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aerial photography

Second trip to Rajasthan: Udaipur City Palace, Lake Palace

By Mithun Divakaran
/
Apr 30, 2012
/
India, Rajasthan, Travel

This is a continuation of a journey that began in Jodhpur. En route to the “City of Lakes,” we stopped at Ranakpur which is famed for its Jain temple.

Seth Anandji Kalyanji Pedhi Ranakpur temple Rajasthan — Sadly, by the time we arrived at the temple, it was pretty late in the evening

Ranakpur temple panorama — But we still went in

Seth Anandji Kalyanji Pedhi Ranakpur temple entrance — Even though I couldn't get any photos from inside, take my word for it - it's very impressive!

Jain Temple Ranakpur temple at night — The most impressive aspect of this temple is inside you will see over 1,400 beautifully sculpted marble pillars

Jain temple Ranakpur at night Rajasthan — But do get here by daytime

Udaipur fountain at night Rajasthan — We reached Udaipur at night and went to Sukhadia Circle

Udaipur street food stalls Rajasthan India — This roundabout is a popular hangout and famous for its street food. We had some pav bhajji and kulfis. Yummy indeed.

Continue reading “Second trip to Rajasthan: Udaipur City Palace, Lake Palace” »

Infinity pool view Marina bay sands hotel Singapore

Singapore: Day 4 – Marina Bay Sands Casino and views from the SkyPark observation deck

By Mithun Divakaran
/
Jan 15, 2012
/
Singapore, Travel

Date: September 22nd, 2011

Yesterday turned out to be better than I hoped. Today I was adamant to make it even better!

Geylang wet neighbourhood Singapore — UNfortunately, it was raining (Taken on my phone)

Singapore post park mrt station — Fortunately, the rain was reduced to a slight drizzle a few minutes later

Singapore Post headquarters building — I took a bus and got down near the Singapore Post building

Malay village Geylang Singapore — I was on my way to the Geylang Serai hawker centre & fresh market

Geylang Serai hawker centre market Singapore — I wanted to check out the food stalls

Geylang Serai fresh market Singapore — This market was recently renovated

Geylang Serai market stalls Singapore — So I didn’t really sense a “charm” to this place

Geylang Serai market fruits vegetable shops Singapore — I went upstairs to where the food stalls were

Geylang Serai market clothes Singapore — They have a few other stores too

Geylang Serai market history Singapore — This place is quite famous in Singapore — or at least it used to be in it’s original form

Geylang Serai hawker centre Singapore — I wondered what to eat

Malay biriyani stall Geylang Serai Singapore — This ‘baryani’ stall seemed fairly popular as they were dishing out hot plates is quick succession

Malay chicken biriyani Geylang Serai market Singapore — At $4 (Rs.160/$3/€2.4 ) a plate, the ‘bariyani’ was just about alright as far as taste went. Fairly similar to Hyderabadi biriyani in taste.

I shared my table with a local who began chatting with me after he asked me why I was taking photos of what I was going to eat. I told him about my website, and why I was taking many photos. He asked me whether I worked here, and I told him ‘no’. I gave him my brief life story and in the end, he complimented my English. He suggested I could try for a job in Singapore but all this while, my food was getting cold.

Sucks. The only reason I ordered the biriyani was because it looked piping hot as they served it. Most of the food served at these kind of stalls restaurants are rarely ever hot. They’re usually pre-cooked and served out of buffet trays as per order.

The local sat with me long after he finished his meal as he continued to make conversation with me. The only thing I asked him was “what other good hawker centres are there?” He told me a few, and I noted them down. I gave him the link to my website and we parted ways.

Post lunch, I headed straight to Funan IT mall to pick up my 70-200mm lens from John 3:16.

Maid cafe Funan IT mall Singapore — Fortunately my lens was fixed and I tested it by taking a few shots

They told me the Canon service center had to drill two holes on the filter and break the filter carefully so as not to touch the main lens glass. The lens was checked thoroughly and re-calibrated. Sadly, I had now lost my rather pricey HD filter, to which they said it’s not even required that I use those expensive filters, as even a standard UV filters would suffice. All said and done, the damage wasn’t over. The cost of all this repair: $130 (Rs. 5100!). I had no choice but to pay up. I was just glad to see my most expensive lens back in my bag in perfect working condition.

