Diving Palawan

Nomad

I stayed 3 weeks on Palawan island (El Nido in the north and Puerto Princesa in the south) in Philippines and spent 1600 EUR.

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To keep the same blogging style I will start by saying that you can get a beer for 1.5 EUR, a coffee for 3 EUR and a meal for around 5 EUR.

         1601.90 EUR  Expenses
            8.52 EUR    ATM
          532.26 EUR    Accommodation
           53.37 EUR      Homestay
          306.72 EUR      Hotel
          172.17 EUR      Ashram
          137.85 EUR    Drinks
          122.69 EUR      Alcohol
            6.48 EUR      Coffee
            3.66 EUR      N/A
            0.51 EUR      Tax
            0.17 EUR      Tip
            4.35 EUR      Water
          279.71 EUR    Food
            5.11 EUR      Arab
            0.68 EUR      Burger
            8.01 EUR      Desert
           27.67 EUR      Filipino
            3.75 EUR      Fries
            1.79 EUR      Fruits
            4.43 EUR      Greek
            7.50 EUR      Indian
            6.48 EUR      Italian
            4.77 EUR      Japanese
            8.88 EUR      Mexican
           14.14 EUR      Seafood
            2.22 EUR      Snack
            0.34 EUR      Tax
            0.09 EUR      Tip
            0.85 EUR      Tot
          170.40 EUR      Vegan
            3.75 EUR    Gear
            2.56 EUR    Haircut
            4.60 EUR    Laundry
           10.22 EUR    Others
            6.82 EUR    SPA:Massage
          412.37 EUR    Sports
          238.56 EUR      Freediving
            3.41 EUR      Tax
          170.40 EUR      Yoga
            1.28 EUR    Toiletries:Mouthwash
           30.67 EUR    Tours
            6.65 EUR    TransferWise
          164.64 EUR    Transportation
          125.61 EUR      Airplane
           28.97 EUR      Bus
           10.05 EUR      Taxi
--------------------
         1601.90 EUR

I will keep it short and I will only say that Philippines in general and Palawan in particular is a top diving destination.

If you are into water sports (snorkeling, diving, kayaking, sailing, etc) then this is the place to go. There are lots and lots of options everywhere, rent a kayak and go visit nearby hidden beaches, take a scuba/free diving course and go swimming in/around shipwhreck and so on. For the first time, I tried freediving with these guys Freediving Dimension and it was an awesome experience, no oxygen tube, no hassle, just you and the mother nature.

Other than water sports you can rent a bike/bycicle and ride around the hilly island, enjoy fresh/cheap sea food by the beach or just admire the incredible scenery. Pay around 30 EUR for a boat tour and enjoy the amazing karsts that rise from the water. I've also seen Krabi, Thailand and Ha Long bay, Vietnam but El Nido/Coron in northern Palawan has the best karsts and small isolated/inhabited islands/rocks everywhere.

Another thing to consider is that this place is still unspoilet and not touched by mass tourism yet, expecialy the east and sourth parts of the island. Maybe El Nido and around is a bit touristy but nothing like popular destinations in Thailand or even Viet Nam.

Happy diving!!!