Every year Conde Nast Traveler releases a list of the best islands in the world, based on its annual reader poll. The top non-US island in the world right now? Palawan, Philippines. In second place? Bora Bora.
Bora Bora is the standard dream destination for those wanting to stay in an overwater bungalow. It’s routinely called the most photogenic island in the world, with good reason. It’s absolutely beautiful there, with turquoise waters and Mount Otemanu visible from most resorts. But Palawan is stunning as well, with similarly-colored water and small islands dotting the horizon as far as you can see.
Let’s say that you’ve saved up some money and want to stay in an overwater bungalow. Do you opt for Palawan bungalows and stay on the top island in the world? Or do you book Bora Bora bungalows, the iconic destination and arguably more beautiful? I’ve taken my kids to both, staying at the Four Seasons in Bora Bora (number one on TripAdvisor out of 18 hotels/resorts on the island) and at Miniloc Island Resort in Palawan (number four out of 75 in Palawan). Here’s how they compare.
Getting There
Flying to Bora Bora from California is easy. We took an overnight flight to Tahiti, had a very short layover and then flew 45 minutes to Bora Bora. At the airport, we were picked up by boat and taken to the hotel.
Palawan, especially the El Nido area (where you want to go), is a little harder to get to. You need to fly to Manila, transfer to the ITI Airways terminal nearby by taxi (likely after an overnight layover) and then fly an hour to El Nido. At the El Nido airport, we boarded a bus for a very short drive to the water and then hopped on a boat for the transfer to Miniloc Island. Neither was a difficult journey, but Bora Bora was definitely easier. Arriving at both resorts by boat was fun.
Bungalows
So the term bungalow is misleading. In Bora Bora, we really had an overwater house. There were two rooms, a large bathroom, a huge deck, and even stairs down to a private dock.
On Miniloc Island they use the term “water cottage”, and it is. There’s a small room, a small bathroom, and a porch. You don’t need much more, but there’s a reason they only can sleep two.
The View
The mountain view from our Bora Bora bungalows was stunning. The view from our cottage in Palawan was beautiful, and it was fun watching the sun rise from the deck, but it couldn’t compare to Bora Bora.
Food
At the Four Seasons, breakfast was included and there were multiple restaurants for other meals. The food was overall very good. Breakfasts were excellent – of course, a French island has great French pastries. At Miniloc Island, all meals were included at the one buffet-style restaurant. My son was frustrated with the lack of choices and the fatty meats, but I thought the food was good – far better than at other all-inclusive places we’ve stayed. The seafood was excellent.
Kid Programs
The Four Seasons Bora Bora has an excellent kids club and activities. We had the only kids at the resort the week that we were there so there wasn’t much scheduled, but they gave us a list of all of the options and let us know that they would be happy to arrange activities for the kids anytime we wanted. We’re not a big kids-club family so we didn’t utilize their programs too much, but we stopped in periodically for crafts, and their child coordinator took our kids around for fish feeding and on a scavenger hunt.
Miniloc Island Resort has a small kids club, but it was closed for re-roofing most of the time we were there so we never went in. Even if it was open I don’t think we would have used it. My son was happier playing Frisbee and ping-pong with me and joining all of the normal excursions than he would have been doing crafts at the kids club.
Activities/Tours
Both resorts have long lists of activities. In Bora Bora we took the boat into the town of Vaitape a couple of times, used the complimentary paddle boards and kayaks, and did an excellent tour around the island that included snorkeling, swimming with stingrays, and a barbecue lunch. In Palawan we island-hopped most days, kayaked, snorkeled and paddle boarded (also included) and spent a couple of days at the Entalula Beach Club on a neighboring island, with barbecue lunches there. We don’t dive so I can’t speak to the diving options, but at both resorts I saw people heading out. Bora Bora was a little more laid-back, with most people (as far as we could tell) opting to relax at the pool or at their bungalows. In Palawan we constantly had activities scheduled.
Pools
The pool at the Four Seasons was perfect, with cabanas, constant food/drink service, and a shallow end perfect for kids. Miniloc Island Resort doesn’t have a pool.
