Balabac Tour By The Wanderwalkers
Balabac Tour By The Wanderwalkers
Balabac Tour By The Wanderwalkers
4.5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Full view
About
Balabac Palawan Tour makes it possible for adventure travelers to camp in the white sand beach of Punta Sebaring after doing your island hopping in Balabac. Visit Onok Island, Patawan Island, Canimeran Island, Candaraman's Starfish Sandbar, Canibungan Island and Mansalangan Sandbar in Balabac. Joiner and Private Tours are available.
Balabac, Philippines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Balabac Tour By The Wanderwalkers
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
191 reviews
Excellent
168
Very good
8
Average
9
Poor
1
Terrible
5
ndeweer
Comines-Warneton, Belgium11 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
To break the myth, pirates and crocodiles are NOT an issue. Don’t consider canceling for these reasons.
I would like to add that the tour offered by Wanderwalkers exceeded all my expectations. It is an adventure trip so be warned, sleeping is in a tent and on the floor, luxury seekers, consider the Maldives, although you might have bigger crowds there ;)
All the places they took us to were incredible and unbelievable, especially Onok Island, the highlight of my time down in the Balabac Islands. The local fresh food they served was hands down the best philippino food I’ve had in the past few weeks. Fresh deliciously prepared crab, calamari,... amazing cooks!
YET, I would like to make a few suggestions to the company. Balabac is often referred as the last untouched paradise of the Philippines. It is partially true. I was quite devastated to see the amount of plastic these idyllic places contained. I would highly recommend going there ONLY IF "tourism" down there can be SUSTAINABLE. Tours are starting to understand the potential of this place. By this review I would also like to invite the company as well as others to practise a sustainable way of getting people there. I would suggest that at least one hour per tour is spent on beach cleaning a particular spot/island. This would make a HUGE difference on the long run. Seeing plastic and garbage on the beaches and island kind of ruins the title of "untouched paradise". The camp was clean, it is true, but as soon as you walk down the beach of the camping spot, plastic is trashed all over the place. I would invite Wanderwalkers to at least consider this since this involves them and their future as a company. Educating the locals would be at their utmost interest since Balabac has (unfortunately after all) a bright future as a tourist destination.
But all in all, getting to experience Maldives-like islands with no crowds and authenticity was definitely one of my highlights on my Philippines trip.
100% would recommend.
I would like to add that the tour offered by Wanderwalkers exceeded all my expectations. It is an adventure trip so be warned, sleeping is in a tent and on the floor, luxury seekers, consider the Maldives, although you might have bigger crowds there ;)
All the places they took us to were incredible and unbelievable, especially Onok Island, the highlight of my time down in the Balabac Islands. The local fresh food they served was hands down the best philippino food I’ve had in the past few weeks. Fresh deliciously prepared crab, calamari,... amazing cooks!
YET, I would like to make a few suggestions to the company. Balabac is often referred as the last untouched paradise of the Philippines. It is partially true. I was quite devastated to see the amount of plastic these idyllic places contained. I would highly recommend going there ONLY IF "tourism" down there can be SUSTAINABLE. Tours are starting to understand the potential of this place. By this review I would also like to invite the company as well as others to practise a sustainable way of getting people there. I would suggest that at least one hour per tour is spent on beach cleaning a particular spot/island. This would make a HUGE difference on the long run. Seeing plastic and garbage on the beaches and island kind of ruins the title of "untouched paradise". The camp was clean, it is true, but as soon as you walk down the beach of the camping spot, plastic is trashed all over the place. I would invite Wanderwalkers to at least consider this since this involves them and their future as a company. Educating the locals would be at their utmost interest since Balabac has (unfortunately after all) a bright future as a tourist destination.
But all in all, getting to experience Maldives-like islands with no crowds and authenticity was definitely one of my highlights on my Philippines trip.
100% would recommend.
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bianca Vladareanu
Bucharest, Romania11 contributions
Dec 2019 • Couples
Everything was good and on time as we established, from our pick up from the hotel, the road to the port and the first island hopping tour.
We spent 3 nights on Punta Sebaring island and was a unique experience.
The campsite is basic and very clean. We slept very well in a cottage.
