In many ways the country's final frontier, Palawan is an island of astounding natural beauty in the west of the Philippines. The south of the island in particular is home to almost unexplored lush forest, rivers and waterfalls still only accessible to more adventurous travellers.

There are parts of the island that are more easily visited, however, such as the pretty town of El Nido, dramatically positioned in a north-western bay surrounded by soaring limestone cliffs where swallows make their nests (which are collected and used in Chinese restaurants for bird's nest soup).

The charming town has a few guesthouses, but is otherwise untainted by tourism and makes an ideal jumping off point for visiting the numerous beautiful islands of the Bacuit Archipelago.

Many visitors to Palawan come to see the 7km-long underground river near St Paul's Bay, which can be reached by boat from Baheli. The trip through the long, dark cave by torch is a real adventure, made all the more atmospheric by the resident bats flying around.

Palawan has become a famous diving spot, the best place for which is the amazing expanse of reef called Tubbataha between Palawan and Mindanao. This enormous reef (332 sq km) attracts increasing numbers of divers who come to swim with sharks and stingrays amidst soft coral gardens. Dive tour operators in Cebu and Manila arrange trips to Tubbataha.

Palawan is considered to be the Philippines' "last frontier". The province boasts of many splendid beaches and has two World Heritage Sites: Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park.