All you need to know before planning your holiday in Palawan, Philippines
Palawan, or officially the Province of Palawan, is an archipelagic province of the Philippines. It is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. When it comes to tourist attraction, then El Nido is the primary base for exploring Palawan. You can find it at the northern end of Palawan island in the Philippines. Palawan is an extremely popular tourist destination thanks to El Nido and most flights to the island land in the main city of Puerto Princessa.
Even if Palawan is one of the most popular destinations in the Philippines, there are some disadvantages, too. Beside the fact that the beaches are absolutely stunning and the island its self is amazing, you might encounter problems with the internet connection.
The internet
Most hotels and restaurants in El Nido advertise “free WiFi”. Even so, once you sit down and order something you’ll find that the WiFi is either incredibly slow or nonexistent. Before heading to this area of the island, make sure you solve all your tasks and announce your dear ones that you might be offline for a few days. In order to avoid those kind of problems, unlock your phone in advance and purchase a prepaid SIM card. You will find different SIM card options in Palawan, Philippines.
Health matters
Be careful when it comes to keep yourself healthy in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines. The causes are not well defined, but you should keep in mind the following: brush your teeth with bottled water, When dining out, make sure that the restaurant uses filtered water and avoid raw veggies or fruits that may have been washed with unfiltered water.
Weather in Palawan, Philippines
Another fact you should be aware of is that your trip to paradise could be ruined by torrential monsoon rain. The Philippines travellers can embrace meteorological uncertainty and use it as an excuse to go with the flow. Domestic travel is cheap and fun, and is best done spontaneously. However, Palawan, Philippines and the western seaboard are pretty darned wet from July to September. Just in case, download a few movies, some podcasts or a full television series prior to leaving Puerto Princesa. Doing so you can keep yourself entertained in case of bad weather. Another option is to visit the Underground River but it’s a long day trip from El Nido.
Cash or card?
Cash is king in all of the Philippines and El Nido is no exception. You will have to pay for any excursions and most of your food with cash. There are only a few ATMs in El Nido and they often run out of money or are out of order. Most people use the BPI Bank ATM on Real Street which means there’s usually a line to withdraw money.
Happy traveling!