Service
Service at both resorts was excellent. The Four Seasons went out of its way to celebrate my youngest daughter’s birthday and make sure that the petite souris (the French equivalent of the tooth fairy) showed up when my other daughter lost a tooth. Miniloc Island Resort personnel were constantly finding us to make sure that we were scheduled for as many activities as possible – they didn’t want us to miss out on anything during our stay. There were some small service issues at both resorts, but that’s fine – if you can’t handle when everything doesn’t go perfectly, you shouldn’t leave home in the first place.
The Highlights
My favorite experiences at the Four Seasons Bora Bora bungalows? The walk along the boardwalk in the evenings and jumping from the bungalow into the lagoon.
At Miniloc Island, we loved kayaking from the resort in the mornings to the Big Lagoon to watch the sunrise, and kayaking in the afternoons to the beaches around the island.
Costs
In 2020, here’s how the costs compare:
Four Seasons Bora Bora starts at roughly $1,400 a night plus another 23% +/- for taxes and fees. This rate includes breakfast and water sports. Airport transfers were around $100/person when we stayed there, with a discount for kids. Meals add several hundred dollars a day – food in French Polynesia is expensive!
The Miniloc Island Resort is roughly $600 a night, including taxes. All meals are included, as are airport transfers, water sports and most tours.
The tricky thing is that the Four Seasons let five of us stay in one bungalow. Miniloc Island Resort only allows two people in a water cottage (although they have beach rooms that accommodate three). A family of four would require one room at the Four Seasons Bora Bora bungalows but two water cottages at Miniloc Island. A family of five is sort of out of luck if they want to stay in a water cottage at Miniloc – it’s not like you can have a young child sleeping alone.
Our 5-hour island tour in Bora Bora was amazing, but I believe that it was close to $900 (don’t hold me to that). Our 4-hour tour in Palawan to Secret Beach, Hidden Beach and Matinloc Island, the only thing we did that wasn’t included in the room rate, was $75.
The other component is airfare. Round-trip tickets between LA and Bora Bora are routinely $1400 or so. LA to Manila and then on to El Nido can run closer to $800 ($575 from LA to Manila and $225 from Manila to El Nido).
Summary
Bora Bora is a lot more expensive, but the Four Seasons is luxurious and the view is amazing. Palawan is definitely not luxurious but the scenery is stunning. I liked how virtually everything was included in our rate at Miniloc Island.
Bora Bora is the safer and easier option. If you’re afraid of being a victim when you go overseas, Bora Bora is for you – it’s safe and there’s less likelihood of any problems occurring getting to/from the island. Palawan is also safe, but on our island tour we had an armed guard with us “just in case.” (There has never been an occasion when the guard was needed, according to our guide.) Manila is a little crazy – not scary, but you need to be a smart traveler when transiting through there.
This comparison is slightly arbitrary, since there are less expensive (and more expensive) places to stay in both Bora Bora and Palawan. Both destinations are splurges, but they’re also extraordinary places to see at least once in a lifetime. If you’re an adventurous couple and want an amazing experience for less money, head to Palawan. If you’re a family of 4 or 5, Bora Bora could actually be competitive cost-wise. For my money, I’d return to Palawan before I’d go back to the Bora Bora bungalows. But you can’t go wrong with either choice. And just to complicate things, we’ve now stayed at overwater bungalows in the Maldives twice – at Six Senses Laamu – and liked it even better than Bora Bora and Palawan. And it’s cost-competitive with both of these, and no harder to reach than Miniloc Island.
Which one would you choose?
Links
Pin It
Bora Bora for me!!
We loved Bora Bora.. kind of addicted to the views from the water bungalow that we made a list of 5 other water villas to go visit. Maldives is next. Would love to go visit Palawan, didn’t know about the 2 people constraint at Miniloc.
One reason I liked Palawan a little better than Bora Bora is that there’s more to do. The Maldives look beautiful, but is there much to do beyond relaxing/swimming at your resort? That’s one reason I haven’t looked at traveling there.
Fantastic comparison. We are heading to Palawan over the Easter Holiday, but we have Bora Bora on our list as well. Just discovered your site and can’t wait to read more. Well done.
Thanks Nicole! Have a great time in Palawan!
thanks for all your info, your articles are written well researched (and experienced it seems). we are planning a trip for 90 days with 2 and 4 year old to (we think now) palawan, krabi, saigon and borneo. theme is outdoors, animals and kitesurf. we’ll be checking your site for more tips!
