Palawan, a narrow archipelago of 1,768 islands, is on the western border of the Philippines, surrounded by the South China Sea to the west and the Sulu Sea to the east. It is relatively remote from the rest of the country, and its geology and ecology are closer to that of Malaysian Borneo than the rest of the country. It is the largest province in the Philippines, with a land area of 1.5 million hectares and a coastline almost 2,000 kilometers long. Declared a fish and wildlife sanctuary in 1967, the islands are home to hundreds of endemic species like the peacock pheasant, the mouse deer, the bearcat, the ant eater, the dugong, and the endangered sea turtle.

Generally typhoon-free except for some parts in the north, Palawan’s climate matches the rest of the Philippines: warm weather in March, April, and May; heavy rains from June to October; cool weather from December to February.