Puerto Princesa 3-day itinerary

Depart early for the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River (1.5-hour drive to Sabang wharf, then 20-minute boat ride). The UNESCO-listed cave system is extraordinary — your paddle boat enters a gaping cavern mouth where the river disappears underground, and for the next 45 minutes you drift through chambers reaching 60 metres high. The guide points out stalactite formations resembling cathedrals, mushrooms, and a 60-metre-high cave ceiling dubbed the "Italian Chamber." Thousands of swiftlets and bats share the cave, their calls echoing in the darkness.

After the cave tour, relax on Sabang Beach or try the Sabang X Zipline — an 800-metre dual cable that flies you over the forest canopy and Sabang Beach, 150 metres above the treetops (800 PHP). The views are spectacular: limestone karst peaks, dense jungle, and the turquoise Sulu Sea. For a calmer afternoon, kayak the mangrove river behind the beach (300 PHP/hour), spotting monitor lizards, mudskippers, and fruit bats hanging in the trees.

Drive back to Puerto Princesa city (1.5 hours). Have dinner at Ka Lui Restaurant — widely regarded as the best restaurant in the city, specialising in fresh seafood and Palawan dishes served in a charming native-style dining room where you sit on the floor. The set seafood platter (1,200 PHP for two) includes grilled prawns, kinilaw (Filipino ceviche), and baked scallops. Stroll the Baywalk boardwalk after dinner to see the harbour lights.

Join a Honda Bay island-hopping tour (1,500–2,000 PHP per person including boat, lunch, and snorkel gear) departing from Sta. Lourdes Wharf at 8am. The first stop is Starfish Island — a sandbar surrounded by shallow turquoise water where orange and blue starfish dot the sandy bottom. The second stop is Cowrie Island, with a white sand beach, beach volleyball, and snorkelling off the reef where parrotfish, clownfish, and sea urchins are easily spotted.

Continue to Luli Island — a sandbar that appears and disappears with the tide ("lulubog-lilitaw" means sinking-floating in Filipino). At low tide, walk across the exposed sand with clear water on all sides. The snorkelling around Honda Bay's islands reveals colourful coral gardens, giant clams, sea cucumbers, and schools of yellow fusiliers. The water is warm (28–30°C) and visibility on calm days reaches 10–15 metres. Lunch is usually served on Cowrie or Luli Island — grilled fish, rice, and fruit.

Back in Puerto Princesa, walk Rizal Avenue — the city's main commercial strip lined with restaurants, shops, and bars. Try halo-halo (shaved ice with sweet beans, jellies, leche flan, and ube ice cream) at Jollibee or a local dessert shop for 80 PHP — the quintessential Filipino refreshment. For a sit-down dinner, Ima's Gulay (native vegetable dishes) offers healthy Filipino food, or Kinabuchs Grill and Bar has excellent barbecue and live acoustic music most evenings.

Visit the Iwahig River mangrove area on the outskirts of Puerto Princesa. During the day, paddle through the mangrove channels in a kayak or small boat — the ecosystem is rich with mudskippers, crabs, kingfishers, and brahminy kites. The Iwahig area is also famous for its firefly watching tours (evening only, 500 PHP per person) where thousands of fireflies light up the mangrove trees like Christmas decorations — one of Palawan's most magical experiences.

Visit the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Centre (formerly the Crocodile Farm, 100 PHP entry). The centre breeds Philippine crocodiles — one of the most critically endangered crocodile species in the world — for release into the wild. See crocodiles from hatchlings to massive 4-metre adults, and learn about Palawan's unique biodiversity including the bearcat (binturong), porcupine, and Palawan peacock pheasant. The centre also has butterfly gardens and native animal exhibits.

Puerto Princesa Airport (PPS) has direct flights to Manila (1.5 hours, from 2,500 PHP), Cebu (1.5 hours), and Clark. For El Nido — Palawan's other star destination — vans depart regularly from the San Jose Terminal (5–6 hours, 600–800 PHP) or you can fly from Puerto Princesa to El Nido with AirSwift (50 minutes, from 4,000 PHP). Coron is reachable by ferry (8 hours overnight) or flight via Manila.