Travel guide book Lonely Planet has ranked Palawan No. 8 on its list of “Best in Asia-Pacific” places to visit in 2019, describing it as the Philippines’ “last frontier” whose crown jewel is El Nido where “skyscraping karst formations rise out of the blue waters of Bacuit Bay”.
The Lonely Planet said “new air routes and upgraded roads” have made it easier now for travelers from all over the globe to come to Palawan to explore “dramatic seascapes and wildlife-laden jungles” strewn all over its 400 kilometer-long main island.
It also cited El Nido for its rules “that restrict visitor numbers at signature sights like the Big Lagoon on Miniloc Island” and for enforcing a ban “on single-use plastic bottles on tour boats to help tackle marine pollution”.
The list also suggested that if visitors are tired of the municipality, they can go to “backpacker haven Port Barton” in the town of San Vicente where there is a new airport.
The “Best in Asia-Pacific” guide is said to be the fourth edition of the series that has a filtered list of the Top 10 tour sites around the planet that is good to visit over the remaining months of this year.
Topping the LP’s list is Margaret River and Southern WA, Australia followed by Shikoku, Japan; Bay of Islands & Northland, New Zealand; Singapore; The Cook Islands; Central Vietnam; Fiji; Beijing, China; and Cambodia.
