All-Inclusive Resorts in Palawan: What Is Actually Included

Journal 18 August 2026 6 min read

All-inclusive is not a regulated term, and in Palawan it covers everything from a resort that feeds you three times a day to one that simply includes breakfast and a welcome drink. Since the phrase is doing a lot of work in booking decisions, it is worth being precise about what it usually means here, and how to compare two rates honestly.

The Caribbean model barely exists here

The all-inclusive most travellers picture — unlimited drinks, buffet at all hours, activities on tap — is a large-resort product built at a scale Palawan does not really have. The properties here are small. What all-inclusive means in practice, on this coast, is full board: three cooked meals a day for everyone staying, plus the run of whatever the property owns.

What is usually in the rate

All meals. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, generally set menus rather than a buffet, because a sixteen-room kitchen cooks to a headcount.
Drinking water, coffee and tea. Universally.
Non-motorised equipment. Kayaks, paddle boards, snorkelling gear, sometimes fishing poles.
Shared facilities. Pool, common areas, and whatever else exists — in our case the sauna and the yoga deck.
Wi-Fi, with an asterisk. It exists on most of the coast. It is not fast, and honest properties say so.

What is usually not

Boats. Island hopping is the big one. A private boat day is a real cost and is almost always quoted separately.
Alcohol. Typically per item. Everything has to be brought in by road and boat.
Airport transfers. Sometimes included, often not, and on the western coast that is an hour each way.
Spa treatments and guided night activities. Charged individually nearly everywhere.
Extra guests in a room. Usually a per-head nightly charge with meals — ours is ₱1,000.

Why remote resorts serve full board at all

It is not a marketing decision. On a coast with no restaurants, a resort either feeds its guests or its guests do not eat. Supply arrives by road from Coron Town and by boat, produce is bought against a known headcount, and the kitchen cooks what came in that morning. That is also why menus tend to be set rather than à la carte, and why properties ask about dietary requirements weeks ahead rather than on arrival.

A fair test of an all-inclusive claim. Ask one question: if we never leave the property, is there anything we will be charged for? A clear answer tells you exactly what kind of all-inclusive you are booking.

Comparing two rates properly

The headline rate is the least useful number in a Palawan booking. Price the whole stay instead. For a couple on four nights, add to each option: eight lunches and dinners, breakfasts if not included, one island hopping day, two airport transfers, and drinking water. The gap between a town rate and a full-board island rate usually closes by most of its width, and on the remote coasts it often crosses over entirely.

For reference, our own rates run from ₱6,160 for a standard room to ₱15,680 for the family villa, per night, all meals included for two guests. The full list with what each room holds is on the rooms page, and the island packages fold the boats and activities in as well.

The questions that settle it

Are all three meals included, every day, for every guest?
Is there anywhere else to eat within walking distance? If not, full board is not a perk, it is a necessity.
Are transfers from the airport included, and in both directions?
What does a boat day cost, and is it private or shared?
Is there a minimum number of nights?
What is the charge for a third person in the room?

None of this makes all-inclusive automatically better. It makes it comparable — and on a coast where the nearest restaurant is an hour away, comparable is usually all you need to make the decision obvious.

Common questions

Are there all-inclusive resorts in Palawan?

Yes, though the term is used loosely. Most Palawan properties described as all-inclusive mean full board — all meals included — rather than the drinks-and-activities model familiar from the Caribbean. On remote coasts full board is the norm because there is nowhere else to eat.

What is usually included in a Palawan resort rate?

Typically the room, all meals, drinking water, Wi-Fi where it exists, and non-motorised equipment such as kayaks and paddle boards. Island hopping boats, alcohol, spa treatments and airport transfers are commonly charged separately.

Is all-inclusive better value in Palawan?

Often, on remote coasts. Once you add three meals a day, a boat trip, and two airport transfers to a lower nightly rate, the gap narrows sharply and sometimes reverses. Compare the total for your whole stay, not the headline rate.

Do all-inclusive resorts in Palawan include alcohol?

Rarely in the Caribbean sense. Most include soft drinks and drinking water, with beer, wine and spirits charged per item. Some remote resorts allow you to bring your own with a corkage arrangement — worth asking before you fly.

What all-inclusive actually means in Palawan