The municipality of Dumaran is located northwest of Puerto Princesa. Oddly, this municiaplity only covers half of Dumaran Island (the other half is under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Araceli) while some barangays are located at the mainland Palawan.
Tagged as the world's best Island (Travel + Leisure Magazine 2016), the province has a lot, lot more to offer aside from the popular destinations such as Coron, El Nido and Puerto Princesa. This is the third time that I was back in Palawan - where we went to San Vicente and Port Barton (maybe I'll write something for this) in 2015 and in 2016 we basked at the beaches and islands in the southern tip of the province, Balabac (a blog entry for that trip can be found here).
So let me share three of my favorite shots from one of the not-known-now-but-soon-on-the-rise destinations in Palawan: Dumaran.
Void of tourist traffic, you can enjoy this very long stretch of white sand beach all to yourself provided that you have enough gear for beach camping. There are no resorts or any facilities for tourists here as of the moment so manage your expectations, this is not El Nido.
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| Maraneg Beach can be found at the southern part of the Island |
#2. By the Hut on the Hilltop
Another prime destination in Dumaran where you can spend the night is at Isla Pugon. The island's owner manages it as an eco-resort where the huts are made of local materials and the waste are managed such that your dump ends up being used as an organic fertilizer.
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| A nap in this hammock (tied in Cashew trees) at Isla Pugon can be added to your siesta goals. |
You can enjoy the company of the mangroves and you can even trek around the mangrove forest in the island. Before the island was managed as an eco-resort, some locals use dynamite fishing in its waters as well as chop off the mangroves to be used as firewood - good thing it's a thing of the past now.
#3. Inner Beauty
If you are already enamored by what you see in at the surface of Dumaran - its beaches and islands - wait until you see what's under the sea. Dumaran's key jewels are its coral reefs. So diverse that some of the corals here I've seen for the first time, just like the cabbage-looking ones in the picture below.
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| Enjoying some plunge at a portion of the coral garden in Calampuan Island. |
This is just one of the snorkeling/diving areas in this municipality. I recall we've been to around 3 to 4 snorkeling sites and each time you will be awe-struck by the different forms and colors of the corals as well as the diverse marine life it hosts. Sadly, there are still unsustainable fishing practices being done by fishermen in the area (where live corals are destroyed to be used as counter weights for fish traps). Maybe, just maybe, if the local tourism can be able to bring sustainable sources of income for the people in this municipality, practices such as those can be eliminated or lessened. This piece of paradise is too beautiful not to be taken cared off.
Again, take the road less traveled - who knows what surprises you might find at the off-the-beaten path.
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