If you believe the travel agent clichés, Palawan is the Philippine's last frontier. For once, it's almost true. Tourism has yet to penetrate much of this long, sword-shaped island to the southwest of Luzon, and travellers willing to take the rough with the smooth will find a Jurassic landscape of coves, beaches, lagoons and razor-sharp limestone cliffs that rise from crystal-clear water. Palawan province encompasses 1780 islands and islets, most of which have irregular coastlines that make excellent harbours. Thick forests covering these steeply sloped mountains assure adequate watersheds for rivers and streams. Many of the islands are surrounded by a coral shelf that acts as an enormous feeding ground and nursery for marine life; it is sometimes said that Palawan's Tubbataha Reef is so ecologically important that if it dies, the Philippines will also die.

Palawan's history can be traced back 47,000 years, as confirmed by the discovery of caveman remains in Quezon, southwest Palawan. Anthropologists believe these early inhabitants came from Borneo across a land bridge that connected the two. There are several stories regarding the origin of the name Palawan. Some contend that it was derived from the Chinese words pa lao yu meaning "Land of the Beautiful Harbours". Popular belief, however, is that "Palawan" is a corrupted form of the Spanish word paragua, because the main island is shaped like a closed umbrella.

The capital of Palawan, Puerto Princesa makes a good starting point for exploring the province. A typical journey through Palawan might take you from Puerto Princesa, north to Honda Bay and the Underground River, then onwards up the coast to Port Barton, San Vicente and El Nido. From El Nido you can take a ferry north to Busuanga (Coron), and from there you can fly or take a ferry back to Manila. The southern half of Palawan, from Puerto Princesa downwards, is relatively unexplored.

The main gateway to Palawan is Puerto Princesa, served by daily flights from Manila with PAL, Air Philippines and SEAIR. Asian Spirit and SEAIR fly to Sandoval near Taytay in North Palawan, and to Busuanga, off the island's northern tip. WG&A and Sulpicio Lines ferries sail regularly from Manila to Busuanga and Puerto Princesa, while Negros Navigation operates from Manila to Puerto Princesa and Bacolod to Puerto Princesa, via Iloilo City. SEAIR has a particularly good network of flights within Palawan itself.