Boracay or Palawan?
 

Which is nicer (clean, better beaches, safe)? Is one easier to get to from Manila than another?

I have only been to Palawan (I am going to hit Boracay this July) and it is amazing!!!! The white sand beaches are WHITE!! We stayed at one resort near Puerto Princessa (can't remember the name) and then stayed at a resort called Coco Loco which was in the north corner of Palawan. We flew to Palawan from Manila. We felt perfectly safe the entire time. It is also worth noting that we were there prior to most of the Abu Sayaf stuff (Winter 2000). When are you planning on going? If it is after this summer I can report about Boracay when I get back!

Sorry, I just realized I use the word "resort" very loosely. We stayed in nice beachfront accomodations (no air conditioning, television, phone, etc) that had private baths and an onsite restaurant.

We would be going during late December, so please do post your thoughts when you return. Thanks.

Just got back from the PI and we stayed in Boracay for two nights. It was nice--white sand beaches, clear water, great snorkeling (I don't dive so I can't comment on that). We stayed beachfront at the Casa Pilar for about $50 USD a night--the cottage had aircon, private bath, and cable television (no pool--but with the warm ocean who needs it). (There were also cottages that we non aircon-just fan). It had a great restaurant/bar onsite. We hired a guide from there for our stay for about $40 for the duration of our trip. He helped us get good prices on our boating trips for snorkeling, etc.

We took a ship down (wanted to do something different) from Manila and flew back. There are two airports near Boracay--one half an hour away which Asian Spirit flys into (non jet) and an airport two hours away that Philippine Airlines flys into. We opted for PAL and flew home. The airticket was about $60 USD (one way) and a private van to the airport (there were four of us) was about $30 USD. There are also shuttle buses to/from the airport for about $10 each way.

That all being said, both Boracay and Palawan were great--I would probably pick Palawan over Boracay mainly because Palawan is A LOT less commercial. Boracay has a million shops and people approaching you to rent you boat trips, snorkeling gear, etc. Palawan is a lot quieter. Like Palawan, we felt perfectly safe in Boracay. All in all, both places are fantastic and you will enjoy yourself whichever you choose. If you have any questions, let me know. I hope this helps!

Thanks!

Boracay and Palawan are both beautiful but different. Palawan is more secluded definitely less crowded. If you are a nature lover then you will definitely love Palawan. Two resorts worth noting are Amanpulo of the Aman resorts. Beautiful but too secluded for me unless you are on your honeymoon or you really want to get away from it all. A less expensive alternative is Lagen Island-- a mini version of Amanpulo.

I prefer Boracay-- get the best of both worlds. You can just lie by the beach or go to the spa or you can party with the locals and other foreigners. Fun! Don't expect any 5-star resorts though. Lots of clean, basic accomodations. Most pricey resorts are in Station 1 (less crowded beach)-- Friday's ($145/night). A new resort Nami opened recently so you may want to check it out too. Manila's who's are frequent guests in Waling Waling. Lots of restaurant choices, water sports, cheap $5 massages by the beach (w/ coconut oil!). You will love it.

I've been to Boracay and Palawan and honestly, they're both beautiful in their own way. It doesn't matter which one you pick because you'll enjoy both places! Go ahead and do rock, paper, scissors because you'll have fun anyways!