Travelogue: How to maximize your 9,000 PhP in Palawan (5 Days/ 4 Nights)

If there's one place I can go back to, without a doubt, it would definitely be Palawan. The place reminds me of my beloved hometown, Davao, because of its cleanliness. The people are also as friendly and warm as the Davaoeños. No bias here. LOL!

I know this is a long overdue post. This has been sitting in my drafts for quite a long time now and since it's almost summer, I think this is the perfect time to post our five (5) days and four (4) nights itinerary in Puerto Princesa and El Nido. Prices may have changed a bit because this trip was so last year, September to be exact, which means it was wet and low season then.

Read on if you want to know how to make the most out of your money. Palawan is actually quite expensive because there are a lot of activities you can do given that it's a very wonderful place. If you want some backpacking tips to save more on your future Palawan trip, I might be able to help. Total amount spent during our trip, including the accommodation and tours, was approximately 9,000 PhP.

Note: We got a promo fare from Air Asia a few months before this trip. Our round trip airfare per person was 1,528.09 PhP.

(You will see two prices in the tables below, the one on the right column was our expense per person, which was the total amount divided to three (3) pax. Total amount of the activities, transportation, tour, accommodation, etc. is stated in the middle column.)

Tips:

Day 1

• Upon arrival at the airport, many van and tricycle drivers will offer you a ride. To save, look for the blue tricycle because they will only charge you the minimum fare. We found a kind driver who drove us around Puerto Princesa during our short stay there. Contact Kuya Weng, he's really warm and welcoming. His number is in the table below.
• When at the bus terminal, there are two bus lines you can choose from, the Cherry and Roro Buses. Cherry's last trip is an hour earlier than Roro. We were supposed to take the latter but the owner of the cafeteria where we had our dinner told us that Cherry buses are safer to take. We took her advice and grabbed the 9PM (last) trip to El Nido from Cherry. Personally, I prefer taking buses than vans because, aside from the fact that they're cheaper, they are also safer.

Day 2

• To save a bit on accommodation, take the last trip to El Nido. We arrived around 3AM in El Nido, which was earlier as planned. So, what we did was we searched around 2-3 inns within the area (a block away from the beach). Kuya Joel was the tricycle driver who helped us find Devayn's Inn. His number is also included in the table. He was our ride during our stay in El Nido. Also, Devayn's Inn gave us a discount on the accommodation since we weren't able to maximize the 24-hr stay for the first day. We saved around 400 PhP. (Check table below)
• Be early at the meeting place for island hopping, so you can get the best spot on the boat. You can have your breakfast to-go and eat it on the boat while waiting for the other passengers. You'll absolutely get the best view while eating and waiting. Try the cheap but good food of IBR Fast Food Restaurant, they are also open 24/7.

• There are kayaks for rent at the small lagoon. It can carry a maximum of three (3) person, so you can divide the rental fee.
• Walk around the area, there our cheap eats everywhere. Though we chose to eat at Squidos because we think we deserve a good food after a very long day. LOL!

Day 3

• If you need to check-out from your accommodation by 12nn and you have an island hopping scheduled from 8AM - 4PM, you can check out early and leave your stuff at the front desk instead. This way you don't have to pay for extension or additional hours.
• Kuya Joel will probably be waiting for you after your island hopping tour. Ask him to take you to Marimegmeg Beach/ Las Cabanas, so you can catch the sunset by there. It's also a good place to swim.
• Take the last trip back to Puerto Princesa. The last trip for Cherry buses in El Nido is also 9PM.

Day 4

• We booked our Go Hotel accommodation two (2) months before our trip, unlike what we did in El Nido wherein we didn't book for any hotel. Check out Go Hotels' website because they have promos every now and then. 
• Book your Underground River Package beforehand as they are trying to regulate the number of people every day. Better safe than sorry, right? We booked our tour via Trio Queen Travel and Tours.
• Bring extra money because you might want to stop by Ugong Rock. On our way to Sabang, the jump-off point to the Underground River, we stopped by there and we tried the Superman Zipline going down. This is not part of the package, so payment will be collected on the day itself if you want to avail this side trip.

• Try the famous Tamilok (Woodworms). You will find someone selling them at Sabang. If I remember it right, it costs 100 PhP for a small plastic of Tamilok.
• You will probably be back in your hotel before dark. Contact Kuya Weng to bring you to Iwahig Firefly Watching. Make sure you book weeks before. (Check out the table for their reservation numbers).
• Save the contact numbers of the people mentioned, it will make your life easier. Enjoy your trip!

Tell me if our D-I-Y itinerary works for you. Thanks for dropping by and safe travels!

Click on this link to visit Astrid's post and video about our trip.