Voted the world's best island so often it's becoming embarrassing, Palawan stacks limestone cliffs above lagoons of unreal clarity. El Nido and Coron are the headline acts — island-hopping tours weave between hidden beaches and Second World War wrecks now furred with coral. It takes effort to reach, which is exactly why it still feels raw. Visit December to May, before the rains.
Featured in Ten tropical islands that live up to the postcard · Tropical