A Walking Tour in Puerto Princesa City

Puerto Pricesa offers several attractions that appeals to every kind of tourists. When you find yourself in the city center with some time to spare, it would be a nice idea to visit these attractions. These are near each other so a walking tour is possible. From Aniceto Pension where we stayed for 2 nights, the cathedral is just few blocks away.

Immaculate Conception Cathedral


This cathedral, although much smaller, somewhat reminds me of San Sebastian Church in Manila, probably because of the pointed arches and the architectural design. The facade's color is obviously inspired by their patroness, Our Lady of Immaculate Conception.

The original structure built in this location was erected in 1872. The current church we see today is completed in 1961. The church lacks the ornate details found in most of old churches found in the country but it exudes a solemn atmosphere conducive to praying.

Plaza Cuartel


This is located across the street from the cathedral. There's really nothing to see inside the plaza (park) but this place holds a very significant part of the country's history. This used to be a military camp back in World War II. During the Japanese occupation in the country, about 150 American Prisoners of War  were murdered.  POW were commanded to go under the air raid shelter then were poured gasoline and were set on fire alive. Those who tried to escape from the fiery fumes were even cruelly machine gunned and decapitated. Almost everybody died except for eleven who managed to escape and luckily survived by swimming towards the Iwahig River.

Today, a bronze sculpture and a memorial marker was placed in the center of the plaza that serves as a reminder of the grim event that transpired on that very fateful night of Dec. 14, 1944.

Puerto Princesa Baywalk


This is probably one of the local's favorite hang-out during sun-down. I can't blame them. This is a clean nice place to breathe fresh air and appreciate the clean sea and the silhouettes of the mountains from afar - for free.

In the mornings, I could imagine myself jogging in the bricked pathways with cool breeze of air brushing my skin. The whole stretch of the boulevard is dotted with palm trees and plant boxes with green foliage which makes it even lovelier. It's definitely a nice place where you can just sit down and do nothing but feel empowered.

Rene's Saigon: Vietnamese Kitchen Brought Right in the Heart of Puerto Princesa

Puerto Princesa had been a temporary home for Vietnamese refugees when they landed the Philippines in post-1975. A community called "Viet-ville" (French word for "Viettown" was created. They brought their culture with them and one is Vietnamese cuisine, which they successfully introduced to the local community by putting up Vietnamese restaurants.

Filipinos embraced the flavors of Vietnam. Proof are several Chaolong houses (inspired by Vietnamese Pho) you would see scattered in any part of the city. Some are already owned by Filipinos who used to work for the Vietnamese Refugees. One restaurant that is still owned by a true blooded Vietnamese is Rene's Saigon, owned and managed by Rene Sabio who has a Filipino father a Vietnamese mother. His wife Huynh Thi Van assists him with their family business.

I'm surprised Rene's Saigon seemed not to be a very familiar name  (as compared to Bona's) with tricycle drivers. I asked two of them to kindly bring me to the restaurant but they seemed not to know it. Gladly, the third I asked has an idea although unsure about the location. It helped when I told him, it must be somewhere near the airport and is just along Rizal Ave. (It pays to do a research before heading somewhere) Nevertheless, we arrived at the right restaurant. When you're coming from the airport, Rene's Saigon is about a 5 minute drive towards your left, the opposite direction when you're headed to the city center. They open 8:30 in the morning and closes 8:30 at night.

We went there for brunch and a smiling lady handed us their menu once we have settled in one of their tables. They have wide variety of options. We ordered mostly their different variety of noodles (pho') perfect for the climate that day. A typhoon was currently passing Puerto Princesa that time. My sister and I loved their food. Noodles tasted fresh and chewy. The broth is perfect, there's a slight hint of sweetness and it's not overly sweet as the others I've tried, it was flavorful. Average you would spend here is about 100-150 per meal. This is one place I'd like to go back to when I visit PP again.

