Considered the largest province in the Philippines, Palawan is very popular with tourists as this is where some of the world’s first-rate beaches and islands are found.
While three popular destinations easily stand out in Palawan: the highly urbanized capital, Puerto Princesa, and the enchanting municipalities of Coron and El Nido, there is one other destination in the province that while considered underrated, is lately emerging as the preferred stop of tourists who wish for a more serene and laid-back getaway.
Site of what is considered as the longest beach in the Philippines, San Vicente, like Coron and El Nido, is a first-class municipality in Palawan that thrives on fishing and farming. Its long beach simply known as well, Long Beach covers four barangays and is already in the process of being transformed into an emerging tourist destination even as it has already attracted its fair share of tourists.
San Vicente is also home to Port Barton, perhaps its most popular barangay, and regarded by not a few to be a smaller and more tranquil alternative to El Nido.
As I found out for myself during a recent media familiarization tour hosted by Holiday Suites Port Barton resort, almost all of the activities you can do in El Nido, you can also engage in here at San Vicente including boat tours and the usual island hopping, kayak rental, scuba diving and snorkeling and perhaps even more.
If you’re traveling from Manila to Puerto Princesa airport as in our case, getting to Port Barton should only take less than three hours by land. As we took an early morning flight, we had to stop for breakfast at Holiday Suites in Puerto Princesa (yes, there are two of them in Palawan) before proceeding to Port Barton.
According to one of its proprietors and chief operating officer Ana Lustre-Malijan, Holiday Suites Port Barton is their second resort as part of the expansion of “Holiday Suites” brand. She said they decided on Port Barton due in large part to its natural wonders, picturesque landscapes, and yes, tourism potential.
“We could have expanded in El Nido but the potential of Port Barton was something I could not resist. It has a wonderful beachfront and the sunset is simply beautiful. It was love at first sight the first time I laid my eyes here,” Lustre-Malijan enthused.
The term “best kept secret” would be an understatement, to sum up Port Barton’s appeal. In addition to its white sand beaches and Instagram-worthy sunsets, the boat and island tours hosted by Holiday Suites provide an opportunity to bask in the pure and mostly untainted appeal of the Fantastic or Twin Reef with visible glimpses of sea turtles and starfish. Stops like Maxima Beach, Exotic Beach, Paradise Island, and Calipayan Camp Site also provide the kind of visual spectacle we only get to see in National Geographic and Discovery Channel documentaries.
And even with its seemingly remote location, Port Barton is hardly “technologically challenged” as guests who want to stay in touch with what’s happening with the rest of the “outside world” are not out of the loop, so to speak. This is thanks in large part to Holiday Suites’ reasonably fast internet connection enjoyed by both guests and diners alike. We were not surprised to frequently see a good number of foreign guests at this resort.
As the only DOT-accredited resort in its category in the area according to Lustre-Malijan, it’s also no surprise that Holiday Suites offers a diverse selection of accommodation options including Family rooms for big groups as well as Deluxe and Superior rooms with balconies that provide scenic views of Pagdanan Bay.
The always inviting poolside and beachfront bar and restaurant of the resort (“poolside na, beachfront pa!”) doesn’t just offer good food (the sinful lechon kawali is my particular favorite) as well as a fine selection of beverages and spirits. There is also entertainment provided by live performers alternating with DJs that start as early as the sun begins to set.
Despite the not-so-welcome drizzle that somewhat cut short our island-hopping adventure as well as the limited duration of our trip, I’ll concede that the paradise appeal of Port Barton and by extension, San Vicente and of course, Holiday Suites has easily won me over. Now I know there’s more to Palawan than the usual destinations.
I came here with the intent of simply recharging my batteries and finding some measure of respite from work. The pleasant discoveries, however, made me want to come back for more. I can imagine that there’s still a lot to explore here and of course, I’m already looking forward to more wonderful surprises should I get the chance to return. Photos courtesy of Holiday Suites Port Barton