Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines

It had been a dream of mine to visit the Philippines, and I finally got there for work. We went to Puerto Princesa, in Palawan — and even though the trip was tied to work, the island itself completely lived up to what I’d imagined.

Time of Year I Visited

I went in mid-October. It was hot the whole time — I never needed a jacket, just dresses or short sleeves throughout.

Did I Feel Safe?

Super safe, honestly. That said, I was in a very luxurious hotel environment the whole time, and every excursion I did was organised, so that definitely played into how safe everything felt.

Where I Stayed

Four Points by Sheraton, Palawan: It’s further from Puerto Princesa city, in Sabang, but it’s an absolute paradise, and incredibly cheap for what it is — rates generally run somewhere between $130 and $180 a night depending on the season. So many excursions leave directly from there. The customer service was the best I’ve ever experienced anywhere in my life. Filipinos genuinely go above and beyond — it’s something else.

What’s Worth Doing

Puerto Princesa Underground River: We took a boat from the hotel straight there. It’s one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature and a UNESCO World Heritage Site — the world’s longest navigable underground river, winding through limestone caves with stalactites and stalagmites. The views from there are incredible, both from the beach where you start and inside the caves themselves.

Ugong Rock Adventures: I genuinely have vertigo — real fear of heights — but I did the zipline anyway. The first five seconds I didn’t open my eyes at all, then I slowly started opening them, and somehow I got through the whole thing. Pushing past that fear was insane.

Swimming with whale sharks: We did a tour with Dolphin and Whales Travel and Tours to see the whale shark — locally called butanding — off the coast of Palawan. You jump straight off the boat and swim with them. It was insane, being in the water swimming next to a whale shark like that — you can’t quite believe it’s happening. One thing to consider: as soon as they spot the whale shark, you have to jump in the water immediately, no hesitating. They do give you a life vest, but if you’re not a confident swimmer, that quick reaction can be a real challenge — keep that in mind before booking.

Firefly watching: Another evening from Puerto Princesa, we took a boat through the mangroves of the Iwahig River, where thousands of fireflies light up the trees in the dark. Such a magical moment.

What I Ate

Try ube — the purple yam that shows up in everything from ice cream to bread to desserts. It’s everywhere in the Philippines and genuinely delicious.

I also found mangosteen there, a fruit I’d first tried in Indonesia — really happy to come across it again. Highly recommend it if you haven’t tried it.

How Long Did I Stay?

4 days, which worked well for Puerto Princesa itself. I would have liked to visit El Nido and a few other spots too — that’ll have to wait for next time.

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