Palawan’s living legend

It was my second time to go to the province of Palawan that last week of March and it was as fascinating as the first. There is something about Palawan which makes me think God has indeed blessed this wonderful country, maybe not in terms of a vibrant economy but with the best of nature and topography. As the largest province in the Philippines, Palawan has it all – the verdant mountains, the vast seas, diverse flora, fauna and natural wonders you can’t find anywhere else.

While my first visit to beautiful Palawan was in the north, this time we landed in the capital city of Puerto Princesa. As I found out during my four-day trip, Puerto Princesa is an extraordinary capital city that offers much room for discovery. For example, when you want a touch of history, you go to Plaza Cuartel and walk through the maze of tunnels where American prisoners-of-war were burned alive during the Second World War. When you need to venture into the great outdoors, then head off to the islands in the vicinity where you can swim, dive and sail to your heart’s content.

Our home in Puerto Princesa was The Legend Palawan, undoubtedly the best hotel in the city and only five minutes from the airport. With 100 guestrooms, it is also the biggest and if we may add, the friendliest. The waitstaff were ready with their smiles for a sampling of the warmest Palaweño hospitality. As soon as we arrived, we settled to fill our stomachs at the hotel’s Tanglaw coffeeshop and we were not disappointed. Since Palawan is famous for its seafood, we expected to eat lots of it and there it was laid out in Tanglaw’s sumptuous buffet, among them the kinunot sa pagi, (stingray in coconut milk), sinigang na maya-maya sa mangga and alimango sa labong at saluyot (crabs with native vegetables,) to name just a few.

Honda Bay and a tour of the breathtaking St. Paul Underground River with the services of expert tour guides to boot. I could say it was such a good deal considering how much fun we had!

Easily the most unforgettable part of the trip was our cruising down the St. Paul Underground River which is a must-do when you’re in Puerto Princesa City. The river has been declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site and at 8.2 kilometers, it is touted to be the longest underground river in the world.

Going to the river from the city proper meant that we had to go through a two-hour land trip to take us to Sabang Wharf and from there take a 20-minute pump boat ride to reach the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. Reaching the park, we had to wait for another hour for our turn to ride one of those paddle boats which will take us to the underground.

All the lining up was definitely worth it as the underground with its vast cave formations was the most awe-inspiring I’ve seen! It was pitch dark inside the giant caves with its bats as well as stalactites and stalagmites. But our tour guide was such an expert that I bet he could paddle the boat even in total darkness.

The next day, we boarded The Legend Palawan’s own boat , the Legend of the Sea which would take us on a very refreshing cruise of Honda Bay with its dozen islands. In between, we docked at Senorita Island, a protected area with teeming fish cages where we snorkeled and had a good view of the corals and glorious marine life. Afterwards we were off again to the Legend’s own leased Pandan Island where we swam some more and availed of a hearty lunch that was laid out right there on the beach.

The Legend’s activity-filled PAX package entailed that we did not only eat our meals at the hotel which could wear your tastebuds out in the long-run. The Legend Palawan has partner-restaurants where you could sample Puerto Princesa’s eclectic and exciting cuisine. Thus, what was initially meant to be an adventure trip turned out to be an unforgettable culinary exploration.

A must-see is the Kamarikutan Kape at Galeri whose interiors and ambiance give one no choice but to commune with nature. Its walls are adorned with the works of artists and strewn all over are samples of Philippine crafts and trinkets. The spacious structure is made of bamboo and there is even a koi pond nearby.

On the day of our visit, we were met by no less than the matriarch of the place, staunch environmentalist Dayang Macasaet. She served us their incomparable pandan iced tea paired with nilupak, a banana-based delicacy. We also tried their own coffee blend which was good as it was freshly-ground.Other than this, they have pastas, sandwiches and a variety of refreshments.

I swooned over the food at Viet Ville Resto! Simply couldn’t have enough of their pho bo kho (beef stew noodles), cha gio ga cua (chicken & crabmeat spring roll), their crunchy French bread with garlic butter and their Vietnamese halohalo. All are priced at below R100 each. It helps that the cook is a charming Vietnamese woman so you can be assured that the dishes are no less than authentic. This resto is inside the Vietnamese Village. Only seven families reside in the Village because most of them (hundreds of the so-called boat people) have migrated to the US or returned to Vietnam.

Another interesting place is Cafe Arturo, a family-run affair where every member of the jolly Banzuela family take turns cooking, serving the guests and cleaning up. The resto’s spacialties include their garlic crabs, pata tim, lengua, blackened lapu-lapu and bulalo steak — all to die for. Incidentally, what is shown in photo is not the restaurant itself but the family house which converts into a function room during special events.

You haven’t been to Puerto Princesa if you haven’t heard of their exotic delicacy, the tamiloc. One night, while hanging out at Kinabuch, one of the more popular bars in town, we were faced with a dare to eat the tamiloc, which is woodworm marinated in vinegar. Even though we found it icky, the beer-drinking locals seem to love it.

Also part of our itinerary was a visit to the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center. Situated here was the Crocodile Farm where one can see big and baby crocs being bred and nurtured, as they are the only known survivors of the Dinosaur Age. If you’re game enough, you can even have a photo session with a baby croc (its mouth tied, of course) but I chose not to, being deathly afraid of reptiles. Despite my inherent fear of some animals, there were lots of them I saw — ostriches, mynahs, cockatoos, monkeys, giant lizards or bayawak, bearcats and the serpent eagle. Any tourist will have the impression that Puerto Princesa, or Palawan for that matter, is a virtual safari in itself.

Equally enlightening was our paddle boat tour through the lush mangroves of Puerto Princesa. It is a noteworthy project initiated by the residents of the city itself which educates visitors on how they are protecting their environment.

With the vigilance of the natives on how they are safeguarding their natural resources — from the virgin forests to the seas — it’s no wonder that Palawan has been spared from the onslaught of manmade catastrophes such as landslides and floods brought about by illegal logging. In our opinion, Palawan rightfully deserves being a showcase of the government’s conservation and domestic tourism program. It is indeed truly blessed and that is why we’ll never hesitate going here over and over again.

[ Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park Wiki | Honda Bay Wiki | Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center Wiki ]