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All hotels WorldwideTaoist founder Lao Tzu was immortalized by saying “every journey starts with a single step”. Well, that ancient Chinese proverb didn’t exactly apply to me during my recent trip to Palawan. I was out of the house with my overstuffed backpack and enthusiastic vigor on my way to ride the ferry to Puerto Princesa City, Palawan from Iloilo City. When I got to the ferry terminal, the guard told me that the boat was already fully booked and I had to wait a few more days to catch the next one. Total Bummer! So I had no choice but to go back home and postpone my trip.
After four days of recuperating, I was out of the house again with a renewed fervor and the same unopened backpack, except this time, I have already secured the reservation for the ferry. I was really looking forward to visiting Palawan for a few months already. No other place comes to mind to do my first solo backpacking trip than in Palawan, which is definitely on the top of my list of places to travel in the Philippines.
Video Slideshow of My Solo Backpacking Trip to Palawan
My Palawan Backpacking Route
My whole trip to Palawan including transportation lasted for 13 days. Starting in Iloilo City, I went to Cuyo Island and several destinations in the northern half of Palawan Island including Puerto Princesa City, Honda Bay, Sabang (St. Paul Underground River), Port Barton, San Vicente, Taytay, and El Nido.
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My name is Marcos. I'm an off-beat explorer who loves to experience and capture the beauty of the Philippines and Asia. I started making a living online to support myself financially through my university degree. I've been living a location-independent digital lifestyle ever since. 
good job frnd! another comprehensive backpacking guide! but gosh! Palawan is pretty expensive! :D I was really waiting for this post, will definitely use this when I revisit the island. congrats!
Keep exploring! =)
thanks :) Yeah, my trip was but I had to stay there for an extended time since I wanted to go to a lot of places and was moving from one destination to the other almost every day. Will be posting my detailed itinerary with bus fares, room rates, tour prices etc… soon so everyone can see the breakdown of expenses.
ang ganda ng pagka lathala ng experience mo tol..nkita ko to sa pex..ang galing..ang laking tulong nito sa mga backpackers tulad ko..
Thanks thebudgettraveler :)
wow nice one marcos…clap clap clap…thank you sa special mention teehee…see you in iloilo/bacolod this october… =)
Thanks peachy. Special mention talaga kayu, hehe. Sige see you na lang during the Masskara Season :)
Bravo Marcos! This is the first time na makita ko blog mo…and it was really great…thanks for mentioning my name…hehehe…hope to see you in our next get away…
Thanks for dropping by Anna. Nice to meet you and fellow PEXers in El Nido :)
ui kmusta si kuya jason! sa iya ka gali nag book tours?
Ok nmn I guess, didn’t talk with him much since he didn’t go along the tour with us. hehe
Ganda ng day4, mahaba talaga ang boracay, san kapa nagstay sa boracay nun?
Tanya Gemarin
Thanks for sharing your experience :D
My friend and I will be in palawan on december…. arrival po namin in puerto princesa is december 24… plan to go to el nido the next day… question po… would you know kung may byahe ng fort wally van or public bus ng december 25, christmas? thanks in advance:D
Great post! nice job and fantastic photos. Was just wondering, did you bring your d5000 all the time? must have been a bit heavy for those long walks. But would love to do your route one day.
Cheers!
Thanks Paul. Yes, the camera is attached to me most of the time during my walks … it’s a bit uncomfy for long walks. I usually take a good stretch once in a while to rest my back/shoulders/vertebrae ^_^
i so like this post.
nice story telling (the mis-adventure was soap-opera like, i can almost feel the thrill sans background music :)
lots of nice photos and useful tips.
im not a backpacker but im used to travelling alone (just without the guts like yours and the almost DIY everything :)
will go to puerto princesa tomorrow with 2 others for 3days and we’re looking for a great adventure, even if not as great as yours :P
hats off to you.
just got home from El Nido..but reading your blog makes me wanna go back again the soonest…I hope I could the same thing you’ve done…solo backpacking..no hassle no definite itinerary, i mean you always have to adjust on the situations like, public transpo system, weather etc.
good job and more power
Great blog!
Me and my gf are planning to go to palawan probably after the lenten season and i’m thinking bout backpacking because i think its more fun than joining the group tour. i got a lot of informations and tips from your trip to palawan since we have no idea about palawan, though we’re also asking few relatives and friends who’ve been there before. i cant wait to see it by ourselves and experience palawan firsthand. thanks for the big help man.
