The island province called the Philippines' 'last frontier': El Nido's limestone islands, clear lagoons including the Secret Lagoon, and Nacpan Beach; in Coron, Kayangan Lake, the Twin Lagoon and diving on Second World War shipwrecks; near Puerto Princesa, the UNESCO-listed underground river. Ideal for nature lovers, island hopping, divers and couples. No direct flights from Ulaanbaatar — connect via Seoul or Hong Kong to Manila, then fly domestically to Puerto Princesa (PPS), El Nido (ENI) or Coron (USU). Mongolian citizens get 30 days visa-free.
🛂 Visa: Visa-free · 30 days✈ Flight: 14h☀ Best months: January, February, March, April
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: January, February, March, April, December.
Things to see (12)
📍🧸 for kids
Big, Small and Secret Lagoons (Tour A)★ 4.7 (6,000)
NatureShared tour ₱1,200–1,500 per person + ₱400 ETDF; kayak in the lagoon ₱150–200≈9:00–16:00 (full-day boat trip)
El Nido's most famous trip: the emerald Big Lagoon ringed by Miniloc Island's sheer cliffs, the Small Lagoon entered by kayak through a narrow gap in the rock, the Secret Lagoon reached by squeezing through a small hole in the rock, and lunch on Shimizu Island. Daily visitor caps mean the Big and Small Lagoons take turns on the itinerary. With children, bring life jackets and water shoes.
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goNo visa needed, but Palawan is a big province — plan first which airport to land at and how to get between El Nido and Coron.+
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30 days visa-free
Mongolian citizens may stay in the Philippines visa-free for up to 30 days. Your passport must be valid for more than 6 months beyond departure, with a return or onward ticket. Mongolia's consular list still shows 21 days under the old agreement, so if you stay longer than 21 days be ready to show your ticket to immigration.
Everyone arriving in or leaving the Philippines completes the free eTravel at etravel.gov.ph and gets a QR code; submissions earlier than 72 hours are not accepted. Beware of 'agent' sites that charge a fee.
Tip: Fill in the departure eTravel within 72 hours of leaving too.
A popular route: Puerto Princesa (underground river) → Port Barton → El Nido → ferry to Coron → fly back to Manila. The dry season (December–April) is best; from June to October typhoons cancel boats and ferries, so leave spare days. Book the underground river permit and AirSwift seats early in peak season.
🛬Landing and getting to your hotelPuerto Princesa (PPS), El Nido Lio (ENI) and Busuanga/Coron (USU) are all reached by domestic flights from Manila or Cebu.+
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Puerto Princesa → El Nido (van)
From PPS airport to town is 10 minutes by tricycle. El Nido is 285 km away: 5–6 hours by Lexxus or other vans at ₱600–900 per person; Cherry Bus is cheaper but slower. Several departures from morning to evening, with one stop on the way.
Tip: Vans have little luggage space — mention large suitcases when you book.
Lio airport is 4 km from El Nido town, 15–20 minutes by tricycle at ₱150–200; many hotels offer free transfers. From Busuanga airport to Coron town, shared vans take 30–45 minutes at ₱150–200 per person; they wait until full, so a hotel-booked transfer is quicker.
If your phone supports eSIM, install a Philippines eSIM before you go. Otherwise buy a Globe or Smart tourist SIM at Manila airport or in Puerto Princesa or El Nido — by law it must be registered with your passport. Both Smart and Globe work in Palawan, but coverage varies from place to place.
Tip: Signal drops on island-hopping trips and along the El Nido–Puerto Princesa road — download the map in Google Maps for offline use.
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Wi-Fi
Hotels and cafés have Wi-Fi, but in El Nido and Coron it is slow and power cuts happen. Keep tickets, your eTravel QR code and tour bookings saved on your phone, and carry printed copies.
🚇Getting around PalawanTricycles in town, vans between towns, boats and ferries between islands. There is no Grab.+
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Tricycles and scooters
In El Nido, Coron and Port Barton the main transport is the tricycle (a motorbike with a sidecar) — agree the price before you get in. For farther places such as Nacpan Beach, hire a tricycle for the day or rent a scooter; scooters require a helmet and a driving licence.
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El Nido ↔ Coron ferry
Fast ferries such as Montenegro Lines and Atienza sail daily early in the morning and around midday, taking 3.5–4 hours at ≈₱1,800–3,000 per person. In the southwest monsoon season the sea is rough and cancellations are common; take seasickness tablets if you need them. Book a few days ahead.
Book El Nido's Tours A, B, C and D and Coron's island-hopping trips through your hotel or a licensed agency; shared boats cost ₱1,200–1,800 per person, private boats suit families. The Coast Guard stops boats from sailing when the sea is rough.
The currency is the Philippine peso (₱, PHP). El Nido and Coron have few ATMs, which often run out of cash or go offline, so withdraw enough in Puerto Princesa or Manila. Larger hotels and some restaurants take cards; tricycles, tours and fees are cash.
El Nido's Eco-Tourism Development Fee (ETDF) is ₱400 and valid for 10 days — pay it on your first tour and keep the receipt to show on later tours. In Coron, Kayangan Lake is ₱300 and Twin Lagoon and Barracuda Lake ₱200 each; the underground river is ₱500 + ₱150 + ₱85 for the audio guide.
🍜FoodFresh seafood and plenty of international restaurants in El Nido town; less choice in Coron and Port Barton.+
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What to eat
Grilled fish and seafood, adobo, sinigang (sour soup), Puerto Princesa's kinilaw (raw fish cured in citrus), Palawan cashews and mango shakes. Island-hopping tours usually include a lunch of grilled fish, chicken and fruit.
