Balabac

Located in the southernmost part of Palawan, Balabac is the Maldives of the Philippines with the most pristine white-sand beaches and crystal clear sandbars I've ever seen.

GETTING

there

Being a archpelago of islands, you have a couple different options to get to El Nido:

By Sea: There are no ferries from other ports on Palawan, you have to travel by land.

By Air: Fly from Manila to Puerto Princesa Airport [] and then travel by land to Balabac. There is a small airport on the island of Balabac, but can only be reached via a charter flight or private plane.

By Land: Take a bus or van from Puerto Princesa City to Brooke's Point, where boats depart to Balabac (5-6 hours).

Sandbars & Starfish

Theres two main sandbars to visit in Balabac. I didn't get the chance to visit the first, Mansalangan Sandbar which many people report as their favourite.

I visit Candaraman Sandbar, nicknames Starfish Sandbar which was one of my favourite spots of the whole trip.

Best Beaches

There was honestly many unbelievable beaches to count. You'll likely stop by Patawan Island on your first day as its along the way from the mainland.

Onuk Island is known for its shallow turquoise waters and was undoubtedly a highlight of the trip!

Diving

There aren't very many diving spots with any eye-catching coral reefs.

That being said, we stopped a couple of times to snorkel with turtles and experience the unbelievable number of starfish.

Pros

adventure at your own pace
greater flexibility to choose locations

Cons

can be more expensive for smaller groups
less opportunity to meet other travellers

Pros

set cost per person
chance to meet other travelers

Cons

limited flexibility and set pace
sharing locations

Pros

flexible schedule and pace
could be cost-effective

Cons

stress of research and planning
public transport delays
last minute negotiating a boat driver

Private Expedition

If you have a group of 9-10 people looking to explore the Balabac islands, a private tour is the way to go. It will give you the flexibility to create your own itinerary and adventure at your own pace.

Bother private and joiner tours include van transfers from Puerto Princesa, meals, and on island accommodation.

Group Expedition

If your group isn't large enough for a private tour you can join and group or joiner trip. These trips are usually 4 days 3 nights and fit up to 11 people. They follow a set schedule each day and usually run onset dates, Thursday through Sunday or Saturday through Tuesday.

As of 2024 the price for a joiner tour is PHP 15,000 per person.

DIY

You can also take public ferry to Balabac town and then negotiate daily boat trips from the main island, but I wouldn't recommend this option.

It creates much longer days on the boat since you have to return to the main island each night, and runs the risk of the boat trips being more expensive depending on your haggling skills.

TOUR

options

TOUR

Wander Walkers

Are by far the most popular tour operator. They have a very well established Instagram account that gives you a better idea of what your trip will look like.

Being so popular, they often book up the quickest so make sure to look ahead by at least two months. As of 2024 the joiner tour costs 15.000 PHP / person.

ATX Travel & Tours

Are also quite popular and well rated, and last time I checked slightly cheaper than Wander Walkers at 10.000 PHP / person in 2024.

Other Tour Providers

Theres a number of other operators to choose from but be careful. If they are offering a cheaper price but do not have well established reviews, usually this is for a reason. Many operators will skimped on food and accommodation if they are not a licensed tour operator with DOT accreditation.