Palawan Escapade

It was always a dream for me to travel to places especially to go to famous places here in the Philippines, but before, it was only a dream since travelling means lots of expenses 'til that special day in March of 2009...

I was so excited browsing Cebu Pacific 'coz my friend told me that there's this seat sale of domestic flights. I really wanted to travel that's why I save some part of my Christmas Bonus intended for it. I was working overtime that time when I saw an available seat sale going to Puerto Princesa. Good thing, two of my officemates were still with me. I've talked to them if they want to go with me and voila! I secured three tickets roundtrip from Manila to Puerto Princesa for only 1,256 each on August 20-23, 2009.

Fast forward to August 2009

Two days before my flight, I was already preparing my things since I’m not really that good with packing things. We’re travelling light and I was already had two bulky bags as my hand carry. Good thing my guy friend brought few things and he tried to accommodate some of my things in his bag.

Our flight is 3:00 pm, at exactly twelve my friend came to our office to fetch me. We’re going first, our other friend will be there the next day. So it was just me and him. On our way to airport, I remember that I still have some things to buy (my last minute shopping) so we go for a quick buy at SM Harrison before heading off to the airport.
We’re an hour away before my dream vacation. Puerto Princesa here I come.

It was my first time on an airplane. Some tragic crashes keep playing on my mind but I tried to shook it and think of other things. After an hour, we’re already landing at Puerto Princesa Airport, the view on my window was breathtaking. Turquoise water everywhere.

At the arrival area, we saw many locals with some banners and placards. We’re already expecting somebody to pick-up us from the airport. I have already arranged our accommodation during our stay in the city. After a minute, we already saw our “sundo”. Our name printed in bold letters.

On our way going to our guest house, I was so amazed with how Puerto Princesa maintained its environment, the “province” feel. I myself was raised in a province (Batangas) but modernization already took so much of its part and seeing Puerto Princesa in its purest form somehow touches my heart and made me reminisced my childhood playing in lush green grass. Wherever I look, everything is green. Our guest house was just 5 minutes away from the city. After putting our things on our room, me and my friend agreed to roam around the city since its only five and we also need to buy some mosquito repellant (just a precautionary measure against malaria, if ever). We ask our host how to go to the mall or grocery and asked some directions of the establishments we wanted to try. They’re very accommodating and serviced us to the mall without charged. We were quite surprised when we found out that there’s no SM or Robinson’s mall in the province. We were brought to LCC mall instead. Our host asked us if we wanted him to wait for us but we declined saying we’ll be going around some places and that we’ll just take a trike going back to our place. He just gave his phone number just in case we need assistance or anything.

After buying things from the mall, we headed out to Kinabuich. I’ve done some research before our travel and I’ve listed some places on our itinerary. Some must try on Puerto Princesa. And first on our list is Kinabuich. We ate our early dinner. The food was sumptuous and cheap considering we ordered seafoods. After our dinner, we drink beer and try the famous tamilok (mangroves worm). It was eiiiiwwwness to the max but since I’m in for the challenge, I tried it and we agreed to finished the whole order. Well, it taste good like “talaba”. The night was still early when we finished drinking and called it a night. In Puerto ten at night seems like midnight in the city since there’s no other place to go to. Establishments were already closing and there’s only few vehicles in the streets. We rented a tricycle going to our guesthouse. After some washing we called it a night and prepare to sleep.

The next day, we woke up early to fetch our other friend from the airport. Our host provided us the service vehicle again. It’s the start of another roaming around day. She just brought her things at our room and we agreed to check the beach at the back of the guest house. The beach was not yet developed. The water is deep that’s why its not advisable to swim. We just took pictures and headed off to our next destination. We rented the tricycle of our host to roam around the city. We agreed to taste the best of Palawan and refrain from eating on fastfood that’s why we asked our driver to bring us to Badjao Seafood Restaurant. It was a little bit far from the main city but it was all worth it. The place was awesome. We took some pictures again before heading off to the main resto. We ordered a seafoods platter and sinigang na hipon. The serving is big and we pig out ‘til theres nothing left on our table. We’re so full and happy and we just pay P835 for all our food. That’s less than 300 per person, imagine that, lots of crab, shrimps, fish, seaweeds, clams, buco juices and dessert for that amount...I so love the place.
After we fuel up our body with mouthwatering food, we roam the city starting off with Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (the Crocodile Farm) where we had a face to face close up with a baby crocs captured on pics. Picture taking again then afterwards we continue to Bakers Hill where we buy some hopia and goodies for our pasalubong then to Mitra’s Ranch, Butterfly Farm. It was almost six when we got back from the City and we agreed to have our dinner to the famous Ka Lui. They say, you will never experienced Puerto Princesa if you don’t experience Ka Lui. It was good that we get there early since we didn’t have reservations. They said if we go there a little bit late, they won’t be able to accommodate us since the place is always jammed pack with clients specially during Fridays and Saturdays.Most who came there have their reservations or if you don’t have one like us, you should go there by six. They’re close during Sundays. At Ka Lui, you’ll left your shoes or fit flops at the entrance. There’s these drawers where you put your shoes. The place was cozy, there’s this kundiman song playing and we feel the province life again. We ordered yellow fin tuna in butter, seaweeds, sweet and sour lapu-lapu, shrimps, buco juice and watermelon shake and we’re full again. Before heaading of to our next destination, I felt I need to pee and asked for the restroom and was so amazed with the CR. There’s this painting of a woman for the girls and a man for the gents. The washing area is so unique with a “banga” as their faucet. Nice :)