Every day we had breakfast at 7 am and at 8 o'clock we leave on tour.
Filipino family cooked us a lot of good food from fish,pork or chicken with rice and we received fresh fruit every day. The breakfast coffee was also good.
Unfortunately, due to rainy weather we didn't get to Onok Island in our two days of Island Hopping tour.
Because the weather conditions were very good on our last day and we realy wanted to visit Onok Island, they were very kind and took us to visit Onok Island befor we get back to Buliluyan Port.
The whole experience was perfect and different from all the trips.
I have attached below some pictures from Punta Sebaring (Campsite).
If you have questions or want to see more pictures and videos from there you can find me on Instagram - BiancaVladareanu.
Thanks a lot The WanderWalkers for this amazing experience!!
We spent 3 nights on Punta Sebaring island and was a unique experience.
The campsite is basic and very clean. We slept very well in a cottage.
Every day we had breakfast at 7 am and at 8 o'clock we leave on tour.
Filipino family cooked us a lot of good food from fish,pork or chicken with rice and we received fresh fruit every day. The breakfast coffee was also good.
Unfortunately, due to rainy weather we didn't get to Onok Island in our two days of Island Hopping tour.
Because the weather conditions were very good on our last day and we realy wanted to visit Onok Island, they were very kind and took us to visit Onok Island befor we get back to Buliluyan Port.
The whole experience was perfect and different from all the trips.
I have attached below some pictures from Punta Sebaring (Campsite).
If you have questions or want to see more pictures and videos from there you can find me on Instagram - BiancaVladareanu.
Thanks a lot The WanderWalkers for this amazing experience!!
Written January 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Bianca,
What a great pleasure to take you to Balabac's still untouched islands. Thanks so much for your good vibes even after the tour (via Instagram!). We're looking forward to your next visit.
Sea you again soon!
Written February 7, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Robin S
Hong Kong, China2 contributions
Feb 2020
The wanderwalkers did a wonderful job coordinating everything and communicating with us about each detail of the trip. We did a 4D3N private tour which was a good amount of time to see everything we wanted to see. The homestay location was nice and well hosted. Like the information that the WanderWalkers provided, it is not for the posh travelers, but more for people looking to get away from the touristy locations and spend some time with nature. The boatmen were so kind and patient and even helped us with our photos. We will be planning to come back again because we loved every minute of the trip!
Written February 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you, Robin and Justin, for visiting Balabac with us! We are happy that you enjoyed the island life experience that we provide. May we hold a special place in your memories :)
Written February 7, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
charismaticclaire
1 contribution
Feb 2020
I went on this tour at the end of February. It was amazing and I felt safe the entire time. I would recommend going after February as it was very windy and the boats couldn't go to every destination because the waves were too high. This tour is not for the faint at heart. There are lots of sand fleas that left me bitten all over so try not to lie in the sand. The boats are very loud and the trips to the destinations are very long. When the waves are high they come crashing into the boat. The destinations are beautiful and you should definitely go before the airport is built as everything is not yet ruined by tourism. The trip down there is long but it's easy to sleep and definitely worth it. I was a little upset that the boatmen did not have us leave earlier to catch the sandbars. I saw no reason why we couldn't leave earlier as we were standing around waiting. We even asked to leave earlier but they wouldn't take our request seriously. The whole point of doing the tour is to see the sandbars yet the boatmen liked to sleep in. Perhaps there should be a set timetable and more communication so ensure the guests see as much as possible.
Written March 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dany Coker
1 contribution
Jan 2023 • Couples
I wrote them to book a 2N/3 days trip 16-18 of April. They said it was available and that the amount of the deposit would be 5600php and asked if I wanted to book it. I replied immediately YES I want to book it but I didn’t receive any payment details. The day after I wrote again asking about the payment details and other questions and they replied that the tour is now sold out for all April!!.
How can that be?
1. I immediately replied YES I wanted to book it - that’s an acceptance for an agreement
(see the picture attached)
2. I asked for the payment details
3. There is written on their instagram and website that the Privat tours are fully booked only from 01-11 of April??
It was such a unprofessional experience.
How can that be?