Wow, sounds like a great trip! I liked the rest of Vietnam better than Saigon, but I wasn’t with my kids so I can’t speak to any kid-related activities. If you find amazing things that think other parents should know about, please let me know.
No, you haven’t spoken with an Aman rep. Stop your lying trash. They don’t go out of their way to attract families? That maybe true as far as ads go, but I do know that kids have a children’s playground and some indoor/outdoor activities like snorkeling and swimming with turtles, kids craft, etc. Aman staff is also the best when it comes to organizing surprised parties… they can personalize pretty much everything for kids. Now what?
Man, this blog has me looking at plane tickets and new camera lenses. THANKS.
😛
You’re a not so smart traveler, since you couldn’t afford a much better looking resort in Palawan like Amanpulo that cannot be compared to Bora Bora. Geez… stop comparing places especially if you haven’t been all over the many islands of Palawan.
You do realize that this is a family travel website, right? I look for the kid-friendliest places, regardless of price. In Bora Bora that was the Four Seasons. I would have been happy to splurge for Amanpulo, but in speaking with Aman representatives in the past, Aman resorts are not kid-oriented, and they don’t go out of their way to attract families. Look at Amanpulo’s website. Do you see any mention of children, or any photos of children, or lists of family activities? Why would I want to take my kids somewhere that doesn’t want kids? That makes me not only a smart traveler, but a good parent and a respectful hotel guest to others who may want to choose a resort without kids running around.
No, you haven’t spoken with an Aman rep. Stop your lying trash. They don’t go out of their way to attract families? That maybe true as far as ads go, but I do know that kids have a children’s playground and some indoor/outdoor activities like snorkeling and swimming with turtles, kids craft, etc. Aman staff is also the best when it comes to organizing surprised parties… they can personalize pretty much everything for kids. Now what?
take note the word PERSONALIZE…
Leticia, no need to be rude. I went to four travel conferences around the world last year. I searched out Aman reps and PR people at multiple conferences. They all basically said, yes we allow kids, and we have some young guests, but we do not have kids clubs and we have not specifically chosen to target the family market. Is that incorrect?
You obviously work for Aman. If you would like to email me, I would be happy to check out Aman resorts when I’m traveling with my kids and recommend them if they impress me. That’s great that they can personalize activities for kids.
I have nothing but respect for the Aman brand. Their properties look incredible. I grew up always seeing them top Conde Nast Traveler’s lists of the worlds best hotels. But at this point, with three kids, if I look at the websites of two resorts, and one has a section for Family that lists all of the great things to do with kids, and shows photos of kids, and the other makes no mention of kids or families, I’ll always choose the family-oriented one. I like luxury and I like kid-friendliess, but kid-friendliness wins.
Which Aman resorts would you say are the best for kids? All of them? I’m looking for a spring break destination and would be happy to try one out. But I would rather have a civilized discussion than one in which I’m accused of lying.
Great post – and really helpful for those in the market who want to stay in an overwater bungalow on a family trip :-). We’ve dived off the deck into Bora Bora’s lagoon from a Four Seasons Bora Bora bungalow (er, house), so we know what you’re talking about! Very luxurious. We’ve also stayed in an overwater bungalow in Fiji at Likuliku Lagoon Resort – that was very special because the snorkeling all around the bungalows was phenomenal! (Small sharks, galaxies of colorful fish, rays, etc.) Sounds like we should check out Palawan now :-).
That’s great to know about the bungalows in Fiji. We haven’t taken our kids there yet, but I’ve always enjoyed Fiji, and it’s a lot less expensive than Bora Bora. Could be a good option when our kids mention wanting to go back to Bora Bora!
We loved Palawan and I would choose Palawan over Bora Bora and Maldives. Like you say there is much more to do and landscape in of Palawan versus Maldives is much more diverse. We stayed at Lagen, since they have a pool and Pangalusian is amazing as well. My daughter was very happy to join the regular tours and activities.
Thanks for the confirmation Engelien! I haven’t been to Maldives, but it’s my understanding that there isn’t much to do outside of the resorts? Great to know that you enjoyed Lagen.