But when you’re unemployed and trying be very careful with your spending, losing $130 plus the $50 I spent day before yesterday at the clinic simply felt like unnecessary waste of money. Sigh…

Gaming world software store Funan IT mall Singapore — I prefer shopping at Funan IT mall over Sim Lim Square

Nikon store John 3:16 Funan IT mall Singapore — The shops here are good and slightly more trustworthy

Central fire station building Singapore — Left Funan IT mall. This is the Central Fire Station bang opposite.

Ministry of Information Communications and Arts building Singapore — MICA building

Singapore parliament building junction — That’s the Singapore parliament

Funan IT mall building Singapore — I walked to City Hall MRT and headed towards Marina Bay

Marina Bay blue building construction Singapore — Marina Bay was still buzzing with construction activity

Singapore Marina Bay financial center buildings — Panorama comprised of 7 shots

Marina bay city gallery Singapore — Decided to see what was in here

Inside Marina Bay city gallery Singapore — Inside were interactive displays showcasing Singapore’s development history

Singapore Marina Bay planning model — Specifically Marina Bay

Marina Bay model plan Singapore — Marina Bay was mostly developed by dredging and land reclamation

Singapore passing of land acquisition act — The Land Acquisition Act was passed in 1966

Singapore developing the city phase — The Merlion Statue at the mouth of Singapore River was installed in 1972

Singapore concept plan 1971 — It was in 1971, with the help of the UN, that the first major infrastructure plan of Singapore was laid out

Review of Singapore masterplan 1980 — They made some changes to the masterplan for Marina Bay in the early 1980s

Singapore masterplan 1998 — It wasn’t until the mid 1990s that Singapore even thought about implementing a Common Service Tunnel, which would house piping and essential utilities. At least they did it. How many cities in Asia have such massive underground infrastructure?

Singapore masterplan 2003 — In 2003, another draw-up of Marina Bay

Singapore infrastructure interactive display — If I had the time, I would have just sat there and read through it all

Marina bay future concept Singapore — I was really keen on learning about all this

Walter bunny art exhibit Singapore — This bunny is an art exhibit. He’s been spotted around Singapore.

Oue Bayfront building Marina Bay Singapore — Had to crop this tight for a closer look

Audi Ultra sail boat Singapore Marina Bay — Audi had this impressive boat, but it was for invited guests only

Singa lion mascot Singapore marina — Singa, the mascot for Singapore’s Happiness Movement. (Seriously).

Marina Bay Sands walk mist cooler Singapore — They have placed these mist coolers to make the walk here more comfortable

Cool mist pipe Singapore Marina baywalk — But Singapore’s humidity being what it is, the mist had little cooling effect

Marina Bay financial centre Singapore panorama — One final panorama before going in

Salvatore Dali art exhibit Singapore Marina Bay — There was an exhibition of Salvador Dali’s work going on

Marina Bay Sands Shoppes Singapore — This was the mall

Marina bay sands shoppes mall Singapore — When I came here last year the mall was rather empty as Marina Bay Sands had just opened

Marina Bay Sands shoppes fountain — The Shoppes has slowly started to fill up

Singapore Marina Bay Sands mall Venetian gondola boats — Marina Bay Sands Singapore is after all by same people behind The Venetian in Las Vegas

Way to casino Singapore Marina Bay Sands — Enough of the mall. Time for the first thing on my to-do list – the casino!

I walked to towards the entrance, past the security and straight to the baggage counter. Last year when I came to Marina Bay Sands, I couldn’t enter the casino because I got wet in the rain and I was wearing shorts. There was a dress code and the casino was only open to foreign tourists. This time around, I came dressed in formal wear and now Singaporeans could enter — after paying a $100 entry fee (which is ridiculous!).

No bags are allowed, and more strictly – no photography… at all… not even using your mobile. Which sucked, because you should have seen how the casino looked! Man, the chandelier inside was huuuge! Hundreds of slot machines, and other games with each one with scores of people playing.

I had never been to a casino before this, and had only seen them in Hollywood movies, so this was quite a revelation for me. I came with the intention of gambling a little bit, because hey, I didn’t have a job — so I thought I’d try my luck at winning some money! I even set aside a $100 just for this, but obviously I wasn’t going plonk it all down in one easy shot. Since I had never gambled before, I didn’t even know how to play most of the games. Slots was easy, pull a lever and hope you get match. Or at least that’s what I thought, because now, slot machines have gone digital — and they had way more buttons than a single lever.