While eating, I noticed there's a featured article included on their menu. It was written by Marilen Kahn, I suppose one the customers who visited and tried their food. It was written there that this business started as a turo-turo (a small informal looking restaurant) with a 15 person seating capacity, located at the original Vietnamese Camp where Rene baked his French bread and cooked the dishes his mother and wife taught him. Now, the current restaurant is built on a 800 sq meter land, with a 50 person seating capacity where he continually bakes an average of 3,000 or more pieces of French bread daily and manage a kitchen that continually produces Vietnamese flavors for locals and tourists who came to love what Rene's Saigon offer. :)

Rene's Saigon can be found along Rizal Ave, passing by the Puerto Princesa Airport when coming from the City Center. It is located in Brgy. Bancao-Bancao. Their contact number is 433-5255.

Sabang Beach: What Made up for the Failed PP Underground River Tour

As I've mentioned in my previous post, after an almost three hour of uncomfortable but scenic bus ride to Sabang, a sitio of Puerto Princesa Palawan and the gateway to the Puerto Princesa Underground River, we found out from the tourism office that all tours for the day have been cancelled due to bad weather. I was too excited to finally see the Underground River by doing a trek through the Monkey trail so it was truly frustrating that weather didn't cooperate. But then, that's one thing I learned, a traveler should always be flexible with itineraries and make the best out of every travel opportunity.

It was low tide when we reached Sabang. That gave us an even wider shore of gray and very fine sand to walk or run into. The extraordinary high and strong waves on that day extends to the far end of the shore, quickly turning the sand into a mirror, giving a beautiful reflection of the trees nearby. The rain continued to pour, sometimes it's just drizzle and often, it was hard. It didn't change a thing though. Sabang Beach was still beautiful, and looked mystical with sloping mountains partly covered in gray clouds.

The sand was warm and soft to the feel. It's like a comfort to the cold shower of the rains. For hours, I've stayed  outdoors, not really swimming but playing with the high waves, running from it until it finally catch me and immerse me on it's height. When I got tired, I stayed on the shallow part, relatively submerged in the warm water of the beach while feeling the rain drip on my face. It was like my childhood days once again. I was contented watching my boyfriend swim against the waves with other tourists doing the same. Be cautious though, there are warnings posted in Sabang that undercurrent is often strong. It was a good things that's not the case when we were there.

Sabang Beach is very scenic, the shoreline is dotted with towering coconut trees. It's charm comes from the exclusivity and serenity of the place. There's a part where I notice freshwater is flowing from the higher part of the cove to the shore. Surrounding mountains even make the scene even more picturesque. I'll still definitely go back to Sabang to try and see the underground river again but for this trip, Sabang Beach proved to also be a rewarding attraction worth visiting in Sabang.

Accommodation and Dining in Sitio Sabang, Puerto Pricesa Palawan

Sitio Sabang is known to be the gateway to Puerto Princesa Subteranean River, a UNESCO World Heritage. Tourists usually flock the area  from mid-morning to early afternoons and leave the place almost deserted after those busy hours. I'd say that's the perfect time to truly appreciate how beautiful Sabang is. It boasts of a long stretch of beach with clear and warm water and powdery sand. That would be a good reason to consider staying even  for just a night in this lovely and pretty beach.

There are a lot of beach front accommodation options in Sabang. I had the opportunity of checking out some of these places when I commuted to  Sabang to witness the beauty of the Underground River. The weather didn't cooperate and  the area was currently affected by a typhoon that time. Imagine my disappointment when after an almost three hour of butt numbing bus ride, the tourism office in Sabang informed us they cancelled all tours for the day. Trekking the monkey trail was also strictly prohibited for safety reasons and that's what I'm mostly excited about! I understood but honestly, my heart sunk for a moment. Knowing my flight back home is the following day, there'd be no chance of seeing this natural wonder. My companions and I decided to stay for a night though, Sabang beach is hard to resist.

