4 Dreamy Days In Balabac, The Philippines

Get lost in an endless expanse of translucent blues in Balabac, the southernmost tip of Palawan, the Philippines’ last frontier.

I’ll let you in on a secret. Who would’ve thought that the world’s most desirable island, Palawan, had more to offer beyond El Nido and Coron’s dramatic landscapes? Skip the tourist-filled shores and embark on an exhilarating but rather fulfilling beach-packed adventure to the barely touched islands of Balabac.

Here’s your ultimate four-day trip guide to one of the archipelago’s most treasured gems.

Day 1: Onok Island

Balabac’s remote and remarkable charm does not look like quite anything you’ve seen anywhere else in the Philippines. It is situated further south of Palawan and just three hours away from Sabah, Malaysia. On a clear day, Mount Kinabalu is visible from the islands.

the shallow and clear waters at Onok Island, Balabac, Palawan, Philippines — The shallow waters are as clear as day. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Set foot on the wooden stilted walkway of Onok Island and stare in awe at its turquoise waters comparable to the Maldives. Get your eyes peeled for egrets, sea turtles, stingrays and tiny fishes hopping gracefully in the shallow clear waters.

a wooden stilted walkway on the shallow waters of Onok Island, Balabac, Palawan, Philippines — Traverse the wooden stilted walkway at Onok Island. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Lounge on the vanishing sandbar

There are abundant reefs and sandbars dotting the Balabac Strait. Onok Island has the widest vanishing sandbar with the whitest and purest sand in Balabac. The shifting tides reveal a sight to behold come mid-afternoon. Feel the soft sand beneath your toes as the aquamarine waters gently sway to the shore.

the vanishing white sandbar at Onok Island — Walk barefoot on the soft and fine white sandbar at Onok Island. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Chase the sunset

The long and winding journey to Balabac is worth every second of your time. Find yourself swooning over the sunset views at Onok Island. Gaze at the blazing hues as the tides slowly rise and progress to the submerged walkway on stilts.

the vanishing sandbar at Onok Island, Balabac, Palawan, Philippines — The vanishing sandbar opens up during low tide. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

At night, your local boatmen will prepare your early dinner, which consists of mostly seafood dishes with sliced fruits on the side. Don’t forget to charge your phones as electricity only lasts until 10 pm at the Onok campsite. Set up your tent facing the beach, where you’ll sleep underneath the shade of tall palm trees. Rest up so you’ll be the first to witness the sunrise.

a tent on the beach during sunrise, Balabac, Palawan — Wake up to breathtaking sunrise views. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Day 2: Starfish Island, Canibungan Island and Mansilungan Sandbar

Island-hopping tours in Balabac begin early in the morning. Refuel with a hearty breakfast meal. If you’re an early riser, you’ll get more chances to explore the islands longer than planned.

a group of tourists swimming in the clear blue waters of Mansilungan Sandbar, Balabac, Palawan — Clear blue waters reveal the Mansilungan Sandbar. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Balabac comprises 31 islands, and each is approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour apart. Don’t expect to visit them all at once because most of the islands depend on the shifting tides. Unpredictable wind directions and weather conditions could also change your island itinerary for the day.

a boatman holding two Chocolate Chip Starfish — Several chocolate chip starfishes are dotting the Balabac seascape. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Go stargazing underneath the sapphire waters

Starfish Island is the dreamiest spot perfectly laid out on the edge of the blissful seascape. Dotting the tranquil blue waters are countless sea stars, primarily Chocolate Chip Starfish. If you get lucky, you’ll see quite a lot of them depending on the shifting tides.

a Chocolate Chip Starfish on the shore — Spot a star on the shore. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Lunch at Canibungan Island

Have your lunch served on day two of your Balabac tour at Canibungan Island, a powdery white-sand beach fringed with pine trees. There are hammocks tied to coconut trees, where you can lounge and admire the panoramic scenery in front of you. Then, cool off at the crystal emerald waters verdantly landscaped with abundant seagrass beddings.

pine trees on the side of the shore at Canibungan Island — Canibungan Island is fringed with lush pine trees. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Snorkel at Mansilungan Sandbar

End the day snorkelling around the calm, shallow waters of Mansilungan Sandbar. It’s a sight to behold that emerges from the translucent waters at midday. The pearl-white sand feels like talcum powder the minute you set foot on the soft, smooth shoal.