1. I immediately replied YES I wanted to book it - that’s an acceptance for an agreement
(see the picture attached)
2. I asked for the payment details
3. There is written on their instagram and website that the Privat tours are fully booked only from 01-11 of April??
It was such a unprofessional experience.
Written January 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Dany Coker,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review on TripAdvisor. We're sorry to hear that you were not able to stay with us due to being fully booked.
We strive to provide excellent service and accommodate all guests to the best of our ability. We understand how frustrating it can be when you don't get what you want, especially if your wife is an influencer. And we apologize for any inconvenience caused by the fully booked situation.
We appreciate your feedback
Best regards.
Written February 3, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
BeachesBeGood
Vancouver, Canada54 contributions
Oct 2022
I'm not sure why people rate this so highly as it really isn't good. I paid for a 5D4N private tour that is advertised as "go at your own pace" yet you only go to one island per day so your own pace is just finishing the day early. Most islands are 1-2 hours away.
The islands are very far apart and some are absolutely covered in trash. You can't even take photos because it's hideous. Even the island you camp on is basically an inhabited landfill.
The only nice island is Onok Island, and you could DIY a tour and stay on Onok Island instead for half the cost.
The only nice part of the island is the campground they send you to. Those ladies work very hard and feed you very well.
But after travelling all around the Philippines, this tour and area is a huge disappointment and overpriced. The tour was disorganized at the pier upon arrival and no one is in charge. Our boat got a hole in and we had to jump into the ocean to get to another boat.
Wanderwalkers is just a website that charges you double and gives half to the boat/campsite. Just DIY it, but it's really not that great. Go to Port Barton, El Nido, Siargao, Coron, Boracay, really anywhere else.
The islands are very far apart and some are absolutely covered in trash. You can't even take photos because it's hideous. Even the island you camp on is basically an inhabited landfill.
The only nice island is Onok Island, and you could DIY a tour and stay on Onok Island instead for half the cost.
The only nice part of the island is the campground they send you to. Those ladies work very hard and feed you very well.
But after travelling all around the Philippines, this tour and area is a huge disappointment and overpriced. The tour was disorganized at the pier upon arrival and no one is in charge. Our boat got a hole in and we had to jump into the ocean to get to another boat.
Wanderwalkers is just a website that charges you double and gives half to the boat/campsite. Just DIY it, but it's really not that great. Go to Port Barton, El Nido, Siargao, Coron, Boracay, really anywhere else.
Written November 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Guests,
Thank you for sharing your opinion. We understand your frustration and would like to clarify here the isolated instance that happened to you due to the Typhoon Paeng, which you have not mentioned in your review.
Your tour was Oct 27-31. The weather on the first two days Oct 27 and 28 was decent, and you were able to visit Canimeran, Patawan and even Onok Island.
However on Oct 29, Typhoon Paeng became "Severe Tropical Storm" and the Coast Guard did not allow us to do any island hopping. But we were still able to bring you to nearby destination only, as we cannot cross the open sea, hence you returned back to campsite earlier.
This typhoon was super strong that even sea garbage were washed into the shores of nearby islands.
Then you decided to cut your trip shorter by one day and went back to South port on Oct 30. We had difficulty getting a permit to bring you to the jumpoff port by boat but the Coast Guard allowed us in the end.
So over all, you were not able to maximize your trip because of the typhoon and you cut your trip short. We just hoped you didnt blame our team for the unfortunate weather, and considered the hardwork of our local crew before rating us two stars.
But nevertheless, it's a learning for us. Thank you.
Written December 8, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
WanabeMountener
Singapore, Singapore35 contributions
Apr 2022 • Solo
It’s my 4th time to visit Balabac with the WanderWalkers. I must say that the island is still as magical as my first 3 visits. The campsite may have changed its location, but the service is still topnotch. There are more nipa huts with mattresses and mosquito nets for those longing for more comfort, but you can choose to sleep in tents or hammocks for free and more island feels. Despite the rains during my stay, the experience is still one for the books. We feasted on crabs, shrimps, and different kinds of fish and fresh fruits for our meals, and it was a delight when we happened to be there and saw them cook and serve “litson” for our first night. While I don’t mind being disconnected with the world for a few days, some islands now have mobile signal (for Smart users) so you can connect with your families and friends when you stop by these islands. Balabac still remains as my top favorite island to visit and I will definitely contact the WanderWalkers for my 5th Balabac adventure!
