Located on the island of Palawan and an hour flight from the Filipino capital of Manila, Puerto Princesa was the first stop on my week-long adventure in the Philippines. On my first night, I undertook one of the most magical experiences of my life. The Firefly Tour, which I was initially sceptical about, was a dreamlike experience under a brilliant sky. The tour began at the harbour, and we were whisked away by boat to a floating restaurant where a buffet dinner was served. Entertainment was supplied by local musos with some interesting instruments. After dinner, we got back on the boat and headed into the darkness with the bay miles behind us. Soon we dismounted in pitch darkness into a smaller boat, and navigated by only the torch of the gentleman steering the boat. We slid across the water and very soon found ourselves surrounded by natural mangroves. This is when the real magic began! Under a sky heavy with stars, we moved through the mangroves. Each stroke of the ore created a fluorescent stream in the water from to the plankton which light up once disturbed. Cue in the fireflies and their majestic displays in the surrounding trees and the entire experience was surreal. If Disney ever needed a new title sequence intro – this would be it! The only let down was my poor camera (and it’s novice owner) not able to adjust to the lack of light. Needless to say I soon gave up trying to capture the magic and absorbed the experience first-hand. Day Two was when the island hopping began. The Honda Bay tour took us to three islands in Puerto Princesa. En route we passed numerous private islands which are owned by Filipino elite as well as international politicians. Our first stop was Starfish Island, no prize for guessing the highlights here. This tiny island was the most secluded of all the islands I saw in the Philippines, and offered a nice snorkelling spot. Loli Ilsand was our second stop. The island becomes completely submerged under water during high tide. All you can see are the structures housed on the island, giving the eerie effect of a floating dock in the middle of the water. It was another great spot for snorkelling with schools of silverfish. Cowly Island was the final stop for the island hopping tour. It was the largest of the three and most developed, although still very small. We had our buffet lunch at the restaurant on the island. There is also a bar in the centre of the island as well as banana boats and jet ski for hire. The massage I had on the island was possibly the best one I have ever had – and this is in comparison to the many Thai massages I have enjoyed in the last few months. Day Three was the long-awaited tour of the Puerto Princesa Underground River – and it didn’t’ disappoint! This could also be due to Herman, the most incredible tour guide I have ever met. Not only was he extremely funny, but had a wealth of knowledge and clearly takes such pride in his job and the environment. He was born to be a tour guide, the man is the poster child for je ne sais quoi. He also took it upon himself to arrange an earlier transfer for me after the tour without me even asking, saving me a four hour wait for my shuttle to El Nido. What a champ! Back to the tour - the Puerto Princesa Underground River is a natural wonder which has been declared one of the 7 New Wonders of Nature as well as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The river is 8.2km long, but only 4.3km’s is accessible to tourists. It is the second longest underground river in the world and is surrounded by looming limestone karst landscapes. The river flows directly into the sea, making it unique in the sense that it is influenced by tidal movements. It houses a variety of natural wonders including stalactites, stalagmites, massive cave chambers, bats and rock formations which resemble various objects in shape including a horse and the holy family. One of the rock formations is named Sharon Stone as tribute to its resemblance of the actresses’ iconic Basic Instinct leg-crossing moment. I kid you not. All tourists are asked to wear helmets before entering the cave. We discovered it was to protect us from holy water and holy shit – water flowing down from the walls of the cave as well as bat droppings. Another notable fact is the underground river hosts around 11 natural minerals (often in crystal form) – the average cave system generally holds only four. Being in the underground river cave system was breath-taking – such an intricate ecosystem and natural beauty is truly humbling. It’s no wonder it sees up to 1 500 people a day during peak season! Rather than taking the boat back to the port, we chose to zipline back from the cave down to the beach. The panoramic 360 degree experience was fun, although 800 meters was not long enough! On the way back Herman took us to a secret stop, the Elephant Cave Karst Mountains. It is one of many exit points of the Underground River. The beautiful mountain has been featured pitstops on both the Filipino and Ukrainian Amazing Race. It’s also home to the Southeast Asian swiftlet, a bird whose saliva is used to make the most expensive noodles in the world. Yes, you read that correctly. A delicacy in China, farmers use the nests of the birds after the chicks have departed. The nest is not a conventional one - rather than using twigs and feathers the bird uses it’s gummy salvia to create this humble home. The swiftlet is also capable of sleeping whilst it flies! One thing is clear about Palawan – there is a strong focus on biodiversity. Even though there is an undeniable sense that the island is geared towards tourism development in the forthcoming few years, sustainability and conservation will not be sacrificed in the process. The Filipino people take great pride in the natural beauty around them and it’s pretty clear that they are not willing to desecrate one of the worlds remaining paradises for commercial consumption. This alone is an absolute breathe of fresh air and will hopefully allow Palawan to hold onto its immaculate natural beauty. Things to remember:
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July 2017
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