After our dinner, we go again to Kinabuch, we just walked from Ka lui since its distance is not that far, to save money, hehehehe. Our friend Cheril treated us for a beer tower and then we went back home a little tipsy and tired. We called it a night and prepare for our early trip to Underground River the next day.
We were joined with a group of vacationers from Manila. I was surprised when I met them since one of the guest was my former officemate and she’s with her relatives. The travel from Puerto Princesa to Sabang took two hours, with stopovers, first stop was in a store when we asked to pee and pay two pesos, and the other one was on Buenavista view deck where you could see the view of the sea from above. When we reached Sabang, we took a motorized banca to take us to the Underground River. Two bancas were rented for our group, six person in each group. Our bangkero’s were so nice assisting us. From the shore, we need to walked a little to Underground River. We were reminded to put our plastic bags or bottles inside our bag because the monkeys might took it from us. I was not lucky to see any monkey. It was raining and monkeys were not roaming around. When we get to the river, we were surprised to see so many vacationers waiting for their turn to get inside the Underground River. Our host already reserved for us and we don’t need to wait longer for hours. We ride a small outrigger boat to get inside the cave, twelve of us in the boat. Our guide is a comedian and were laughing and laughing from the start ‘til the finish of our tour inside the cave. After that we went back to Sabang for our late buffet lunch which was included on our package. The tour to the Underground River was P1500-1800 per person but we have this talent of “pambabarat” that we had made our host agreed that we will only pay P1200 each. See that...Tipid :)

We were not able to drop by at Viet Ville, a restaurant of authentic Vietnam’s Beef Stew. The place is a small community of people from Vietnam who decided to live in Palawan during the war (that’s what I knew, I’m not sure... :D ). At night after some quiries and asking, our host helper told us that there’s these two eateries in downtown which serves beef stew like vietville, not that “cozy” but theirs was one of the best in the city. So after changing our clothes, we were on for the challenge, look for the best beef stew in town. If I’m not mistaken, it was Bonas, we were jumbling its name to Bolong’s. We asked the trike driver to take us to the eatery that serves beef stew, “”yung pinaka masarap kuya.” He took us to downtown in an eatery with lots of people eating. It looks like a small carenderia but when we tasted its famous beef stew, it was one of the best. Yummy! It only cost us fifty including the bread and softdrinks.

Sunday is our last day in Puerto Princesa, on our itinerary is my favorite. Swimming, swimming, swimming, not just one but three ‘cos were going island hoping to three famous island. O sorry, it was only two islands and a reef. First we go to Pabato reef where we go snorkeling. My first again, I have this fear of deep waters but I love beaches (one of my contradictions). So I never took off my life jacket and just hold on the board that our guide gave us. He pointed different shells, fishes, and other creatures under us. After snorkeling, we were brought to Snake Island. White sand... Yes! I feel so alive. Swimming, swimming, sun bathing. After an hour and a half, we were then transfered to Pandan Island. Another white sand island. Our lunch were already prepared. Unlimited seafood buffet. I so love it. I eat lots of crabs,yum, yum.... And then picture taking and swimming again. We almost forgot the time, were lucky our host knew our flight. He called us and said we all need to go back to our place. It was 2:30, our flight is 5 o’ clock and we still need to packed some things. The boat ride to the pier was bumpy. Its raining hard and we’re on a hurry. It was four when we got back to our room. Me and my girl friend share the bathroom so that both of us can wash at the same time. We took a quick shower and do the last minute packing. Our service to the airport was waiting for us, we bid goodbye to our host and said we’ll be back again, on their place. We manage to get to the airport 30 minutes before the flight. We’re lucky we made it, we don’t have extra money to pay for another tickets. Whew!

It was a great experience. Palawan was one of my best place. I’ll be going back there again...

Here is the list of my expenses as far as I remember (approximately excluding other unnecessary expenses and pasalubong):

Cebu Pacific round trip tickets :P 1256.00

Terminal fee(NAIA) 250.00
Kinabuch dinner,
beer & tamilok 550/2 275.00
Lunch (Bajao Seafood Resto) 279.00
835/3

Dinner (Ka Lui) 321.67 965/3

Beef Stew 50.00

Rent (tricycle for city tour) 250.00 750

Trike on and off downtown 130.00

Entrance (Crocodile Butterfly Farm)80.00 (not sure but not more than 100)

Under Ground River Tour (reg. 1500-1800)1200.00

Island Hopping Tour (regular 1200-1500) 900.00

Accommodation with daily bfast for 3 days (300 a day) 900.00

Picture taking with the crocs 50.00