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| 5 Days in Palawan - 2016 |
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| Check out the view while we're landing at the Puerto Princesa International Airport |
Here's how we spent our 5 Days in Palawan:
Day 1 May 6, 2016
From Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, we boarded our afternoon flight to Puerto Princesa International Airport. My dad came with the service van of Sunlight Guest Hotel to pick us up and bring us to our hotel for the day. Since we arrived late in the afternoon, there was little time for us to explore Puerto Princesa City's tourist spots aside from that we spent most of our time unpacking too.
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| Puerto Princesa International Airport |
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| Sunlight Guest Hotel Inc. |
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| Check out the sunset at Puerto Princesa Baywalk Park |
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| Chow time at Puerto Princesa City Baywalk Park! |
That night, we went for a little stroll to the nearby Puerto Princesa City Baywalk Park. We ended up eating dinner at one of the food stalls here and surprisingly they serve seafood dishes of fine quality. Something one can't easily find in Manila. Overall, our first day was literally short but going out as a complete family is something worth remembering.
Day 2 May 7, 2016
We had to wake up very early, as my dad arranged for a van to bring us to El Nido. The trip was traffic-free but the ongoing road repairs caused the usual 4 and a half hour trip to become almost 6 hours. Although it was a disappointing experience, it was also kind of a blessing as the passengers got extra time to get to know each other more. It was there that I got to befriend Erick who's a Guatemalan working in Japan. We got to chat about a lot of things and instantly became friends. We still exchange emails to this day.
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| On the road to El Nido |
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| In the van with our newfound friend Erick Mainieri |
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| Sophia's Beach Guest House |
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| The view from Sophia's Beach Guest House |
Upon our arrival at El Nido, we immediately checked in at Sophia's Beach Guest House. It has a splendid view. However, its amenities need a lot of upgrading and improvements. After unpacking and changing clothes we went on a walk around the area to look for a place to eat lunch. We tried out the food at the Sizzling Republic and I have to say it's worth the try.
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| Let's check out the Sizzling Republic |
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| Yummy food from the Sizzling Republic! |
After lunch, we were met by a local friend of my dad. He's fun to talk with and was very eager to tour us around El Nido. He told us that he'd bring us to a great tourist destination nearby. And to my excitement, he said that it was Nacpan Beach (a place that I highlighted in my unused itinerary. After the "introductory" chat, we went back to our place first to get our swimming clothes.
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| Flat tire?! Oh goodness, why now!!! |
He picked us up an hour later with his pickup van. On our way to the beach, one of our tires was punctured by a sharp rock which almost caused us to cancel the plan. Thankfully, we managed to replace it with the spare tire at the expense of valuable time.
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| The view from the top of the hill |
We arrived at Nacpan Beach in the afternoon but it was so worth it. It has powdery cream sand and the water was pristine. There were only a handful of tourists during our visit and most of them were foreigners. The locals call the beach Palitan Beach or Twin Beach because of its unique topographic feature. There is this strip of land that separates Nacpan Beach from another beach called Calitang Beach. Unlike Nacpan Beach, Calitang Beach is rocky and does not have many visitors. You can view both of the beaches from an overlooking hill.
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| Enjoying the food at Aplaya with our friends |
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| Bought some souvenirs too before going back to our place |
We spent more than an hour exploring this beautiful place and then headed back to El Nido just in time for lunch. We had our dinner at the Aplaya and as usual, we had fresh seafood for dinner. A perfect way to end our 2nd day in Palawan.
Day 3 May 8, 2016
For our 3rd day, my dad booked us for an island hopping tour. There were four tours (Tour A, B, C, and D) to choose from and each one has its own unique beautiful destinations. Since we can't really decide which tour to take, my dad decided to do a mixed tour of Tour A and C instead.
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| Ready for our island-hopping adventure |
This special tour costs P5,000. We visited the following places during the said mixed tour:
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| Talisay Beach |
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| Lunch at Talisay Beach |
We left Sophia's Beach Guest House at around 9 in the morning and got back at around 6PM. Overall, it was a jam-packed but super memorable day.
Day 4 May 9, 2016
It's time to say goodbye to El Nido. It was truly a hard thing to do as there were a lot more places to visit and things to do, however, we have to go back to Puerto Princesa City to prepare for our upcoming flight tomorrow. Thankfully, instead of heading straight to Sunlight Guest Hotel in Puerto Princesa City, we went on a side to Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR). We arrived at Sabang Port an hour before noon and there were hundreds of tourists waiting in line to ride a boat that would bring them to the PPUR entrance.