You can play for as little as $1 and that made it easy for everyone to get in and begin. I converted $30 into chips/tokens and started with the Wheel of Fortune. Waged $10, placed my bets on a ‘x 10’ multiplier and a number. The lady spun the wheel and the needle stopped… at a number three stops after mine. Damn, there goes my first $10. The lady smiled and asked if I would want to try again. I thought, “Yeah, why not?” and put down another $10. She spun the wheel again, it stopped and she smiled again. I walked away after losing another $10. Sigh.

I then moved on to the slot machines and sat down at Queen slot machine. I played for $10, and ended up winning $17! I could have played for more but I decided to cash in my winnings and printed the receipt. Besides cards and tokens, the machines can use the same receipts to begin play. I had $17 with me and I started to wonder if my luck was improving. I walked past the roulette table and asked the attendant how the game worked. After he told how the game worked, I had to go and buy some more tokens as I obviously couldn’t place a receipt print on the table. So I got chips for $30 more.

I placed $10 as that was the minimum bet for this table (there were tables with $20 and $30 minimum bets too, larger payouts obviously). He spun the wheel in one direction and then the ball in the opposite direction. As the ball slowly lost momentum, it did the bounce – just as in the movies. But in my present real world scenario, it finally dropped into a number I didn’t select. So I tried again, and believe it or not, the ball stopped at a number just one spot away from mine.

So another $20 lost. So much for my hopes of being on a winning streak. I just played the slots after that. I won, wagered my winnings and then lost it all. At the end of it all, I had spent $60 and not really won anything big. I decided to stop.

I had no regrets though. It was an experience I smiled through. Looking around, it’s amazing how many people (most of whom were Chinese tourists) were spending so much money and I could only imagine how much money the casino was making — daily! You would think playing for as little as $1 is simple, harmless fun. But as I experienced it myself, human greed is what makes gambling harmful. And it’s as though the casinos have figured how a gambler’s mind works. There is a science to gambling and it’s a good bet to assume, very few ever make it out of a casino with more than what they spent in the hopes of winning big. It’s fair to see why gambling, to this day, remains controversial and banned in many places. Just because I stopped after losing $60, doesn’t mean others will. I even saw labourers from the sub-continent playing, and imagine how much they make in a month here in Singapore.

That said, there were the high rollers too. Some Korean guy came to the roulette table I was playing at and just dumped chips worth $1000. $1000, just like that! And to think above the two floors I could walk around on, were private rooms meant for even bigger players. Now think of the kind of money they’re playing for!

In the end, this place was not for a middle-class guy who spent the last eight years working and trying to save up as much as possible. I left the casino and collected my camera bag from the counter.

If you’re a foreign passport holder in Singapore, I still recommend visiting the casino at the Marina Bay Sands, the place is really well done up. The chandelier alone is worth seeing, it’s one of the world’s largest and it really is impressive.

Patek Philippe Vacheron Constantin Singapore Marina Bay Sands — I made my way to the hotel towers

Marina Bay sands hotel lobby Singapore — This is the lobby of Tower 3

Marina Bay Sands hotel reception — I walked towards Tower 1

Marina Bay Sands skypark ticket counter Singapore — Took a left and went downstairs to the ticket counter of the Sands SkyPark

When I came here last year, I made it all the way to the ticket counter, but only told be told that the SkyPark was closed due to rains that day. It rained earlier today as well, but fortunately the observation deck was open! I bought my ticket, which cost SG$20 (Rs. 800/$15/€12).

On top Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Singapore — Here we go…

Marina Bay Sands Skypark first sight Singapore — The views from up here, are needless to say, awesome!

Gardens by the Bay construction panorama Singapore — The first thing you see is this – the Gardens by the Bay project (still under construction)

Gardens by the bay glasshouse Singapore — This Flower Dome will house plants and trees and re-create a Mediterranean climate

Supertree grove construction gardens by the bay Singapore — This is the Supertree Grove, another attraction part of the Gardens by the Bay

Singapore bay ships docked in sea panorama — This is how many ships are anchored outside Singapore Port…

Container ships waiting Singapore dock panorama — … and some more. It goes all the way like this until the port.