Eric,
I love all your posts and photos that you take during your trip to all these lovely destinations.It is with a little envy when I say i wish I have the time and money to do these-with 5 kids my expenses will truly hit the roof! 😛 But with all the photos taken so beautifully, now I can see through your lenses how amazing all these places are and made my selection easier.I love the Giraffe Manor in Kenya and will definitely be my next destination if able 😛 About your Palawan and Bora Bora adventures, all your photos were so inviting …definitely adds to my long bucket list too…oh by the way, dont be miffed by bashers who are not simply rude but just plain ignorant and a pain in the ******* these trolls need to learn to just read and enjoy and not spoil a person’s personal page for an unsolicited dubious opinion ….Amanpulo has an astronomical price and is not kid friendly coz everything you do there has a price set for Angelina and Brad pitt …your blog is for people who want to have fun and enjoy the place,not just to be “seen” and be talked about because of the place for the rich and famous. Kudos to you and may you have more adventures with the whole family! Will be waiting for your next travel!
Thanks Nancy! I apologize for the delay as I just saw this comment. Nope, I don’t get discouraged by trolls and negative comments. I’ll probably do a post at some point on the silliest things that people have written, like wondering why we travel outside the US when the US has good places to see, or asking why we would spend so much time to go to Antarctica when there’s snow closer to home, or saying that everything on my website is for the 0.001%. As to Aman, I’m not turned off by really nice places at higher price points. I simply make it a mission to figure out how to stay there less-expensively by going in the off-season or waiting for specials. But yes, being rude about a post that had nothing to do with Aman (on purpose, since Aman doesn’t even have overwater bungalows) was strange.
Nancy totally agree with all you said and hats off to you Eric!
I’ll be sure to never patronize an Aman property in the Phillipines thanks to Leticia’s comments.
I know, such a strange comment thread! The funny thing is that I don’t think that that Aman property even has overwater bungalows. So I have no idea why she would have commented in the first place.
We’re a family of 5. Kids are 9, 6 and 4. Planning a trip to Bora Bora for next April. I’m concerned about the safety of the kids in the OWB. The 2 older boys are strong swimmers, but my youngest is still learning. Any tips for this nervous Mom?
Hi MJ. None of our kids were strong swimmers when we were in Bora Bora. I was never nervous. We kept an eye on them, but they weren’t crazy out on the deck where there was any chance that they would fall in, and we had floaties (from home but also provided by Four Seasons) so that they were safe when they were jumping into the water. But April is a long way from now, so i’m guessing your 4-year-old will be stronger by then. I’d love to go back now that our kids are good swimmers. They’d have even more fun.
Thank you for the quick response! I’m really enjoying your blog. Palawan is also on our list.
Did you take into consideration the location (shallow or deep water) of the OWB for the safety of the kids? I agree, closely watching the kids is the best safety tip.
No, I hadn’t thought about the water depth at all. To me it was perfect at around 3 meters. It was deep enough that we could jump from the dock into the water and not hit the bottom. But the (multiple) times we accidentally dropped our key cards into the water, we could dive for them fairly easily. I’ve heard that most OWBs in the Maldives have very shallow water. That would be safer for young kids, but you wouldn’t be able to dive.
Hey, I know this isn’t exactly on topic but i was wondering about the.. sights. You described the view in bora bora was stunning while the scenery of palawan was stunning? so… am i right to understand that bora bora had a better view of the cottage while the scenery.. the views when you explored the islands were better in el nido? I know its not a black or white kind of thing but yea, i’m curious regarding on which one is.. “prettier” per se? The resort, islands.. view of the sunrise/set, activities? overall really 😛 I’m having my wedding soon and I’m cant decide on which one to go to first.
Ha! Yes, they’re both stunning. Are you feeling like being really active, or do you want to sit on your deck, read, relax, and look at one of the prettiest views in the world? I loved everywhere that we went around El Nido – the neighboring islands, etc… There was a different view from everywhere and it was all beautiful. In Bora Bora it’s really about the one major view of Mt. Otemanu from anywhere around the island. Bora Bora is probably more romantic – at least where we stayed.
Excellent review Eric. My wife is from the Philippines and we are looking at a trip back to the islands in another year. Getting the review of Palawan is a great start to our planning. Bora Bora, I’ll keep dreaming of that for another day 🙂
Bora Bora has been a dream destination of mine, as a single minority tourist would it be safe & welcoming ..both places, actually?
