Palawan · Month comparison

September vs December

December ranks #1 overall vs September at #12. Peak season builds through December — excellent dry conditions, Christmas atmosphere, and prices rising sharply.

Palawan September — aerial view of Barracuda Lake at Coron, one of the few experiences still accessible in the monsoon

September

#12 of 12 months

Avoid

Still deep monsoon — slightly less rain than August but typhoon season continues; avoid unless intentional.

  • ↑Rainfall begins to ease slightly from August's peak — still 230mm, but there are occasional sunny windows that do not exist in July and August
  • ↑Prices and availability remain very low; those who travelled in July-August and survived have already departed, leaving Palawan genuinely to itself
Palawan December — kayaking through turquoise water surrounded by limestone karst mountains at El Nido in peak season

December

#1 of 12 months

Best match

Peak season builds through December — excellent dry conditions, Christmas atmosphere, and prices rising sharply.

  • ↑December is reliably dry at 42mm and sunny — boat tours operate every day and the water is returning to its peak-season clarity; excellent conditions
  • ↑Christmas and New Year create a genuinely festive atmosphere in El Nido town — Filipino hospitality at its most celebratory; the island is worth experiencing in the festive season
FactorSeptemberDecember
Weather score
2
9
Value score
9
3
Crowd score
9
3
Events score
2
6
Atmosphere
3
8
Avg high temp30°C29°C
Monthly rain230mm42mm
Daily sunshine4.2hrs7.8hrs

September trade-offs

  • ↓El Nido remains largely shut for boat tours — 230mm of rain and unpredictable seas mean the defining experience of Palawan is still not reliably available
  • ↓Typhoon risk is still elevated; the Philippines experiences some of its most significant named storms in September
  • ↓Most travellers who arrive in September do so accidentally or out of necessity — very few who research Palawan would choose this month deliberately

December trade-offs

  • ↓Prices jump sharply from the second week of December — Christmas and New Year week are the most expensive period of the year in some properties, comparable to January
  • ↓The week between Christmas and New Year brings maximum crowd pressure: boats are full, Nacpan Beach is packed, and El Nido town is at its busiest
  • ↓Pre-Christmas week (December 22–25) and New Year's Eve can feel chaotic rather than festive if you are unprepared for Filipino Christmas scale
See all 12 months for Palawan →September in detail →December in detail →
Scores compare months within Palawan. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →