Underground River Puerto Princesa : 2012

UPDATE SEPT. 27, 2020

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, so many attractions have closed. I am just going to share some shots I took on our tour way back in 2013 before the tour became overwhelmingly popular and attracted thousands of tourists. There are no tours at this writing. Any information below is null and void and no longer applicable. You will have to go to the official Tour Guide Sites or City Sites to get information when they open tourism up again.

A giant stalagmite at the underground river

A giant stalagmite at the
Puerto Princesa Underground
River in Palawan.

Beautiful stalactite at the Puerto Princesa
Underground River

A mineral formation that is called the lion head.
Can you tell why?

Puerto Princesa Underground River or PPUR

Palawan Underground River

Puerto Princesa Underground River, in Palawan, Philippines has become one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, driving tourists here at an unprecedented rate! It is allegedly one of the longest navigable underground rivers in the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Photo by Diana J. Limjoco. Taken inside
the Puerto Princesa Underground River

It is approximately an hour and a half in a van or car to the PPUR from Puerto Princesa city center. The last kilometer or so is still unpaved, hence a bit rugged in the rainy season.

The last few kilometers are the prettiest with tall native trees lining the road. Limestone hills in the background behind rice paddies as you get closer to Sabang town.

When you get there you will report to the Tourism office (or your guide will) then board a motorized pump boat to the Underground River cove. You will pass many beautiful limestone cliffs along the way. The waters are a deep blue and light green close to shore and easy on the eyes. That boat ride is only about 15 minutes long. They supply life vests on board.

Click to enlarge any photo.

You then land in a cove with a large limestone cliff and from there, it is a short walk to the next cove through indigenous trees. Along the way, you might be lucky enough to see one of the huge monitor lizards, locally called "bayawak", whose residence it is. You will be registered again at the smaller cove where you can actually see the entrance to the river. There's usually a bunch of monkeys that hang out there looking for handouts. You will then board a small paddle boat and a boatman who will do his best to amuse, entertain, and educate you to the treasures of the PPUR. The waters outside the cave are usually a beautiful turquoise blue. The entire tour inside the river cave takes 45 minutes.

One person will be assigned to hold the very large flashlight and will be directed where to point it by the canoe (banca) guide. Just when you begin to focus on one great stalactite or stalagmite, he will be on to the next one. Digital cameras have a hard time focusing in the dark cave with only the flashlight as a light source.

It's dank and humid in the cave and there are bats and starlings flitting about. The guide explains you can't swim in there because the water is brackish, which is to say, the freshwater mixed with the seawater. I'm a little on the claustrophobic side but the cave ceiling is high enough that I didn't feel boxed in.

Once you get back to Sabang, there are other things to do such as the Zip Line, Mangrove tour, souvenir shopping, mountain trail hiking etc.

There are a couple of high-end hotels such as the Daluyon Resort, which is very native and cozy with a huge swimming pool and restaurant, or the Sheridan Resort and Spa which is a modern hotel with an even larger pool, restaurant, and other amenities. There are also many Inns for the budget traveler as well, should you decide to stay. They recently opened a new resort called Rengel Resort. It has a combination of native with modern touches and a beautiful infinity pool.

One of the many natural mineral sculptures inside the Puerto Princesa Underground River.

Sabang beach was pretty and very clean when we have gone. Sometimes we go there just for the day and visit the different restaurants and hotels. The hotels will let you swim in their pools, I think if you consume 250.00php per person for a meal. Anyway, we used to swim at Daluyon Resort pool.

If you decide to swim at the beach BE WARNED, that the Sabang beach waters have a very strong undertow at different seasons, do not let small children play alone in the waters. The undertow has taken full-grown men and drowned them. I hate to sound like a downer, but it's best to be safe and happy. We have swum there many times over the years without incident, but I turned my back for 2 seconds and our toddler was being scooted out to sea by the waters so fast it made my head spin, and she was just sitting on the shore like me!

The boat ride to the PPUR has many limestone cliffs along the shoreline.

Daluyon Resort sent this carabao cart after us when we arrived during the rainy season in July of 2009, because the road to the resort was too muddy to go by car or van. It was such a pleasant surprise and a delightful ride.

You arrive at this cove and walk to the next smaller cove, where you will be taken by paddle boat inside the watery caves of the Puerto Princesa Underground River.