Mansilungan sandbar vanishes during high tide in Balabac, Palawan — Patches of white, green and blue are evenly spread out in Balabac Strait. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Day 3: Sicsican Island, Cabon-Cabon Island and Timbayan Rock Formations

Often overlooked as a croc-dominated island, Balabac is evidently as safe and serene as the rest of the coastal towns in Palawan. Besides countless white-sand beaches and vanishing sandbars, the islands are dotted with jagged rock formations on its outback coastlines.

a natural runway and a palm-fringed shore on the background at Timbayan Rock Formations, Balabac, Palawan, Philippines — Timbayan Rock Formations has a natural runway leading to the palm-fringed shore. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Admire the hat-shaped Cabon-Cabon Island

The morning boat ride to Cabon-Cabon Island is surprisingly still and calm. When I asked our boatman, he said we were passing by a stream in the middle of the sea. Just a few metres from where we were heading, we spotted dense, thick mangroves where saltwater crocodiles were believed to be slumbering.

view of the dot-like Cabon Cabon Island in Balabac, Palawan, Philippines — Cabon-Cabon Island is perhaps the smallest among the Balabac group of islands. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Cabon-Cabon Island is among the smallest islands in Balabac. Not too far ahead is a white-sand beach with shallow waters that glow blissfully. The rocky islet offers sweeping views of the West Philippine Sea. Don’t forget to wear your aqua shoes before posing for the gram on the beach rock units.

a close-up shot of Cabon Cabon Island, Balabac, Palawan, Philippines — The island features a mix of rock and sand. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Hop your way around Timbayan Rock Formations

When the barreling waves were back, we stopped by what the locals call Timbayan Rock Formations. Be prepared to hike up a small hill that overlooks a natural runway on top of overhanging huge boulders and granite rocks. You can ask your boatmen to set up lunch on the island before heading to your next stop.

view of the natural runway on top of Timbayan Rock Formations, Balabac, Palawan, Philippines — Hike up the Timbayan Rock Formations. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Take a short nap on the sun loungers at Sicsican Island

One of the picturesque palm-fringed islands in Balabac is the Sicsican Island. Its calm, pristine waters make it perfect for a swim. But if you’re too exhausted from your boat ride for hours on end, just laze on the beach or in a hammock and sun loungers while sipping fresh coconut juice in hand.

a palm-fringed beach at Sicsican Island, Balabac, Palawan, Philippines — Set foot on the powdery white sand of Sicsican Island. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Fronting the beach are A-frame houses that serve as a campsite for backpackers. A portion of the island is reminiscent of Siargao, one of the best islands in the Philippines famed for its laid-back beaches and vast coconut woodlands.

coconut trees at Sicsican Island, Balabac, Palawan, Philippines — Strike a pose behind the tall coconut trees as your backdrop. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Day 4: Patawan Island, Tangkahan Island and Canimeran Island

Not known to many, the Philippines is the centre of the world’s biodiversity. The last of its last frontier also prides itself as a biodiversity hotspot. Aside from being the nesting spot for pawikans or sea turtles, Balabac is also home to endemic wildlife species like Pilandok or the Philippine mouse deer.

a sea turtle on the way back to the shore after laying eggs, Balabac, Palawan, Philippines — Pawikans or sea turtles lay their eggs in nests on the beach. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

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Step into the pink-hued sand at Patawan Island

Organ pipe corals (Tubipora musica) are abundantly growing on pink beaches, particularly in the islands of Patawan and Comiran. The shifting tides reveal a dolphin-shaped island at Patawan with steady waves perfect for swimming and snorkelling.

a boat docked on the side of the beach at Patawan Island — Patawan Island’s white sand is mixed with pulverized pinkish corals. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Laze in a hammock at Tangkahan Island

Time suddenly stops and picks up again when you’re stuck in paradise. Make the most of your fourth and last day in Balabac by admiring the laid-back beach of Tangkahan Island. Swim to your heart’s content before heading to your last stop for lunch at Canimeran Island.

a white-sand beach at Tangkahan Island, Balabac, Palawan, Philippines — Laze on the soft white sand at Tangkahan Beach. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Make a final pitstop at Canimeran Island

