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Sabang underground river Mithun Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines

Philippines: Day 12 – Puerto Princesa Underground River tour, Palawan

Date: April 28th 2011

I was up and ready by 7:30am. I waited for the tour van to come pick me up for today’s tour of the longest underground river in the world, the Sabang Subterranean River (which on November 11 this year, became one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature — based on public votes).

Tour van Palawan Philippines
I was the first to be picked up. I was also given a bottle of iced tea and a Palawan souvenir pouch. I don't know if it was because I was the first to be picked up, but I didn't see other passengers get it
Area near Microtel Inn beach resort Puerto Princesa Palawan
One of the members in our tour van had to be picked up from the Microtel Beach Hotel
Emerald playa beach and nature park Puerto Princesa Palawan
Which gave me the chance to check out the mangrove beach on this side of Puerto Princesa
Microtel Beach hotel Puerto Princesa Palawan
It was a bit of a wait, so we all went in
Microtel Inn emerald playa beach Puerto Princesa Palawan
Microtel is one among the few posher accommodation options in Puerto Princesa
Microtel emerald playa beach Puerto Princesa Palawan
The beach isn't great, but it's all you get near Puerto Princesa citytown
Microtel Inn emerald beach mangrove Puerto Princesa Palawan
We headed back to our van
Microtel Inn lobby Puerto Princesa Palawan
The lobby of the Microtel hotel (Above photos were all taken using my phone)
Inside tour van Palawan Philippines
Once everyone was picked up from their respective hotels, we were on our way
Palawan highway Philippines
Since I was sitting at the back, I tried my best to take photos from behind the tinted glass
Hill range Palawan island Philippines
The hills of Palawan look lovely

Palawan highway road bendPalawan highway concreted roads Philippines

Honda bay Palawan Philippines
To our right was Honda Bay

Highway to Sambang Palawan

Road under construction Palawan Philippines
The smooth roads eventually gave way to bumpy ones

The van stopped at a viewpoint on the way for a break.

Beunavista viewdeck Palawan Philippines
Yes mayor, I'm sure you did this with your own salary. Psssh.
Viewdeck on the way in Palawan
The locals sell food and other small items here -- and there's a toilet, thus the stop
South China sea Puerto Princesa Palawan
The South China Sea

South China sea from viewdeck Palawan

Cock chicken viewdeck Palawan
We got back in our van

 Hill forest Palawan PhilippinesBranchless trees Palawan PhilippinesRoad to Sabang village Puerto Princesa Palawan

Cabayugan Puerto Princesa PalawanSabang mountain Puerto Princesa National Park Palawan

Sabang mountain Puerto Princesa national park Philippines
The guide pointed to that big hill
Mountain Puerto Princesa National Park Palawan Philippines
The underground river is beneath that!
Sabang beach village Palawan Philippines
After one and half hours of driving, we were by the sea
Sabang outrigger boats Palawan Philippines
Ahh, finally! What I came to Palawan for. No, not the boats... crystal clear water!

Sabang community stage Puerto Princesa PalawanSabang beach courtyard Palawan Philippines

Sabang beach clear water Puerto Princesa Palawan
Sabang beach
Sabang boats Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines
It was time for my group to begin our tour

Sabang boat tour Puerto Princesa Palawan

Sabang South China sea water Puerto Princesa Palawan
I like these boats, they feel safe
South China sea Filipino outrigger boat Philippines
The bamboo poles on either side prevents the boat from flipping over (well, in theory at least)
Limestone rock Sabang beach Palawan Philippines
Even though I've seen similar sights in Malaysia and Thailand, I never tire of these limestone rock formations amidst blue waters

Puerto Princesa hills Palawan island

Arriving at Puerto Princesa national park by boat
We arrived at the Puerto Princesa National Park

Puerto Princesa National Park beach Palawan Philippines

Puerto Princesa subterranean river national park Palawan PhilippinePuerto Princesa Subterranean river national park Palawan

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park entrance
Since our tour cost ₱1500 ($34/€25), all our charges were covered
Long-tailed macaques Sabang underground river Palawan
Lots of monkeys here too

Puerto Princesa National Park do-not-feed animals sign

Puerto Princesa national park wooden path to river
I walked towards the underground river
Puerto Princesa national park heritage site information Palawan
This place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Puerto Princesa National Park facts figures Palawan PhilippinesPuerto Princesa national park cave tour rules Palawan

Boat entering Sabang Underground river Palawan Philippines
The cave... beautiful, isn't it? 🙂
Sabang Underground river tourists photo Palawan Philippines
We had to wait for our turn, as they only allow one boat in at a time
Sabang under river emerald water Palawan Philippines
Look at the colour of that water!
Sabang underground river Mithun Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines
Yes, finally, a photo of me

Sabang underground river swamp Puerto Princesa Palawan When it came time for us to go in, the guide asked which one of us would volunteer to hold the light. When researching, I read that the person who has to hold the light gets to sit in the front, so I ‘volunteered’. Now, I needed to sit in the front if I wanted to take good photographs inside, because as it is, it was going to be dark. On top of that, I didn’t want somebody obstructing my view. Also, holding the light gave my camera a light beam to focus on — and I could only shoot with auto-focus on given my hands were now occupied with two tasks.

So I sat, adjusted my tripod’s height and set the camera’s settings. I was going to hold the light with my left hand and press the camera shutter with my right hand.

Entrance to Sabang Underground river cave Palawan Philippines
Helmets and life-jackets on, we followed suit
Entrance to Puerto Princesa subterranean underground river Palawan
Here we go! 🙂
Inside underground river limestone cave Palawan
I knew it was going to be tough to shoot inside while moving and shooting in manual mode that too. I didn't want to use flash since I assumed it wouldn't be good for the eyes of the cave's creatures.
Inside underground river cave swallow bird Sabang Philippines
But other tourists inside the cave were shooting with the flash on and the guides didn't say anything. So I switched my camera to Auto mode and continued shooting.

