Banwa Private Island · Palawan, Philippines
Your Private Island, Your Way.
A single garden island in Palawan, given over entirely to you and those you choose to bring — total privacy, extraordinary space, and a level of personal service most travelers never experience.
Why Banwa
A private island, not a resort with a view of one.
Banwa is a small, springwater-fed island entirely reserved for its guests — no other travelers, no shared beach, no queue for a sunbed. What you get instead is space: your own beachfront villa and pool, a team who anticipate rather than intrude, and days shaped entirely around how you want to spend them. It is luxury measured in privacy and attention, not just amenities.
The Villas
Among the largest private beachfront villas in the world.
Every villa sits directly on the beach, with huge interiors, extensive terraces and gardens, and its own spring-water pool. Villas are positioned for complete privacy — unseen and unheard from one another — with service that stays a message away rather than under foot.
An island that becomes entirely your own.
There is no set schedule at Banwa. Mornings can begin with the water at your doorstep or a slow breakfast on your terrace; afternoons can be spent sailing, diving, or simply doing nothing at all. With the island reserved for its guests, every itinerary is built around you — nothing to book around, nothing to share.
The Banwa Experience
Days shaped around you.
Bespoke Experiences
A private dive center, dedicated divemasters, and a house reef a few steps from your villa, alongside the island's wider roster of guided experiences.
- PADI diving & 20+ local dive sites
- Snorkeling on the house reef
- Kayaking, paddleboarding & Hobie sailing
- Line fishing
- Guided eco-tours & wildlife spotting
- Sandbank & Milky Way stargazing
- Golf, tennis & pickleball
- Tubbataha Reef expeditions
Dining
Meals are built around your preferences rather than a fixed menu — the culinary team prepares Filipino, international, Mediterranean, Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Halal, vegetarian, and vegan cuisine on request. Latitude is the island's main dining room, but guests just as often find a table set for them in a quiet corner of the island instead.
Fish comes from local waters; most produce is grown on Banwa's own organic farm on the Palawan mainland and delivered to the island daily.
Wellness
Restorative rather than clinical — massage (in your villa or by the water) and yoga set the pace, with golf, tennis, and pickleball for guests who want to stay active. The island itself does much of the rest: it's spring-water fed and mosquito-free, so days pass undisturbed.
Nature & Conservation
Luxury that exists in harmony with nature.
Banwa's surrounding waters are a protected marine sanctuary, cared for through the island's own Aquos Foundation, which works to protect marine life, wildlife, and the island itself. A hawksbill turtle nesting program on the island has recorded its 10,000th egg, and guided walks visit a Tabon bird sanctuary alongside the reef.
It extends to the table, too — the island's organic farm supplies much of its own produce, doubling as an educational resource for staff, guests, and the local community.
For Couples
Honeymoons, anniversaries, and proposals with no one else around.
A private villa, a table set wherever you choose, and evenings under some of the clearest night skies in Palawan. Banwa also hosts small, intimate weddings — designed entirely around the two of you, with beachfront and hideaway settings styled to match.
For Families
Space enough for every generation.
Larger configurations such as the four-bedroom South West Villa or the twelve-bedroom Axis Garden Rooms make it possible for multigenerational families to stay together on the same island, in their own private accommodation, with childcare support available on request.
Private Events & Island Charter
A bespoke setting, not a standard venue.
For milestone celebrations, private gatherings, or exclusive use of the island, Banwa's team works with you to shape the occasion around your guest list and vision, from ceremony styling to the flow of each day. Every arrangement is discussed and confirmed directly with Banwa.
Beyond Banwa
Getting there is part of the experience.
Banwa is reached by helicopter, seaplane, or boat transfer, arriving directly at the island's own jetty. From there, Palawan's wider natural wonders are close at hand:
- Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site with over 600 fish species and 360 coral species
- Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park — a UNESCO-listed underground river
- Barbacan River cruise through a 25-kilometer mangrove forest
- Sunset cruise to Pagbu Island to watch thousands of flying foxes take flight
- Ilian River cruise and a trek to Bagong Bayan Falls
- A visit to the Tumarbong organic farm, reached by amphibian yacht
Speak With Our Luxury Travel Specialist
XED Escapes helps you plan and arrange your Banwa Private Island experience — from villa selection to transfers and the occasion you have in mind. Every detail is confirmed directly with Banwa on your behalf.