Tip: Drink only bottled water; many hotels have refill stations.
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With children
El Nido town has plenty of pizza, pasta, burgers and Korean food, so children are easy to feed. There are no shops on the islands, so bring snacks and water on tours.
🛡️Safety and health+
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Emergency number
Police, ambulance and fire share one number — 911, free and 24 hours. Philippine Red Cross — 143.
Always wear a life jacket on boats, and bring water shoes against coral and sea urchins. In typhoon season follow PAGASA forecasts and wait it out if boats or ferries are cancelled. Drink plenty of water in the heat, use reef-safe sunscreen, and always use mosquito repellent.
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Clinics and insurance
El Nido and Coron have only small hospitals and clinics; serious cases go to Puerto Princesa or Manila, so get insurance with evacuation cover. If you dive, have dive insurance and don't dive the day before you fly.
🙏Manners+
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Friendly and polite
Filipinos are very friendly; saying 'po' and 'salamat' (thank you) goes down well. Don't wear swimwear into town or churches. Avoid loud arguments and criticising anyone in public.
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Respect nature
Don't touch or feed coral, turtles or fish, and don't take sand or shells away. Leave no plastic behind — El Nido restricts single-use plastics. Guides and boat crews are usually tipped for good service.
📱Useful apps+
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Official and flights
eTravel — the digital border registration (arrival and departure). AirSwift and Cebu Pacific — domestic schedules change often, so turn on notifications.
Google Maps — offline maps are a must. GCash — QR payments (check whether you can top up with a foreign card). Windy or PAGASA — track waves and typhoons. English gets you almost everywhere.
The van from El Nido to Puerto Princesa takes 5–6 hours, so with a morning flight spend the night before in Puerto Princesa. Leaving from Coron, Busuanga airport is 30–45 minutes away and queues form, so set off early.
Fill in the departure eTravel before leaving the Philippines. Connecting from a domestic to an international flight in Manila may mean changing terminals, so check whether your bags are checked through and leave plenty of time. Domestic flights get cancelled, so if your international flight is on a separate ticket, leave a day's buffer.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
24 hours
A 4 km stretch of golden sand fringed by coconut palms, 30–45 minutes north of El Nido town; together with neighbouring Calitang it is known as the 'twin beach'. Shallow and good for children when the surf is low; small eateries and bars on the sand. Reach it by tricycle or scooter.
15–20 minutes south of town by tricycle — El Nido's best-known sunset beach. Fine white sand, calm water and bars and restaurants along the shore; a zipline runs over the sea to Depeldet Island.
Nature₱400 + ₱30 environmental fee; ₱700 with the DreamcatcherDaylight hours, ≈1-hour climb
A protected via ferrata up the limestone cliff behind El Nido town, using hanging bridges, metal rungs and handholds. The top looks over Bacuit Bay, the islands and the town. Harness, helmet and guide included; for fit visitors with a head for heights.
NatureEntrance ₱500 + ₱150 environmental fee + ₱85 audio guide; shared boat from Sabang ≈₱350 per person; full-day tour ≈₱2,2008:00–17:00; permit required in advance (daily cap)
A UNESCO World Heritage underground river, 8 km long and flowing straight into the sea — a 45-minute paddle boat ride into the cave past stalactites and bats. 75 km and 2–2.5 hours from Puerto Princesa city; boats leave from Sabang wharf. Get the permit in advance at the city office or through a tour company.
BeachShared tour ≈₱1,300–1,800 per person (check whether island fees and lunch are included)≈8:00–16:00
Small islands with shallow, clear water 30 minutes from Puerto Princesa city: Cowrie Island (beach and lounging), Luli Island that sinks and reappears with the tide, and Starfish Island full of sea stars. Easy snorkelling and calm water make it the best family day trip.
Nature₱300≈8:00–17:00 (on Coron island-hopping tours)
A deep, clear freshwater lake among Coron Island's limestone peaks, billed as 'the cleanest lake in Asia'. Along the 300-odd steps up is Palawan's most famous viewpoint — the cove, karst islets and boats in a single frame. Swimming and snorkelling allowed; life jackets required.
Nature₱200Daylight hours (on island-hopping tours)
Two lagoons hidden behind a rock wall: at low tide swim through a gap under the rock, at high tide climb a wooden ladder into the second lagoon. Salt water and spring water mix, so the water changes temperature as you swim. Life jackets for children; kayaks for rent.
Nature₱200Daylight hours (on island-hopping tours)
A lake set among Coron Island's sheer cliffs — fresh water on top and warm salt water deeper down (a thermocline), which makes it famous among divers. Getting there means a short, sharp scramble over rocks. For strong swimmers; with children, Kayangan and Twin Lagoon suit better.
NatureTwo dives ≈₱3,500–4,500 (gear included)Dive centres leave around 8:00
More than ten Japanese navy ships sunk in a 1944 US air raid — one of the world's top wreck-diving sites (Okikawa Maru, Akitsushima and others). Most lie at 10–40 m and suit certified divers; the shallow Skeleton Wreck can be seen from the surface with a snorkel.
A viewpoint behind Coron town reached by 700-plus steps, crowned by a large cross — the town, the bay, Coron Island and the sunset in one view. The climb takes 20–40 minutes; bring water in the heat. Many people follow it with a soak at Maquinit Hot Spring.
RelaxFree; island hopping ≈₱1,000–1,500 per person24 hours
A quiet fishing village between Puerto Princesa and El Nido: uncrowded beaches, sea turtles, island-hopping trips with reef snorkelling, and a waterfall. Cheaper and calmer than El Nido, so many travellers stop for a night or two between the two towns.