Inside Puerto Princesa underground river darkness cave PalawanInside underground cave Puerto Princesa PhilippinesPuerto Princesa underground river cave tour Philippines

Inside underground river cave Puerto Princesa Philippines
It was cool inside the cave
Inside underground river cave tourists boat Sabang Philippines
Other boats were making their way back

Inside underground river cave stalactites Philippines

Inside underground river cave boat lights Sabang Philippines
Kinda looks like car in the distance doesn't it?

Inside underground river limestone rock ancient Puerto Princesa

Inside underground river one light Puerto Princesa
Besides the sounds of the cave dwelling fauna, the only echoes one could hear were the cheers of the tourists

Puerto Princesa underground river tourists Sabang Palawan

Inside underground river dinosaur rock formations Puerto Princesa
The guide would point to many limestone formations that were moulded over hundreds of years into shapes resembling many things. Like these 'dinosaurs'.
Undergound river National Research Council Puerto Princesa
Scientists visit the underground river quite often

Inside Underground river 7 wonders Puerto Princesa Philippines Deep inside underground river Sabang Palawan Philippines

Inside underground river candle shape rock Philippines
The 'candle' rock
Inside underground river horse Palawan Philippines
Spot the horse 🙂
Inside underground river stalagmite Palawan Philippines
There are a lot of birds flying about inside
Inside underground river rocks Palawan Philippines
This is the only 'land mass' we came across
Inside underground river religious Palawan Philippines
This was something resembling a 'religious' event, but I can't recall what the guide told us

Inside underground river stalactites Palawan PhilippinesInside underground river Puerto Princesa tooth rock Philippines

Inside underground river stalactites shape Puerto Princesa Philippines
There were many more object-shaped rock formations

Inside underground river limestone rocks cave Puerto Princesa Philippines

Inside underground river stalactites cave Puerto Princesa Philippines Inside underground river dark cave Puerto Princesa PhilippinesInside underground river molar limestone shape PhilippinesInside underground river cave rocks Puerto Princesa Philippines

Inside underground river end point for tourists Puerto Princesa
We had reached the end point for tourists. Even though the underground river is the 8.2 km (5 miles) long, only a kilometre is allowed to tourists. To go beyond that, you need a special permit.
Inside underground river turning around Puerto Princesa Philippines
The boat turned around
Inside underground river big insects Puerto Princesa Palawan
Because I was holding the torch lamp, these big bugs were all over me. I had no idea what they were, but they made my position all the more uncomfortable.
Inside underground river man face rock Puerto Princesa Palawan
This was a 'face' rock

Inside underground river limestone cave Puerto Princesa Palawan Inside underground river cave rock formations Puerto Princesa Palawan

Inside underground river cave swallow birds Puerto Princesa Palawan
Swallow birds, lots of them inside

Inside underground river cave ceiling Puerto Princesa Palawan

Inside underground river cave ceiling structure Puerto Princesa Palawan Puerto Princesa underground river rock tourist boat Sabang PalawanPuerto Princesa underground river stalactites Sabang PalawanPuerto Princesa underground river candle rock Sabang Palawan

Puerto Princesa underground candle rock Sabang Palawan
Past the candle rock again

Inside underground river rock in water Puerto Princesa PalawanInside underground river limestone rock reflection upper cave PalawanInside underground river journey back Palawan PhilippinesInside underground river limestone rocks upper cave PalawanInside underground river boat going back PalawanInside subterranean river boat tour Puerto Princesa Palawan

Sabang subterranean river boat ride Puerto Princesa Palawan

Inside subterranean river jesus face Puerto Princesa Palawan
I don't remember if I took this shot because the guide told us it resembled Jesus' face

Sabang subterranean river boat tour Puerto Princesa Palawan

Inside subterranean river stalactites rock Puerto Princesa Palawan
Yes, the boat went in between these rocks

Inside subterranean river cave Puerto Princesa Philippines

Sabang subterranean river towards entrance Puerto Princesa Palawan
After nearly half an hour inside the cave...
Sabang subterranean river cave opening Puerto Princesa Palawan
..."light at the end of the tunnel"

Sabang underground river cave opening Puerto Princesa Palawan

Sabang subterranean river towards entrance Puerto Princesa Philippines
Here we go...

Leaving subterranean river light end of tunnel Puerto Princesa Palawan

Coming out of underground river Sabang Palawan
Ahhhh....

The boat dropped us back to the banks where I collected my bag from the counter. Going inside the subterranean river is my second cave experience on this trip, the first being back in Sagada last week. I truly enjoyed this though! The above photos were just a few of the 140 shots I totally took from inside. 30 minutes went by really quickly and you don’t even realize it took that long until you look at your watch. I wondered what the remaining 7 kilometres must be like.

Underground river beach boats Palawan Philippines
Walked back towards the boats

Underground river beach children playing tree Palawan Underground river beach boats anchored Palawan PhilippinesPalawan island beach boat boy Philippines

Subterranean river tour boat Palawan
Our tour group gathered and headed back to our boat

Underground river beach getting shade under tree Palawan Palawan island limestone rock Sabang Philippines

Palawan island hill Philippines
Everytime I see islands like this, I'm reminded of LOST (man, I miss that TV show!)

Filipino bamboo boat hitting waves Palawan sea Philippines

Palawan island boat going through rocks Philippines
Yes, our boat would go through these rocks as well
Palawan island boat sea rocks Philippines
Don't know if the boat drivers do it as a challenge 🙂

Palawan island rock Sabang beach Philippines

Palawan island Sabang beach coconut trees Philippines
I was looking forward to spending some time at the beach and in the water
Sabang beach Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines
We walked back to the shore, where a buffet lunch was prepared for us

Twig in water beach Palawan Philippines

Sabang beach Puerto Princesa Philippines
I thought of hitting the water before lunch but...
Sabang beach no swimming sign Palawan
... I don't know why it was so

I still went into the water, knee deep.

