorful marine life, lush coastlines, and white-sand beaches—is the definition of paradise. Pictures of Palawan don’t look real, and event then, photos don’t do it justice.

My husband and I traveled to Palawan for our honeymoon at the end of 2022/beginning of 2023. We originally planned to go the year before, but were forced to reschedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was 100% worth the wait, though, and is the ultimate Southeast Asia bucket-list destination. If you’re looking for an exotic, once-in-a-lifetime (but hopefully not!) trip, Palawan, Philippines is it.

Some Things to Note

Including a full travel day on either side of the trip, we spent 16 days in the Philippines. It’s far from the US and there are so many insanely gorgeous places to see, so I would make sure you give yourself at least two full weeks to travel around Palawan.
We chose to split our time between three areas/islands in Palawan: El Nido, Coron, and Pamalican Island (see below map). It’s also worth noting that each hotel we stayed in was on its own private island. I wouldn’t recommend trying to squeeze in more stops than that unless you plan to spend longer than two weeks in the Philippines.
- El Nido is a Philippine municipality on Palawan island and a must-see in my opinion. It was our first and favorite stop on the trip, and the island hopping here was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Also, since it was our first stop, we spent the longest chunk of our trip here. In general, that’s how I prefer to plan my vacations: I think it’s best to spend the most amount of time at your first stop (especially after a long flight) so you can really relax and recharge before moving around again.
- Coron (another Palawan municipality) was our second stop on the trip and probably our least favorite. To clarify, everywhere we went was stunning, so it’s all relative, but I personally found the scenery around El Nido to be better. To each their own!
- Pamalican Island is a private island and home to Amanpulo, which was our third and final stop on our honeymoon. It had the most expansive white-sand beach, and I felt like a celebrity arriving here. More on this later!

Palawan: El Nido, Coron, and Pamalican Island

The Philippines is 12 hours ahead of New York, so be prepared to be very jet-lagged. We went to bed at 7 pm local time our first three or four nights, but got to take advantage of some amazing sunrises as a result!

Visit the CDC’s website for up to date health advisories and vaccine recommendations, even if you’re staying in luxury hotels/accommodations. My husband and I had received all recommended vaccines as infants, but we did experience mosquitoes (and they love me), so be sure to pack bug spray or buy some there!

Best Time to Visit Palawan

The best time to visit Palawan is during the dry season (December-May). My husband’s cousin’s wife is Filipino, and she recommended we go in March for the warmest temperatures and the least amount of rain. But we wanted/needed to take advantage of our company holidays/extra paid time off around Christmas/New Year’s, so we left on Christmas Day and returned on January 9th.

For the most part, we had amazing weather. It was in the 80s every day (for both the high and low temp) and we only had two rainy/overcast days over the course of two weeks. It is important to note that this time of year is the high season (hotels are more expensive) and it can be on the windier side. As a result, we did have to cancel one island-hopping excursion which was a bummer, so just something to keep in mind! Also, the sun is strong. Be sure to pack reef-safe sunscreen, or you can buy it at most hotels.

How to Get to Palawan

If you’re coming from outside of the Philippines, fly into the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila. Philippine Airlines flies nonstop to Manila (the Philippines’ largest airport) from New York City (JFK), Seattle/Tacoma (SEA), San Francisco (SFO), and Los Angeles (LAX). United also has a direct flight from SFO. My husband and I are Delta loyalists and had a ton of miles to cash in, so our route was BOS-ATL-ICN-NAIA. Since it’s a long journey from the US to the Philippines, we didn’t mind breaking up the total flight time a bit and walking around/stretching our legs. Note that a nonstop flight from JFK to NAIA is 17+ hours. Regardless of the route you take, I think it’s worth splurging on a premium cabin/extra leg room!
If time allows, spend a night in Manila before traveling on to Palawan. I don’t know about you, but after 20+ hours of flying time, I needed to sleep in a real bed. Plus, the travel times between terminals at NAIA can be long due to traffic, so you don’t want to cut it too close. We actually landed in Manila on my birthday, so we spent the night at the Marriott right near the airport and they had a delicious steakhouse and a rooftop pool with views of the city skyline. If you do choose to spend the night in Manila and have an early domestic flight the next morning, don’t stay anywhere too far from the airport. As I mentioned above, the traffic in Manila is crazy!

