Coron

Ride a bobbing bangka (catamaran) across the aquamarine waters of the Sulu Sea and into the mountain-topped bays of Coron Island, and you will surely be in awe. This diamond-shaped patchwork of hoodoos and craggy limestone rises is the very quintessence of tropical Palawan. Around the coast, there are inlets between the jungle-dressed coastal mountains; some filled with pearly blue waters, others overflowing with verdant mangrove swamps. One thing's for sure: you won't be alone as you make for the fabled Kayangan Lake, where countless swimmers jump from bamboo jetties into the transparent pools below. You also won't be alone as you kayak between the looming karsts of the gorgeous Twin Lagoon, listening as your Coron tour guide spins tales of mysterious hidden walkways behind the rocks. Then there are the golden sands of Banol Beach, one of the best in Palawan to revel in, while at the sunken Japanese shipwrecks and Barracuda Lake, snorkelling is the name of the game.