Living on a private Palawan houseboat in the Philippines

A lot of people considering a trip to the Philippines wonder what it’s like to wake up in a floating, off-grid, over the water, eco-hut in a private lagoon off Coron island. Well, it's incredible.

These houseboats are the only accommodations and restaurant in Coron Island. The island is a National Reserve, Marine Reserve, Unesco Biosphere Reserve and the Ancestral Land of the Tagbanua Tribe.

Paolyn Houseboats employs over 124 people, including many members of the Tagbanua Tribe.

But no trip to the Philippines would be legit without visiting Coron island. This uninhabited jewel is popular for eco-tourism, world-class diving, and seeing WW2 shipwrecks. It’s also a favorite spot among Filipinos themselves, so you know it’s good.

While there, we took a full-day, guided tour with 2 members of the island’s ancestral tribe, the tagbanua, so if you’re planning a visit yourself, this is the episode for you. Let’s jump in.

Contents:

• 0:00 Intro

• 0:52 Leaving Manila

• 3:30 Arriving in Busuanga, Palawan

• 3:50 Boating into Coron Island

• 5:55 Checking into our Paolyn Houseboat

• 7:50 Dinner at the Paolyn Restaurant

• 8:39 Full day guided tour of Coron Island

• 10:22 Kayangan Lake

• 11:58 Barracuda Lake

• 13:13 Coral Gardens

• 14:23 Vivian Beach

• 17:14 Lunch at Paolyn Restaurant

• 18:04 Heading back out for the afternoon tour

• 18:30 Snorkeling the secret garden

• 19:21 Skeleton Wreck

• 20:00 Banul Beach

• 20:49 Smith Coral Gardens

• 21:30 Smith Beach

• 22:16 Paolyn Houseboats Overview

• 26:54 Upgrading Houseboats

• 34:04 Conclusion