HomeAsiaPhilippinesLuzonPalawanSurvivor Palawan: A Solo Backpacker’s Travelogue By Marcos Detourist on July 15, 2010Taoist 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 PalawanMy Palawan Backpacking RouteMy 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.Don’t leave yet. There’s more!Iloilo to Puerto Princesa, Palawan RORO Ferry (via Cuyo)My First Solo Backpacking Trip and First Time to PalawanIloilo to Puerto Princesa City, Palawan (via Cuyo):…Rediscover Palawan - 13 days in Tabon Caves, El Nido…Planning at trip to Cuyo, PalawanPP Subterranean River National Park Tour Palawan;…Comments thepinaysolobackpacker saysJuly 15, 2010 at 7:49 amgood 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! =) chymera00 saysJuly 15, 2010 at 11:31 amthanks :) 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. thebudgettraveler saysJuly 15, 2010 at 5:31 pmang ganda ng pagka lathala ng experience mo tol..nkita ko to sa pex..ang galing..ang laking tulong nito sa mga backpackers tulad ko.. chymera00 saysJuly 20, 2010 at 7:23 pmThanks thebudgettraveler :) peachy saysJuly 15, 2010 at 6:54 pmwow nice one marcos…clap clap clap…thank you sa special mention teehee…see you in iloilo/bacolod this october… =) chymera00 saysJuly 20, 2010 at 7:21 pmThanks peachy. Special mention talaga kayu, hehe. Sige see you na lang during the Masskara Season :) Anna saysJuly 16, 2010 at 12:13 amBravo 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… chymera00 saysJuly 20, 2010 at 7:20 pmThanks for dropping by Anna. Nice to meet you and fellow PEXers in El Nido :) eric saysJuly 16, 2010 at 1:12 amui kmusta si kuya jason! sa iya ka gali nag book tours? chymera00 saysJuly 20, 2010 at 7:19 pmOk nmn I guess, didn’t talk with him much since he didn’t go along the tour with us. hehe Boracay Hotels saysJuly 22, 2010 at 10:27 amGanda ng day4, mahaba talaga ang boracay, san kapa nagstay sa boracay nun?Tanya Gemarin Lois saysSeptember 13, 2010 at 7:28 pmThanks for sharing your experience :DMy 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 paul saysNovember 24, 2010 at 2:13 pmGreat 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! chymera00 saysDecember 2, 2010 at 3:13 amThanks 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 ^_^ Lance saysJanuary 7, 2011 at 12:05 ami 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 :Phats off to you. mervsville saysMarch 19, 2011 at 1:56 pmjust 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 beachin saysApril 4, 2011 at 1:09 amGreat 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. chymera00 saysMay 5, 2011 at 2:17 amAwesome! 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. chin chan saysJune 13, 2011 at 3:33 amthanks 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 chymera00 saysJune 23, 2011 at 4:42 pmThanks 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. mandex saysJuly 9, 2011 at 5:55 amWhat days are you going? i’m planning to go on Aug too. May Ann A. saysJune 24, 2011 at 4:35 pmYour 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? chymera00 saysJune 26, 2011 at 10:20 amThanks 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. May Ann A. saysJune 27, 2011 at 3:05 pmThanks 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! :) chymera00 saysJune 27, 2011 at 7:50 pmNice… El Nido hope El Nido won’t disappoint :) mandex saysJuly 9, 2011 at 5:56 amyour blog is awesome! i’ll be visiting Palawan on Aug. chymera00 saysJuly 9, 2011 at 5:51 pmthanks mandex! Good luck on your trip! JeffZ saysJuly 14, 2011 at 8:17 pmout 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! :) chymera00 saysJuly 15, 2011 at 6:35 pmOo 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). LINA C. ABOGADIE saysJuly 27, 2011 at 7:43 pmGreat 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. Marcos saysAugust 3, 2011 at 8:54 amMy gosh! That’s still on my bucketlist. I’m so envious :) I want to see more of Palawan! dean_1516 saysJuly 31, 2011 at 8:09 pmi enjoyed reading your blog and it gives me more adrenaline to do what you have done exploring palawan. . . thank you for sharing. . . . Marcos saysAugust 3, 2011 at 8:50 amthanks for your comment too dean. dee saysSeptember 9, 2011 at 2:38 amhello, can you suggest some nice, cheapish places to stay in palawan? Marcos saysSeptember 9, 2011 at 8:49 pmWhere in Palawan dee? Adie Kun saysNovember 25, 2012 at 9:30 amvery 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.. :) Joe saysFebruary 23, 2013 at 6:51 pmHi 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!! Posting of new comments is disabled temporarily.Connect with Marcos on:Detourista.comMarcosDetourist.comFacebookInstagramTwitterDetourista.comDiscover more travel guides and blogs about the Philippines and beyond by Marcos DetouristChoose your next destination: Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
thepinaysolobackpacker saysJuly 15, 2010 at 7:49 amgood 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! =)
chymera00 saysJuly 15, 2010 at 11:31 amthanks :) 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.
