 The rustic backwater province of Palawan is located a world away from the teeming Philippine metropolis of Manila. The pace of life is slower here, and across the 1,780 islands that comprise Palawan Province there is only one official city. The rest of the outposts are quiet and sometimes hard to reach destinations that harbour a fascinating wealth of wildlife and natural beauty.
Sided by the South China and Sulu seas, the main island of Palawan is host to the provincial capital of Puerto Princesa. For those arriving in Palawan for the first time, this is the last sign of civilisation before heading towards jungles and distant islands off the coast. This is the place to do banking, dining and partying before or after excursions into nature.
Whatever Palawan lacks in modern infrastructure, it makes up many times over in natural attractions. Sabang lies close to the capital and boasts a subterranean river that has landed on the UNESCO World Heritage roster. Travel agencies organise canoeing trips through these marvellous caves, a spectacular experience for tourists.
 El Nido is the premier resort destination at Palawan, and it has its own airports to bring tourists directly to its beaches. Limestone rock formations characterise the landscape here and foster a unique stage for exploratory hikes. Meanwhile, countless coral reefs span the coastline of Palawan, and havens like Coron Reef and the Calamian Islands are ideal settings for scuba diving.
Palawan is also rich in archaeological attractions. The Tabon Caves have revealed evidence of an extensive prehistoric civilisation that arrived from Borneo some 50,000 years ago. The showpiece of these caves is the 20,000 year old Tabon Man and a collection of handmade tools and implements that were unearthed along with his remains.
 Accommodation can be found in all of the places that tourists venture, with the greatest concentration located near Puerto Princesa and El Nido. There are also a number lodges in more remote areas. Port Barton is about as remote as it gets, with a string of idyllic cottages nestled against the coastline, far from the hustle of the modern world.
The fantastic vacation spot of Palawan has much to offer visitors, and it's increasingly becoming a sought-after vacation spot. Warm Filipino hospitality keeps visitors here longer than they intended, and the serene environment guarantees that tourists will find all the rest and relaxation they need in between adventures into the Philippines' last frontier.
History
The earliest-known inhabitants of Palawan Island were migrants who arrived over a former land bridge that connected the island to nearby Borneo. By the 1100s, a thriving agricultural civilisation had been founded, with each of the subdivided villages ruled by Malay chieftains.
These ethnic Malayans traded heavily with Chinese merchants, a fact attested to by recent archaeological excavations revealing Chinese pottery and similar artefacts on Palawan. Presumably, the Malayan culture on Palawan dealt heavily in agricultural goods such as bananas, coconuts, ginger and sugar cane, along with a variety of livestock. These trading arrangements are given further credence by mention of this group of islands in ancient Chinese manuscripts.
The Calamianes Islands, in the northernmost region of modern-day Palawan, were the first to succumb to Spanish colonial rule. Early waves of Jesuit missionaries encountered heavy resistance from the local indigenous culture. However, by the 1700s, Spanish fortified churches served many colonial outposts both as a base from which to preach locals and as a refuge of defence against sporadic raids by local tribes.
In 1749, a significant portion of local Palawan Island was given to the Spanish crown by the Sultanate of Borneo. At this point, Spanish rule in the region was well established, and Palawan with its surrounding islands was subdivided into three colonial provinces: Asturias, Castilla and Balabac Island.
 The tides turned in the late 1800s, when the United States defeated Spain in the Spanish-American War and then purchased the Philippines for a sum of US$20 million. The provinces were consolidated into what is now modern-day Palawan, and a level of provisional self-governance was instituted in the Philippines.
Further strides toward independence were muddled in the wake of WWII and subsequent Japanese invasion. In a notorious turn, a faltering outpost of Japanese soldiers massacred nearly 150 Allied prisoners of war here on Palawan in1944.
Today, Palawan has earned a reputation as a Filipino 'frontier state', with two UNESCO World Heritage sites and miles of pristine coastline backed by largely untouched forests. The lack of logging here in Palawan has preserved much of what has been lost on other islands in the archipelago, making this an ideal destination for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers.
Weather
Fundamentally, Palawan's climate is divided into wet and dry seasons, though the intensity and duration of these seasons varies widely from one region to the next. On all sides of the island, the waters are calmest during the spring, and this is the safest time of year for small sea-faring vessels that transport tourists from one small island to the next.
 The climate on the east coast of Palawan is markedly different from that of other regions. Here, rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, with a brief dry season. On this side of Palwan there is no pronounced monsoon season. Heading south, tourists will find that the weather is increasingly less stormy throughout the year. Meanwhile, the northern coastline sees heavy downpours of rain from July to August.
Weather on Palawan's west coast is evenly divided into wet and dry seasons, each of which last roughly six months. This is the prevailing climate on the island, and most of the primary tourist attractions are in this region. Seasonal lows dip to 25°C, with cooler temperatures at higher altitudes. Highs regularly rise to the mid-30s (°C), especially along coastal areas.
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