Balabac

MIMAROPA · Palawan

Balabac is the last frontier of Palawan — a cluster of 31 islands at the far southwest tip of the province, with water so clear and so blue it looks Photoshopped. Onok Island and Candaraman Island are the headline beaches: powdery white sand, zero facilities, and an absence of other tourists that's increasingly rare in the Philippines. Getting here takes commitment: fly to Puerto Princesa, then a 5-hour bus to Bataraza, then a bangka across. But that same difficulty is exactly why it's unspoiled