The
Last Frontier
Hotel
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Holiday Resort
Flight
Schedules and Airfares
PALAWAN
is an island paradise, southwest of the Philippine Archipelago,
amidst a cluster of over 1000 islets blessed with a tropical
climate all year round. Palawan is popularly known for
its white sand beaches, crystal-clear azure waters teeming
with colorful marine life - a swimmer's delight, a diver’s
destination, an angler's dream. It is also home to rare
collection of exotic animals, birds and butterflies.
Puerto Princesa City is the capital of Palawan.
The city is located 306 nautical miles southwest of Manila.
Travel time from Manila to Puerto Princesa City takes
only an hour by plane with daily flights except during
peak seasons like summer and December when there are two
flights. Travel from Cebu and lloilo is twice a week and
approximately one a half hours. There are several inter-island
vessels that call on the port of Puerto Princesa City
every week. Places of destination are Manila, Cuyo Island,
Antique and lloilo City. Travel by inter-island vessels
usually take about 24 hours.
Ecology tours or ecotours, set Puerto Princesa City apart
from other cities in the Philippines. The city spells
ecology tours in a hundred different ways - a unique underground
river here, scenic islands there, white sand beaches and
forests everywhere.
Nature
trippers will find unmatched delight in the monkey trail
a series of wooden steps going deep into the forest, a
well-maintained patch lead to the central ranger station,
where guest cottages and camp sites are available for
overnight stay. The hike takes about an hour, but the
sights and sounds along the trail make it worthwhile,
and for some, even a religious experience. At the central
station, early risers wake up to a cacophony of birds
call.
St.
Paul Subterranean River National Park
Its main attraction is an 8.2 kilometer underground river,
reputed to be the world's longest, that winds through
a spectacular cave before emptying into the South China
Sea. Cathedral chambers, wide hallways, and interesting
geologic formations greet the wide eyed visitor to the
grotto hidden beneath St. Paul Mountain. At the mouth
of the cave, a clear lagoon is framed by ancient trees
growing night to the water's edge. Monkeys, large monitor
lizards and squirrels find their niche on the beach forest
near the cave.
Just
outside the national park, a wide expanse of beach awaits
sun and sand worshipers in Sabang. Hike off to secluded
coves in nearby Marte Fe and Marufinas for quiet reflections
Mountaineers and rock climbers will find their thrill
in Cabayugan, where limestone cliffs and sheer walls of
rock dominate the landscape. Park rangers will guide adventurers
to these sights.
The park may be reached through a two hour ride from the
City proper. A five-minute boat ride from Sabang, takes
visitors directly to the underground river station, where
outrigger boats await cave explorers.
Honda
Bay
Just
thirty minutes North of the City proper, hop into a boat
and go island hopping at Honda Bay. Take your pick from
dozens of white sands beaches. Don your mask, and snorkel
and peek into the rich marine life underwater. Dive sites
abound here, as the entire area is studded with patches
of coral and sand. Submerged reefs may be found close
to the surface down to 24 meters, small reef fish and
aquarium fish are found here. The area may soon be transformed
into a marine life park and dive camp.
Cleopatra's Needle
At
an elevation of 1605 meters, mountaineers who reach the
peak may feast their eyes on a postcard panorama of the
city proper in the distance, Cabayugan and the coastline
on both sides of the city. A four-day trek to the mountain
begins in Taqnaya, a sitio of Barangay Concepcion, about
an hour's ride North of the City proper. Along the way,
the mountain unveils a visual treat of rivers strewn with
boulders, cascading streams, awesome rock formations,
a carpet of wild flowers and giant trees. Tabon Cave.
It is located in Southern Palawan and is acknowledged
as the "Cradle of Civilization" of the Philippines Nestled
in the mountainous cape of Lipuan Island, the 29-cave
complex is a treasure trove of archaeological artifacts
and fossilized bones of the Tabon men. The fossilized
skull cap of this Palawan native dating back 22000 years
ago was found in Tabon, making it the oldest known habitation
site in Southeast Asia.
Each
island offers different thrills, Snake island has sand
bar that slithers on the surface of the sea, much like
the critter that bears its name. Bat Island, near the
popular Cowrie Beach Resort, is literally teeming with
bats which make their way out sundown to look for food
in the mainland. Luli, a diving board attracts acrobatic
types. Among the well known dive sites here are Pandan
Island, which has good reefs near small drops-off, and
Panglima Reef, where coral boulders and gray reef sharks
are found.
Weather
