When the plane landed in Puerto Princesa, it was hard to believe that we are in a capital city of a province. Almost everything you see is green. It's clear that one of the major priorities of its local government is protecting its natural resources. A drive through the city will give you a site of litter-free streets, with trash bins situated on the sidewalks every 100 meters. The garbage bins were, according to our friend, ordered from Australia.
After freshening up in our hotel, we proceeded with the city tour. First stop is the Cathedral. Our tour guide made sure that we visit and pray first before we begin the tour. Just beside the church is Plaza Cuartel where hundreds of Filipino and American soldiers were burned in the tunnel by the Japanese during WWII.
Next, we went to Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm. It was a 20-minute rough ride from the city. There is nothing much to see there actually. Just the prisoners who were very insistent in selling their handmade key chains. Next stop is the Crocodile Farm. I really enjoyed looking at the baby and adult crocodiles. I had the chance to hold one - a baby crocodile named Kikay.
We then went to Baker's Hill where we took pictures in its mini-park. We also bought some baked goodies. Don't forget to buy hopia here for pasalubong. Just a few hundred meters away is Mitra's Ranch where you get a breathtaking view of Hunda Bay. You also get to peek inside Mitra's house, which is not open to the public.
We had our dinner at Ka Lui's. I've heard some good things about this restaurant and I was not disappointed. Their meals were reasonably priced. Servings are good for 1 and a half persons so make sure to be really hungry before dinner. I also loved the paintings on the walls. We posed for pictures in their very nice and cozy waiting area while waiting for our meals to be served.
It was a long and tiring day so we headed back to the hotel after dinner because we had to wake up really early tomorrow for the Underground River.
Day 2
We started our trip to the Underground River at 6AM. It was a 1 and a half hour road trip where you can take in the beauty of nature. When we reached the pier at Sabang, we rode a boat to get to where the underground river is. We docked in a beach with fine light brown sand and walked through a trail leading to the entrance of the river. When we got there, we put on our life vests and helmets, and rode a small banca which will take us inside the cave. It was really dark inside. If you turn off the spotlight, you will never see a single spark of light. No wonder they use a motolite battery for the spotlight because you'll be really scared and unable to navigate your way out the cave.
It's really different when you get to experience going into the cave. At first, when I was checking out pictures of the underground river, I thought that it was just mediocre. But when I saw it with my own eyes, it was then that I understood why it was voted as one of the new wonders of the world. Be sure to be really early so you can fully appreciate the underground river without the annoying lights from other small boats. We were the second boat to enter the cave that day so we practically had the cave all to ourselves, feeling like it was an exclusive tour for us.
We were back to the city at lunch and went straight to Badjao Seafront Restaurant. Coincidentally, the mayor of Puerto Princesa, Mayor Hagedorn, was also dining there so we had the chance to take some pictures with him.
We spent the afternoon shopping for pearls. Cultured pearls vary in price depending on their quality. You can find pearl earrings as cheap as P10!
After that we went back to our hotel to rest and get ready for our buffet dinner.
We had our dinner at Skylight Apartelle where they serve buffet dinners on Fridays and Mondays. Their buffet that night had 40 dishes. It was both challenging and satisfying at the same time.
Day 3
We again took off from the hotel early, about 6:30 AM for our island hopping. We went to the wharf and paid 1,300 for the boat rental. you'll have to pay additional for snorkeling gears. I think the mask and snorkel cost P100 and booties also cost the same. Just don't lose them as they will charge you P1000 for lost items. Most of the islands have entrance fees too, which will be paid upon docking in the island.
It was a fine day. The weather was perfect. First stop is the Pambato Reef where we saw magnificent corals and different colorful fishes. Our guide, who we refer to as "kuya", even lectured us on the different types of corals while guiding us around the reef. He even showed us a giant clam and held it up from the water for us to see it clearly.
Next, we went to Lu-Li Island, short for "lulubog, lilitaw". We took pictures, which lasted about 20 minutes. I was surprised and happy that the boatmen did not complain that it was taking us so long to take in the beauty of the island, considering that we still have three more islands to see. That was a plus point in our island hopping experience - no pressures from other people for you to hurry. It was great because we really get to appreciate the sites.
We then proceeded to Starfish Island. I did not see any starfish on the shore. The boatman just appeared out of nowhere holding three starfish for us to take pictures with! The sand in this island is also white, which look great for picture-taking purposes.