Singapore Marina Barrage reservoir ships sea — The Marina Barrage

Marina Barrage Singapore bay — It controls the flow of water in and out of the reservoir

Bay East garden Marina Bay Singapore — That’s the Bay East gardens

Singapore East coast aerial view — I guess that’s where East Coast beach is

Floating stage zone 3 Singapore F1 circuit — The Zone 3 grandstand of the Singapore F1 circuit

Singapore Marina Bay skyline evening sky — I don’t think I’ll ever tire of this skyline

Singapore Marina Bay bank buildings panorama — Panorama comprised of 3 shots

One Fullerton Hotel aerial view Singapore — The Fullerton Hotel & One Fullerton entertainment complex

Singapore Merlion park aerial view from Marina Bay Sands Skypark — The Merlion Park

Marina Bay Sands Arts Science museum Louis Vuitton — The Arts Science museum is one on the right

Louis Vuitton floating store Singapore Marina Bay — The Louis Vuitton ‘floating’ store

Avalon club Marina Bay Sands Singapore — I was disappointed to know the Avalon Club was down there since I had initially read it was up on the SkyPark

Boat ripple Marina Bay Singapore — But I was really happy I got my 70-200mm lens back

Marina Bay Sands convention centre mall roof Singapore — The Shoppes down below

Marina Bay financial center buildings panorama — You can tell the new from the old — by the use of glass mainly

Singapore concrete jungle aerial view — Concrete jungle or what!

Singapore Padang grounds stage Esplanade Marina Bay aerial view — The lawn in the back is the Padang stage, where the big concerts this F1 weekend were going to happen

Esplanade theatres by the Bay aerial view Singapore — The Esplanade theatres glow at night — imagine the sight from up here!

Singapore boat Clarke Quay aerial view — Singapore river, passing through Boat and Clarke Quay

Singapore port view from Sands SkyPark — That’s Singapore port, in the back

Singapore port container cranes — One of the busiest ports in the world

Way to swimming pool Marina Bay Sands hotel Singapore — Okay, now time to check out the coolest attraction at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel

Infinity pool trees Marina Bay Sands hotel guests Singapore — The infinity swimming pool!

Infinity pool trees Marina Bay sands hotel Singapore — Quite possibly the most famous infinity pool in the world

Infinity pool access Marina Bay Sands hotel — The swimming pool is accessible to hotel guests only. Damn, so there goes my plan to just sit by the pool and have a drink.

Couple swimming infinity pool Singapore — Sigh, one day. One day I will definitely stay at this hotel.

Marina Bay Sands hotel kids playing infinity pool — And to those who think: “Oh my god, it looks so scary!”

Marina Bay Sands infinity pool walkway Singapore — Don’t be, it’s just an illusion. There’s no way you are going to fall over. I mean, you could try…

No access door infinity pool sands skypark — Access is for hotel staff only

Marina bay sands skydeck steps Singapore — Went back up to take one final look around

Singapore Flyer east coast highway panorama — I had plans to even go on the Singapore Flyer

Singapore Flyer observation wheel panorama — A ride on this costs $29.50

Singapore Flyer view from Sands skypark — But look at the height difference!

I don’t mind checking out the Singapore Flyer now… but I decided to keep it for next time. If you had to choose between the two, I’d recommend the Sands SkyPark over the Flyer any day.

Singapore evening traffic jam aerial view — Evening traffic was starting to pile up, that too with the diversions due to F1 work

Container ships sea Singapore — Traffic, even at sea 🙂

Singapore building skyline hill distance — Wonder which hill that is in the background

High rise buildings concrete jungle Singapore from above — Took the last few shots, just to make sure I got every view possible

Residential apartments new construction Singapore — Wonder what they’re constructing over there

Singapore skypark observation deck Marina Bay Sands — It was 6pm, time for me to leave

Marina Bay Sands view from skydeck panorama — One final panorama

Mithun Divakaran Marina Bay Sands skypark Singapore — Got a picture of myself taken… (yeah, Mithun in formals, save it)

Marina Bay Sands sky park restaurant panorama — … and I left the SkyPark

Closed road Marina Bay Sands hotel Singapore F1 — Mithun has left the building

Marina Bay Sands hotel and casino Singapore panorama — I tried to fix the distortion in this panorama as much as possible

Helix bridge Marina bay sands hotel Singapore — Planned to walk on the Helix Bridge next

Helix bridge during Formula 1 Singapore — The Helix Bridge is closed during F1 weekend as it’s one of the entry points to the circuit

Helix bridge Marina Bay Singapore — Still, people were walking on it, so I figured I could check it out until a certain point

Helix bridge Singapore evening — The Helix Bridge lights up, and looks even more impressive at night

Helix bridge Gate 10 Singapore F1 — Pedestrians couldn’t go beyond a few metres from here as there was a private event taking place