Head in for a seafood lunch to refuel and recharge before routing back to Buliluyan port. Amid lush greenery are large huts where you can set up your packed lunch on the picnic tables. The sand at Canimeran Island is also tinged with crushed red corals, making it look pinkish. Cap off your last day in Balabac with a refreshing dip which you’ll surely miss when you get back home.

a hut surrounded by lush greenery at Canimeran Island, Balabac, Palawan, Philippines — Stop for lunch at Canimeran Island. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

A traveller’s checklist

a tourist map of Palawan, Philippines — Check out the tourist map of Palawan for your guide. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Getting there

Fly from Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila to Puerto Princesa, which takes 1 hour and 25 minutes of flight time. From there, it’s roughly a five-hour drive by van to Buliluyan Port in Bataraza, the nearest jump-off point from the mainland. Then, you’ll hop on a speed boat that will take you to Balabac town proper, which is about two hours of travel time.

tourists aboard a traditional sailboat in Balabac, Palawan — Explore Balabac Islands aboard a traditional sailboat. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Staying there

There are no luxury resorts or hotels on the islands, just yet. But there are lodging options and camping sites with A-frame or tipi houses and tents. Let the softly caressing waves lull you to sleep and wake up to rewarding sunrise views on the beach.

a tipi house on Sicsican Island, Balabac, Palawan, Philippines — Stay in an A-frame house on Sicsican Island. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Eating there

Feast on freshly cooked seafood dishes like crabs, lobsters, Lapu-Lapu, Tuna and Tanigue prepared or captured at sea by your kind-hearted boatmen en route to or from the islands.

fried calamari and lobsters — Savour freshly cooked lobsters and fried calamari for lunch. (Image: Cathlyn Botor)

Good-to-know tips

Balabac has limited campsites for your trip. It’s best if you book private tours that already include food, accommodation and transport. You can check out Balabac Expedition by Fidel or Kamp Malaya for joiner packages.
Bring extra money, snacks and drinking water to stay hydrated. There are no ATM machines or currency exchange centres on the islands.
Make sure to bring your power bank especially if you camp overnight on one of the islands. There is limited electricity supply so it’s better to charge your phones while the generator runs on the campsite of your choice.
Pack light. The whole trip involves countless boat transfers and the waves may leave you soaking wet.
Expect to go rough backpacking. Some areas have a limited supply of water.

After youth-led protests in 2025, this year Nepal elected a 35-year-old former rapper as Prime Minister. In a country where tourism is its biggest industry, what’s next for travellers?

In 1986, Nepal changed its clock. It had used India Standard Time since 1920 so, to differentiate, it wound its clock 15 minutes ahead of, not behind, its big-brother neighbour. Boss move. “Nepal is strongly opposed to the idea that our identity is connected to India,” says Community Homestay Network (CHN) guide Bikal Khanal.

Tharu dance is traditionally set to hand drums. (Credit: Kate Lewis)

Today, Nepal is the only independent country with a 45-minute deviation to universal time; an oddity that’s become a symbol of national pride. The quirk is nearly as endearing as Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan airport where carved varnished wood and shiny red bricks rule. One sign points to a ‘Travelator’ and another to a ‘Grievance Handling Desk’ while visas are noisily stamped at customs for US dollars, cash only. When am I?

Spot the endemic Nepal gray langur. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

The 15 or 45 minute anomaly sees me tap out completely on timezone calculations. Why bend my brain calculating if it’s quarter to or quarter past elsewhere when I’m in the honking here and now of Kathmandu where the air is high-altitude crisp, the prayer flags flutter and the street dogs howl?

How tourism is changing in Nepal

Bardiya National Park is rich with wildlife. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

India is not the only association many Nepalis would like to shake. With eight of the world’s 10 tallest mountains, including Mount Everest and Annapurna, Nepal has long attracted mountaineers and trekkers, and expedition numbers are continuing to rise.

Tourism is one of the country’s biggest sources of foreign currency, so this growth is not negative, per se. But according to Ang Tshering Lama, who co-founded Phaplu Mountain Bike Club, being reduced to a mere trekking destination is limiting.

“Trekking is just one layer of our identity,” says Ang. “When it becomes the dominant narrative, it limits how we’re seen and how we see ourselves.” Nepal’s recent success, however, in diverting trekkers to less-trafficked areas such as Manaslu mofuntain, where visitor numbers rose by 117 per cent last year, offers hope that tourism can diversify even more radically.

