Palawan, The Philippines Last Frontier

Palawan is a beautiful island province in the Philippines. Tagged as the country's last frontier, Palawan was the only Philippine island cited as among the best vacation destinations globally by the National Geographic Society's published travel magazine National Geographic Traveler. In 2007, the island was named the best tourism destination across East and Southeast Asian region and was voted the 13th best vacation island in the planet for its exceptionally breathtaking landscapes and seascapes.

Terrestrial and marine biodiversity in Palawan is outstanding. In fact, the biodiverse features of the island earned it the prestigious Biosphere Reserve status, with notable local interest for both conservation and necessary sustainable development. The remoteness of Palawan is somehow helping maintain the pristine natural habitats in the province.

Palawan is very well known for its splendid and untouched beaches. All in all, the island destination is boasting of its close to 2,000 kilometers of attractive and irregular coastline. To make beachfronts more interesting, nature has sprinkled the coastline with about 1,780 islets, sugar-white sandy coasts and rocky coves.

Surrounded by natural coral shelves, Palawan is noted for its varied and highly colorful marine life. Vacationers are simply awed by Palawan's being a nature sanctuary. As if those are not enough, Palawan is home to two important World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

The Tubbataha Reef Marine Park was declared a world natural heritage in 1993 for its pristine coral reef that comes with a beauteous perpendicular wall, two coral islands and extensive lagoons. The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park was recognized as a world heritage in 1999 for its huge limestone karst landscape and an interesting underground river that directly goes into the sea, facilitating a mountain-to-sea ecosystem.

In terms of total land area, Palawan is officially the biggest province in the Philippines. The main island is called Palawan itself, consisting of a long and narrow strip of land. Groups of smaller islands surround the main one, including Calamian Group of Islands, Culion Islands, Busuanga Island and Coron Island. Additionally, the controversial and disputed Spratly Islands is geographically included as among Palawan's islands.

Typical of any province in the Philippines, the people of Palawan are very cordial and accommodating, making vacationers feel at home and welcome. The prevailing cultural races and groups are also diverse. The province is a hub for 87 of these ethnic and cultural groups. Basic culture is apparently having some touches of Middle Eastern, Chinese and Indian influences.

Because of the vast array of natural resources, Palawan has several active and revenue-flowing industries. The most notable are mining, fishing, manufacturing and agriculture. Tourism is quickly catching up and is taking a significant accountability for providing lucrative income sources for the entire province and for the country as well. That is why it is apparent that Palawan is now heavily promoted as a unique and irresistible vacation destination.

From any tourists' point of view, every inch of Palawan is suitable for tourism. The tropical climate is just perfect for outdoor fun activities and exploration adventures. There are even notable and unique native festivities, like the Pagdiwata Ritual, the Tarek Festival, Lambay Festival and Cuyo Fiesta.