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Palawan, Philippines
El Nido, Palawan. 
The province is composed of the long and narrow Palawan Island, plus a number of other smaller islands surrounding it, totalling roughly 1,780 islands and islets. The Calamianes Group of Islands to the northeast consists of Busuanga, Coron, Culion, and Linapacan islands. Balabac Island is located off the southern tip, separated from Borneo by the Balabac Strait.
In addition, Palawan covers the Cuyo Islands in the Sulu Sea. The disputed Spratly Islands, located a few hundred kilometres to the west, are considered part of Palawan by the Philippines, and is locally called the "Kalayaan Group of Islands".
The indigenous flora and fauna of Palawan are somewhat different from the rest of the country. Biologists draw the Wallace-Huxley line to classify ecological regions in the area; Palawan is west of the line, grouped with Borneo, while most of the Philippines is east of the line.
The Samal people, also known as Bajau, Badjao or several other spellings, and as Sea Gypsies, live on Palawan, as well as the Sulu Islands, mainland Mindanao and parts of both Malaysia and Indonesia. They are renowned for their skill at diving for pearls; some of them get down more than 30 m (100 feet) without breathing equipment.
Climate
The province has two types of climate. The first, which occurs in the northern and southern extremities and the entire western coast, has two distinct seasons – six months dry and six months wet. The other, which prevails in the eastern coast, has a short dry season of one to three months and no pronounced rainy period during the rest of the year.
The southern part of the province is virtually free from tropical depressions but northern Palawan experiences torrential rains during the months of July and August. Summer months serve as peak season for Palawan.
Sea voyages are most favorable from March to early June when the seas are calm. The average maximum temperature is 31 °C (88 °F) with little variation all year.
Regions
Palawan Island is much the largest part of the province both in land area and in population, but a number of other islands are also included in this province:
• The Calamian Islands, northeast of Palawan Island.
• The Cuyo Islands, to the east in the Sulu Sea.
• Cagayancillo, south of the Cuyos.
• Kalayaan, to the west in the contested Spratly Islands group.
• Balabac, off the south tip of Palawan Island.
All of these are actually island groups; even the ones named for a single main island include several smaller islands as well.
Cities
On Palawan Island:
• Puerto Princesa - provincial capital.
• Quezon - where "Tabon man" lived a long time ago. Some refer to Tabon Cave as the cradle of Philippine civilization.
• El Nido - limestone cliffs, lagoons, beautiful beaches.
• Port Barton - a truly laid-back coastal getaway with a great beach.
• Sabang - town with the long Saint Paul underground river in the National Park.
• San Jose.
• Brooke's Point - Mostly fishing and farming, but some beautiful scenery.
• Roxas.
• San Vicente - town on the northwest edge of Palawan with the 14km cream-coloured "long beach". With the near completion of an airport in the city, some are saying the beach could rival Boracay.
• Taytay.
In the Calamian Islands:
• Busuanga.
• Coron - wreck diving.
Other destinations
• Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with exceedingly fine diving, usually reached by live-aboard dive boats operating out of Puerto Princesa.
• Aborlan - a rural university town.
• Calauit - game preserve and wildlife sanctuary.
• Narra - The Rice Granary of Palawan.
• Palawan Butterfly Garden - located south of Puerto Princesa.
Talk
As anywhere in the Philippines, many people understand the official national language of Filipino (based on Tagalog). However Palawan has its own regional language, Cuyonon, which is one of the Visayan languages.
Again, like most of the Philippines, you will never be far from English speakers. A group of expatriate Swiss operates a shortwave radio network using Swiss-German.
Get in
• Puerto Princesa International Airport (PPS) is the main gateway to Palawan, major airlines serve international and domestic flights; Philippine Airlines, Air Asia and Cebu Pacific have flights to and from Manila. Cebu Pacific also have Fights to Cebu and Iloilo, while MASWings (part of Malaysia Airlines) connects Palawan internationally with Kota Kinabalu. When departing from this airport, there is a terminal fee within the ticket price of ₱200 for domestic destinations and ₱700 for international destinations.
• El Nido Airport (ENI) Airswift has flights to/from Manila and Cebu.
• Air Juan has flights to/from Puerto Princesa airport to Iloilo via Cuyo. and Puerto Princesa to Coron via San Vicente.
A new airport has been "near completion" in San Vicente since 2012, but don't hold your breath since, like many projects in the Philippines, opening dates are often wildly optimistic. Even when it does open, the surrounding settlement provides very little to attract visitors to bounce over the rutted goat tracks - with the exception of the 14-km long strip of white sand that made resort developers salivate.
Get around
Cheapest option while getting around is the local jeepney, tricycles are also available. Getting from one island to another is possible; daily boat trips are available. Car and van rentals are also available.
What to See in Palawan
• Tabon Caves in Quezon. The Caves were the discovery site of the skull cap remains of the Tabon Man estimated to be 22,000 years old. Explore its 138 hectares of rugged cliffs and deep slopes and breathtaking sea view.
• Calauit Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary. A game reserve and wildlife sanctuary of exotic African animals and endangered endemic animals of Palawan. It is located in Calauit Island in Busuanga.
• Coron Reefs, Coron Bay, Busuanga. Seven 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 40 meters. This large variety offers exciting wreck exploration for enthusiasts, from novice divers and snorkelers and recreational divers to experienced TEC divers.
• El Nido Marine Reserve Park.
• Malampaya Sound Land and Seascape Protected Area. Located in the Municipality of Taytay, this important ecological and economic zone is a watershed and fishing ground, and the habitat of Bottle-nosed and Irrawaddy dolphins.
• Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park. This park features a large 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.
• Tubbataha Reef Marine Park. 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.
• Ursula Island. This game refuge and bird sanctuary is situated near the Municipality of Bataraza in southern Palawan. The islet is a migratory and wintering ground for shorebirds and seabirds.
• Rasa Island Wildlife Sanctuary. This 1,983-hectare (4,900-acre) protected area located in the municipality of Narra is a nesting ground of the endemic Philippine cockatoo or katala. It also harbors other rare bird species and marine turtles.
Eat
Kalui in 369 Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa is a popular Filipino restaurant that serves varieties of seafoods.
Buy
Pearl diving is common throughout the region and pearl or shell-based handicrafts widely sold. Several of the world's largest pearls, including both the current and the previous record holder, have been found around Puerto Princesa. (Wikivoyage, Wikipedia)
Underground River in Puerto Princesa.
Coron island.
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