Local men in Bhada village. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

The founder of CHN, Shiva Dhakal, wants that change. “The whole idea of the Community Homestay Network is to promote experiences outside of trekking,” he says. “Community tourism changes lives and helps kids stay home instead of coming to the city or migrating to the Middle East.”

Ang grew up seeing people leave, “not because they wanted to but because there weren’t enough opportunities to stay”, he states. Yet from remote villages to living traditions; food, art, music and emerging subcultures, “there’s so much that’s not being seen.”

CHN is opening some of those doors. It doesn’t own, or fund, any homes. Rather, it promotes homestays to travellers on a single, slick platform, while fostering entrepreneurship in places where women, marginalised castes, Indigenous people and the youth stand to benefit the most.

A new generation demanding more

Dalla Town Hall, where volunteers discuss anti-poaching tactics. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

The future prospects of next-gen Nepalis can no longer be ignored. On a Kathmandu tour with 33-year-old guide Monica K.C, we pass buildings torched in the September 2025 ‘Gen Z protests’, including the Supreme Court and Parliament House. Seventy-two people died. “They were anti-corruption protests,” says Monica. “Politicians’ children are living a lavish life but the airports are crowded with youngsters leaving to find work.”

We stop in ‘little Tibet’ at the wondrous sixth-century Boudha Stupa. “The wheel of life is Buddhism in a nutshell,” says Monica. “Things such as hate, ignorance and anger keep you rotating around the wheel, so you must follow the principles of Buddhism to detach. If you can’t, there’s no nirvana for you.”

Boudha Stupa's prayer wheels — Boudha Stupa’s prayer wheels are used to recite Buddhist prayers. (Credit: Kate Lewis)

In a sun-drenched twist to the usual temple visit, we ascend the stupa’s sloping plinth and roam its whitewashed dome. Tendrils of diaphanous prayer flags stream from a steeple-like structure where the Buddha’s unblinking eyes stare out. No nirvana for you…

bouda stupa prayer flags — Tibetan-style prayer flags embellish the whitewashed dome of Bouda Stupa, a Buddhist temple. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

The dome is delightfully free of guard rails or chiding from security. There is, however, a stern ‘No TikTok’ sign, perhaps in response to the youth’s newly flexed power. The booted-out Prime Minister, K.P. Sharma Oli, was replaced in a resounding election victory in March by 35-year-old Balendra Shah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) – a former rapper and mayor of Kathmandu. The RSP’s manifesto indicates tourism is a priority, and that Nepal’s cultural identity in areas such as gastronomy will be strengthened.

Boudha Stupa vendors — Vibrant souvenir shops and cafes around Boudha Stupa. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

A more confronting stop awaits at Pashupatinath Temple. Today is Bala Chaturdashi, a Hindu festival where thousands of devotees gather to honour their dead ancestors. Vendors hauling foam mattresses do a lucrative trade as people set up for a night of vigil. This includes burning the bodies of recently deceased relatives on bamboo pyres in the Bagmati River, which flows into the sacred Ganges.

A woman at annual Hindu festival Bala Chaturdashi, in Kathmandu. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Wrapped in a shroud, the bodies are positioned with their heads facing north to the Himalayas where Lord Shiva resides. They’re covered with flowers and straw and set alight by male family members.

Hours later, the ashes are swept into the river where devotees will take a holy dip the next day. As much as Monica assures us it’s not voyeuristic to watch, I struggle to do so. “Here you see the reality of life because everyone ends up there,” she says, gesturing to the river.

Life unfiltered in the Terai region

tharu woman — Tharu woman and master weaver Parbati Chaudhary in Bhada Village. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

The reality of life needs processing time, which the western Terai region delivers in spades. The Terai is largely separated from India by the Karnali River and Bardiya National Park, where elephants, rhinos and the elusive Bengal tiger roam.

Once a nomadic tribe, the Indigenous Tharu people are now the largest ethnic group here. “They didn’t know their daily life was interesting for international travellers but they’re starting to understand now,” says CHN founder Shiva.

Take a Jeep safari through Bardiya National Park. (Credit: Bheem Thapa)

We fly Buddha Air to Dhangadhi airport and drive five hours to stay in Tharu homes. The journey to Bhada village is a blur of roadside fruit stalls, traffic-stopping sacred cows and fields sown with wheat, rice, mustard, spinach, cauliflower and potatoes. Nepal’s agriculture feeds only Nepal.