Sabang beach coconut trees Panorama Palawan
Panorama comprised of 7 shots

I then decided to check out the accommodation available on Sabang beach in case my readers were looking for information on where to stay on Sabang beach.

Vista Lodge and restaurant Sabang beach Puerto Princesa Palawan
There weren't many beach front 'hotels' as such
Taraw beach resort Sabang beach Palawan Puerto Princesa
Got a card from here. Some info: 09196011227/09215492156; e-mail: rebecca_nuevo@yahoo.com
Green Verde beach inn restaurant Sabang beach Puerto Princesa Palawan
Ph: 0910-978-4539/0926-701-9246; e-mail: rlenez80@yahoo.com (as mentioned on their card)

The lady at Green Verde curiously asked me where I was from, among a few other questions. I asked her if it was easy to get from Sabang to El Nido and she told the only way it’s ‘easy’ is when there is a group big enough to fit a private van that can be booked in advance. That’s it. Otherwise, its back to the junction at the main highway and wait for a bus to El Nido.

Considering how much time I spent yesterday, going back and forth thinking how to do Sabang and then El Nido, I guess it is far more convenient to do the Underground River tour from Puerto Princesa City itself.

Dog at Green Verde resort Sabang beach Puerto Princesa Palawan

Sambang beach coconut tree Palawan Philippines Panorama
I liked taking panorama shots of these trees (comprised of 6 shots)
Buffet lunch Sabang Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines
I had my lunch, which was mostly barbecued tuna and other dry dishes. (Didn't really enjoy it much)
Sabang beach yacht Puerto Princesa Palawan
We left Sabang past 2pm
Sabang beach village Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines
No matter how far or how small a village is, you will always find a basketball hoop in Philippines

Sabang farm Puerto Princesa Palawan PhilippinesThe journey back was another one and half hours. In the end, I felt I made the right choice by opting to simply do a tour from Puerto Princesa itself, instead of attempting it myself. I mean, I would only suggest going at it alone if you plan on staying on Sabang beach a few days. It would have cost me about the same but had I done it myself, it would have proven to be quite difficult.

I spent the rest of the day back at Banwa Arthouse’s cafe, researching on El Nido, but as I went through my photos, newer guests who had checked in that day said their “hello” and began conversations. First a Japanese surfer, who spent a few months in Canada picking apples (seriously, some of the people I meet on my backpacking  journeys) and then spent those earnings traveling throughout India and is now in the Philippines. (Sigh, it’s moments like this I wonder why I spent 8 years working at multi-national corporation back in Bangalore!)

Then a group of young Danes (I believe they told me they were Danish) asked me where I had been today. We spent quite some time talking and then, we decided to go to Baybay for dinner and check out what was happening there tonight.

We walked to Baybay expecting a crowded festival.

Babybay at night food stalls Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines
Hmmm, not quite
Chicken intestine fried street food Palawan Philippines
We all bought some beer cans and decided to snack. We tried fried chicken intestine first.
Barbecued meat stick Philippines street food Puerto Princesa
Had this next. Barbecued... something (I don't remember what)
Filipino food Palawan stall Philippines street food
Quite a lot of Filipino cuisine is this shade of dark brown
Babybay at night Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines
Walked around a bit with our beers in hand
Danish tourists burger stall Palawan Philippines
'Main course' was hamburger

Just as we were walking out, a b-boy dance battle was announced to begin.

Baybay b-boy competition Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines
Puerto Princesa's finest dance crews (I'm presuming) were on stage
Baybay dance crew stage competition Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines
Some of the moves were impressive
Baybay dance battle Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines
We didn't hang around for too long though

Back in the room, the Danes were curious about all the places I had already been to in Philippines and wanted to see my photos. After an hour of that, I paid for my two nights stay at Banwa Arthouse as I was checking out tomorrow early morning. I had to call it an early night. Tomorrow I was going to take the first bus to the final stop on my Philippines tour — El Nido.

And wait till you see those photos! 😉

Previous posts in this series:

Philippines 2011: Day 11 – Arriving in Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Day 10 – Bohol tour: Chocolate Hills, Loboc river cruise, Tarsiers, churches

Philippines 2011: Day 9 – Cebu: Fort San Pedro, Basilica of Santo Niño, Taoist Temple

Philippines 2011: Day 8 – Manila tour: Rizal Park, Intramuros, Manila Cathedral, China Town

Philippines 2011: Day 7 – Leaving Angeles City for Manila, Mall of Asia

Philippines 2011: Day 6 – Good Friday in San Fernando, San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites

Philippines 2011: Leaving Sagada for Baguio, and arriving in Angeles city (Days 4 & 5)

Philippines 2011: Day 3 – Sagada’s Lumiang burial cave, Sumaguing cave, Hanging Coffins of Echo valley

Philippines 2011: Day 3 – Banaue town; heading to Sagada via Bontoc

Philippines 2011: Day 2 – Banaue rice terraces; trekking to Batad village

Philippines 2011: Day 1 — Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Fort Bonifacio

Philippines 2011: Flying over South China Sea for the first time

Other posts in this series:

Philippines 2011: Day 13 – Puerto Princesa to El Nido by bus

Philippines 2011: Day 14 – El Nido island hopping tour A and sunset at Las Cabanas beach, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Back to Manila, shopping, and my final thoughts about the country  (Last post)

Banwa Arthouse Puerto Princesa Philippines

Philippines: Day 11 – Arriving in Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Date: April 27th 2011

Today, I didn’t have to wake up that early. My Cebu Pacific flight to Palawan was at 11am, so I took it fairly easy after yesterday’s tiring tour of Bohol. Once I got ready, I checked out of Sugbutel and the staff hailed a taxi for me to go to Cebu airport (cost ₱183).

Though there was a bit of traffic (being office hours), I got to the airport by 9am and checked in. My flight was on time and I got a window seat again.

