Recommended Travel Accessories for Palawan

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Palawan Philippines is a beautiful place for island hopping, snorkelling and lazing on a beach but the environment can be pretty harsh. Your stuff will be subject to the sun, sea water, sand, rain, heat and humidity. Here’s some travel gear we highly recommend. If you can’t find the products near you I’ve included a link to Amazon.com to the the best products with the highest customer reviews.

Waterproof Selfie Camera Stick

You should know that the Philippines is the ‘Selfie Capital’ of the world. Manila even has the ‘world’s first selfie museum.’ Filipinos are social and proud and love to show off their heritage so it’s no surprise a selfie stick is a must. The Selfie Stick by The Alaska Life© is totally waterproof and made to take rugged conditions like those in Palawan. It can also convert to a monopod and fits a GoPro. > Find other Selfie Sticks at Amazon.com

Waterproof Cell Phone Case

The one thing we regretted not bringing the first time we were in Palawan was an underwater camera. It would be nice if everyone could afford a GoPro Hero (we bit the bullet and have one now) but don’t let that stop you from taking pictures underwater. Palawan is too gorgeous to pass up once in a lifetime photo opportunities. For under $10 you can turn your cell phone into one with a waterproof cell phone case. We recommend the JOTO Universal Waterproof Case Bag It’s IPX8 Certified to 100 feet. > Find an Underwater Cell Phone Case at Amazon.com

Travel Snorkel Set

If you intend to do a lot of snorkelling in Palawan I recommend bringing your own snorkel, mask and fins. We weren’t keen on using a rented snorkel that everybody else puts in their mouths (even though they are cleaned). We found the best travel snorkel sets are made by U.S. Divers. Be aware they are made for the recreational, novice snorkelers. Our gear has taken a beating the last 5 years so we’ll upgrade when we finally settle in Palawan. There will be no more need to stuff them in our travel packs. If you don’t have the space for a full set at least get yourself a snorkel. We recommend the U.S. Divers Adult Cozumel Mask Gearbag Set. It comes in a travel ready bag. > Find a Travel Snorkel Set at Amazon.com

General Purpose Dry Bag / Waterproof Bag

We’re avid outdoors people with lots of experience in the back country, hiking, camping and canoeing. We know how things can get wet. Whether canoeing in Northern Canada or island hopping in Palawan you can’t beat a waterproof bag. Stuff anything you don’t want soaked like wallets, clothing and expensive electronics. When we were on a Tao expedition we heard a story about a couple of tourists who lost their very expensive cameras and cell phones when they flipped their kayak. Ouch! Salt water is not kind. Get a good one like a SealLine or Sea to Summit and you’ll never have to worry. > Find a Dry Bag at Amazon.com

Water Shoes / Reef Shoes / Aqua Shoes

I never thought about using them before but after hearing about the tourist who recently died in Coron by stepping on something poisonous (alleged stonefish) in the corals it’s on the top of my mind. I keep thinking about all the times I’ve gone barefoot on the beach and in the water. You never know what’s hiding underneath. I’ll be getting a pair before we return to Palawan. > Find Water Shoes at Amazon.com

Rash Guard

Whether you’re cruising in a bangka or floating in the water the sun can be especially intense. We jokingly call it ‘microwave tanning’ because the sun’s rays get reflected by the water. A bad sunburn is no joke though and can put a damper on your activities. Our friend made the mistake of not putting enough sunblock on (we’re guilty of this too) and came out looking like a lobster after about a good hour of snorkelling. On the next snorkelling spot we lent him a rash guard so he could continue. It also helps to protect you from jellyfish stings. > Find Rash Guards at Amazon.com

Money Belt For Travel

Except for Puerto Princesa and Coron there are no banks or ATMs in Palawan. Most businesses especially the smaller ones like restaurants or boat hires accept only cash. This means you will most likely be carrying a large amount of bills. We always have. Overall Palawan is still a pretty safe place but you might want to carry your money as well as you passport in a secure money belt around your waist. We recommend the Zero Grid Money Belt. It has RFID blocking built-in to protect your credit cards and protect you from identity theft. > Find a Travel Money Belt at Amazon.com

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