Since moving to Singapore, Philippines is one place that I’d heard a lot of people talk about. Everyone had been telling me how beautiful it was, going as far as to describe it as a ‘low cost Maldives alternative’ (er, yes please! Where do I sign up?!). But other than travelling to Manila for work, it’s one place I didn’t know much about.
My boyfriend and were planning a trip for my birthday, and he told me that I could pick the place (and organise the whole thing. You see where I’m going with this…). I decided it was finally time to explore Philippines, or rather, 1 or 2 of the 7,000 islands it boasts. Whilst we travelled to both Cebu and Palawan, this post is specifically about Palawan and the Underground River as I felt it deserved it’s very own blog post.
Want to know more about Palawan, check out the Travel and Leisure article voting Palawan "The world's best island".
What exactly is the Underground River?
Officially known as the ‘Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park’, it is an underground river located in Puerto Princesa and is one of the most important biodiversity conservation areas in the Philippines. To get to the entrance of the river, you have to take a boat ride and do a short hike from the town of Sabang to the mouth of the cave where you'll find a lagoon surrounded by ancient trees growing right up to the river bed. In 2012, the Underground River was officially declared one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. If you get to visit it, you can see why this remarkable act of nature deserves this title.
The underground river features a series of massive limestone caves which, due to cracks created by acid in the rain, has a river flowing through it directly in to the South China Sea. This underground river is about eight kilometers long , the longest in the world, and is quite a sight to behold. Only four kilometers are currently navigable by boat with a guide equipped with a torch. During the tour you’ll be taken in to the caves consisting of imposing formations of stalactite and stalagmite rocks and chambers, concealing birds, butterflies, bats and various water creatures.
Details
Where did I go: Puerto Princesa, Philippines
How long did I go for: Thursday - Saturday
Travel time: Approximately 9 hours
There are no direct flights to Puerto Princesa so we took a flight from Cebu to Puerto Princesa having spent a few days in Cebu first.
For flights to Puerto Princesa from Singapore click here and from Puerto Princesa to Singapore, click here.
Visa Requirements: No (for British Passport holders)
Not sure if you need a visa? Click the link under ‘useful information’ to confirm
Extra information when picking your accommodation: I found it quite overwhelming when researching hotels in the Philippines. In my naivety, I had underestimated the sheer size of not only the country, but also the islands. One thing worth remembering is that, unlike places like Thailand, Philippines is significantly less developed. So you may find in some areas roads don’t exist or even electricity doesn’t run for 24 hours in a day (like we did in Malipascua, Cebu).
During my research it was clear that we would either need to pay up (and I mean significantly up) for high end hotels or play the lottery with what was deemed a 'mid-range' hotel. I found that hotels advertising themselves as mid-range, were distinctly not. After speaking to some other friends who had previously visited, my concerns were solidified as they told me that this ‘mid-range group’ is indeed very hit and miss. We were rather unlucky with our hotel in Malipascua however lucked out with our hotel in Puerto Princesa. Read on for more information.
Where did I stay: Hotel Dolce Vita
The hotel is located about 10 minutes away from the airport (included in our room fare was transport to and from the hotel) and was originally designed as a private villa for the German owner, with a few guest rooms for entertaining. The hotel was officially opened for guests in 2006 with the guest rooms being used as villa suites surrounding a main garden ‘club house’ where breakfast and meals are served.
The room itself was extremely charming with a canopy bed and a marble tiled bathroom with gold leaf inlay. Whilst we were only 2 people, we also found in our a room another double mattress that was above the bathroom and could be accessed using a ladder in the room. We loved the room and hotel for its charm and unique design, including a Marilyn Monroe statue in the garden with a fountain coming out of her breasts (that’s not a joke!). The hotel staff were also very helpful and organised our day trip to the Underground river.
Getting around: We used tuk tuk’s to get around, which cost us between SG$1-4 depending on the distance we wanted to travel. Using public transport was not an option as it’s pretty non-existent! The level of English in Philippines, however, is excellent. Unlike other countries we’ve visited, we had absolutely no problem communicating with locals.
Itinerary
After having spent 4 days in Cebu diving, we were looking to have a relaxed time in Palawan and didn’t want to over-organise ourselves and do too many activities. Also, it's worth remembering that travel in Philippines is quite tough, as traffic, let’s face it, is awful. We were often stuck in traffic jams for 1-2 hours whilst in Cebu, so needless to say, by the time we got to Palawan, we just wanted to chill out. I’ve listed the things we did in addition to the Underground river below.
Nuat Thai Spa
The day after we did the Underground river we treated ourselves to massages. We went to a small Thai massage salon located about a 15 minute tuk tuk ride from our hotel. Our hotel helped us to book appointments on the day (and I'm not sure these were entirely necessary!).
As soon as we walked in, the smell of lemon grass hit us. After venturing in further we found that the salon was decorated in the typical Thai style with beds lying on a platform (but essentially on the floor) so that the therapists can easily massage clients. Adorning the walls were paintings and sculptures of, predominantly, Buddha and elephants, and the lighting was dimmed down giving the feeling of tranquility and peace. The paintings were stunning, and we actually took photos to see if we can find anything similar when we go to Ubud later in the year (post to follow!).
My boyfriend got a Thai massage and I opted for a Swedish massage, and both were excellent. I’m not a fan of using oil on my skin, and sometimes find this hard to explain to therapists, however the salon was extremely accommodating and happily replaced it with cream. Both massages cost PHP350 each for an hour.