If you’re traveling to El Nido…
- AirSwift is the only domestic airline that flies directly into the El Nido/Lio Airport (ENI). Whether you’re coming from Manila or another island like Coron, flying AirSwift into Lio Airport will get you to El Nido the fastest. And the best hotels in El Nido are best accessed via ENI. While El Nido can be accessed by flying into Puerto Princesa International Airport (PPS), you’ll have to drive 4 to 5 hours as opposed to a quick flight. Flying into Lio Airport is also an incredible experience!

If you’re traveling to Coron…
- Cebu Pacific Air is another domestic airline and has plenty of low-cost flights to Coron. When we went to Palawan, AirSwift only flew direct from El Nido to Coron on certain days of the week (that does’t appear to be the case today), so we took a quick, one-hour flight from Manila to Francisco B. Reyes/Busuanga Airport (USU).
Give yourself enough time to go through security at Terminal 4 at NAIA! Both AirSwift and Cebu Pacific depart from Terminal 4, which is exclusively for domestic flights. The security line can be out the front door sometimes, so make sure you get there 2 hours before your departure time to be safe.
Fly between El Nido and Coron instead of taking the ferry. Though you can take a high-speed ferry from El Nido to Coron, both of our hotels in each place recommended against it. It can be anywhere from 4 to 5 hours, and ferries are frequently canceled due to weather/sea conditions.

Where to Stay in Palawan

Cauayan Island Resort (El Nido) - There aren’t words to describe Cauayan Island Resort (but I’ll certainly try!) A representative meets you at Lio Airport, and then it’s a 20-minute van ride to the port and a 20-minute speedboat transfer to the island. From the moment we pulled up to Cauayan’s dock, we knew we were visiting a place like no other. The setting is truly out of a movie (think Jurassic Park): accommodations are set into the towering limestone cliffs, along the sand, and over the water. We had the pleasure of staying in an over-water villa and it was beautiful. Just off the beach, you can snorkel with turtles and sharks!

On top of the stunning setting, I cannot say enough good things about the people that work on the island and the food. Everyone was so incredibly kind and knew us by name almost immediately. The daily breakfast buffet and the massive New Year’s Eve spread were divine (highlights included fresh sushi, mini filets, truffle mac and cheese, and garlic rice). Check out the Things to Do in Palawan section for more details on our excursions and activities from this stop!

New Years Eve sushi spread at Cauayan Island Resort

When we were researching where to stay in El Nido, I briefly contemplated booking a room at El Nido Resorts. However, I felt (from pictures and reviews) that both the accommodations and setting at Cauayan were far better. We went by a few of the El Nido Resorts on our island-hopping tour (more on that later!) and I believe it confirmed my suspicions…Cauayan can’t be beat!

Two Seasons Coron Island Resort & Spa - Coron is known for its lagoons, lakes, coral reefs, and shipwrecks, which is why we had to add it to our itinerary. While you won’t find many high-end properties to choose from, I was intrigued by an Instagram post of an incredible hotel “room” at Two Seasons Coron Island Resort & Spa. The Sandbar Bungalow is the only one of its kind on the island, and was probably the coolest room we had on our trip. It had a private plunge pool and two separate terraces for watching sunset or admiring views of Coron Island.

Sandbar Bungalow at Two Seasons Coron Island Resort & Spa

Views of Coron Island from the Sandbar Bungalow

I’ll be honest: outside of our room, I didn’t think the rest of the island was particularly spectacular scenery-wise. But the food, drinks, and snorkeling were amazing; we had some of the best seafood dishes here and we ordered their four cheese pizza and frozen mojitos multiple times. As I mentioned earlier, our island-hopping tour around Coron Island (which includes famous sites like Kayangan and Barracuda Lake) got canceled due to high winds. Therefore, I don’t think we got to experience this stop to its fullest potential!