thebudgettraveler saysJuly 15, 2010 at 5:31 pmang ganda ng pagka lathala ng experience mo tol..nkita ko to sa pex..ang galing..ang laking tulong nito sa mga backpackers tulad ko..
peachy saysJuly 15, 2010 at 6:54 pmwow nice one marcos…clap clap clap…thank you sa special mention teehee…see you in iloilo/bacolod this october… =)
chymera00 saysJuly 20, 2010 at 7:21 pmThanks peachy. Special mention talaga kayu, hehe. Sige see you na lang during the Masskara Season :)
Anna saysJuly 16, 2010 at 12:13 amBravo 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…
chymera00 saysJuly 20, 2010 at 7:20 pmThanks for dropping by Anna. Nice to meet you and fellow PEXers in El Nido :)
chymera00 saysJuly 20, 2010 at 7:19 pmOk nmn I guess, didn’t talk with him much since he didn’t go along the tour with us. hehe
Boracay Hotels saysJuly 22, 2010 at 10:27 amGanda ng day4, mahaba talaga ang boracay, san kapa nagstay sa boracay nun?Tanya Gemarin
Lois saysSeptember 13, 2010 at 7:28 pmThanks for sharing your experience :DMy 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
paul saysNovember 24, 2010 at 2:13 pmGreat 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!
chymera00 saysDecember 2, 2010 at 3:13 amThanks 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 ^_^
Lance saysJanuary 7, 2011 at 12:05 ami 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 :Phats off to you.
mervsville saysMarch 19, 2011 at 1:56 pmjust 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
beachin saysApril 4, 2011 at 1:09 amGreat 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.
chymera00 saysMay 5, 2011 at 2:17 amAwesome! 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.
chin chan saysJune 13, 2011 at 3:33 amthanks 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
chymera00 saysJune 23, 2011 at 4:42 pmThanks 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.
May Ann A. saysJune 24, 2011 at 4:35 pmYour 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?
chymera00 saysJune 26, 2011 at 10:20 amThanks 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.
May Ann A. saysJune 27, 2011 at 3:05 pmThanks 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! :)
JeffZ saysJuly 14, 2011 at 8:17 pmout 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! :)
chymera00 saysJuly 15, 2011 at 6:35 pmOo 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).
LINA C. ABOGADIE saysJuly 27, 2011 at 7:43 pmGreat 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.
Marcos saysAugust 3, 2011 at 8:54 amMy gosh! That’s still on my bucketlist. I’m so envious :) I want to see more of Palawan!
dean_1516 saysJuly 31, 2011 at 8:09 pmi enjoyed reading your blog and it gives me more adrenaline to do what you have done exploring palawan. . . thank you for sharing. . . .
dee saysSeptember 9, 2011 at 2:38 amhello, can you suggest some nice, cheapish places to stay in palawan?
Adie Kun saysNovember 25, 2012 at 9:30 amvery 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.. :)
Joe saysFebruary 23, 2013 at 6:51 pmHi 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!!