Arts Science museum Marina Bay from Helix bridge Singapore — So I walked back

Singapore river cruise Marina Bay station — You can take the river cruise from here too

ArtsScience museum Marina Bay Singapore — The design of the ArtsScience museum is inspired from a lotus flower

Salvador Dali melting clock display museum Singapore — The signature melting clock artwork of Salvador Dali

ArtsScience museum Singapore — There’s an entry ticket here too

Marina Bay Sands ice skating rink panorama — Went back into the mall for some air-conditioning (Panorama comprised of 5 shots)

Empty stores Marina Bay Sands shoppes Singapore — I guess there’s still more leasable space left

Marina Bay Sands shoppes mall interior — ‘The Lion King’ was in town

Singapore marina bay arts Science pool — What was that?

Singapore Arts Science space in pool — Clever design

Rectangle gap in pool Arts Science Singapore — Pretty cool none the less

Marina Bay buildings Singapore — Again, I keep photographing this skyline

Marina Bay Louis Vuitton customers Singapore — Felt like stepping in, just to see what the store looked like from the inside. Not like I could afford anything in there anyway.

Singapore Marina Bay Sands hotel panorama — Panorama comprised of 6 shots

Avalon club Marina Bay Sands Singapore evening — Avalon Club

Hippo River Cruise station Marina Bay — Hippo River Cruise is another boat tour company

Marina Towers blue glass Audi boat Singapore — Panorama comprised of 5 shots

Audi sailing boat Singapore dock Marina Bay — Pretty impressive sail boat

Wedding photograph Marina Bay Singapore — I guess a lot of wedding shoots happen at Marina Bay

Marina Bay solar panels jogging park — Instead of taking the MRT, I decided to walk around the bay area a bit more

Marina Bay link Singapore — I guess this connects you straight to the MRT station

Customs House Marina bay Singapore — A lot of choice for the bankers in the area to hang out after work

I walked to Raffles Place MRT and boarded the train from there. Got down at Bugis, simply because I felt like walking through the area I first saw when I visited Singapore last year.

Bugis Junction mall Singapore — Did a bit of mall hopping

Bugis street shopping market Singapore — Walked through the Bugis Street Shopping market, where they had recently opened an upper level

Bugis Chinese market statue Singapore — After doing a bit of shopping at Bugis Street, I walked around the adjoining Chinese market

Bugis apartment complex shops building Singapore — I somehow just enjoy walking and soaking up the local life, even if it isn’t always buzzing

Raffles hospital junction Singapore at night — The junction at Raffles Hospital

Kampong glam at night Singapore — I walked to Kampong Glam (the ‘Arab area’), which is where I stayed last year

Singapore Zam Zam deer meat biriyani Kampong Glam — Deer meat. As weird as it sounds… I felt the temptation to try it.

Grand Sultan Mosque at night Singapore — The Grand Sultan Mosque

Victoria street traffic signal Singapore — I decided to walk to Victoria MRT

Wendy's Victoria street Singapore — Spotted a Wendy’s across the road, knew right away what I wanted for dinner.

Had a shrimp burger meal from Wendy’s, one of my favourites from the chain. Also picked up some donuts from a local bakery in the same block and then took the MRT back to Aljunied.

Today was a good day. I was really happy with the photographs I clicked, though I do wish I got a bit of sunshine, which seems to be something of a rarity in Singapore.

Tomorrow begins the first of my three day F1 weekend.

Next posts in this series:

Singapore 2011: Day 5 – Chinatown, F1 Friday (Charice, Seungri and GD&TOP concerts)

Singapore 2011: Day 6 – F1 Saturday (Rick Astley, Shakira and Shaggy concerts)

Singapore 2011: Day 7 – Little India, F1 Sunday race, Linkin Park concert and Avalon Club

Leaving Singapore, and discovering certain truths about this famous city state

Previous posts in this series:

Singapore 2011: Day 3 – Bukit Timah and Singapore Botanic Gardens

Singapore 2011: Day 2 – Jurong Bird Park and… *ouch!*

Singapore 2011: Day 1 – Landing a second time; walking around CBD

Banwa Arthouse Puerto Princesa Philippines

Philippines: Day 11 – Arriving in Puerto Princesa, Palawan

By Mithun Divakaran
/
Nov 10, 2011
/
Philippines, Travel

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

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

Puerto Princesa town houses Philippines — I decided to go for a stroll

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 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

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!