Cebu to Palawan flight aerial view
Goodbye Cebu

Cebu to Palawan islands aerial view

Palawan island aerial view Philippines
Hello largest island in the Philippines
Puerto Princesa airport Palawan Philippines
The flight landed past noon
Puerto Princesa airport Cebu Pacific flight Palawan
Palawan looked beautiful already

Even though I didn’t have a reservation anywhere, I did make a list of a few good hostels or budget accommodation, referred to as ‘pension inns’ here in the Philippines. I hired a tricycle taxi and asked him to take me to Duchess Pension first – one of the most recommended budget hotels in Puerto Princesa.

When I got to Duchess Pension, it was full. So yeah, it’s popularity is true. I then asked the driver to take me to my second choice, Banwa Arthouse, which wasn’t too far from Duchess. When I got to Banwa, fortunately, a bunk bed was available.

I paid the trike driver ₱50 (because that’s how much he charged) and I checked in.

Banwa Arthouse dorm bunk bed Puerto Princesa Palawan
A bed in the mixed dorm cost me ₱350 ($8/€5) per night
Banwa Arthouse dorm toilet Puerto Princesa Palawan
The toilet is attached to the dorm and was clean
Banwa Arthouse interiors Puerto Princesa Palawan
The one reason why I shortlisted Banwa Arthouse was because of how it looks
Banwa Arthouse restaurant cafe Puerto Princesa Palawan
This is the cafe and where you can access the wi-fi
Banwa Arthouse lobby Puerto Princesa Palawan
The basement has more shower rooms, but otherwise it's where the staff and family stay
Banwa Arthouse garden entrance Puerto Princesa Palawan
The sit-out area
Banwa Arthouse Puerto Princesa Philippines
Banwa Arthouse from outside
Puerto Princesa town houses Philippines
I decided to go for a stroll

Puerto Princesa small road Palawan

Puerto Princesa children Palawan Philippines
If you are wondering if I was staying in some village, no, I wasn't.
Felix Pension Inn Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines
There are other 'pension' inns around
Balayong Pension Puerto Princesa Palawan
This place looked new
Iglesia ni Christo Puerto Princesa Philippines
No, I wasn't going to spend time seeing another church
Way to Baybay Puerto Princesa Philippines
I headed towards the sea
Baybay Puerto Princesa Philippines
Though I was aware there was no beach in Puerto Princesa (seriously) I hoped to at least touch the water. But Baybay is a corniche, so you can only sit by the ledge and stare at the sea.

Tonight at the Baybay, there was going to be an event with stage performances, food stalls and such. I guess I knew where to come for dinner.

Jollibee sign Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines
I decided to get lunch for now (not Jollibee of course)
Unitop shopping mall Puerto Princesa Palawan
But given how hot it was, I stepped in here to cool off a bit and to get some water

Puerto Princesa public market PalawanMarket Puerto Princesa Palawan

Puerto Princesa capital Palawan Philippines
I walked all the way to the city centre where I hoped to find a good seafood restaurant
Bench Bruno's deli restaurant Puerto Princesa Palawan
I crossed the road
Road Puerto Princesa Palawan
There were more budget accommodation available here
Circon business inn Divine sweets Puerto Princesa Palawan
But aside from a bakery, there were no seafood restaurants
Puerto Princesa city hall Palawan
I moved on
Skylight Hotel lobby Puerto Princesa Palawan
I stepped into this hotel presuming since hotel looked nice, the restaurant maybe good too
Skylight hotel restaurant policy Puerto Princesa Philippines
Errr...

I glanced at the menu and despite the restaurant’s appearance, there was nothing out of the ordinary available. Even the seafood options were limited. It was nearing 3pm, I didn’t feel like walking anymore.  So I ordered just a seafood pasta and a beer.

Terrible seafood pasta Skylight Hotel Palawan
How was the pasta?

Bad! In fact, it was the worst I’ve ever eaten! Not to a point where it was sickening, but just plain bad for the ₱130 they charged for this. The sauce was straight out of a can, the bread didn’t have a hint of garlic or wasn’t even toasted – it was just plain sliced bread! The prawns were surely packaged, frozen ones and I could barely identify the other seafood used in the dish. Ugh, I still ate it as I was hungry and I didn’t want to pay double for this rubbish!

If this is the quality of food served at this restaurant, then it’s no wonder patrons leave leftovers on their plate! Avoid, avoid, avoid!

Jollibee Dunkin Donuts Puerto Princesa Palawan
Sigh, I should have just gone to a Jollibee!
Balinsasayaw chicken grill restaurant Puerto Princesa Palawan
Walked towards the airport because I did remember seeing more restaurants there
Tiki restobar Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines
Manny Pacquiao's next match was being hyped well in advance by just about everybody
Airport wharf Puerto Princesa sign Palawan
I walked towards the airport road
Palawan provincial capital building Puerto Princesa
I was bored, so I sat near these fountains for a while
Airport road Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines
This road leads to the airport
Banana tree Puerto Princesa Philippines
Banana?
Puerto Princesa airport road Palawan Philippines
I walked a bit up the road and just felt so uninspired to walk any further. So I hailed a trike and decided to go back.

It looked like Puerto Princesa had very little to offer within its city limits. I asked the driver if there was anything remotely interesting and he said “church”. Sigh.

Immaculate Conception Cathedral church Puerto Princesa Philippines
Immaculate Conception Cathedral

Immaculate Conception Cathedral Puerto Princesa Philippines Immaculate conception church hall Puerto Princesa Philippines

Philippines Port Authority Puerto Princesa Philippines
I left the church and walked a bit further down. It was the port, I couldn't enter. I walked back.

That was it. I was officially bored.

I walked back to Banwa Arthouse, and went to the cafe to do some research. It was so hot even though there was a fan on. Well, on and off. Electricity kept going and coming, along with the internet.

