Palawan Place

Malagnang Festival in San Vicente

The word “Malagnang”, in the local dialect literally means "Mud" or "Muddy" which signifies fertile soil that gave life and prosperity to the early settlers of the town.

Malagnang Festival is a yearly celebration held in the beautiful beach of San Vicente every June 19 to 21 in which local residents and visitors take part in various events, competitions, and cultural programs.

All activities and events during this festival underline the symbolic and significant nature of mud to the people of San Vicente, Palawan.

The term “malagnang” is another cuyuno word which means “mud” in English. Malagnang festivity is said to be a bizarre celebration among other festivals in the Philippines because it honors not a particular local delicacy or culture, but an earthly thing called mud.

Natives of San Vicente see mud as a symbol of humility and austerity that sustains development and economic stability of their town. Another reason for this celebration is the town’s muddy-type soil.

Bato Ni NingNing in Palawan

One of the best views in San Vicente, Palawan. It’s locally called “Bato ni Ningning” because of two huge rocks where a local TV show was shot. It's located about 30 minutes away from the longest beach in the Philippines by habal-habal or motor bike.

Matinloc Island and Shrine

Matinloc Island is one of the islands in the Bacuit Archipelago, a group of islands that are famous for their natural beauty and biodiversity. It is located in El Nido, Palawan, Philippines.

Matinloc Island Palawan is home to the Matinloc Shrine, also known as the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin or the Shrine of Our Lady of Matinloc. It is a religious site that was built in the 1980s by a wealthy family who claimed to have found a hidden treasure on the island.

Palawan Trip Food

El Nido Port

El Nido Port or the Port of El Nido is a seaport located in Barangay Buena Suerte in the town of El Nido, Palawan. It is situated in El Nido Bay at the northwestern side of Palawan Island.

The port serves as a jump-off point to various island hopping tours that explore the stunning Bacuit Archipelago, a group of islands that are famous for their natural beauty and biodiversity. Some of the most popular tours are Tour A, Tour B, Tour C, and Tour D, which visit different islands, lagoons, beaches, and reefs.

Inaladelan Island in Palawan

Inaladelan Island Palawan is a private island resort that offers a camping paradise for tourists who want to enjoy the natural beauty and tranquility of Palawan. The island is located in Port Barton, San Vicente, which is about 145 kilometers from Puerto Princesa.

The island was formerly known as German Island, but it was renamed to Inaladelan, which means "motherland" in the local dialect. The island is owned by a Filipino family who bought it from a German national in 2014.

Photo by Angela Marie Tiotangco

Serene Kayangan Lake

Serene Kayangan Lake

Kayangan Lake Coron, Palawan. This is heaven for those seeking outdoors and outback adventures. It is scuba diving paradise and the island still boasts virgin nature. Kayangan Lake is a wonderful tourist spot that is surrounded with rocky mountain composed of limestone and clothed with mangrove forests. The water is fresh and clean and you can feel the good aura of the place vibrating. Whether you are a savvy traveller or just a normal guy that wants to be refreshed away from the noise of the city, this majestic nature is surely a solution to that.

Best of Banol Beach

Banol Beach is a stretch of sandy white beach and usually where lunch is served during Coron Island hopping tours. Banol Beach is a public beach, and similar to the beaches in Coron Island, is surrounded by a majestic backdrop of limestone cliffs.

Banol Beach is also a great place to relax and enjoy the scenery. You can rent a small hut from the local folk for a fee and have a picnic on the beach. You can also watch the sunset from the beach and admire the changing colors of the sky and the water.

Awesome El Nido

El Nido Palawan is a municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines, that is known for its white-sand beaches, coral reefs, and limestone cliffs. It is also the gateway to the Bacuit archipelago, a group of islands that are famous for their natural beauty and biodiversity.

El Nido Palawan is a popular destination for island-hopping, snorkeling, diving, kayaking, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Some of the most visited places in El Nido Palawan are the Big Lagoon, a turquoise water lagoon surrounded by towering limestone formations; the Nacpan Beach, a 4-kilometer long stretch of powdery white sand; the Small Lagoon, a hidden lagoon that can be accessed by swimming or kayaking through a small opening; and the Hidden Beach, a secluded beach that can only be seen at low tide.