Awesome! Hope you have a successful trip beachin. Palawan is one of the best and easiest places in the Philippines to backpack, you can just ask the locals and other backpackers for advice/recommendations when you’re there.
thanks for sharing your back packing tips . Ill be in Palawan this coming August and I have learned a lot from this blog post…Btw im a huge fan of your blog and will always be your fan just so you know…Be safe
Thanks chin chan, I have same sentiments whenever I read helpful posts from other bloggers. In some way, I feel grateful / connected with them whenever I have positive experiences because of the tips I read from other bloggers. Good luck on your trip! I’m sure you’ll have lots of things to blog about Palawan.
What days are you going? i’m planning to go on Aug too.
Your blog is amazing!!! The photos are great too! I’m going to backpack Palawan this coming July and will definitely check out the accomodations you mentioned. Any tips on a solo female backpacker like myself that you could give?
Thanks May Ann. Kewl, I want to go back to Palawan … it’s a big island and there’s so many places I still have to discover… tips for Palawan, hmm… If you’re commuting for your trip, research ahead about bus schedules since a lot of the routes are limited and don’t run for the whole day. Plan accordingly. If you’re going to El Nido, allot at least two full days just for island hopping tours, they’re definitely worth it :) The stuffed squid of “Squidoo” in El Nido is really good, hehe … nakaka miss siya.
Thanks for the tips and infos. I got inspired by Flipnomad to stay for a much longer time in El Nido, however long I can stretch my budget. That stuffed squid is definitely a must try when I get there! :)
Nice… El Nido hope El Nido won’t disappoint :)
your blog is awesome! i’ll be visiting Palawan on Aug.
thanks mandex! Good luck on your trip!
out of all things you mentioned, this got me curious.. how did you manage to take photos under the heavy rains? :)
This is a lot of help Marcos.. we’ll be going to puerto princesa on the 31st.. I also prefer DIY trips instead of the tour packages.. kaya lang mejo masakit talaga sa bulsa pag mag isa ka lang.. but once I saved enough, I’ll also backpack with myself.. :) Ang daming magagandang lugar talaga sa Pilipinas.. hindi tayo mauubusan.. :)
Thanks for the post! :)
Oo nga, I also believe in the mantra of backpackers: DIY travel is still cheaper than the cheapest tour package. Yun rin yung biggest issue ko when traveling solo, the cost.
I use a water resistant bag. It’s not waterproof but it can hold off heavy rains for a long time. Sometimes, I also bring a clear plastic bag and use it as a DIY rain cover. Nowadays, nagdadala na talaga ako ng payong everytime I travel. Na realize ko din that it adds a lot of convenience (not only when it’s raining but also if its really sunny).
Great pics! They reminded me of my El Nido adventure way back in 1997. I did island hopping from El Nido down to Brooke’s Point for 10 days and spent around 6K! Hope to visit Palawan again soon.
My gosh! That’s still on my bucketlist. I’m so envious :) I want to see more of Palawan!
i enjoyed reading your blog and it gives me more adrenaline to do what you have done exploring palawan. . . thank you for sharing. . . .
thanks for your comment too dean.
[...] White Beach. I was so excited when I found out my travel buddy, Fritzie, who I first met during my first solo trip in El Nido, was organizing a trip to Calaguas with her friends. Since it was a large group of around 20+ [...]
[...] I worked tirelessly to make my dream of becoming a traveler possible. At the time, I’ve never extensively ventured outside my hometown and the provinces of Western Visayas because of my busy school schedule. I started traveling in baby steps, my first non-school related trip to Manila early in 2009, my first time to ride a plane alone, my first trip abroad to Hong Kong and Macau, my longest commute away from home by bus/ferry to Dumaguete and Siquijor in 2010, my first plane ride alone to an international destination in Bangkok, Thailand, and my first solo backpacking attempt in Palawan. [...]
hello,
can you suggest some nice, cheapish places to stay in palawan?
Where in Palawan dee?
[...] My second visit to Palawan happened nearing the end of 2011. I had been thinking of revisiting El Nido since June, roughly one year since the first time I stepped foot in that beautiful paradise. [...]
very nice.. inspiring.. i have reservations myself when in comes to travelling alone (which i like to do). when i need a new destination ill just visit this and check your notes.. :)
Hi Marcos!! thank you so much for all the super valuable information. I’ve only just discovered your blog investigating Puerto Princesa prior to my trip on 3rd of march and I just can’t get enough of your entertaining and enlightening views on your travels!! I’m going to do exactly the same trip as you to the Underground River and I’m really looking forward to the jungle trek especially. The only thing I’m slightly worried about is the sheer amount of tourists and the increasing popularity of the whole area. Did you find “any” really quiet untouched beaches with hut style accommodation within an hour or two from Puerto Princesa? I mean backpacker style with no pretensions or hype. I wish I could make it up to El Nido but not enough time. I only have 4 days in total and would love to escape the resorts, the tourists and the organized trips and find one of those secret little havens where the tours haven’t reached.
Thank you again for the amazing photos and the all the info!!