Since I’m a non-minority, family traveler, I can’t speak to what other travelers would find safe or welcoming. Have you checked out The Blog Abroad? Gloria is one of my favorite travelers, but not sure if she’s been to Palawan or Bora Bora?
hello! my fiance and i just learned about palawan from his family. We were thinking of doing bora bora for our honeymoon but palawan seems beauitful, exciting, and maybe cheaper? He is filipino and his dad said he’d help us make arrangements, but im worried about safety.
I read about stonefish in the water, crocodiles, and then some political unrest vs. bora bora seems pretty touristy in the sense of safety. I 100% understand someone could argue the exact same for anywhere so I hope I dont come off close minded – just hoping you could give us your perspective! We are avid travelers, I have lived in europe before and I am usually traveling every other month.
From the perspective of a honeymoon and wanting to stay money-conscious but still do an adventure – what would you say? From getting there to doing the activities to romantic opportunity to relaxing to cost.
PS I LOVE that you have this blog because this is the EXACT topic i was trying to compare between haha
Hi Laura. Palawan is less expensive and there are more activities (at least from what I saw) so you may be better off there. You’ll be sacrificing a little romance, since Bora Bora is undeniably more romantic, but El Nido Resorts should be able to put together romantic excursions or dinners for you. I never felt unsafe.
I am so happy to find this article. My husband and I love to travel but we now have kids and just have started traveling with them. We are planning a trip to the Philippines to visit some family in Manila. But we would like to go to Palawan and Boracay. Our kids will be a little over 3 years old and a 15 months old. Do you think they’re too young for Palawan or this something we could do?
Hi Beth. Palawan would be all about your kids – beach, relaxation, etc… They’re too young for the water sports, but if you want to take them and simply relax and play with them, it’s an absolutely gorgeous place to hang out for a few days! I would be hesitant to stay in an overwater bungalow anywhere with kids who aren’t swim-safe, but there are plenty of non-overwater options.
You know, there are many other fine hotel choices on Bora Bora other than the Four Seasons…and they are much less expensive. Even the Sofitel is beautiful, and it is on the cheap side; for Bora Bora, that is.
1) The “you know” is condescending. Not cool.
2) I only write about personal travel experiences. I haven’t stayed at the Sofitel or anywhere else other than the Four Seasons so I can’t talk about their views, villas, food, kid programs, etc… I chose to stay at the Four Seasons since it’s the iconic Bora Bora resort – the one mentioned on lists of dream destinations, and the top-rated resort on TripAdvisor.
Thank you for this blog. My husband and I traveled to Bora Bora for our honeymoon, and loved it. We will be going to Palawan in June (hoping mother nature will cooperate as it is typically rainy season there). Do you have any other recommendations for an overwater bungalow with a pool resort for families? I have two young girls, 6 and 18 months, so the pool will be a requirement for us. Also, I have heard Coron is better than El Nido, but have not done much research yet. Again, thank you.
-Jennifer
Sorry for the delay! I was at the ITB travel trade show in Berlin the past week and walked through the Philippines section hoping to get information for you but was unsuccessful. I don’t think there are a lot of overwater bungalow places in Palawan/Coron, and a lot of those don’t have pools.
It is like comparing Ferrari to Ford. Bora Bora is in a league of its own. The very act of comparing these two places is simply wrong. One costs a fortune to get to and stay and the other almost nothing. Philippines is a cheap backpacker destination which can be compared to Thailand for instance (another cheap destination every Joe Bloggs has been to..)
A list of truly expensive and exclusive destinations where you feel like the entire place is yours is as follows:
1. Bora Bora
2. Seychelles
3. Maldives
Wow, you totally missed the point Maros. A lot of people Google “Bora Bora vs Palawan”, since they’re routinely listed as two of the world’s best island destinations. The point was to compare them. As to your list, we’re been to Bora Bora and the Maldives, and this year we’re returning to the Maldives and also visiting the Seychelles. I can write a blog post comparing those three, but really how interesting is it going to be to compare three overwater bungalow resorts in gorgeous places, all at the $800-1500 price point? That’s great that you’re only interested in “expensive and exclusive destinations”, but not everyone has your budget. Palawan is a great option at a lower price point, and it’s more interesting than Bora Bora (there’s a reason a lot of people refer to it as Boring Boring).
Hi,
Thank you for this post. I have been to El Nido as well but looking forward for Bora Bora soon!! El Nido is a must see and is certainly cheaper than Bora Bora. But your pics looks amazing in Bora Bora. Thank you for sharing.