My original plan was never to stay in Puerto Princesa. My hope was to land in Puerto Princesa and head straight to El Nido, which is at the northern end of Palawan. Unfortunately I had just missed the last private van going to El Nido as its a 5-6 hour journey by road. Another place on the agenda was the region of Sambang, famous for its Underground River.

As I sat at my table, a Polish guy came over and we began talking. Turned out, he too was planning to head to El Nido but had to be back in Puerto Princesa the day after to catch his flight in the evening. We decided we’d go to El Nido together and share expenses for accommodation.

“Great!” I thought, but two Swedish girls across from us joined in on our conversations and told us they had just gotten back from spending a few days in El Nido. They showed us their photos, we shared our plans and my intention of going to Sambang, and after hearing our experiences, the Polish guy and I decided it was best we go our separate ways. I decided to go to Sambang first thing in the morning and after doing the underground river tour, spend the night on the beach. Wake up the next day and then head to El Nido from Sambang, since Sambang is before El Nido.

But when I went to inform the staff that I would be checking out tomorrow morning because of my intention to head to Sambang, he told me my plan may not go as smoothly as I hope. He told me it’s because there’s a crucial junction along the way from where one has to take a left to go to Sambang. From that junction, Sambang beach is still a fair distance. Problem is, if I need to get to El Nido, I have to head back to very that junction to catch a bus going to El Nido. He also warned me saying that the buses are not that frequent given the distance. (Palawan is big island, but it’s sparsely populated)

All of this was confusing and at the same time, I didn’t want to risk – or waste time – in case I didn’t get the bus from that junction. The staff advised it’s easier to just do the Underground River tour from Puerto Princesa itself. He may have pushed for it so that I stay another night and book a tour through him, but alas, I couldn’t afford to take any chances.

So book a Sambang tour for tomorrow I did.

By the time I decided what to do, the Swedes, the Polish guy and a Palawan native who was staying at the Banwa Arthouse asked if I wanted to join them for dinner. The local said he knew of a good restaurant and assured me their seafood was good. So in two tricycle taxis, off we went to a place called Kalui.

Kalui restaurant dinner Puerto Princesa Philippines
The place looked quite nice and was moderately priced
Vegetarian food Kalui Puerto Princesa Philippines
The Swede beside me ordered vegetarian and her dish looked, interesting
Seafood sisig Palawan Philippines
I on the other hand ordered a seafood sisig (cost ₱250/$5/€4). It was alright, but I would have preferred it without the mayo.

Dinner was pleasant, and we each spoke about where all we had traveled and our stories. It’s moments like this why I especially love backpacking — meeting other travellers and sharing our experiences!

Kalui restaurant Puerto Princesa Palawan
Nice place for a gathering

Once back in the hostel, it was another early good night from me and another early wake up tomorrow!

Previous posts in this series:

Philippines 2011: Day 10 – Bohol tour: Chocolate Hills, Loboc river cruise, Tarsiers, churches

Philippines 2011: Day 9 – Cebu: Fort San Pedro, Basilica of Santo Niño, Taoist Temple

Philippines 2011: Day 8 – Manila tour: Rizal Park, Intramuros, Manila Cathedral, China Town

Philippines 2011: Day 7 – Leaving Angeles City for Manila, Mall of Asia

Philippines 2011: Day 6 – Good Friday in San Fernando, San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites

Philippines 2011: Leaving Sagada for Baguio, and arriving in Angeles city (Days 4 & 5)

Philippines 2011: Day 3 – Sagada’s Lumiang burial cave, Sumaguing cave, Hanging Coffins of Echo valley

Philippines 2011: Day 3 – Banaue town; heading to Sagada via Bontoc

Philippines 2011: Day 2 – Banaue rice terraces; trekking to Batad village

Philippines 2011: Day 1 — Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Fort Bonifacio

Philippines 2011: Flying over South China Sea for the first time

Other posts in this series:

Philippines 2011: Day 12 – Puerto Princesa Underground River tour, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Day 13 – Puerto Princesa to El Nido by bus

Philippines 2011: Day 14 – El Nido island hopping tour A and sunset at Las Cabanas beach, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Back to Manila, shopping, and my final thoughts about the country  (Last post)

Chocolate Hills round Bohol closeup panorama

Philippines: Day 10 – Bohol tour: Chocolate Hills, Loboc river cruise, Tarsiers, churches

Date: April 26th 2011

Woke up early today (expect the next few days to all begin with that line). I left Sugbutel at around 5am as I planned to catch the very first ferry going to Bohol. I took a taxi to Pier 1 where Oceanjet‘s terminal was. I bought a return ticket to Tagbilaran (Bohol’s capital city) which cost ₱825 ($19/€13).

Oceanjet ferry air condition seat inside Cebu Philippines
These were air-conditioned seating
Cebu pier early morning ferry to Bohol
The ferry left the pier just past 6am
Cebu morning ferry to Bohol Philippines
I stepped out to get a better view of the waters

Cebu ferry to Bohol Philippines Morning ferry Cebu to Bohol PhilippinesI went back to my seat and tried to catch up on lost sleep, all the while trying to ignore Step Up 3D that was playing as part of our ‘pirated in-ferry entertainment’.

The journey to Tagbilaran takes nearly 2 and 1/2 hours, which is exactly why I made it a point to catch the first ferry — I wanted an early start to my day.

Port of Tagbilaran Bohol Philippines
Arrived at 8:30am

Port of Tagbilaran Bohol Oceanjet ferry Philippines As soon as I disembarked, there were several agents offering tours of all the sights on Bohol island. They cost more or less the same as they did back in Cebu, so I walked on. Just outside the Dao ferry terminal, were tricycle taxis who approached me as well. They had laminated sheets showing me the same sights and told me they would take me to each attraction and then drop me back to the terminal by evening. They quoted ₱1200 at first but I bargained, and eventually agreed for ₱1000 ($23/€16) — which I felt was a bit more reasonable.

