Whenever Palawan gets mentioned in conversations with my travel friends, a lot of us are quick to bring up El Nido or Coron; rarely, Puerto Princesa. Puerto Princesa is usually mentioned as a point of entry, but not the destination. Today, I'm here to tell you that there are things to see in Puerto Princesa and that it is every bit of paradise and the perfect getaway from the busy city as is the rest of the Philippine islands! And that, YES, you should already book that cheap flight to Puerto Princesa before it gets sold out!


A few hours away from the Puerto Princesa International Airport is a the beautiful Daluyon Mountain and Beach Resort, which we stayed at for 3 days and 2 nights. The location is conveniently near Sabang Beach, so you can expect to see a lot of things during your stay in Puerto Princesa. Some of them include:


Underground River Tour 

The Underground River Tour is one of Puerto Princesa's most popular attractions. While friends who have tried it in the past commented that it was quite far to go to, we were lucky enough that our resort was close to it so we didn't travel long.

The Puerto Princesa Underground River is a UNESCO-declared World Heritage site. You will rock formations, bats, marine creatures, and more river channels. Some areas of it are even impossible to explore due to oxygen. It was an amazing experience overall! But what really made our tour even more fun (and funny) was our tour guide who made boat horn noises and hummed Titanic's theme song at random times! LOL. So, fingers crossed that you get the same boatman.


A Long-Tailed Macaque or Tsonggo 

The long-tailed macaque or tsonggo, as Filipinos call them, roam around the park leading up to the Underground River. So you may come across them as you make your way to the Underground River Tour. They're usually found swinging through the trees or just chilling on the branches ;)


Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour (+ see snakes!) 

The Sabang Mangrove Paddle Boat tour was actually something I didn't expect I'd enjoy. I thought, "Well, I know how mangroves look like. What else is there to be excited over?" But going through the mangrove forest and learning about the importance of mangroves turned out to be really interesting for me! You'll also see some crabs and other You can even chance upon some snakes up in the trees--which I was a bit worried about, actually. What if they fall on me?! Hahaha.


Sabang X Zipline 

After going on boat tours, I wanted something different, so off to Sabang X Zipline! It was quite a bit of a walk up, but the view from the top is amazing. I have never done ziplining before and I think I may have a slight fear of heights, but after the initial few seconds on the zipline, I felt more at ease and definitely enjoyed seeing things from way up high.


Come Across a Monitor Lizard / Bayawak Randomly At Your Hotel 

Okay, this wasn't really on the itinerary nor is it something you sign up for, but it happens. It. Happens. LOL. And when it does, it's pretty cool! So apparently this monitor lizard is sometimes in Daluyon Mountain and Beach Resort. He was just very chill, just stood there. But then 10 minutes later while having lunch, I see him going up the tree. He went from being super chill to going up a tree.. -__-" But that was still cool to watch.

Overall... 

A trip to Puerto Princesa is still a trip to see paradise. It's beautiful and time moves slower. It's a good way to detach from the busy city life, even for just a few days. Let me know if you finally book that flight to Puerto Princesa! I'd love to hear your experience, too.