Next island - Snake Island. The sand here is fine and white, like in Boracay. There is no entrance fee in this island. There is a snorkeling site near the shore where you can feed the fish. Most of the people also stop here to have their lunch.
Our last stop is Pandan Island. So far, the sand in this island is the closest to the quality of Boracay's sand. There is a mini bar in this island and some cottages where you can enjoy your lunch.
When we were on our way back to the wharf, it started to rain really hard. Surprisingly, the waves were not big. The sea remained calm. The rain lasted for only a few minutes and the sun came out again.
After island hopping, we went back to the hotel to shower. Then we went to a small restaurant to have a taste of Chaolong. The taste was not disappointing. It was a mix of sweet and sour that I could not understand but it was OK. Their garlic french bread was good. After our lunch/merienda, we went back to Baker's Hill to buy some pasalubong. Then we went to the local market to buy daing. The daing from Puerto Princesa is one of the best I've tasted so far. So make sure to buy before you leave.
Day 4
We were scheduled to go back to Manila but due to radar problems, we had to extend our stay. We had dinner at Balay Inato and I can confidently say that it is the best chicken barbeque restaurant I've been to.
Our Palawan experience was a blast! I will definitely go back again and see other places in the province like El Nido and Coron. If you love nature, go to Palawan! It is the best place to explore!
We were back to the city at lunch and went straight to Badjao Seafront Restaurant. Coincidentally, the mayor of Puerto Princesa, Mayor Hagedorn, was also dining there so we had the chance to take some pictures with him.
We spent the afternoon shopping for pearls. Cultured pearls vary in price depending on their quality. You can find pearl earrings as cheap as P10!
After that we went back to our hotel to rest and get ready for our buffet dinner.
We had our dinner at Skylight Apartelle where they serve buffet dinners on Fridays and Mondays. Their buffet that night had 40 dishes. It was both challenging and satisfying at the same time.
Day 3
We again took off from the hotel early, about 6:30 AM for our island hopping. We went to the wharf and paid 1,300 for the boat rental. you'll have to pay additional for snorkeling gears. I think the mask and snorkel cost P100 and booties also cost the same. Just don't lose them as they will charge you P1000 for lost items. Most of the islands have entrance fees too, which will be paid upon docking in the island.
It was a fine day. The weather was perfect. First stop is the Pambato Reef where we saw magnificent corals and different colorful fishes. Our guide, who we refer to as "kuya", even lectured us on the different types of corals while guiding us around the reef. He even showed us a giant clam and held it up from the water for us to see it clearly.
Next, we went to Lu-Li Island, short for "lulubog, lilitaw". We took pictures, which lasted about 20 minutes. I was surprised and happy that the boatmen did not complain that it was taking us so long to take in the beauty of the island, considering that we still have three more islands to see. That was a plus point in our island hopping experience - no pressures from other people for you to hurry. It was great because we really get to appreciate the sites.
We then proceeded to Starfish Island. I did not see any starfish on the shore. The boatman just appeared out of nowhere holding three starfish for us to take pictures with! The sand in this island is also white, which look great for picture-taking purposes.
Next island - Snake Island. The sand here is fine and white, like in Boracay. There is no entrance fee in this island. There is a snorkeling site near the shore where you can feed the fish. Most of the people also stop here to have their lunch.
Our last stop is Pandan Island. So far, the sand in this island is the closest to the quality of Boracay's sand. There is a mini bar in this island and some cottages where you can enjoy your lunch.
When we were on our way back to the wharf, it started to rain really hard. Surprisingly, the waves were not big. The sea remained calm. The rain lasted for only a few minutes and the sun came out again.
After island hopping, we went back to the hotel to shower. Then we went to a small restaurant to have a taste of Chaolong. The taste was not disappointing. It was a mix of sweet and sour that I could not understand but it was OK. Their garlic french bread was good. After our lunch/merienda, we went back to Baker's Hill to buy some pasalubong. Then we went to the local market to buy daing. The daing from Puerto Princesa is one of the best I've tasted so far. So make sure to buy before you leave.
Day 4
We were scheduled to go back to Manila but due to radar problems, we had to extend our stay. We had dinner at Balay Inato and I can confidently say that it is the best chicken barbeque restaurant I've been to.
Our Palawan experience was a blast! I will definitely go back again and see other places in the province like El Nido and Coron. If you love nature, go to Palawan! It is the best place to explore!
1 comment:
Thanks for sharing the tips [travel to Puerto Princesa [by doktora], may I know the name of the tour organizer who arranged the trip of doktora. Thanks! Rose
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