I was more keen to take a tricycle taxi than a minivan full of tourists for my own selfish reasons. One, open window means I can take photographs a lot clearer than behind the usual tinted windows of a tourist van. Two, being the only customer, I could ask the driver to stop wherever I wanted.

Bohol tricycle taxi tour Tagbilaran Philippines
We set off
Bohol tour Tagbilaran church
First the driver took me to a church
San Jose cathedral Tagbilaran Bohol Philippines
Took one photo and told the driver to move on. I've seen enough churches on this trip.

Bohol tour trike island highway

Tagbilaran bay Bohol island Philippines
I was happy to see the sea
Bohol island small house local Philippines
Bohol island is the 10th largest island in the Philippines

I tried my best to get the shots without too many obstructions or blurry plants that usually appear in photographs while travelling. Bohol highway to Chocolate hills PhilippinesBohol public park near sea PhilippinesBohol island village home fishermen PhilippinesBohol highway mangrove shallow waters PhilippinesBohol shallow sea mangrove Philippines

Bohol tour tricycle taxi driver Philippines
My Danny Trejo look-alike tricycle driver

Bohol highway sea view Philippines Bohol highway bridge Philippines

Loay interior road Bohol Philippines
You get off the main highway and take a left at this junction
Loboc tarsier sign Bohol Philippines
Besides the Chocolate Hills, high up on my list of things to see were the tarsiers

Highway to chocolate hills BoholBohol highway rice fields PhilippinesBohol island neighbourhood Philippines

Loboc town Bohol Philippines
Loboc town
Bohol tour to chocolate hills Philippines
We were about to enter the 'man-made forest'
Highway to man made forest trees Bohol Philippines
It suddenly got dark and chilly

The ‘man-made’ forest is called so because decades ago, Bohol residents meticulously planted mahogany trees along a two-kilometre stretch.

Man made forest Bohol Philippines
Which grew into this
Manmade forest trees Bohol Philippines
As the tour vans sped past, I asked my driver to stop on the side so I could take a proper photo

Road through manmade forest Bohol PhilippinesManmade forest mahogany trees Bohol Philippines

Turning carmen road to chocolate hills Bohol
We were 'out of the woods'

Carmen road to Chocolate hills grey skies Bohol

Bohol village Pulis station Philippines
Passed through many small villages
Carmen road to Chocolate hills Bohol
We had been driving for nearly an hour
Chocolate hills single rice field Bohol Philippines
But finally...
Chocolate hills view from road Bohol
... the hills were in sight!
Road to Carmen chocolate hills Bohol Philippines
I wondered how much further we had to go
Welcome to carmen bohol Philippines
Carmen is the town where the Chocolate Hills are located

House near chocolate hills Bohol Philippines

Chocolate hills observation viewpoint Bohol Philippines
The viewpoint is atop of the hill on the left

Going up chocolate hill viewpoint Bohol

Driving up to Chocolate hill viewpoint Bohol
Up the hill we went

I paid the entrance fee of ₱50 ($1.15/€0.83) to go up to the observation point on the top of the hill.

Chocolate hills steps viewpoint Bohol Philippines
My nightmares from last week return: stairs!
Chocolate hills view from steps Bohol
Even halfway up the stairs, I couldn't help but take a look at what I came all this way for
Chocolate hills view from observation deck Bohol
And there are over 1700 of these hills all around!
Chocolate hills observation hill Bohol Philippines
Once you get to the top...
Chocolate hills view from observation point Bohol
... voila!
Chocolate hills Bohol tourists panorama
How many of you even knew such a place existed? I didn't know about it until I began researching for this trip.
Chocolate hills view from top Bohol Philippines
Undoubtedly one of the most amusing natural wonders I have ever seen!

Chocolate Hills were just nicknamed such because of their resemblance to bon-bon chocolates. Other names include “God’s tears” or “God’s droppings”.

Chocolate hills Filipino tourists broomstick pose Bohol
Man, they really love doing corny poses out here! 🙂
Chocolate hills Bohol Philippines
Back to the hills

Chocolate hills land Bohol PhilippinesChocolate Hills Bohol closeup panoramaChocolate hills Bohol zoomed in panorama

Chocolate hills Bohol wide panorama Philippines
Panorama comprised of 12 shots
Chocolate Hills Bohol other side
I took shots of all the hills around me
Chocolate hills Bohol Philippines wide panorama
Panorama comprised of 10 shots

Chocolate hills lone house Bohol Philippines

Chocolate Hills Bohol field Philippines panorama
Panorama comprised of 8 shots

Chocolate hills mound karst Bohol Philippines

Chocolate Hills Bohol tower Philippines panorama
Panorama comprised of 11 shots

Chocolate Hills round Bohol Philippines

Chocolate hills coming down Bohol
Decided to swap lenses and take the final few shots
Chocolate Hills dry grass Bohol Philippines
Being summer in Philippines, the hills weren't as green
Chocolate Hills cross grave Bohol Philippines
Wow, someone is buried here
Chocolate Hills big Bohol Philippines
You could really see clouds move over these hills

Chocolate hills flowers Bohol PhilippinesChocolate Hills plant BoholChocolate Hills cloud shadows BoholChocolate Hills round Bohol closeup panoramaChocolate Hills Bohol round close-up panoramaChocolate Hills three mounds Bohol PhilippinesI felt I had taken enough photos, so I went back down.

Chocolate Hills trees Bohol Philippines panorama
Panorama comprised of 11 shots

Chocolate Hills viewpoint mound Philippines panorama

Chocolate Hills hotel restaurant Bohol Philippines
This is the only hotel and restaurant on this hill, in case you fancy staying right here

I had an overpriced boku juice (coconut water) and then went back to my tricycle driver.

Chocolate Hills car Bohol panorama
Chocolate Hills leaving Bohol
We left the Chocolate Hills
Welcome to Chocolate Hills Bohol Philippines
Goodbye

Waking up really early just to catch a ferry, coming all this way — it was well worth it. The Chocolate Hills are undoubtedly a ‘must-see’ in Philippines.

