TRAVEL TO SABANG BEACH, PALAWAN,PHILIPPINES
Palawan Island is a popular destination for many international tourists who visit the Philippines. Usually, they flock to Coron Islands or El Nido Beach. Recently, Sabang Beach has become a go-to destination because of its beautiful beach and its proximity to the Puerto Princesa Underground River, one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
Sabang Beach is located about 100 kilometers north of Puerto Princesa. To reach Sabang Beach from Manila: Fly to Puerto Princesa Airport (estimated fly time: one hour) and book a minibus going to Sabang ( approximately 2 hours ) from Puerto Princesa Airport.
TRANSPORT:
It is definitely advantageous and convenient to book your transport with your hotel before arriving in Palawan. Minibus fares costs around $10 per person. The place is remote and rural but the roads are well paved and wide.
Usually, it costs around $300 to fly roundtrip from Manila to Puerto Princesa (PPS). We wanted a better deal so we waited patiently until Philippine Airlines had its Seat Sale. Patience always pays so we bagged our tickets for $100 each!
When we fly local, we prefer Philippine Airlines because of the service, choice of flights and the overall quality of the airline. Other airlines who fly there are Air Asia and Cebu Pacific.
HOTEL:
We booked through Agoda.com and opted to stay at the Sheraton Beach Hotel, a 4-star hotel in Sabang. Rates were around $100 a night when we were there. There are other less pricey options in the area but we figured the facilities ( pool, garden, rooms, restaurant) would make us happy.
The hotel’s electricity is run by generators 24/7 but there are constant interruptions during the day that lasted a minute or two. The rooms were clean and had good wifi although some of our companions thought some rooms look dated. Food was good at their restaurant so we did not have a need to leave the property.
The hotel’s pool is touted to be longest in Palawan. It had a good kids area and a pool bar in the middle. It was clean and not too chlorinated and not too crowded so it was very relaxing to hang out there.
The topography: there were beautiful majestic mountains in the back of the property and a long stretch of beach in the front. It is in a quiet rural remote area and it is definitely conducive to relaxation.
The beach is only a few meters from the hotel and our kids played in the sand for a huge part of the morning and had so much fun. The best time to go is from October to March but we were there in June and it was great weather despite the fact that it was rainy season in the Philippines (lucky us!).
ACTIVITIES:
There are many activities for families like kayaking, boarding, zip lining, ATV, farm and mangrove visits and of course, the Underground River.
Our family decided early on that it was best to spend more time at the beach and enjoy the water, the sand, the wind, and each others’ company. And we did. Spending quality time with family in a beautiful and quiet area made all the difference in making our travel so meaningful and restful.
Overall, visiting the Sabang Beach was a good vacation choice.