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A Taste of Palawan
Guest Traveler: Kitty Lupato
Palawan, is 400 km long and only 40 km wide, southwest of
the Philippine Archipelago. Dubbed as the "Last Frontier",
it is a tropical paradise which boasts of beautiful white beaches,
coral reefs, towering mountains and hills, untouched forests,
diverse marine and wild life, the list goes on and on, definitely
an ecotourism destination.
Upon reaching Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan, as a
first timer, it was great to be greeted by sun, sea and sky
literally. It was hot but it was a welcoming warmth for the
days to come ahead. We dropped off our bags at nearby Airport
Village Hotel and headed off to have lunch at Ka-Lui, one of
the many charming restaurants that abound in the city.
After a sumptuous lunch, we headed to Palawan Museum, which
housed archaeological artifacts such as jars, plates, shells
and other odds and ends. Next on the agenda was Crocodile Farm
and Nature Park. As we entered the facility, the skeleton of
the largest crocodile found on the island enclosed in a glass
case greeted us. Above it was its equally large leather hide
hanging on the wall. A short video presentation followed and
then we were off to see the crocs. First stop were the baby
crocs housed in numerous huge tubs in a large warehouse. One
of the keepers took one out of the tub and quickly tied its
jaws together for anyone interested in having their picture
taken while holding it. We next went to see the locked up handicapped
and deformed crocs. It was interesting to find out what exactly
made them different but sad at the same time to see them lying
helplessly. We saw more crocodiles lazing in the swamp nearby
barely moving with some of their jaws wide open which our guide
explained was a way to cool down from the blazing heat. Apart
from the crocodiles, also included in the tour was an eco-walk
to see the rest of the wildlife housed such as the bearcat,
monkeys and ostriches.
On we went to Mitra's ranch which had a magnificent view of
the city proper and Honda Bay. On its sprawling property, the
large log cabin sits empty while we the tourists shuffled about
on its huge wrap-around verandah taking in the sights while
the kids took turns in riding the lone horse or played croquet
on the immense lawn.
From Mitra's ranch, we went for a short visit to the Iwahig
Penal Farm where prisoners are free to roam around the compound
and set up a living of farming or making crafts which were for
sale in their souvenir shop. Last on the list of places to visit
for the day was the Butterfly Garden which housed quite a number
of rare species of butterflies.
After a long but fun day and a tasty dinner at Chicken Inato,
I was ready to plop down and get much needed rest for the next
eventful day.
As early as 630 am we were all up and about ready for the
next adventure which would take us up north. We were headed
for Sabang Beach for an overnight stay and to visit the famous
Underground River UNESCO-declared World Heritage Site. On the
way over, despite the rugged roads, picture perfect scenery
of untouched land overwhelmed us all.
We stopped over at Tagabinet to climb the craggy Ugong Rock
where I got a lasting souvenir (a deep gash above my knee).
Ugong Rock got its name from the resonating sound which emanates
once the rock is pounded upon. To reach the top, where an open
hut sits, we had to don our hard hats and enter the limestone
cave ducking and weaving thru the dark, climbing up the ladders,
getting thru holes, climbing up sharp rocks and finally the
last rickety ladder that took us to the hut. What awaited us
was a 360-degree awe-inspiring view of Tagabinet and its surrounding
mountains.
We also visited the Lion's cave where at the huge entrance
a lion-shaped rock stands guard at the center. Our guides didn't
have the equipment to explore the cave further so we only got
so far and once the terrain got rough we turned back.
Upon reaching Sabang beach I immediately walked out to the
shore and just enjoyed the serenity and beauty of nature. The
powdery white sand which stretched for miles felt very fine
beneath my feet and the blue-green water beckoned us to go for
a dip.
Before going for a dip though, we went for a mangrove paddleboat
tour nearby. The scene was like something straight out of a
movie. It felt surreal gliding thru still- brackish water with
towering mangroves on both sides of the river providing us shade
from the afternoon sun as different animal species lurked about.
It was also heartening to know that the tour itself is a community-based
project where its residents are working together to preserve
the mangroves.
The next day we rode a banca to bring us to the famous Puerto
Prinsesa Subterranean National River Park. Formerly known as
St. Paul Subterranean River National Park, it runs for about
8.2 km but the navigable area for tourists is only 1.5 km. Special
permits must be secured from the park management to navigate
the rest of the river.
The entrance itself which looked like hardened cascading water
was a sight to behold luring us to see beyond it. With our helmets,
safety vests, the huge flashlight held by the person at the
front of the boat and our witty tour guide, we set off to explore
the inside. It was simply spectacular which left our mouths
gaping at times (watch out for drops from the
ceiling though because numerous bats also inhabit the place)
with the ceiling soaring to cathedral heights and how nature
formed such interesting shapes as pointed out by our guide.
After our last dip in the cool waters of Sabang, we headed
back to the city to get more clothes and now head to Honda bay
for an overnight stay at Starfish Island and island hopping
the next day. We got to the wharf pretty late and as we rode
the banca that would take us to Starfish Island, a blanket of
stars twinkled away above us and the moon radiated light to
guide us. Upon reaching the island, the generator was turned
on signifying that we were the only occupants of the island
for the night. We chose the best hut to stay in and immediately
lounged around the island.
Honda Bay is comprised of small islands each featuring their
uniqueness. Starfish island is so called because of the many
large starfishes which surround the island. Pandan island is
comprised of many pandan plants which is used for making handicrafts
such as banigs or bags. Snake island is a long, curvy sandbar
just like the snake. Luli is an island that shows up now and
again depending on the tide (Lulubog Lilitaw,
hence the name). The ever-famous Dos Palmas resort on Arreceffi
Island where from afar there are two distinctive palm trees
sticking out from a bunch of palm trees. Last but not least
is Bat Island where thousands of fruit bats were hanging on
the trees. It was the last island to visit on our way back to
the wharf because we wanted to see their flight towards the
forest so we waited till it got a little bit dark and one by
one the
bats started flying to the forest. The sky just filled up with
bats and it was a sight to behold. What a way to end the day!
Palawan is such a big place and the time we had was not enough
to explore all it had to offer. But nevertheless, I had a grand
time and I can't wait to get back!
Kitty Lupato is a bank programmer who's bitten by the traveling
bug. For the past 2 years she's s been to so many places
thanks to her good friends who also love to travel. It's been
her life-long dream to travel and now she's able to fulfill
it little by little. There's still so many places she wants
to explore and she can't wait for the next adventure!
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