Chocolate Hills Bohol rice field
Though, it only occurred to me on the way back that I should have taken a video from the top. Sucks.

Carmen road red trike Bohol Philippines

Entering manmade forest Bohol Philippines
Entered the man-made forest again
Manmade forest sunlight Bohol Philippines
Stopped to get some clear shots again
Manmade forest trees blocking sunlight Bohol Philippines
Nature's way of keeping sunlight out, making it very cool inside

Manmade forest road Bohol PhilippinesThe next sight on the tour was a hanging bridge in a locality called Sevilla.

Going to Hanging Bridge Sevilla Bohol

Hanging bridge entry Loboc river Bohol
Entry was ₱10
Hanging bridge bamboo Sevilla Bohol Philippines
It's as the name suggests
Hanging bridge bamboo Bohol Philippines
But it's made of bamboo

Two hanging bridges Bohol Philippines

Hanging Bridge view of Loboc river Bohol
Loboc river

Hanging bridge Sevilla Loboc river Bohol Philippines

Hanging bridge stores Bohol Philippines
There are some souvenir stalls set up by locals at this end
Hanging bridge exit Bohol
I made a quick return

Hanging bridge over Loboc river BoholHanging bridge twin Loboc river Bohol

Hanging bridge tourist slowly crossing Bohol
If you don't like wobbly bridges, you might want to wait until an elderly person finishes crossing
Sevilla village children Bohol Philippines
I walked back to my tricycle driver and we left the hanging bridge

Hanging bridge thank you Bohol Philippines Sevilla village Bohol Philippines

Carmen junction Bohol highway Philippines
We got back to the main highway

U-turn bend highway Bohol Philippines

Way to Loboc river cruise Bohol Philippines
Next up, lunch cruise on the Loboc river

Loboc river bridge Bohol Philippines

Loboc river lunch cruise offices Bohol Philippines
There are many companies offering the lunch cruise, I just picked one after seeing their buffet menu for today. Cost ₱400 ($9/€6)
Long river cruise Loboc Bohol Philippines
Lunch time!
Loboc river lunch cruise tourists Bohol
The boat

Loboc river cruise bridge Bohol Philippines

Loboc river cruise lunch buffet Bohol Philippines
The food

Loboc river cruise boat Bohol

Loboc river cruise lunch plate Bohol Filipino food
Even though I wasn't fond of Filipino cuisine, I had to eat something
Loboc river lunch cruise Bohol Philippines
We set off
Loboc river cruise boat driver Bohol
The boats are actually maneuvered by this little guy who just pushes it along the river
Loboc river cruise village dance platform
The cruise includes stopping by these platforms
Loboc river cruise musical performance platform
These platforms hold young locals who entertain tourists with musical performances

After ‘docking’ the boat alongside the platform, the locals began.

Loboc river cruise tourist entertainment

Loboc river village children ukele Bohol Philippines
They were really good with their singing and playing!
Loboc river children dancing villagers Bohol
They danced for us too
Loboc river cruise children dancing Bohol Philippines
I really liked this performance and I felt like recording video, but decided against it
Loboc river children singing Bohol
Putting up a video of their performance here would kind of take away their livelihood
Loboc river cruise playing games Bohol
It may be as touristy as it gets, but I still liked it. I left a ₱100 note in the tip box on the platform.
Loboc river cruise entertainment Bohol
We applauded and left

Loboc river afternoon cruise Bohol PhilippinesLoboc river mini waterfall Bohol Philippines

Loboc river lifeguard Bohol Philippines
There's a lifeguard for Loboc river too... though I don't know how effective one man can be, seated here
Loboc river trees Bohol Philippines
I sat and enjoyed the rest of the river cruise
Loboc cruise lunch dessert Filipino food
While having dessert of course
Loboc river cruise afternoon Bohol Philippines
Reminded me of Kerala's backwaters

Bohol village home goat Loboc river Philippines Loboc river cruise entertainment platforms BoholLoboc river cruise singing locals platform Bohol

Loboc river cruise children playing water Bohol Philippines
Village boys playing in the river

Bohol village Loboc river PhilippinesBohol village hut Loboc river PhilippinesLoboc river bridges Bohol Philippines

Loboc river cruise station Bohol Philippines
After one and half hours of cruising, we were back

Old building facing Loboc river Bohol

Loboc river cruise station elderly singers Bohol
I headed back to my trike

Loboc river bridge flower pots Bohol

Bohol rice paddy fields clouds
We moved on to our final attraction of the tour and one I was very keen on seeing in person -- the tarsier
Tarsier house kanipaan kingdom Bohol Philippines
I was expecting to go Bohol's largest tarsier conservatory but instead, the driver took me here

When researching, I read that there were many unauthorized or illegal venues where one can see tarsiers, many who just capture tarsiers from the wild and profit from it. So I told the driver to take me to the Philippine Tarsier and Wildlife Sanctuary in Corella, but he told me that I might not have the time for that as it is very far and beyond Tagbilaran City.

Oh well, one sign this place was legit was that there were no entrance fees.

Sloth hanging Bohol Philippines
These guys hanging around are sloths
Tarsier clenched on branch Bohol Philippines
These are the tarsiers
Tarsier sleeping Bohol Philippines
Since it was the afternoon, they were in the middle of taking a nap. But seeing them with the eyes fully open is what sets this primate apart from the rest.
Tarsier fingers feet claws Bohol Philippines
They're about the size of your hand
Tarsiers afternoon Bohol Philippines
This centre had around ten of these interesting animals
Tarsier big eyes open Bohol Philippines
Few of them finally woke up. Now I know where the idea for Dobby from the Harry Potter movies drew inspiration from.

