Palawan Paradise
Now that summer is coming (yaaay!!), I've decided to get going with my vacation posts that have been sitting in my drafts folder for months. It takes more time and effort for me to post about our travels because when the V's go on vacation, we end up with thousands of photos, what with almost 3 cameras between Gary and I plus our trusty Flip cam for vids and on top of that add the mobile phones pics and videos too. So I have all this experiences and images I want to share after every trip, then bam! reality hits and I get back to my busy mompreneur life...well, I offer no excuses for the delinquency. I'll just get to work and share with you some of my vacation memories here in case it helps you guys plan out your coming family summer trips.So we had the chance to take the kids to Puerto Princesa before it became listed as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The last time Gary and I were in Palawan was our trip to El Nido as a newly married couple which was more than 15 years ago! I'd have to say, it was one of the most memorable trips I've taken, ever. The awesome black rock formations jutting out of the dark bluegreen waters and seeing colorful marine life underwater during an intro dive at the resort, were images that never left my mind, and I had always wanted to go back since.So almost 15 years later, now as a family of 5, we booked a trip to Puerto Princesa, Palawan, and besides sharing with our kids the experiences of years ago, we set our sights on creating new memories: visiting the famous Puerto Princesa Underground River that was (then) hoping to be declared as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.We booked a stay at a highly recommended hotel within the city, Hotel Centro. It did not disappoint. It's a mid-sized hotel in Puerto Princesa, it's farely new so the rooms and facilities are quite modern and clean. As soon as we arrived, we went straight to the tour desk at the lobby and booked our tours with Amika Travel agency. For our 4-day stay, we scheduled the Honda Bay island hopping tour and the visit to the Underground river.
We were told by the tour desk that to enter the Underground River, we need to apply for entry permits. And since the River is a World Heritage site, DENR limits the traffic to only 900 visitors a day, and each one has get the required permits. We almost got a scare when she told us she would have to check if there are still available permits for the next two days to accommodate us. (meanwhile, our hearts were beating loudly...) Phew! She said that we can still apply but advised us to do the island hopping tour first the next day and visit the river the day after so she could work on the permits first. Yes! So that's all set.We then checked in the room for a while, with the boys checking out their beds and their, uhm, snorkeling gear. Then we headed out to the city for dinner. We decided to go to a well known restaurant called Kinabuchs and we had a delicious Pinoy dinner and a nice time under the stars of Puerto Princesa.The next morning, our guide picked us up early at the hotel for our Honda Bay island-hopping tour. We took a van to the Honda Bay wharf.
We got us some pretty hats here:)
We got into the boat and were told that we were going to 3 islands and that the tour would last till mid-afternoon.
The first stop was Pambato Reef. Pambato Reef is actually a floating raft in the middle of the ocean. It is a marine sanctuary for coral, clams and different species of fish, and visitors are given the chance to do some snorkeling around this cordoned off area.
Since the waters here are only around 10feet deep and we were equipped with life jackets even R enjoyed the snorkeling.
Dad and C snorkeling
We went back into the boat and went on to our next stop which was Pandan Island. Our guide had prepared lunch for us in one of the rentable huts in this island. The island is still undeveloped with very few houses of locals in the area but it was comfortable enough for us to lounge around in the hut and enjoy the white sand and clear waters.This is our very hospitable guide with Z
A beach vacation is not complete without....
Our guide gave us plastic bags of bread for fish feeding. It was amazing to have so many tropical fishes come to us as soon as we put the bread into the seawater.
R was getting a bit nervous when there were too many fishes hitting her legs so I just carried her so she can see them from above water.
The kids had a lot of fun feeding and interacting with the fishes though we kept saying that we wished the bread didn't come in plastic because we were so concerned the plastic would be left in the water and pollute the ocean.Our family at Pandan Beach, Palawan
After a while, we decided to make our way to the third stop which was Snake Island. According to our guide, it is named so because the island is S-shaped. The island had simple huts where we could park our belongings and rest.
Snake Island turned out to be my favorite island of all. It was beautiful seeing the tip of the island from where we stood. As soon as R took her nap in the hut and Gary joined her, I couldn't resist and invited my two boys to walk with me.
I saw a parked banca and had my photo taken. Please indulge me haha.
This was one of the most memorable moments of my trip. Alone time with my boys. Watching them fool around with each other. Enjoying the beautiful sand and sea.
We lazed around and swam some more, then decided to pack up and head back to the hotel before nightfall. Good thing we decided to do so because on the boat on the way home, we were caught by very, very strong rain!That night, the kids except C wanted to go for a swim and enjoyed the fun illuminations of the Centro pool.
The next morning after breakfast we headed on out for the adventure we came here for. The visit to the New 7 Wonders of the World, the Puerto Princesa Underground River. We took a road trip (around 1.5-2 hours) to get to the Sabang Wharf. From there we took a short boat ride to the Underground River Park.
Ah those rock formations...awesome!
We finally arrived and we were welcomed by very informative signages which fueled our anticipation.
The Puerto Princesa is a World Heritage site.
We took a short walk under a beautiful canopy of trees
Then we reached the entrance to the underground river. We are welcomed to the Puerto Princesa Underground River
We went into our paddle boat.
Ready?
It was a majestic site as our boat entered into the river. the guide handed us flood lights with the kids taking turns to hold it.
At some point R would get nervous about being in pitch darkness, but when we would see the amazing rock formations she would also look at them in awe along with her brothers. It helped to make a game about spotting figures and shapes from the hanging stalagmites and stalactites.
Without spoiling the trip for those who haven't visited. Here's a photo of one of the formations you'll see:
Our family at the Puerto Princesa Underground River, one of the 7 New Wonders of the World
Afterwards, we walked back to the shoreline so we could take a banca back to the wharf. So breathtaking....
Perfect time for lunch as we were famished. We ended our tour with this buffet lunch at the Underground River park.
After this we headed back to the hotel where the kids wanted to make the most of our vacay and headed back into the pool.
Z planking. Lol.
Gary and R doing their traditional shoulder standThis was a trip fully-packed with memories for the V's.
A reminder of just how beautiful our country is with its sights, scenery that reflects the wonder of God...
and there are also things that make us say: Only in the Philippines!
Note: The Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) was officially included in the list of New 7 Wonders of Nature last January 2012. Tourist visits to the place have increased tremendousely since the awarding so make sure to book all your tours prior to your trip. PPUR management has set a maximum number of visitors to the river and there are also days that the river is closed, so to avoid incovenience and disappointment, finalize your itinerary and tour package with your hotel or travel agent before your trip. The official website of the Underground River can be found here)