Just after 3 weeks from our Coron trip, another adventure awaits us! This time, my good friend Yana, will be coming with us. Supposedly, there will be 4 of us but the other one canceled.
We’re heading to the breathtaking Balabac Group of Islands. Unfortunately, many people may not have heard of this hidden gem, just like most of our friends. But if YOU happened to search this place on Google, then you’re one of the lucky ones who already know about this paradise. *pops the party popper*
Balabac Group of Islands is located at the southern most part of Palawan and is known for its very clear turquoise waters. So apparently, we went from north to south of Palawan in just a span of 3 weeks lol.
Not everyone knows about Balabac, and it’s still not ready for tourists, especially picky ones. The accommodations are mostly tents, so it’s more like a camping experience. Although there are huts available for upgrades, it’s still not a guarantee that you can stay in them due to possible mix-ups upon arrival. You won’t find luxury or VIP treatment here in Balabac (although we did LOL thanks).
How much is the tour?
I’m not sure if you can DIY your Balabac trip because it will be very risky. There is no water in some islands and there are no regular commercial boats that you can simply take from the port to the islands.
So I joined Balabac groups on facebook and searched for “Balabac Freediving” and boom, I found Khaiyir or Balabac Girl. She’s one of the operators offering Balabac trips, including an overnight stay on Onuk Island, which others don’t offer yet due to certain limitations and risks.
So we paid 16,000 pesos each for a 4 days and 3 nights Balabac expedition. Yay!
How to Get There?
Just like in El Nido, before there were direct flights there, you would have to take a flight to Puerto Princesa. However, compared to El Nido, where you can take vans until 6 p.m., it’s different in Balabac. You will need to stay overnight in Puerto Princesa because the pick-up time is 2:00 a.m on the next day.
It will then be a 6-hour drive and you’ll arrive at approximately 9:00AM with one stop over.
Where to Stay?
On our first night in Puerto Princesa, we stayed in Blue Lagoon Inn & Suites and I’d say, they have an okay room. I think we paid for the pool but we weren’t able to use it since we were so busy with the grocery and tired from the flight so we have to sleep early.
Now in Balabac, there are lodges in Buliluyan port and a resort in Patawan island, which has been established recently. But if you’re going to stay there, where’s your sense of adventure? I mean, you’ll be coming there to experience the island life, right?
This is where we stayed on our first night, at the Canibungan Island base camp. We were offered an upgraded hut for free, likely so they could save more tents. Since there were three of us (a couple and a solo traveler), we were supposed to use two tents. Instead, we stayed in just one hut where all three of us could fit, allowing them to allocate the tents we would have used to other solo travelers. Does that make sense?
Anyway, the hut where we are staying is not that appealing, as you can see and please excuse the mess, but again, it has been mentioned many times that Balabac isn’t for picky travelers. It may not be visually appealing, but it’s comfortable enough, with electricity for charging and an electric fan. This is like a 5-star hotel accommodation already guys!
On our second night, we will be camping on Onuk Island, so you need to get all your stuff and leave it in their storage room. Just bring the important things like money, gadgets, and anything you think is necessary. But trust me, there are no thieves in the islands of Balabac.
Luckily, we were offered an upgraded hut again in Onuk, but this time we needed to pay 500 pesos each. We didn’t hesitate because we wanted electricity for charging and, again, the electric fan. haha!
Well, this is way better than in Canibungan Island and I’d say this is a 6-start hotel accommodation LOL!
On our third night, we went back to Canibungan Island and were really expecting to be staying in tents this time. But again, we were lucky enough to be offered another hut upgrade. This time, it’s still free but very unique – we got to stay in one of the tour organizer’s huts. LOL.
I don’t know what we did to deserve this, but who are we to say no, right?
This is from Balabac Queen, so you might want to check out her page too.
So all in all, we we’re so comfortable during our whole Balabac trip. We don’t have any problems with tents because we were so ready – we brought e-fans, insect repellant and even our own lights but who are we to complain, right? LOL
Balabac Expedition Day 1: Tangkahan, Patawan and Canibungan Base Camp Islands
After leaving Buliluyan Port, the island hopping starts immediately. Yep, you read that right! I wasn’t informed about it, so we weren’t wearing any swimwear lol. Thankfully, we were told that we could change at Tangkahan Island – our first stop and where we’d be having lunch.
