About Our Family
The Local Operators Behind Balabac's Original Island Tours
This Isn't a Business We Started. It's a Life We've Always Lived.
Our Story
My name is Julie. I was born in Balabac, Palawan. My family lives in the local community here.
We watched travelers come to Balabac through booking platforms and agencies. The platforms took a commission. The local crews — our neighbors, our cousins — received the smallest share. We decided to change that.
We built campsites owned by local families on Punta Sebaring. We licensed our boats with the Philippine Coast Guard. And we built this website so travelers can book directly with the family that runs the tour.
When you book with us, you are not booking a “local partner.” You are booking the source.
Our Accreditations
- Local operator: a Balabac family business
Municipal Permit: 881-658
Philippine Coast Guard: All boats registered and cleared for passenger operation
Insurance: Not provided by us – arrange travel and medical insurance in your own country before you fly
Meet the Crew
Captain Sibum — Boat Captain. He can read the tide by the color of the water. He will find the quietest sandbar even on a busy day.
Ate Nena— Camp Kitchen She wakes before sunrise to start the rice. She cooks every meal at camp.
Kuya Juan— Guide and Storyteller He takes guests to the turtle spots and the reefs, and tells the Molbog stories behind each place.
What we hold, and what we do not claim
We hold municipal business permits for Balabac, including permit 881-658. Our boats are registered and cleared by the Philippine Coast Guard for passenger operation.
We are not an online-only operation either. We keep a physical office in Balabac and a second office in Puerto Princesa. If you want to look us in the eye before you pay anything, you can.
We do not hold Department of Tourism accreditation. We are telling you that plainly because you will see the question asked elsewhere, and because we would rather be the ones to say it.
In the Philippines, DOT accreditation is built largely around the domestic market. It is what Filipino guests look for, and it is the standard they are used to. Our guests are international travellers, and what an international traveller needs from an operator is different: a published price instead of a quotation, a written cancellation policy, a campsite that is actually yours, and a crew you can speak to directly. That is what we build for, and it is where we put our effort.
We do not display permits and papers as a reason to choose us. If you want to verify what we hold, ask, and we will send it to you before you pay anything.
How to check us before you pay anything
You should not have to take an operator’s word for it. These are the things you can ask us for, and we will send them.
- Our municipal permit. Ask for permit number 881-658 and check the name on it matches who you are paying.
- Our boat registration and Philippine Coast Guard clearance. Ask for the clearance for your specific departure date, not a general certificate.
- A direct conversation. Message us on WhatsApp at 0956 751 0634 and speak to the family that runs the trip. We do not use a call centre or a reseller.
- Our cancellation and weather terms in writing before you send a deposit. They are published on our booking terms page.
- Travel insurance. We do not provide it. Arrange travel and medical cover in your own country before you fly, and confirm in writing that it covers island hopping in this part of Palawan.
If anything we send you does not check out, do not book with us. That is the standard we would want if we were the ones paying.
Booking directly with the family
We are not a booking platform and we are not a reseller. There is no agency between you and the people who run your trip. That is deliberate: on this route, the platforms took a commission and the local crews – our own neighbours and cousins – received the smallest share.
When you book with us you speak to Julie, you sail with Captain Sibum, and you eat Ate Nena’s cooking at camp. The money stays in Balabac.