That being said, having an incredible reef just steps off the resort’s beach where we could see clownfish and vibrant coral was pretty incredible.

Amanpulo - Staying at an Aman resort was on my bucket list for a while, and I don’t think we could have picked a more spectacular location for our first one. Amanpulo is the ultimate private island experience and the definition of curated luxury.

It started off with a private car service to the Amanpulo Lounge hangar at the Manila airport. Side note: my husband was starving when we got there, so someone drove to the international terminal and brought him back McDonald’s. I mean…the service! From there, it was a 90-minute private flight to the island/hotel’s own airstrip. The flight itself was amazing and we flew over multiple coral reefs.

Flying over coral reefs on our way to Amanpulo

Upon arrival, they literally rolled out a red carpet on the runway and we were greeted with a tour of the island in our personal golf cart (which we got to use for the rest of our stay). We stayed in a hillside casita, and our room was spacious and had gorgeous views of neighboring Manamoc Island.

View from our Hillside Casita at Amanpulo

Amanpulo had the best beach, hands-down. It was massive, had powdery white sand, and you could snorkel with huge turtles not too far out! There were plenty of dining options to choose from, but the Beach Club was probably our favorite. Make sure you go here for sunset drinks/dinner at least once! Though pricey, Amanpulo was absolutely worth the splurge for a special vacation and end to our honeymoon.

Things to Do in Palawan

I’ve organized this section by hotel since each accommodation is on its own private island and you must book excursions through each hotel/do on-island activities. That being said, we never felt trapped; there was so much to explore and our days (sadly) flew by!

Cauayan Island Resort

Sunrise hike - Since we were up early due to the time difference, doing the sunrise hike to the top of Cauayan Island was the best way to kick off our first full day in this paradise. You meet the guide around 5:30 am in the lobby where you’re given a helmet and gloves (the limestone cliffs are sharp!) The hike itself doesn’t take long but it’s steep, requires some scrambling, and is a great lung-burner. We were at the summit with about ten minutes to spare before sunrise, so it probably took less than 45 minutes to trek up. From the top, you are rewarded with the most gorgeous view of sunrise over Cauayan Island and the surrounding El Nido islands. As an added bonus, we were the only ones up there. Definitely opt for this hike over the guided sunset trek they offer as it’s a better workout and has better views! Plus, it’s free and was one of the highlights of our trip.

Private island hopping tour - Booking a full day, private speedboat island hopping tour is an absolute must when visiting Cauayan Island Resort. I’ve island hopped around the Caribbean and the Amalfi Coast and seeing the islands of El Nido was nothing like I’ve experienced before. The dramatic limestone cliffs, impossibly turquoise waters, amazing snorkeling, and countless hidden lagoons and lakes make this a true bucket-list experience. We opted for Signature Tour A, which includes Cadlao Lagoon, Shimitzu Reef, Snake Island, Cathedral Cave, Pinagbuyutan Island, and either Big or Small Lagoon. We chose to visit Small Lagoon (our guide said it was his favorite of the two and I can see why!), and kayaking and swimming through here was amazing. Due to its location, Cauayan Island tour boats have priority access to all of the hot spots, so we got to a lot of places well before the crowds. Snorkeling gear, towels, water/soft drinks, and a delicious and picturesque BBQ beach lunch are included. Cadlao Lagoon was probably our favorite stop…it is so insanely beautiful. Our tour guide was amazing (Jeremiah!) He was so kind, knowledgable, and took so many pictures. Hot tip: bring water shoes because a lot of the hidden caves/swimming areas have sharp limestone bottoms. Also bring a GoPro! Note: this tour is not included in your booking and is an additional cost, but worth every penny.

Massage at Cauayan’s over-water spa - If you’re only going to get one massage on your Philippines vacation, book it here! The heavenly spa is set in an over-water building with a glass floor underneath the massage tables so you can watch turtles, sharks, and fish swim by. It was so peaceful and such a memorable experience.

