Palawan getaway

It's the time of the year when Daddy is granted with his leave --- July, my birth month! :) So, every July, we plan an out-of-town trip and really try to stick with it. Two years ago, I celebrated my birthday in Bantayan, Cebu. This year, we went earlier (July 15-17), but I still consider it as my birthday getaway. Haha!

The trip was a battle between Bohol and Palawan. We asked our friends and relatives who have already been to both or to just one and all of them voted for Palawan. But of course, Bohol is still on our list, definitely :)

We left home before 5am for our 8:15 flight and landed on Puerto Princesa before 10am where Mayor Hagedorn's staff welcomed us. 

Because we didn't want to waste any minute of our vacation, we just checked in at Circon: Businessman's Inn, changed attires, then off we went island hopping at Honda Bay. The name came from the Spanish word 'Hondo' which means deep sea.

view on our way to our first island stop :)

There are 8 islands all in all, but we only went to three. Our first stop was Snake Island where we had our lunch, Dampa level. We had grilled squid and fish, sinigang na isda, and fresh buko :) While waiting for lunch to be served, we walked by the shore and got amazed by the island's beauty! We decided to swim on the next island since Kuya boatman and our tourist guide, Kuya Adrian revealed it's the best for snorkeling and swimming. 

Satisfied that we were, we headed to Pandan Island to snorkel and to swim. Literally, there are a lot of pandan plants in the island, thus, the name :) The sand's so fine, and the water's so clean!

And Pambato Reef was our final stop! As they claim it, the best of Honda Bay is underwater. True enough, our wow's and ooooh's were never ending while we were snorkeling.

On our second day, nothing else was planned but the Underground River which is the official nominee of the Philippines to the New 7 wonders of nature. It is a 2-hour drive from the center of the city. I advise you to really go there early to avoid waiting. We got there around 9:30am and we were already 16th on the line. Good thing, the last number called was 13, so after taking few pictures, we geared up and entered the cave. The underground tour takes 45 minutes.

view from the motorboat going to the underground river

There are so many interesting figures formed by the stones. There's the simple giant corn, pig leg, and jelly fish and there's the fascinating Philippine eagle wearing rubber shoes. But, the highlight underground was the 'cathedral'.  Here are only some of what comprise the 'cathedral'.

half of Jesus' face

the nativity

Mama Mary praying

Reminder: be mindful of your belongings especially of your food because of the tsonggos freely roaming at the park. We just got victimized! 

Anyway, we had a buffet lunch (Php 200) at another island. It's not sulit for me since there were only four viands. Or maybe it was sulit because the set was delish but maybe I just expected more. Hehe. After lunch, we headed back to the hotel, but we had several stops because the beautiful sceneries kept calling us.

the man-faced mountain: Juan Tamad

century-old tree

tres marias

white rocks

We also passed by the tree which according to our driver/tourist guide Kuya Noel, was where some scenes from the movies Jurassic Park, Lord of the Rings, and Avatar were shot.

Because it was still early, around 3pm, we first bought souvenirs and other pasalubong. Palawan is known for cashew nuts and pearls.

the Tiangge has them all!

And for our last day in Puerto Princesa, we toured around the city! We maximized the four hours (8am-1pm), but we had to extend because the Crocodile Farm opened only at 1pm.

Mitra's Ranch

Baker's Hill

The road going to Mitra's Ranch and Baker's Hill is called the millionaires' village because it's where the richest men in Puerto Princesa and some government officials live. The Ranch offers a zipline with 3 stations for only 500 pesos. The Baker's Hill, on the other hand, has the most beautiful plants and landscape, plus the yummy hopia! 

Butterfly Garden

Binuatan Creations

Cathedral

Entrance at the Butterfly Garden was only Php 25 but there were really only few butterflies. But, the interesting parts of the garden are the live pupae and the other small animals like the scorpion which you can touch, the woodsticks, the millipede, and the gecko. 

The Binuatan Creations has world-class products for affordable prices plus you can experience weaving! Meanwhile, the interior of the Cathedral was built by inmates, and what's wonderful about it are the wood carvings at the altar. Sadly, the Plaza Cuartel which has a tunnel where American soldiers were burned was closed that day.

Our last stop for the day was the Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center or better known as the Crocodile Farm.

skin and skeleton of a 60-year old crocodile

aged 3-5 years

disabled crocodiles

the scary oldies

The Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center has more to offer than just crocodiles. It also has a Nature Park with various birds, reptiles, and other endangered species like the Palawan Binturong.

Aside from the tour, what you MUST really try are the photo op with a 3-year old crocodile and the yummy crocodile sisig!

4 poses/shots per person

(Php 150) tastes like chicken sisig :)

Our city tour ended before 2pm. We rushed back to the hotel, freshened up, and organized our stuff and then we headed to the airport for our 5:30pm flight. While waiting, we saw Baby George pogi again. We met him and his family at Pandan Island. He's such a bibo and pogi kid! :)

Puerto Princesa is such a clean, interesting, and beautiful city! The people are very nice, and polite. Kuya Macky, our driver/tourist guide for the city tour thanked us deeply because according to him, tourism is their main source of living. We admire Mayor Hagedorn for his strict and efficient governance. The people in Puerto Princesa do not take advantage by overpricing because everything is controlled and well-managed. Goodjob!

If you're looking for a place to stay, I suggest Circon: Businessman's Inn. It's not the glamorous hotel, but it has good service, smiling staff, and the best cook! Plus, it is really at the heart of the city. Here are the contact details of the Inn:

Tel No: 433 - 2738

Telefax No: (048) 434 - 5090

Mobile No: 0917 - 4135824/ 0999 - 1990782

E-mail: circonhotel@yahoo.com

From the deepest of my heart, thank you parents for this wonderful trip! And many many thanks to Mayor Hagedorn and his staff, and to the Station Manager, Sir Mark for the hospitality and generosity :D

'til next time, Palawan! :)

VOTE FOR PUERTO PRINCESA UNDERGROUND RIVER! TO VOTE, JUST LOG ON TO www.new7wonders.com :)