Written April 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Jay,
Thank you so much for keep coming back to our campsite everytime you visit Balabac!
It is our joy to have adventure travelers like you in our Joiner Group Tours.
We will definitely see you again!
Written April 27, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Zuzana S
1 contribution
Apr 2024 • Couples
We loved the tour to Balabac from WanderWalkers. Firstly the place is breathtaking, pristine beaches without crowds, I doubt there are many more places like this. Secondly the organization from WanderWalkers was perfect, everything was very professionally organized, on time, we felt safe a didn’t have to take care about anything. Another thing was food which was as well really nice, cooked by local ladies in the camp. Overall it was an experience we will remember for a long time.
Written April 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your lovely feedback! We're so happy to hear that you enjoyed your Balabac tour with us.
We can't wait to have you join us again for more adventures!
Written May 3, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
mcsicatjr
Antipolo City, Philippines1 contribution
Apr 2023
We TRULY enjoyed the trip and REALLY had a wonderful time. Everyone, from the van driver, boat crew, camp crew and even the local residents; has just been so friendly and accommodating. All of them contributed to us having a wonderful experience in Balabac. Food was delicious and generously served. Did not feel rushed when island hopping and sufficient time was given for us to swim/snorkel, to sunbathe, to take tons of pictures... to just really enjoy the islands (which most of the time felt like we owned it). I also would like to particularly note how the van drivers safely brought us to Buliluyan and back to Puerto Princesa. Would really love to go back in the future and enjoy the other islands of Balabac.
Written May 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful experience in Balabac! We're happy to hear that you enjoyed the trip.
We're proud to have a team of friendly and accommodating staff who always prioritize the comfort and safety of our guests.
We're grateful for your kind words and look forward to welcoming you back in the future to explore more of Balabac's beautiful islands.
Written May 11, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mau
Manila, Philippines13 contributions
Aug 2023
All the team behind our Balabac trip was amazing and incredible! They were all friendly and helpful in our 4 days in Balabac. We went to the best and most pristine beaches in Balabac - and I must say, as a Filipino, this is probably the best beach I have seen in the Philippines! All the food they cooked and prepared were all delicious and the crabs were the bomb! We did karaoke two nights in a row and played volleyball with the local people in the village. The best way to enjoy Balabac!
Written August 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We're so happy to hear your kind words about our team in Balabac!
It's a big compliment coming from a fellow Filipino, and we're delighted to have shown you some of the best and most pristine beaches in our country!
We can't wait to welcome you back for more adventures. 😊
Written September 8, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hello, i would like to know if ardee was still the one who assisting balabac tour since per checking other name of tour guide where mentioned on their tour. We would like to go back to balabac and still be assist by Ardee if possible. Hope you answe, thanks!
Written February 27, 2020
Hi! I booked my Balabac trip during the Halloween break last year and at the time, there were other guides aside from Ardee. I'm not sure if he is still associated with the Wanderwalkers; I think it would be best to ask them and / or request for Ardee to be your tour guide again.
Written February 27, 2020
Hello. Book a prearranged tour and it will pick you up from Puerto Princesa. Commuting is not recommended since no fixed passenger van travels all yhe way to the southernmost port.
Written February 3, 2020
The WanderWalkers organized our Balabac trip this January 2019 for 5 days and 4 nights. We stayed at Punta Sebaring beach on the duration of our trip and it became our home away from home. The family that took care of us cooks the best and they are very accommodating. They were warm and friendly. They even took us to the baranggay's fiesta to party! It was a very memorable experience.
Balabac is not just about it's scenic beaches, beautiful sunsets and endless night sky but also its people. Will definitely go back and visit to unwind and relax.
Written February 10, 2019
Thank you Aye for trusting us for your 5D4N Private trip in Balabac. We are glad that your experience was memorable. And yes, see you again in the future. ❤
Written February 10, 2019
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