Tip: One thing to note if you’re looking for a price list on line, the prices have changed and they haven’t updated the information on the internet. I would suggest asking your hotel to call them in advance to check the prices and confirm you’re happy with them.
Jukebox Karaoke
Similar to other places in Asia, karaoke is a massive thing in Philippines. My boyfriend is a HUGE fan so when we found a karaoke bar next door to the spa, we decided to check it out. Yup – just the 2 of us! We ended up going in for an hour and it cost us SG$10 only, which is unsurprising as they had a massive selection of western songs available. We were in the ‘Usher’ room belting out our all-time favourites! This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip, and if you’re not keen on singing in front of other people (like me), I would highly suggest doing this just with your partner / friends as it’s incredibly liberating!
Tip: the spa, karaoke and Captain Ribs (see under Foodie Highlights) are conveniently located in the same area known as ‘One Manalo Place’. In the same area is also a hotel called ‘One Manolo Place’ which is a modern Philippine hotel. We didn’t go inside however by the looks of it, it looked like it could be a good option to stay at if we ever went back. Perhaps you can go try it out and let me know what you thought of it!
Underground River
Saving the best till last. The main purpose of our trip was to come to the Underground River in Puerto Princesa and it was definitely worth it. Our hotel helped us book our tour and it cost PHP1,700 (just under SG$50) per person. We understood the rates are uniform all over the city as the government is overseeing all tour companies and tour guides. This included pick and drop off from and to our hotel in an air-conditioned van, , motorised boat transfer, water, tour of the river with a licensed tour guide, entrance passes, permits and lunch. The journey to the Underground River site took us around 2 hours after which we arrived to Sabang port. Once there, we had to wait for our tour to be called (all handled by our tour guide) to aboard the motorised boat to the cave. The boat drops you off at a beach near the cave (15 minute journey), and after a short walk to the cave site (5-7 minutes), you have to wait a little longer until your tour is called upon to board a boat to enter in to the cave. The tour guide leaves you at this stage, and you go in to the cave only with a boatmen. However you are given, in advance, an audio recording to listen to as you go through the tunnel.
Once you enter the tunnel, you’ll find it’s completely pitch black, and the boatmen is in charge of flashing a torch on to the areas you should be looking at.
Tip: If you have one and can fit it in to your luggage, bring a big torch with you so that you can shine it when you’re in the tunnel.
I personally found the rock formations absolutely incredible. The audio guide will direct you to specific rock formations which they have nick named, such as different types of fruits, vegetables, even a Nativity scene! The part that I found the most interesting is that the cave houses its own ecosystem. The sea creatures have evolved through time, and some are now colourless with only a soft shell, as they don’t required protection from the sun. They are also blind as they don’t need to be able to see to navigate through the darkness. The government are doing a lot of work in order to ensure that this ecosystem is conserved all the while allowing tourists to visit and experience the wonder of the underground tunnel. The entire tour of the tunnel was around 45 minutes
Whilst I’ll admit that it is a lot of travel and waiting time for what is essentially just a 45 minute tour, I’m so glad we did it and got to experience this. It’s one of the most incredible things I’ve seen during my travels and it truly is nature at its most awesome (and I don’t mean that in the cheesy, hyperbolic way!).
After the tour, we took the motorised boat back to Sabang port where we went to a nearby restaurant for lunch, also organised by our tour guide. Lunch was a buffet selection of local items, and was very nice. We got to try Pork Adobo which is a special Philippine dish!
After lunch we headed back to our hotels for drop off. There are more things to do around the Underground river area, such as a zip wire and obstacle course, however a lot of travel had wiped us out so we decided to give it a miss.
Foodie Highlights
Captain Ribs
As mentioned above, this restaurant is located is the self-contained area of One Manalo Place. So after our spa treatment we decided to go for just what our therapists were recommending – ribs! Captain Ribs is an expat haunt, and serves a mean rib rack, with meat falling off the bone. Teamed with their tangy and sweet barbecue sauce, I would definitely recommend for you to visit. If you’re not such a fan of ribs, they have a large number of other options on the menu too. A half rack of ribs will set you back just under SG$10 and cocktails are around SG$5 each.
Dolce Vita Hotel Restaurant
I’m not usually one to advocate staying in the hotel to eat, however on our first day after we arrived we were so exhausted that we ate at the restaurant in our hotel. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that the food was excellent. We ordered Shanghainese spring rolls and a Nasi Goreng with beef. Both were delicious and you could tell that they had been cooked fresh. The meal was slightly pricey for Philippines in light of the fact that it’s in a hotel but still quite reasonable at around SG$12 a plate.
Best time to visit: The best time to visit the island of Palawan is from October to May when the temperatures are the most moderate. The temperature averages around 30 degrees centigrade and rain during this period is rare. The off-peak season is from September to November when rain is more prevalent.
Website links and useful information:
Accommodation
Dolce Vita Hotel: Villa Romasanta Street 4, Wescom Road San Pedro, Puerto Princesa, 5300
Visa Not sure if you need a visa? Check out the link here for more information.
Activities
Spa: Nuat Thai: One Manalo Place, Barangay Bancao-Bancao, Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island, Philippines
Karaoke: Manalo Extension, Barangay Bancao-Bancao, Puerto Princesa, 5300
Restaurants
Captain Ribs: Manalo St, Puerto Princesa, Palawan