-Penao Beach Cottages and Canteen-
(currently ramaging my things to find their receipt with their phone number)

It was raining and equipped with just one umbrella for the three of us, we settled for the nearest accommodation we can find from the bus/van terminal. That would be Penao Beach Cottages found immediately when you turn right from the terminal (facing the beach). The cottages are decent enough and is a good value for money. We paid Php700 for the three of us. Their three cottages are constructed with native materials. Inside are 2 beds, with a cute round mosquito net hanging overhead the beds. Windows have screens to prevent mosquitoes from getting inside the cottage. The bathroom is quite spacious for a budget accommodation. There's a stand fan and a light bulb that we were only able to use from 6PM to 10PM, the time when resort's turn their generators on for electricity. Sabang doesn't have electricity yet so unless you stay in the upscale resorts in the area that have 24 hour generator available, you'll have electricity just as late as up to 11PM.

Walking towards the end at the right side of the beach, we passed by other accommodation options. Most also have their own restaurants. One interesting fact, all these resorts have at least one dog in their properties. These pets act as the guards of the resorts.

-Robert's Resort-
Contact #: 0927.312.3621

-Sheridan Beach Resort and Spa-
http://www.sheridanbeachresort.com/

-Taraw Beach Cottages-
Contact #: 63.927.450.2984

-Green Verdi Resort Inn and Restaurant-
Contact #: 63.927.350.0289

-Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort-
http://daluyonresort.com/

-Mary's Cottages-
Contact #: 63.919.757.7582

-Tribal Beach Resort and Restaurant-

We had dinner in Tribal Beach Resort's Restaurant. I read several positive reviews about them so I encouraged my sister and boyfriend to try it out. The owner who also runs the place and cooks the meals was ready to please us. Tribal has 2 adorable dogs, one is a puppy who stays beside our table while we're eating. He must be asking for food. We didn't mind her though. She's just too adorable and even knows some tricks like her mom.

We ordered what seems to be unusually served in other restaurants except for the famous calamares and a platter of rice. We paid Php530 for everything.

Tribal has 4 cottages built in their fenced property. It is located at almost far end of the beach (on the right), just before Mary's and is near the starting point for the Monkey trail going to the Underground River.

There's not much to do in Sabang specially at night but I found our stay there worthwhile. The beach is so beautiful and I stayed in the water all afternoon despite the deteriorating weather. The night was so serene, it felt like for hours, I experienced how it was to live in an old civilization. :)

Commuting to Puerto Pincesa's Underground River

Tourism in Palawan is very organized. If you'd like to go to a particular attraction, you just need to inform your hotel about it and they would be directing you to their partner local travel agency who have fixed rates with each tour as regularized by the city tourism department. The running rate for the Underground River tour is Php1500. That includes the round trip van transfers that will take you to Sabang, the jump-off point to this Unesco World Heritage Site - then back to your hotel in just a day, the motorized boat that will take you to the entrance of the cave and the smaller paddle boats that will tour you inside the Cave. The rate would also cover for the Underground River permit fee and a lunch prepared by the agency and a tour guide. If I think about it, the rate is fair enough, even on the cheap side considering you won't have to go through the hassle of  an arduous research on how to make a do-it -yourself tour. Van ride is far more comfortable than a non AC bust ride to Sabang.

However, if you're like me who is more on the adventurous side or would like to stay for at least a night in Sabang or you'd like to trek the Monkey Trail going to the Underground River's entrance and Jungle Trail on your way back to Sabang, then commuting is your best bet.

What you need to do first is to go to the New San Jose Terminal in Puerto Princesa. Travel will be about 20 minutes from the city center. There are multicabs passing Rizal Ave plying that route but if you're in a hurry you can also ride a tricycle willing to take you there. We did the second option and paid the driver Php70 for the three of us.

