Hi as some of you know I'm going back to phils in may and after sorting out marriage paperwork I'm thinking of going to palawan has anyone been there before ? Can anyone give advice on some places to go and what does a Filipino kid under the age of 5 need to travel there any help or advice will be appreciated thanks in advance people
Davids I went 2 years ago Went to the Underground River. Think river in big cave with funny guide and 30 mins inside and you have the idea. Getting there takes longer and not alot actually around the place itself. Also EL Nido. Lots of western Tourist back packer types and the journey by bus from PP is a long one and was on some unmade roads for some of the way. You knew you had done the trip. However alot of road building going on so that could be different now. I got the feeling EL Nido was like Boracay was perhaps 20/30 years ago but you could already see the enviromental distress being caused by tourists. The real thing that got me was the price of food there. It was expensive probably the most expensive I have experienced in the Philippines. Lots of boaty sort of stuff to do to far flung tropical islands stunning scenery. I enjoyed it but used Air Swift back out. Expensive but worth it compared to the bus. Airport is quaint with buffolo taxi's. Other thing be aware of Malaria. Palawan was the most affected province and NHS was still advising two years ago to make sure you are protected. I was taking anti malarials and they after 30 days were making me dog sick. You have to take them before and after you are in the affected province.
I was reading that too much tourist activity in the underground river and cave system is damaging to the cave system. So they had to cap the number of tourists passing through?
I went to Palawan in June 1992 and went scuba diving in El Nido. It is the most beautiful place I have seen in the Philippines - the rugged rocks were a highlight.
Think big river in large cave with lots of canoes continually going in and out Bats and animals being disturbed all the time by lights and tourists taking flash photos. Little or no infrastructure as we would think minimum in the west but is common in the Philippines. So like many places I been to I would say they are chasing the tourist dollar for today with little thought of tomorrow. And the very thing that is attracting the tourists is being damaged by the lack of protections being put in place by the people in charge who should be protecting the geese that lay the golden eggs.
@Davids Perhaps my post was bit negative Did I like Palawan -- Yes Would I go back again - Yes Why havnt I been back - Because there is so much to see in the Philippines.
Hi @ David's , I've been to Palawan twice , the second time was last year . I enjoyed it both times , and only short (one hour I think) flight from Cebu . You can also fly there from Manila . I would split Palawan into two parts , Puerto Princesa and El Nido . From PP you can visit the underground river and sightseeing around that area including Bakers Hill . You can also take the boat trip from Honda Bay . At El Nido , the town is comparatively small , and can "sell out" in the busy months . You have a choice of four, island hopping trips which are a one day trip each . You have the opportunity to kayak and snorkel , and lunch is included in the price . Getting from Puerto Princesa to El Nido is usually by mini van , booked easily at hotel or online . The trip can be between four and a half and six hours long depending on traffic, and roadworks . For me , El Nido was the best part , as I enjoy island hopping trips . If you do decide to go there , try to visit Nacpan beach , which is about 40 minute trike ride from El Nido town . Just a couple of restaurants there , but a beautiful uncrowded beach both times I was there .
could be a concern because the predominate language spoken on Palawan is Bisaya. That might be something of a concern if she is from Luzon. Bisaya people don't normally want to speak in Tagalog, and even though they do understand it, they only actually speak it, about 1% of the time. By contrast few Tagalog people can even understand Bisaya at all, even when they hear it spoken around them, never mind speak the language themselves. the Philippines does have its language barriers but Tagalog and English between them usually enable people across the vastly differing parts of the archipelago, to communicate. There is a reason why those two, are the official languages.
I have heard it said that it is challenging taking younger children. It seems it wouldn’t be a child friendly holiday. And it is for this reason that we have not made this visit as it is at the top of my to do list. If anyone knows different I would be pleased to hear more.
never been to Palawan, but I doubt if it is any more challenging than taking young children almost all other places/islands in the Philippines. Almost no families with young children ever take their holidays in the Philippines. They look it over, and think better of it. The medical/clinical facilities right across the whole country, are appalling.
There are a great many medical facilities in the Philippines that are very good, access to them is another matter, westerners usually get good access to such facilities as long as they have adequate travel insurance. Why do you think Filipino nurses have been in such high demand in the UK for such a long time, they are very well trained.
So remind us why you return year after year for up to six months at a time to a country that clearly doesn't live up to your exacting standards?
Again you are wrong: Tagalog is NOT an official language of the country but Filipino is - and do note that Filipino is not an alternative name for Tagalog.
well isn't that brilliant. You're on a 'paradise island', but unfortunately, the only medical facilities on that island are what you used to get in Germany in about 1750 AD. So you have to get on a boat and travel for about four/six hours to get to a proper hospital on another island, only by which time your little kid is dead. Which is why no parents with children ever want to take vacations in the Philippines. They go to other countries. oh god, you really are clueless aren't you. Yes it is. Filipino really is an alternative name for Tagalog, they just changed the name of it, or referenced it differently, to make it sound more inclusive.
My daughter, a seven year old at the time, was bitten by a dog three years back, there was a genuine risk of Rabies, we got her to a hospital and she was treated immediately, their system worked fine for us, I was not in the country at the time, my daughter turns ten this year. There are plenty of places in the UK where you can be a significant period of travel time away from the treatment you need and where the local facilities are not of the same standard that might be available to you if you happen to live in a major UK city. edit: your other post on the Police Clearance thread was deleted.
