After several months of planning, we’ve finally visited one of the seven wonders of nature – the Puerto Princesa Underground River. Situated at the heart of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, this true haven beauty of nature is also known as the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. (Oh diba, parang si Kuya Kim lang. Haha).

As part of our birthday celebration, EJ (my travel buddy) and I booked our trip last August 2-4, 2014 via Cebu Pacific. Since I am an advocate of tourism and environment protection (di lang talaga halata), I decided to discover this place.



1. Immerse yourself with the beauty of nature

Puerto Princesa City is one of the greenest and cleanest cities in the Philippines. With the perfect landscape and biodiversity of the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, no wonder why this place is listed in the 7 Wonders of Nature and one of the UNESCO Heritage Site. 

The tour guide in the boat also added excitement as they explain and give funny comments with the rock formations inside the cave. Very Filipino! :)

2. Taste the unusual Filipino cuisines

Our travel won’t be complete without the food! Hahaha! We explored different restaurants and tried various cuisines! Here are the must-visit food places in Puerto Princesa:

Kinabuch

369, Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Operating Hours: 5:00 pm – 3:00 am

No need for reservation

Price Range: P100 - P300 per person 

Ugong Restaurant 

Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan

No need for reservation

Price Range: P150 - P400 per person 

 

Kalui Restaurant

369, Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Operating Hours: 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, 6:00 – 10:30 pm

Call them for reservation (048) 433 2580

Price Range: P300 - P500 per person 

Baker’s Hill
Puerto Princesa, Palawan
(048) 433 4314
Price Range: P25.00 -P300.00 

3. Discover the local arts and culture of the city
To match our nature trip, we decided to stay at Casa Fuerte Bed and Breakfast. The place is good and you can feel the modern Filipino inspired layout and interiors. They also have a complimentary breakfast and free massage at Nuat Thai Palawan after your jam-pack schedule.

As part of our package is the City Tour. We went to Baker’s Hill, Crocodile Farm, Plaza Cuartel, Binuatan Creations and Mitra’s Ranch.

4. Explore the city by your own
During our free time, we explored the town and discovered different places. If you plan to visit Puerto Princesa, the major transportation is tricycle but there are jeepneys with regular route.


The Promdi Boy Tip: Ask the driver first before you ride the tricycle. Sometimes, they will charge you more than the normal rate especially when they know you’re a tourist.

Since its Sunday, we ask the driver to bring us to the nearest church and we found the Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral. 

After the the mass, we went to a bar named, Tiki Bar. We were intrigued with its name and we found out that the name is from the Tagalog word of male and female genital area. Hahaha. Very pinoy! 

5. Bring home some Palawan goodies
To complete your Puerto Princesa adventure, don’t forget to bring home some Palawan goodies and souvenir items. When we asked the locals of their famous “pasalubong” they always say that we must try their Cashew Nuts. The cheapest Palawan goodies can be found at Tiangge Tiangge Pasalubong and Souvenir Center. 

If you’re planning to go to Puerto Princesa, Palawan, never miss these 5 things:

1. Immerse yourself with the beauty of nature
2. Taste the unusual Filipino cuisines
3. Discover the local arts and culture of the city
4. Explore the city by your own
5. Bring home some Palawan goodies

See you again in our next trip! :)