Arriving in New San Jose Terminal, there are vans available going to Sabang. I just couldn't provide you information about the scheduled time because we opted to ride the 9 AM non-airconditioned Christ d King bus going to Sabang. Christ d King usually have 4 schedules leaving for Sabang. Earliest is 7AM, then 9AM, 12NN and 2PM is the last trip. The day we traveled, they only had the 7 AM and 9AM trip which turned 10AM because they had to finish repairing the bus. There was also a typhoon when we traveled so they suspended the last two scheduled trips. We paid Php125, that's the discounted rate for Filipino tourists, I think they ask Php200 from foreigners. To verify their schedules prior to your travel, you may contact them at the numbers posted above.

The route to Sabang is a two and a half hours of winding and sometimes steep road. There are few stretches of unpaved roads but majority are cemented. The bus isn't comfortable, seats are hard and is almost congested inside the bus. It was a good thing it was raining so it was cold. The picturesque views at the right side of the road also somewhat eased the slow travel. You'd pass by white limestone formations and interesting landscapes.One is Ugong Rock, a cave inside a rock formation. Some of the locals are also amusing when they crack their jokes to one another that we didn't help but overhear. It was tiring but fun. :)

Halfway to Sabang is Salvacion Junction, where tourists from Sabang usually alight to wait for another van/bus coming from Puerto Princesa to El Nido.

From Sabang, Christ the King also travels back to the New San Jose Terminal. Schedules are also 7AM, 9AM, 12NN and 2 PM. On our way back though, we opted for the van since we were in a hurry to catch our flight. The van arrived in New San Jose Terminal after 2 hours. We paid Php120 each. You may contact them for their schedule but earliest trip is 7:30 AM. Lexus Vans also offer van rental to El Nido. Their numbers are listed on the photo above.

Bona's Chaolong House and Restaurant

When I visited Puerto Princesa, the city was currently experiencing the rains and chilly winds of a typhoon. I couldn't imagine any other food more comforting than the hot soup and tangy taste of Puerto Princesa's version of Chaolong, a beef stew with rice noodles. The Vietnamese refugees who fled to the Philippines during the war in Vietnam greatly influenced in the creation of this hit. They opened restaurants in the city offering their native cuisine and was then either sold or given to their Filipino helpers after they returned to Vietnam or went to the US.

I read from Ivan Henares' blog that in Authentic Vietnamese cuisine, this is called Pho for Vietnamese Chaolong is rice porridge with pork innards. For the locals though, this is their Chaolong and I believe Bona's version already has a touch of Filipino for it tastes sweeter than how it's supposed to be. We know how Filipinos love sugar in everything, like sweet spaghetti.

Arriving from the airport feeling somewhat cold and hungry, I wanted to have a late lunch right away. Pretty sure that several Chaolong houses have sprouted in the city, I asked the tricycle driver to bring me to the best one and as I expected he drove me to Bona's. Checking out their menu, they don't offer a wide variety of dishes. It's noodles either added in a pork or beef stew and French bread to compliment it.

Prices in Bona's are affordable. I like their food too. The contrast produced by the aroma of   mint from the sweetness of the broth is nice. Adding the mung sprouts can be fun although I noticed that most of the locals don't even bother doing it, they eat the chaolong right away and if it's not just too shameful, I might just ask for their saucers of mint and sprouts. :D

Bona's place can be pretty busy in the afternoon. I had another snacks there after island hopping in Honda Bay and that day the place was really crowded. This is indeed the favorite Chaolong house of the locals. :) If you're traveling to Palawan, it would be a nice experiencing trying out Puerto Princesa's Chaolong - a Filipino adaptation of a foreign food.

Honda Bay Island Hopping without a Tour Package

Honda Bay is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. It is a group of islands and islets with waters thriving with marine life. The islands itself boasts of rich mangroves and other flora and fine white sand that glistens under the sun. It is an awesome treat to weary souls who long to relax and commune with nature - the sea world that is.