It was really a nice place to chill and we enjoyed the white beach while waiting for our lunch.
Next stop is Patawan Island! It is one of those places where you instantly want to jump in the moment you arrive. The sandbar was beautiful too, especially with the different shades of blue around it. Patawan is a developed island that’s why there’s a small resort there and when I checked, it’s only around 8000 pesos per night. Not bad!
Look how beautiful the island is!
After over an hour, we need to leave for our next destination – Canibungan Island! Canibungan is one of the beautiful islands and base camps in Balabac.
So we will be staying here for 2 nights – on our first night and third night.
To learn more about the Canibungan Base Camp and what you will be expecting there, you can check it HERE.
Balabac Expedition Day 2: Onok/Onuk Island & Nasubata Reef
On our second day, we are off to Onuk Island for an overnight stay. We had to leave our stuff, mainly our clothes, in their storage room because new tourists would be staying in the hut where we had stayed the night before. That’s how they roll!
To be honest, I was really excited to go to Onuk Island because I had seen so many videos online showing how beautiful the island is. Also, as a weather forecast geek, I was fully expecting rain throughout our whole trip because that’s what the forecast said. But thanks to the gods of water, the sun was shining brightly that day!
Just be ready to get splashed with seawater on your way to Onuk Island since the waves can get quite big because it’s already open sea. Imagine if it’s very windy that day.
Ron and I were so lucky because we saw a dolphin leap! Just one, and nothing more after that. Too bad I wasn’t recording at the time, so maybe it was meant for our eyes only. But I’m so happy about it because it was Ron’s first time seeing a dolphin! I’ve seen dolphins many times before, but it still caught me by surprise.
It was more or less an hour boat ride but before we arrive in Onuk Island, we visited Nasubata Reef and were given 30 minutes to snorkel. I haven’t had enough time to enjoy the reef because Yana’s snorkel went missing and we had to find it at first lol but anyway, I enjoyed the clear visibility of the water.
After 30 minutes, we’re heading to *drumroll* Onok/Onuk Island! Yay!! You’ll know you’re there because you’ll be greeted by expansive, shallow crystal-clear waters, and it’s so inviting, you can’t wait to dive in.
We had lunch when we arrived before we started exploring the place. I’m so giddy about Onok Island but I need energy first lol. We also had a free buko juice from our organizer since her headquarter is located here in Onok Island. Lucky!
Onuk Island is a sanctuary and breeding ground for pawikans, which explains why they’re everywhere. I’m not new to pawikans since there are many wild ones in Cebu, and I’ve also experienced seeing them in Apo Island. However, they still leave me in awe every time I see one! So the whole afternoon, all I did is to annoy them lol!
Now, this is Onok Island during a very low tide. As I mentioned earlier, not everyone stays overnight, so boats need to leave by 2:30 PM if they don’t want to get stranded here because, as you can see, the tide gets very, very low in the afternoon.
To read more about Onuk Island, click HERE
And look at this lovely sunset!
Balabac Expedition Day 3: Onok/Onuk Island & Candaraman Island
Our third day started with a heavy rain but it still didn’t stop us from enjoying Onuk Island since we still have enough time to stay on the island.
When it’s time to leave, we kept on saying to ourselves that we will be back here in Onuk and stay for 2-3 days! That’s a promise for sure!
Our next destination was Candaraman Island, where we had lunch. It became very cloudy, and there was a thunderstorm when we arrived, so we waited for it to pass while the others played volleyball.
When it’s time to continue the island hopping, we went immediately to Starfish Island, which is just 15 minutes away from the Candaraman Island.
Then to the Coral Garden
We then went back to the Canibungan base camp, and although it was fun, it was also very tiring, so we had to rest after dinner because we would be heading back to Puerto Princesa early the next morning.
We stayed another night in Puerto Princesa because we don’t want to rush things so we ate in Kalui Seafood Restaurant for dinner. I have tried it here 12 years ago and I’m recommending it to Ron and Yana.
Still the same aesthetic, but with improvements, of course. You still need to leave your shoes or slippers outside and go barefoot inside.
So far, they really love the food and we’re giving everything 10/10!
The next day, we had to say goodbye to Palawan again, but we’re really considering buying a property here because I love how simple life is. You never know.