Snorkel just off the resort beach - While the snorkeling at Shimitzu Reef is incredible, you can also snorkel right off Cauayan’s beach. The resort has snorkel gear you can borrow for free, and every day we would go out and snorkel with turtles!

Two Seasons Coron Island Resort & Spa

Coron Island Experience - Be sure to book this private two-lake, two-snorkeling-sites tour that takes you to like Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon, Sangat Wreck (from World War II), and Siete Pecados. Two Seasons has premier access to these iconic sites due to its proximity to Coron Island. Unfortunately our tour was canceled due to strong winds/rough seas, and we had to console ourselves with breakfast piña coladas. That just means we’ll have to go back!
Snorkel just off the resort beach - With that being said, there was amazing snorkeling just off Two Seasons’ beach. The highlight for me was seeing clownfish for the first time. We literally found Nemo! The resort has snorkel gear you can borrow for free, and we spent a lot of our time at Two Seasons Coron Island Resort snorkeling.

Paddle around in a transparent kayak - If snorkeling isn’t your thing, you can use the resorts transparent kayaks for free to check out the marine life from above.

Walk out to Bulog Dos Island at low tide - Bulog Dos is a tiny island that you can walk to from Two Seasons Coron Island Resort. And our accommodation (the Sandbar Bungalow) was right next to it. This is a popular stop on a lot of Coron island-hopping tours, so having access to it before and after the tour boats depart (tide-dependent) was a huge plus. There is a very small entrance fee (200 PHP, less than $4), and they don’t always collect it.

Amanpulo

Snorkel just offshore - Everyday, a free boat will take you to the unspoiled coral reef that’s just offshore. The snorkeling and visibility here are amazing: we saw the biggest turtle I’ve ever seen as well as a massive eel!

Take a kitesurfing lesson - Besides enjoying a cool breeze on a hot day, one of the benefits of visiting Palawan in the windier season is learning how to kitesurf. Amanpulo has some of the world’s most accomplished kitesurfers, and my husband decided to take a lesson. It’s a lot harder than it looks, but he had a blast! Afterwards, be sure to grab lunch at the Picnic Grove where you can enjoy traditional wood-fired pizza and the Farm G&T, which is made with the island’s own gin (we had these a lot throughout our trip; they are so good!)

Enjoy sunset on the Kawayan floating bar - Since Amanpulo was the last stop on our trip, we didn’t want to make any plans and just relax/see where each day took us. As a result, we didn’t end up booking this, but have heard great things about going out for a sunset happy hour cruise or picnic on this floating bamboo bar.

Explore the island in your golf cart - Though the island is only 1.5 miles long, it was so fun to drive around and explore it in our personal golf cart (each room gets one). Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for giant monitor lizards that roam around the island!

Make friends! People from all over the world travel to this paradise, and it was so fun making vacation friends. We met an amazing family from Australia who we grabbed sunset drinks with at the Lagoon Club one night. We also met an awesome couple from Brazil that happened to be on our flight back to Manila. They had a long layover in Manila and had pre-booked a private car tour of the city. Since we also had a long layover, they were kind enough to invite us along! It was great to be able to explore the city beyond the airport, and highlights included visiting the Manila American Cemetery (steeped in World War II history) and getting afternoon tea at The Peninsula Manila (a luxury 5-star hotel).

Helpful Palawan Tips

Tipping isn’t customary in the Philippines (though feel free to leave a 10% tip if you experience exceptional service), but be aware that most hotels will include a service charge on your bill at checkout.
There is a ton of Spanish influence in the Philippines since it was a Spanish colony for over 300 years. Be prepared to see (and try!) familiar Spanish dishes like adobo and lechon on a lot of menus. All the food is incredible, especially the fresh seafood.

While there is so much to explore in the Philippines, I thought our two weeks was the perfect balance of beach relaxation and adventure. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or looking to explore Southeast Asia for the first time, I seriously cannot recommend adding Palawan to your bucket list enough. Here are some more favorite photos from the trip:

Palawan Travel Guide

Private Island Hopping Through the Philippines

Newfoundland Travel Guide

Aspen Travel Guide