Marigolds are an important part of Hindu rituals. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

“The only thing we export is young people,” says our guide Bikal. As the light dims and we plunge evermore rural, mysterious mounds of compacted hay – some house-sized – loom like the creatures from Where The Wild Things Are. Even our trusty driver gets flummoxed by a dirt road that abruptly ends and we find ourselves hurtling across a paddock.

On arrival, some are ferried to mud-walled cottages greened by gourd creepers, with thatched roofs and rustic-chic mosquito nets. Myself and two others are ushered to the home of corner store owner, mechanic and mushroom farmer Man Kumar Chilaruwa and his wife Rajkumari.

community homestay entrance — A warm welcome at a community homestay. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

They escort us to a bunker-esque back building with steel doors and a folding security gate, behind which is gleaming linoleum, dolphin-printed tiles and a shower cavity that must be gingerly stepped through to reach the toilet.

The ceiling lights emit a rainbow of colours (the bathroom light gets stuck in, frankly, a quite frightening red). We’re nevertheless touched that our hosts invested in all this bling when the average salary is around $275 a month.

In the coming days, we participate in Tharu traditions such as making moonshine, dancing, weaving straw handicrafts and gold-panning. We’re fed well with staples of rice, mustard greens, lentil pancakes, daal, curried chicken and tomato chutney served on antibacterial saal leaves.

food at community homestay — Dig in. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Sonara community homestay president Indradevi Tharu tells us river snails are often served, and the boiled and pickled flesh of rats hunted in the rice fields. “Perhaps next time?” we say and all have a laugh.

The power of community homestays

community homestay owners in Nepal — Barda community homestay owners Parbati Chaudhary and Ram Krishni Devi Chaudhary. (Credit: Simon Urwin)

Immersing Western visitors in foreign cultural practices is not new. But with the Tharu, I never get that uneasy sensation that I’m being performed for. Despite being the only tourists, there’s no ‘othering’; just warm, composed and ultra-dignified welcomes. Like we’ve always been here.

“I love to have travellers in my village so I can see the world,” says local woman Parbati Chaudhary. “Why would I travel the world when the world comes to me?”

The graceful acceptance the Tharu offer, as well as the slow pace, works miracles on my frazzled nervous system. One day I even take a nap on a vacant homestay bed.

Sonara community room — An authentic stay in the Sonara community. (Credit: Kate Hennessy)

Roosters strut and goats bray as we sit on the ground in al fresco kitchens, rolling rice flour into cylinders steamed to make dhikri (dumplings). When water is needed, we fetch it using a hand-operated pump as a family of ducks strolls by, side-eying us like curious neighbours.

Animal lovers will delight in Tharu villages. Kind and resourceful inventions are everywhere, such as snacking stations where two posts lean together, with leafy boughs dangling on rope for baby goats to forage from.

CHN’s CEO, Aayusha Prasain, nods knowingly when one in our group says she cried when she left her host, Shayam Chaudhary, in Bhada. Shayam’s 17-year-old son, Prashant, had translated, which deepened the connection.

“Community tourism turns travel into a relationship, not a transaction,” says Aayusha. “It places decision-making power in the hands of local communities, especially women and youth.” Since 2018, CHN has hosted more than 4000 travellers from 52 countries in 408 households, and estimates women’s participation has increased by 381 per cent.

In the Bardiya community, where vexing human-animal conflict has been a balancing act for decades due to elephants raiding crops, long-time homestay operator Salik Ram Chaudhary says young people keep the older ones on their toes.

“We can’t keep homestays stagnant,” he says. “We have to upgrade our service and redefine our product or young people won’t see it as an attractive business. If we can keep evolving with this travelling trend we’re confident the youths will stay and continue it.”

Back in Kathmandu, Monica explains that after the deaths of young protestors in September, a determination had spread to not let their sacrifice be in vain. “We want to keep holding the government accountable,” she says. “We don’t know what situation we’re facing, but we’re ready to face it.”

Interested in Nepal but prefer to experience it in total comfort? Read our guide to luxury travel in Nepal.

How to spend 4 dreamy days in Balabac, Philippines