Small Lagoon in Palawan

Photo by Sam Dowdney

World’s Largest Pearl Was Discovered in Philippines

The Pearl of Lao Tzu, also known as the Pearl of Allah, is the world’s largest pearl, measuring 9.45 inches in diameter and weighing 6.4 kilograms. It was found by a Filipino diver off the coast of Palawan in 1934 in the cockles of a giant Tridacna gigas clam.

The story of the discovery of the Pearl of Lao Tzu is surrounded by mystery, myths and legends, but the true origin of this gem has remained elusive. It also became the central player in the biggest wrongful death ruling ever handed down in Colorado, USA.

The Pearl is not on public display and is presently included in the probate history of Victor M. Barbish. Pearl farming is a major industry in Palawan. Several pearl farms currently operate in the municipalities of Balabac, Taytay, San Vicente, Dumaran, Busuanga, Culion, Linapacan and Coron.
A former pearl farm in Samal Island in Davao was converted into what is now a world-class private retreat.

The pearl came from Brooke's Point, Palawan in the Philippines. Wilburn Cobb, an American who brought the pearl from the Philippines in 1939 and owned it until his death in 1979, published an account of how he came to own it in Natural History magazine. According to Cobb, he wanted to buy it from a Philippine tribal chief when he first heard of it in 1934, but the chief, a Muslim, did not want to sell because he considered the pearl sacred, in part because of its resemblance to the turbaned head of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. However, Cobb relates, he saved the life of the chief's son, who was stricken with malaria, in 1936 and was given the pearl as a token of gratitude. Because of its sacred associations, the pearl came to be known as the Pearl of Allah. Today the Pearl of Lao Tzu is valued at $3.5 Million.

Diving in Coron

Diving in Coron

Coron is home to not only amazing lakes, relaxing hot springs and pristine beaches but also breathtaking diving spots! Palawan, though quite unfamiliar to many, is now slowly taking the limelight among local and foreign tourists. It is a second-class town to be found in the northern edge of Palawan, endowed with a great deal of scenic and remarkable landscapes, crystal clear lagoons, limestone cliffs, a rich marine life and an out-of-the-ordinary wildlife safari.

Kayangan Lake: Cleanest Lake in Asia

Kayangan Lake is a hall of fame awardee for the cleanest and greenest inland body of water in the Philippines and dubbed as the cleanest lake in Asia. The climb was a bit slippery but you can hang onto to wooden railings. Its definitely worth the 350 steps. The trauma to your joints will disappear upon gazing at the turquoise waters of this lake in Palawan. The serene lake is rimmed with corals, perfect for snorkeling. The water is calm and transparent, the limestone formations are visible.

Swimming in El Nido

Swimming in El Nido

Photo by Toma Paul

Breathtaking Bacuit Bay

Breathtaking Bacuit Bay

The Philippines is the center of the center of marine biodiversity in the whole world. We would like to think that diving is one of the best things you can do in life and that Bacuit Bay is one of the best places to do it.

Paradise in Cadlao Island

Paradise in Cadlao Island in Bacuit Bay, El Nido Palawan

Boast as usual attributes found in a vacation destination, features highest limestone peak, composed of white sand beaches, towering marble cliffs, mangrove flats, and areas with lush forest cover. At a towering height of 609 meters above sea level, the peak stands taller than other land features in the region, truly amazing top view of shimmering blue sea waters.

Photo by Julvar Travel Photography

Palawan Best Island in the World

Palawan Best Island in the World

For the second year in a row, the island of Palawan was recognized as the Best Island in the World by leading US travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler in its Readers’ Choice Awards 2015.

Horizon of Taraw Peak

Did you know that you can climb the Taraw Peak in El Nido?

Climb one of the highest points in El Nido, Taraw Peak. Mount Taraw is the highest peak in El Nido, 200 meters above sea level and is described by many as seriously not for the faint of heart. It is known for its steep assault and rock climbing. Limestone mountain at the heart of El Nido town. It is 250 feet above sea level, pass by the 75 meters hanging bridge, 100 feet high and approximately 105 stairs with different shapes and sizes of limestone.

Boat Parking in Coron

The Star Trails at Arena Island

The Star Trails at Arena Island

The Arena Island is a privately owned isle that measures around four hectares. This premiere eco-tourism destination in Palawan is very valuable because it is a nesting ground for endangered species of sea turtles. The island has been designated as a turtle sanctuary and caretakers have been hired to care for these eggs until they hatch. The caretakers will the release the baby turtles in the sea when they are big enough to avoid predators