Honda Bay is the island-hopping trip closest to Puerto Princesa: a wide, shallow bay north of the city scattered with sandbars, small islands and reefs. This guide covers the islands most tours visit, how the boats and fees work, what the snorkeling is like, how to treat starfish and fish, and how Honda Bay compares with El Nido and the Underground River.
Honda Bay opens to the Sulu Sea on the east coast of Palawan, about 26 km from downtown Puerto Princesa; the city tourism office puts the drive at about 30 minutes. Most of its islands lie less than 45 minutes by boat from the wharf at Barangay Santa Lourdes, where tour boats, the boat-rental counter and the environmental-fee collectors are based.
This is a relaxed beach and snorkeling day with flat islands, white sand and shallow turquoise water rather than the limestone cliffs and lagoons of the north. It works well for families, non-swimmers who want to wade, and anyone with a day free on either side of the Underground River.
A standard Honda Bay tour stops at three places, most often Cowrie Island, Luli Island and Pambato Reef, with Starfish Island as a common swap. Cowrie Island is the most developed, with a beach, huts, a bar and the seafood lunches served on many tours. Luli Island is a small island ringed by sandbars that appear and disappear with the tide; its name is said to come from the Filipino phrase for sinking and rising.
Starfish Island has a sandbar and shallows where, as the name suggests, starfish are easy to spot. Pambato Reef is a snorkeling stop, usually done straight from the boat. Other islands can be added if you hire a private boat, including Pandan Island, which charges a much higher entrance fee, and Arrecife Island, home to the Dos Palmas resort.
There are two ways to go. A joiner or private tour from the city includes the hotel pickup, the boat, a guide and lunch, and lasts about 8 hours; listings usually exclude the city's ₱150 (about $3) environmental fee, which collectors from the City Treasurer's office take at the wharf. Keep the receipt, as it is also asked for at other city sites.
Alternatively, take a tricycle or van to Santa Lourdes and rent a boat at the wharf. Boat rates are posted per route and set for a group of up to six, with an extra charge per added passenger; 2023 rate sheets put most single-island routes at around ₱1,000-1,600 (about $18-28) per boat. Each island also charges its own entrance fee, reported at roughly ₱50-100 (about $1-2), and mask and snorkel rental costs around ₱150. Bring cash, food and water if you go on your own, as facilities on the smaller islands are limited.
The snorkeling is easy rather than spectacular. Pambato Reef and the edges of Luli Island have coral heads and schools of reef fish in shallow water, and the visibility is best on calm mornings before the wind picks up. The water is warm all year, around 79-86 °F (26-30 °C) in Palawan; see our Palawan weather guide for the seasons.
Go early to avoid the busiest hours, when several boats moor at the same reef. Ask for a life jacket if you are not a confident swimmer, and on a sandbar watch the incoming tide, which can turn a short wade into a swim. Water shoes help on coral rubble.
Honda Bay is a protected area, with no fishing and no littering, and visitors are asked not to touch or disturb coral or sea creatures. In practice you may see guides lift starfish out of the water for photos: please do not. Starfish take in oxygen from the water through their skin and can be harmed by being held in the air, by sunscreen on your hands and by being dropped, so look and photograph them where they lie.
Do not feed the fish either. Bread and rice draw crowds of fish to the boats but change their behavior and cloud the water over the reef. Use reef-safe sunscreen or a rash guard, float over the coral without standing on it, take no shells and carry your rubbish back to the mainland. In some years the city has banned shellfish from Honda Bay because of red tide, so check current advisories before ordering shellfish at lunch.
Honda Bay is not a substitute for El Nido's island hopping tours or Coron's lakes and lagoons: the scenery is flatter and the reefs simpler. It is the best island day you can do from Puerto Princesa without a long drive, and it is cheaper and shorter than tours in the north.
If you only have one day in Puerto Princesa, choose the Underground River, which is unique; if you have two, do both. To stay near the bay, a few resorts line the Honda Bay coast and its islands; our where to stay in Palawan guide covers the options, and Palawan tours lists the trips available.
Prices vary by operator and by joiner or private boat. On top of most tours you pay the city's ₱150 (about $3) environmental fee at the wharf; renting a boat directly is priced per boat for up to six people, plus small island entrance fees.
Most tours visit three stops, usually Cowrie Island, Luli Island and Pambato Reef, with Starfish Island as a common alternative.
A tour from Puerto Princesa City takes about 8 hours including hotel pickup and lunch; the boat rides between islands are short.
The wharf at Santa Lourdes is about 26 km north of downtown, around a 30-minute drive.
A relaxed Honda Bay day from Puerto Princesa for those who like island stops and downtime. The outing lasts about seven hours, and a massage can be added as an extra.
from ~$36 per person
Check availabilityvia GetYourGuide
A short island trip suited to cruise passengers, couples and families, with swimming, snorkeling and lunch on the islands. A private tour or a shared one can be chosen, so check which is selected.
from ~$114 per person
Check availabilityvia Viator
Suits couples, families and small groups who want to set their own pace around Honda Bay's islands. The boat is reserved for your party only, and the outing lasts about eight hours.
from ~$206 per person
Check availabilityvia GetYourGuide
A beach day on traditional Filipino boats, about 30 minutes from the city, with swimming and snorkeling. A picnic lunch is served on one of the islands.
from ~$158 per person
Check availabilityvia Viator
A relaxed day on the water for beach and snorkeling fans staying in Puerto Princesa. Plan on roughly seven hours visiting the islands of Honda Bay.
from ~$38 per person
Check availabilityvia GetYourGuide
Visits up to 3 islands in Honda Bay, with snorkel gear rental and lunch included. The guide meets you at the main port gate and returns you there after the tour.
from ~$176 per person
Check availabilityvia Viator
A boat trip for one group to the white-sand islands of Honda Bay, a short ride north of Puerto Princesa city. Suits travelers who want to set their own pace on a day on the water.
from ~$622 per person
Check availabilityvia Viator
A shared island-hopping tour covering the main beach stops of Honda Bay near Puerto Princesa. Suits solo travelers and couples who prefer an all-in-one trip over arranging a boat themselves.
from ~$662 per person
Check availabilityvia Viator
Prices are indicative and may change. The final price is shown by the booking platform. Prices checked: October 17, 2026.
