Andthe best part isit hasnt got any annoying crowds of tourists despite the fact that its a fairly inexpensive destination.

Yep, the place is real, even though it sounds like the incarnation of every cheesy promotional clich in beach brochure land.

SoI can hear you asking whats the catch?

Unwelcome Attention
Welljust one, but something youre not supposed to take lightly: the island is Palawan, Philippines, too close for comfort to the countrys volatile south, a hotbed of political insurgence and mercenary banditry. Just a little less than two years ago Palawan gained the kind of major international media attention that was the nightmare of every Philippine government official. In the early morning of May 27, 2001 members of the notorious Abu Sayyaf group abducted 20 tourists from an island resort just off the coast of Puerto Princesa, Palawans capital. Tourists were held hostage for more than a year before the mess was finally resolved, but at a tragic loss of lives.

That single incident was enough to scare away tourists. But Palawan remains one extremely tantalising destination. And with measures in place to hopefully prevent similar catastrophes from happening, visitors are slowly trickling in.

Private Eden
In a series of shows called Discovering the Worlds, renowned explorer Jacques Costeau called Palawan The Last Refuge. True enough, in a country with a horribly overcrowded and polluted capital, and an environmental record that would turn any green activist white with alarm, its the Philippines own Eden, an oasis in a jaded land. Probably due to its relatively remote location it has eluded the unpleasant spectre of over-commercialised tourism which seems to hover unpleasantly over most holiday destinations in the country.

Located in the Philippines extreme west, Palawan is a little archipelago composed of over a thousand islands. The biggest is a narrow mountainous mass that stretches 425 kilometres from north to south. In the north, Coron and Busuanga islands offer white sand beaches, forests and beautiful natural scenery. Coron in particular is known for its karsts, towering limestone formations on the sea surface. Much grander, though, are El Nidos limestone cliffs on Palawans northwest. Near the tip of Busuanga is Calauit Island, a wildlife sanctuary of African animals brought in during the 70s and other exotic creatures endemic to the Palawan archipelago like deer, bearcats and anteaters.

Heritage Sites
Puerto Princesa, the capital, is located roughly in the centre of Palawan Island. It has its share of pretty white beaches but biggest attraction is the World Heritage Site Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park which covers a vast 5,000 plus hectares of forest, mountain and beach. The river is the longest of its kind in the world and winds under mountains and inside limestone caves. Another World Heritage Site, Tubbataha Reef, 98 nautical miles from Puerto Princesa, is a renowned dive site. Spread over more than 33,000 hectares, its famous for its seascapes and rich biodiversity. There are still more forests on Palawans south, but whats more notable in these parts is the Tabon Caves complex, an archaeological dig of hundreds of prehistoric caves still under research with some open to the public.

Itll probably take more than a week to fully explore what the whole province has to offer the adventurous traveller. But given the perceived security threats, is Palawan actually worth it? The tourists still come, and though probably not in a major scale but the fact that the numbers are picking up means that Palawan might be on its way to leaving the past behind.

For the meantime the game plan is to continue earning the confidence of travellers. So far it seems to be working. Tourists who venture to this otherwise paradisial province are aware about the security issues but its obviously not a deterrent. It doesnt mean to say that theyre unfazed by potential dangers, but that theyre convinced that there are ample security measures, and that what happened more than a year ago might just well be a one-off in this generally peaceful province.

Security
Seasoned traveller Riyaz Moorani, Chief Technical Officer of asia-hotels.com, says that security wasnt an issue for him when he visited Palawan October this year, I didnt feel at any point that I was taking a risk because I felt there were enough precautions that were in place, so it wasnt a worry for me. He adds, however, that the additional security at the resorts he visited certainly made him feel a lot safer. We went by boat to another island for early morning bird-watching, and there was always someone in the boat, discreet security personnel.

Optimistic Outlook
Making tourists feel safe is obviously top priority. Although the province has settled once more into a peaceful lull, no-ones taking any chances. Having learned from that fateful incident more than a year ago, Dos Palmas resort on Palawans Arreceffi Island is taking security seriously. The resort has since installed a radar to detect incoming vessels, a perimeter fence to protect their bay cottages, and security posts manned 24 hours a day. This is aside from 25 security personnel who inconspicuously roam the island at all hours.

To be honest, were spending too much on security, says Rizza Sebastian, the resorts Accounts Manager. But despite having been set back by additional costs, she says the resort maintains a positive outlook, Were aiming for 100% room occupancywere developing the resort in terms of amenities, like the Tropical Spa which was a recent addition. Were doing more promotions, especially for next year.

This focus on security details alongside unstinting optimism seems to be the general trend among resorts in the area. Ironically, its also probably made Palawan into one of the most secure and welcoming destinations in the Philippines.