Tarsier house Bohol Philippines Tarsier long tail Bohol Philippines

Tarsier feed worms grains
What tarsiers are fed
Tarsier in pot Bohol
Hello there...
Bohol highway tarsier center Philippines
15 minutes among tarsiers, and we were done
Tagbilaran city Jagna road sign Bohol
We rode back to Tagbilaran city
Couple by seaside Bohol Philippines
But I asked the driver to stop when we passed by the sea again
Bohol mangrove beach shore panorama
Panorama comprised of 10 shots

Bohol island highway PhilippinesBohol beach boats Philippines

Bohol stony beach boats Philippines
Not all of Bohol's shorelines look like this. The island does have stretches of white sandy beaches, but just not on this side.

Bohol fishing boats Philippines

Bohol house tricycle tour driver Philippines
My driver

Bohol floating restaurant Philippines

Baclayon roman catholic church school Bohol
Baclayon Roman Catholic church

Baclayon roman catholic church bell tower Bohol The driver dropped me back to Tagbilaran City, near the church, where I paid him the agreed upon ₱1000 for the tour (plus a ₱50 tip). I still had nearly 2 hours before I had to catch my ferry back to Cebu.

Church of Tagbilaran Bohol Philippines
I was near the Church of Tagbilaran, so...
Church of Tagbilaran history Bohol Philippines
I decided to check it out

Church of Tagbilaran prayer main hall Bohol PhilippinesChurch of Tagbilaran inside dark BoholChurch of Tagbilaran hall light BoholI left the church and walked towards a Wild West-themed cafe and bakery right beside the church. They had a banner outside advertising their ‘famous’ mango pies. Looked and sounded delicious, so being the foodie I am, I ventured in.

Garden Cafe Wild West themed Bohol Philippines
Garden Cafe

The cafe mostly serves locals its fix of Americana, with the menu mostly comprising burgers, steaks and other Tex-Mex fare. Prices are reasonable and they were still serving customers main course meals despite being 3:30pm. What I found most interesting was — some of the waitresses were deaf. There were books on display on how to communicate in sign language, but for me, my order was simple. I pointed to the mango pie sign on my table and simply indicated ‘one,’ with a smile.

Mango pie Garden Cafe Bohol Philippines
Costing just ₱35, it was alright. The mango filling wasn't as sweet as I thought it would be. I don't know if the type of mangoes commonly found in these parts are of a tangier variety, considering us Indians are used to much sweeter ones back home.

I sat for a while to cool off, drank ice cold water and then when I felt like walking, left the cafe.

Mopeds bikes parked wall painting Bohol

Tagbilaran city square Bohol Philippines
I decided to check out the mall scene
Bohol Quality Mall inside Philippines
This is Bohol Quality Mall

Hmm, that’s it really. Tagbilaran is no Cebu. The SMs and Ayalas are yet to set foot on Bohol.

Tagbilaran city traffic Bohol Philippines
Don't expect anything fancy in Bohol. It's the simple life here.
Bombay bazaar Tagbilaran city Bohol Philippines
Guess there are a few Indians in Philippines
Tagbilaran city road to ferry terminal
I decided to walk back to the ferry terminal
United Church Touch-a-child Bohol Philippines
The priest jokes practically write themselves
Tagbilaran tricycle taxis Bohol Philippines
Clean roads

Bohol Knights of Columbus statue Tagbilaran ferry terminal BoholBohol pier sailing boats PhilippinesI got my ticket checked and waited in the departures hall for my 6pm ferry. When you buy a return ticket from Cebu itself, it entitles you a spot in a ferry returning at any time. I was done with Bohol as far as I was concerned, so I decided to catch the early ferry.

Bohol sunset Philippines
The sunset at 6:15pm
Oceanjet ferry upper seating open air Bohol
Just noticed there was an open-air compartment above mine which cost much lesser. Should have just take this one as I really didn't need air-conditioning when there's sea breeze.

I went back to my seat and instantly dozed off, despite how freezing it was inside my cabin. I guess I was really tired and the early wake up was getting to me. Still, I felt satisfied knowing that I saw everything I wanted to see in Bohol. Even though my tricycle tour (eventually) was not that much cheaper than a van tour, I’m still happy I opted for it because I had the freedom to stop the driver whenever I felt like taking photographs.

I was back in Cebu past 8pm and I headed back to Sugbutel first, so I could dump my bag. Then I went to SM City for dinner.

SM City Cebu mall closing Philippines
By 9pm, everybody was shutting shop

Fortunately, a McDonalds was still open (though they were cleaning up) and I managed to get the last remaining burgers on order.

I headed back to my room, took a nice shower, backed-up my photos — nearly 600 of them (out of which I only used 188 in this post). Bohol was well worth the trouble and I can highly recommend a day spent on the island for anyone visiting Philippines.

Previous posts in this series:

Philippines 2011: Day 9 – Cebu: Fort San Pedro, Basilica of Santo Niño, Taoist Temple

Philippines 2011: Day 8 – Manila tour: Rizal Park, Intramuros, Manila Cathedral, China Town

Philippines 2011: Day 7 – Leaving Angeles City for Manila, Mall of Asia

Philippines 2011: Day 6 – Good Friday in San Fernando, San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites

Philippines 2011: Leaving Sagada for Baguio, and arriving in Angeles city (Days 4 & 5)

Philippines 2011: Day 3 – Sagada’s Lumiang burial cave, Sumaguing cave, Hanging Coffins of Echo valley

Philippines 2011: Day 3 – Banaue town; heading to Sagada via Bontoc

Philippines 2011: Day 2 – Banaue rice terraces; trekking to Batad village

Philippines 2011: Day 1 — Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Fort Bonifacio

Philippines 2011: Flying over South China Sea for the first time

Other posts in this series:

Philippines 2011: Day 11 – Arriving in Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Day 12 – Puerto Princesa Underground River tour, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Day 13 – Puerto Princesa to El Nido by bus

Philippines 2011: Day 14 – El Nido island hopping tour A and sunset at Las Cabanas beach, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Back to Manila, shopping, and my final thoughts about the country  (Last post)

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