Puerto Princesa Tourism Office regulates and standardized the Honda Bay package tours offered by different Travel agencies for Php1,100 which includes pick-up from and  drop-off to your hotel. It also includes the boat fee, entrance fees to the islands and sumptuous lunch which is usually grilled treats. It is advisable if you don't want the hassle of researching and making your own itinerary and if you have a limited time for the tour. Personally, I think that amount is reasonable. We did the island hopping on our own though because I'd like to save a few bucks and to have the freedom to stay in one island to the other as long as I want. We hired a tricycle and a driver that would drive us to the Lourdes Wharf (jump-off point to the Honda Bay Islands) and would wait for us until our tour ends. There is no regular public utility vehicle passing the area regularly. We paid Php500 for the three of us. We then rented a boat from the Tourism Office for Php1300. We visited 3 islands during a stormy day. The bad weather didn't even influence in the natural beauty of the islands.

PANDAN ISLAND

Arriving in Pandan Island, we were greeted with a white sand that was soft to the feel. I knew right away that I will like it.  After paying the entrance fee of Php50 per person, we hurriedly changed into our swimming clothes. Our boatman served as our guide. He toured us not in the island but under the surrounding water of Pandan Island. He let us hold into a ring buoy attached to a rope that he was holding while swimming. That way, we'd all reach the same part of the sea at the same time plus there's assurance we're safer. We bought few pieces of bread and started to feed the fish. The moment the bread is dipped into the water, fishes would start swarming from everywhere. It was thrilling! Fishes here are also a lot bigger compared to the other sanctuaries I've visited in the country, and they aren't shy at all. I suddenly had second thoughts of still feeding them when out of nowhere, a very big fish (about 1 feet long) attempted to bite the bread I was holding and it's two teeth stuck in my fingers instead. I felt a sharp pain and saw the bites starting to bleed in the water. It's good the fish isn't poisonous. I won't forget that experience though. :D

The water is truly blessed. Corals are very colorful at the deeper part of the sea. Another guide was able to catch a blow fish. We hurriedly snapped a picture of it before it was thrown back to the sea right away. There were also several starfish at the shallow part of the sea. Changing in the island isn't a problem for they have decent bathrooms/restrooms with clean water.

If you can't manage to  bring your own food (although that's advisable) there are some food stores available at a higher price of course. If you're lucky, you might be able to buy fresh catch (sea foods) from the locals in the island and have them cook it for you for a small fee. We bought kuracha (a crab that also looks like a lobster) which we had for dinner that night. It was superb.

SNAKE ISLAND

Unlike Pandan Island, Snake Island is owned by the city government so there is no entrance fee collected. They offer open huts for picnics or where tourist can have their meals. Tourists are expected to donate any minimal amount they can for maintaining the island.

Snake island has a very long sandbar that is winding and looks like a snake from afar, hence the name of the island. The sand is also fine and is creamy in color. The left side of the sandbar is perfect for swimming, and snorkeling with even bigger fish compared to Pandan Island. The other side at the back of the mangroves is too shallow and I saw fishermen harvest mussels and small shrimps. Scattered in the shore are several extraordinary looking shells that according to our boatman are star fish shells. I didn't know starfish comes from a shell. Pandan Island is surely another island to visit in the Honda Bay tour.

STARFISH ISLAND

There's an entrance fee of Php50 in this island if you buy the tickets right in the Tourism Office before island hopping and becomes Php75 when you buy it once you dock in the islands. I'd suggest you pass by the island first before deciding to pay the entrance. In all honesty, I didn't really like Starfish Island. The sand is course and a bit rocky near the shore. There's no fish to see except for starfish during low tide. It was high tide when we went there and it took us several minutes to scout for starfish. Dos Palmas (an upscale Resort in Honda Bay) used to have a structure in this island but was then razed after some problems in the purchase of the island. That is the ruins you'll see near the shore. I think, it's ok to skip this island on your tour and try checking out the others if you still have enough time available. We then left when the heavens turned black.

On our way back to Lourdes Wharf, the rain poured really hard and the wind blew it's best. Typhoon intensified in Palawan and I couldn't be more thankful that at least we were still able to enjoy the islands for the whole day.