BALABAC, PALAWAN

PALAWAN, dubbed the Philippines' "Last Frontier" and the country's largest province by size, is every adventurer's dream destination. With almost 2,000 kilometers of irregular coastline lined with rocky coves and sugar-white sandy beaches, and 1,780 of the country's 7,641 islands, there is so much to see and do in this province.

The main island, Palawan, offers El Nido in the north, the Subterranean River and Honda Bay in Puerto Princesa, and the Tabon Caves in Quezon, where the skeletons of the Tabon Man were found. The Calamian group of islands, including Coron, Busuanga and Culion, attract thousands of nature lovers to explore its reefs and lakes. Other attractions include the remote Cuyo Islands, the exclusive Amanpulo, and the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage site and a marine and bird sanctuary consisting of two huge atolls.

However, there is one place that is slowly gaining attention for its unspoiled islands, remote and deserted white-sand beaches, and clear turquoise waters. This is the municipality of Balabac, the last of the "Last Frontier," located at the southern tip of the province. It is a municipality with a population of less than 45,000, mostly of native Molbog origin. The municipality consists of about 36 islands, including the main Balabac Island, which is only 50 kilometers (km) north of Sabah, Malaysia.

Getting there

One of the main attractions of Balabac is its remoteness. It is not easy to get there. A full day is necessary to reach Balabac, and another full day to return. Four to five days are needed to explore most of its islands. The best way to enjoy Balabac is to join an organized tour, which covers transfers to and from Puerto Princesa, island-hopping tours, lodging and camping, meals, and all fees and permits.

Travelers from Manila or Cebu need to fly to Puerto Princesa, stay overnight, and be ready by 2 a.m. for pickup by the van arranged by the tour operator. The van takes a 3- to 4-hour trip to reach the port of Buliluyan, the gateway to the islands of Balabac. Tour operators usually serve breakfast before taking their guests to the first island destination.

It is also possible to do a do-it-yourself trip to Balabac. From the airport, take a tricycle to Irawan Bus Terminal, then take a bus to Rio Tuba. In Rio Tuba, there is usually a boat that leaves between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Travel time to Balabac Island is about 4 hours.

Balabac Island

The main island is where the majority of Balabac's population resides. The boat from Rio Tuba and Buliluyan docks at the port located at the bay near Poblacion, which is home to the tourism office, municipal building, church, local market, and lodging houses. Your lodging house can help you arrange for a boat for island hopping or rent a motorcycle to explore the island.

The main attraction at Balabac is the old Spanish Lighthouse of Cape Melville, built in 1892 to guide sea vessels crossing the Balabac Strait between the Philippines and Malaysia. Another recently installed attraction is the Magallanes-Elcano Landmark, commemorating the first circumnavigation by Magellan, which made a brief stop at Balabac Island before heading back to Spain.

Island hopping

Compared with El Nido or Coron, where you can visit three to four islands a day, island hopping in Balabac is different. The great distances between islands mean it is only possible to visit one or two islands per trip. The waters in this part of the Sulu Sea are so unbelievably clear and shallow that it feels like riding on a giant pool filled with blue Gatorade. The islands are so beautiful and pristine that you tend to stay on them longer.

The dolphin-shaped Patawan Island and palm-fringed Patongong Island, both closer to Buliluyan, are perfect previews of the paradise islands of Balabac. Onuk Island, a tiny islet with a stunning sandbar, shallow waters, and resident friendly sea turtles, is an ideal place to swim, snorkel or just laze around on its powdery-white sands.

Candaraman Island has a long stretch of white-sand beach and a small community of seaweed growers. The nearby Starfish Island is teeming with chocolate chip starfish that visitors can see up close (though touching them is not allowed) during low tide. In Mansalagan Island, a kilometer-long sandbar also appears during low tide. A small island called Marabun village, where you can find houses on stilts, is another favorite stopover because it is a barter trade village offering products like instant nasi goreng, chocolates, coffee and many more from Malaysia.

Punta Sebaring, with its 6-kilometer white sand beach and the hidden Queen Helen Sandbar at the southern tip of Bugsuk Island, is a perfect spot to camp on the beach between the stars and the sea. Having no electricity, padded beds, or mobile phone signal are probably the best excuses to unplug for days on this hidden paradise called Balabac.

2024-08-12T17:25:15Z dg43tfdfdgfd