White beaches in the Philippines are fairly abundant and protrude a unique surreal feel in every visit. I have been to a lot of these and hold a high standard in judging them. Onuk Island broke that standard and raised it in a new level. I’ll be blunt and say it’s probably the most beautiful white beach island in the Philippines! It’s rare to feature one small island alone, but this is hands down an exception.
As one of the many islets in the province of Balabac – located at the south-westernmost tip of Palawan, Onuk (Onoc) Island is one destination you should not miss when you visit the southern last frontier. An interesting fact: Most people speak Malay already since they are near Malaysia. Malaysian goods are also available everywhere and is probably more abundant than local goods. Moreover, the culture of people in the province are a mix of both Christian and Muslim living closely together.
HOW TO GET HERE
Public Transport
A fair warning to everyone who wants to travel on this last frontier…Prepare to rough it out! Long journeys on vans, trikes, and ferrys are only the beginning. Schedules of ferrys are not consistent though they travel early in the morning. There are designated ports to pick up private rented boats. Some islands are privately owned (even Onuk Island) and only allow a few boatmen or have restrictions to whom they would allow. You should have hard cash with you all the time since there will be no ATM machines. Boat rides won’t be cheap especially if you have rented a private boat. Have extra days allotted since in case bad weather comes in, being stuck on the islands are a common thing.
Now that it’s all said and done, with all these distractions and uncertainties, why do you think I still recommend you to go there? Simple. It doesn’t matter. It’s one of the top (if not the top) island to be in. So spend 3 to 4 nights on Onuk after spending 2 nights in other islands. You did not come all the way here to only stay one day right?
1. Flight from Manila to Puerto Princesa Palawan
2. Ride a trike or van to Puerto Princesa Van terminals.
3. Take a van bound for Rio Tuba (4 hrs)
Option 1: Rio Tuba Port
- From Rio Tuba, take a tricycle to Rio Tuba Port
- At the Port, take a bout ride going to Balabac Island (5 hrs). There is only 1 trip in the morning and you better be early around 5AM so you could have a seat.
- There is also another option to take a boat from Rio Tuba to Bancalan Island (3 hrs). Same schedule above.
- From either Balabac or Bancalan Island, you could rent boats here for a tour. There are many islands to tour here but I’m just going to talk about the best island to be in!
Option 2: Buliluyan Port – This option requires you to have a contact to pick you up on the Port. Only a few boatmen have license to pick people here. There is no public transport from this port.
- From Rio Tuba, take a van going to Buliluyan Port (30min). Vans are often late to depart so I suggest to rent a tricycle (1 hr) and depart early.
- At Buliluyan Port, take a private boat straight to Onuk (Onoc) Island. You could also prefer to tour for the first days and spend nights in other islands before capping your travel at Onuk.
WHERE TO STAY
There is only one place to stay at Onuk Island. I suggest you spend more than a couple of nights here since it’s really majestic. You could also stay on other islands. Be sure to bring your tents though. Let your boatmen be your guide and expect the unexpected when you travel here. A stormy night could cost you a day too 🙂
You would also probably stay the night at Rio Tuba either to wait for public boats the next day, or to simply take a break before another long journey.
If you’re taking the public transports, you don’t need any contacts. Just hop on the boats and talk with the locals once you get to Balabac Island or Bancalan Island. There will be a lot of setbacks for this route since tourism isn’t well established yet on these faraway islands.
Tour Guide at Balabac Palawan
- Fidel Villajos – He will pick you up at Buliluyan Port (see previous section on how to get here). Call him.
- Phone: 0999 561 4998 /Â 0995 933 3321
Onuk Island
THE BUDGET
You have to bring hard cash with you all the time. Be prepared to spend since it’s not cheap staying on Onuk. Islands are also far out so touring would also cost you. Accommodation is cheap though. You could also purchase Malaysian goods here (Balabac and some other main islands). All rates below are standard rates but not absolute. Remember that the place is new to tourism as of this writing so better give them some slack too.
- Puerto Princesa to Rio Tuba proper via Van: 300php ea
- Rio Tuba proper to Rio Tuba port via Tricycle: 40php ea
- Rio Tuba accommodations: 400php – 800php per room depending on the number of people.
- Rio Tuba proper to Buliluyan Port via Tricycle: 300php up to 4 pax
- Private tour from Buliluyan Port: 3000php per day (multiple islands). You could choose to only stay at Onuk Island though.
- Onuk Island accommodation: 3000php per night, 500php succeeding nights
- Onuk Island entrance: 1500php ea
- Public boat from Rio Tuba to Balabac Island: 450php ea
- Public boat from Rio Tuba to Bancalan Island: 300php ea
OTHERS
- Entrance Fee: 25php/person
- Lumpiga: 299php/table
- Picnic Table: 399php/table
- Native Gazebo: 499php/gazebo
HIKING
- Guide Fee: 150php/person
- Environmental Fee: 25php/person (paid before you even enter the barangay of Tibiao, just show receipt)
EXPLORING THE ISLAND
These photos are an insult to how beautiful it truly is. You have to witness it with your own eyes, be there, and live to see how jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring Onuk (Onoc) Island is!
  
thanks for the information, but if I may ask, is it true that you need to contact the owner of Onuk island first before you can go there? please respond. thank you.
Yes. It’s a private island.
Hi,
If you’re staying overnight, do we still need to pay the entrance fee at Onok?
Hi Liza. Yes, the fee is separate from the meals and lodging 🙂