Gosh! I can't believe I did it!
It was seat sale when I checked the flights available to Puerto Princesa and luckily I found affordable flights on the dates that I wanted because 1) this trip is my birthday gift to myself and 2) friends from Manila will be there.
I had less than a week before I finalized everything because I have errands after my work. I contact Klick Destination Travel and Tours to arranged my trip in Palawan. I decided where to stay in Puerto Princesa and El Nido and the rest they prepared everything. You are all awesome! They also arranged my trip in Baler, Aurora.
Let me take you to my itinerary. I decided to have my free time in the city when I arrived. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have now arrived in the city within the forest." I kept calm outside, but screaming inside "yes! I'm here!!" Warning: Selfie photos ahead. :P
Arrival
It took 5 minutes before I found the van that will fetch me. Look, I am solo!
Interview mode with the driver. I asked a lot of questions about Puerto Princesa City. What is their dialect, what to eat, what to do in the afternoon and many more.
Giggled!
Marianne Home Inn
My friends booked their stay here, so I decided to stay here too so I can meet them before I leave for El Nido. :) Their location is near the local market and baywalk. I take a rest for thirty minutes before I ate my late lunch while my friends were on their city tour.
All rooms have free breakfast.
Check their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/mariannehomeinn2011
Here's a quick photo with their pretty staff. Hello ladies!
Tricycle Ride
I went to Robinson's Place Palawan through a 15 minutes tricycle ride. I hired the driver to wait for me. He offered me for city tour and politely said no because I said that I just want to walk around the baywalk for the sunset, unfortunately I missed it because I have an urgent report to work on. Spent PHP160 back and forth for the ride.
If you are planning to do DIY tour you can hire Mark here's his contact number: 09197172677
He is also a good photographer! HAHAHA
Baywalk Park, Puerto Princesa City
Looks like Manila Bay, but a cleaner version. There are bikes rental in the area that you can enjoy and food stalls. I just had to chill here for few minutes with Seph and Eric before we went to dinner.
Photos from Seph:
Our ride.
Badjao Seafront Restaurant
Friends from Manila invited me to join them for dinner. I didn't do any research where to eat before my trip, but I think this is one of the popular restaurants where tourists and locals go. Their fruit shakes is expensive.
Thank you guys!
Group photo, meet the gang!
Then we went back to Marianne's Home Inn and joined the boys night out while working using only my Note 3. The struggle was real with a slow mobile data connection. (
Underground River Tour
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is a protected area of the Philippines located about 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of the city centre of Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
On November 11, 2011, Puerto Princesa Underground River was provisionally chosen as one of the New7Wonders of Nature. (source)
The next day was crazy! It was raining so hard and thinking that my tour will get cancelled. Wake up call was 7AM and the van was late due to bad weather. The docking station for Underground River Tour is two hours away from the city. When we arrived, I bought raincoat for PHP50 and took some selfie photos. LOL.
I look so annoyed here.
Okay, smiling is better.
And my day two in Palawan started with "Why you are alone?" "Where are your friends?" "Are you not bored?" goossh, really, I tried my best to answer them with smile.
Boat ride to the cave will take less than 30 minutes.
First batch team on our way to the cave.
WOW!
Selfie again because no one can take photos of me, our tour guide was with the other boat.
Mandatory shot before you go on tour. So happy to meet couple from Cebu! :) YAAY! They took this photo in exchange of taking their photos. #Win
Here's the behind the scene, everybody was waiting for their turn to have photo.
This is it!
Finally our turned to go inside. I don't have a high end camera with me. I brought Go Pro, HD Cam and my phone. All of the amazing formations inside are all in my mind. Sightseeing indeed.
The tour is 45 minutes and 1.5 kilometers only. I hope I remember it right. HAHA! Correct me if I'm wrong.
Shots going out of the cave.
Time to say bye-bye to these awesome people and tour guide, I had a great time throwing some jokes on them during our tour.
After tour photo.
We decided to buy some of our photos for PHP180.00 each. Yes, expensive, but you can help with the locals as their income. I borrowed these two photos and captured it.
This is the photo I bought and my favorite: "Wacky!"
(L to R: Couple from Cebu, I, group of friends from Manila and Davao)
They went to El Nido before this tour. While I decided to take have a tour in Underground River before going to El Nido. ;)
We had lunch after and they dropped me in Salvacion, Puerto Princesa an intersection of going back to the city and to El Nido. I had to wait for the van to El Nido. Lexxus is the known van transfers going there aside from the Cherry Bus.
And off to 5 to 6 hours travel to North of Palawan: El Nido!
My photo diary soon! xx
THANK YOU!
Klick Destination Travel and Tours for arranging my trip and being patience with me. You're all did a great job, keep it up!
Check their Facebook page:
Have a great day everyone!
xx
IG: @jewelclicks
Twitter: @jewelclicks
P.S.
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Thank you so much! xx
