48 Hours in Puerto Princesa
See the wonders of Palawan—from its beaches to its sunsets—in this short clip.
If you only have two whole days to spend in Palawan, considered the country’s ‘last frontier’, where would you go? You can start off in its capital, Puerto Princesa. This small town, with its charming eateries and close proximity to some gorgeous beaches and a world-renowned underground river, makes for an action-packed destination. We give you a sample itinerary to help you hit the ground running and wind down with a quiet boat ride.
8 am: The most popular stop is, of course, the Puerto Princesa Underground River, the longest navigable subterranean river in the world. There are a limited number of visitors allowed in for the day, so you best get a head start by visiting the Tourism Office in Puerto Princesa to book a schedule for your PPUR visit. Come early enough, and you might be able to get a schedule for the same day, but you’re more likely to get a schedule for the next day.
Be warned: At peak season, the PPUR might be booked for weeks in advance! The DOT launched an online booking system at ppur.com.ph last year (but it appears to be offline at the moment.) The Tourism Office is located at the Puerto Princesa City Coliseum, 350 Rizal Ave.; phone (+6348) 434 2509; (+63 48) 723 0904; it is open from 8am to 4pm weekdays, 8am to 11am weekends.
9 am: With your PPUR permit in hand, go round the corner for a hearty breakfast of chaolong, Vietnamese rice noodles in beef broth, served with a baguette—which speaks to Puerto Princesa’s history as a site for a Vietnamese community, established in the 1970s for refugees of the Vietnam War. Bona’s Chaolong Haus (Manalo St.) has become a local favourite for its tasty broth and reasonable prices.
10 am: Here is what vacations are all about. Book a day trip to go island-hopping in Honda Bay to enjoy the fresh sea wind in your hair, revitalising sunlight on your face, and stunning natural beauty all around you. You can spend the day snorkeling in this cradle of biodiversity, sunbathing on white-sand beaches, and enjoying a picnic lunch on any of the islands and sandbars on the tour. Alternatively, you can also book a day trip to the beautiful Dos Palmas Resort (dospalmas-palawan.com; phone (+63 48) 434 3118) on Arrecefi Island and enjoy the resort’s facilities, its fantastic beach, and its incredible house reef.
5 pm: They’ll have to wrestle you back to the boat after such a beautiful day out, but perhaps you can be persuaded with the promise of a sundowner at the Baywalk. Enjoy the breeze, relax as you walk along the promenade, watch the locals take a load off as they call it a day, and have a drink as the street food stalls fire up their grills.
7 pm: We hope you have reservations for KaLui —it’s hopping with diners on most evenings, and, admittedly, it’s become somewhat of a tourist trap, if the tour buses parked outside are any indication. But the food is unmatched all these years, with a changing menu that accommodates what’s fresh and in season and highlights the best of farm and sea. Reservations are “requested” (read: required), but while you wait for a table, you can also browse the restaurant’s galleries for art and souvenirs. 369 Rizal Ave., phone (+63 48) 433 2580, (+63 928) 753 9621.
Related video: What is there to do in Puerto Princesa? Watch the Yahoo Funbassadors spend their day weaving, traveling and eating. Lots of eating.
DAY 2
8 am: Get an early start to get to the Puerto Princesa Underground River National Park, located in Sabang, a good two-hour ride out of the town proper. Once you get to Sabang, there is also the option to check in to Sheridan Beach Resort and Spa (sheridanbeachresort.com; email reservations@sheridanbeachresort.com), which, as the only resort of its class in the area, makes for a good base for activities on this side of the island.
10 am: There’s going to be a bit of queue to validate your permits and get on the boats to the underground river, but nobody has come out of the experience feeling as if it wasn’t worth the wait.
Even as you wait for the banca to take you through the forest, note that the national park is itself an attraction, a primary rainforest and watershed that is home to many animals and plants that are endemic to Palawan. The breathtaking banca ride through the Puerto Princesa Underground River will take about 45 minutes to an hour, during which your tour guide will talk you through this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Related video: Know what it’s like to go through the Puerto Princesa Underground River with this Yahoo Funbassadors’ episode
3 pm: Still up for more? Request a stop on the way back to the town proper at the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center—better known as “the crocodile farm”, which it used to be until it was turned into a museum and conservation center. Besides the reptiles that made it famous, you can also catch a glimpse of friendlier, cuter animals like the Palawan bearcat.
5 pm: Continue on to the Iwahig Penal Farm, a 45,000 hectare “prison without walls” that welcomes (and expects) visitors wandering all over its grounds. It’s mostly good for curiosity—drop by the visitor’s centre, and you will be rewarded with a dance number and the opportunity to buy handicraft from the prisoners.—but on a sleepy day, one can have an insightful conversation with an inmate.
7 pm: While you’re in the vicinity, go for a firefly watching tour on the Iwahig River. Organized by the Iwahig Community Eco-Tourism Association, the tour will take you down the dark Iwahig River to see the trees lit up by the luminescent bugs. The quiet boat ride is a great way to wind down from an action-packed couple of days in wild Puerto Princesa.