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| This way... 36 kilometers more! |
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| Photo op at Sabang Port |
Instead of waiting, we decided to go on another side trip to the nearby Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour. Although that side trip was quite costly, it gave us a new look at the importance of mangroves and how it helps the locals of Palawan. We then headed back to Sabang Port and had our lunch before riding our reserved boat that will bring us to the beach where we would then walk towards the entrance of the underground river.
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| Guides here are very knowledgeable about mangroves |
Just a heads up, make sure that colorful stuff like key chains and water bottles be kept inside the bags while here. The monkeys here love to grab these things will little to no chance of getting it back in one piece. Don't hurt these monkeys too as they might throw things to you or bite you.
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| Check out those bats inside the cave system |
After the tour, we headed back to the port where the rental van was waiting for us. It brought us back to Sunlight Guest Hotel. It was quite a tiring day too, so after dinner, we all slept like babies.
Day 5 May 10, 2016
It's our last day in Palawan, we were booked for an afternoon flight back to Manila today. Instead of staying in the hotel to rest, we decided to do the Puerto Princesa City Tour. This tour brought us to the following places:
After the tour, we also had a chance to buy some souvenirs before heading to Puerto Princesa International Airport. Overall, our 5 days in Palawan were a very memorable one. Although our stay was relatively short, it still gives me the sense that I will be coming back to this province again (hopefully soon). When that time comes, I hope I would already be able to use my itinerary. Read more:
Puerto Princesa City
El Nido
Looks like you had a wonderful time in Palawan. Sophia's Beach Guest House looks so pretty and the views from there are totally stunning. The food platter looks so yummy. And overall, your itinerary looks just perfect!
ReplyDeleteHi Neha. Thanks for the kind words. =) The places was pretty from the outside though. I hope they improve the facilities.
Deletewooowwww!!! your 5 days in palawan are well spent!!! were you tired from the long van trip? i was but i realized it was all worth it! next time you should also try honda bay tour :)
ReplyDeleteIt was truly tiring but the views were great and the activities were fun. You'd totally forget that you're tired. Thanks for the tip. Googled it and Honda Bay looks outstanding.
DeletePalawan had developed into a world-class destination from its humble beginnings. It seems that everybody's been there except me. Such a shame that I've explored other places more other than my own. El Nido, Coron, the underground river, to name a few are some of my favourite places to experience if I have the chance to visit Palawan.
ReplyDeleteYou should visit Palawan Ash. It's one great destination.
DeletePalawan looks like a lovely place to go visit. You took some really nice photos, and I liked how you described the land. THEM DARN MONKEYS THOUGH!!! haha. It seems like you had so much fun :). A nice vacation with the family. I bet your memories will last a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteIt sure does Honey. Palawan is paradise. I do hope you could bring your family along with you on a trip to Palawan. You'd surely love it.
DeleteThis is something I would love to do as well, beautiful pictures!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jaana. You should come visit Palawan someday.
DeleteOMG! what an amazing place. It looks like you had a wonderful family time. Now this place is in my travel bucket list.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the awesome post
Thanks Vanessa. Come visit Palawan with your family. I'm sure they'd love the experience.
DeleteLooks like an awesome adventure, except the flat tire. Dreaming about Palawan, and those landscape photos are amazing.
ReplyDeleteHahaha Yup that was a big hassle but well, that was part of the adventure. I hope you could come visit this paradise as well.
DeleteThat kayaking looks AMAZING!! I would love to do that one day!
ReplyDeletePlease do. You'd surely love it. =)
DeletePaawan is truly a beautiful place. I've been there a few times and I truly enjoyed my stay. Thanks for the sharing!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds great Polly. I'm excited to know more about your visit.
DeleteJust by looking at these photos I really want to come. I have just done 4 months around southeast Asia, but ran out of time to do it all. SO in 2021 I'm returning and I might have to add this to my list.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing
That sounds amazing. You should explore the southern part of the Philippines. There are plenty of islands to choose from.
DeleteI have so much to see around the world. The beaches looks beautiful. Hope to have a chance to visit there soon.
ReplyDeleteYes, please do visit Palawan. For sure you won't forget paradise.
DeleteWow I love your pictures were planning to in Palawan next year and I can't wait to go in Coron nice!!!
ReplyDeleteI haven't been to Coron but that's one of my target in the next few years. =)
DeleteI heard a lot about Palawan but never have been there. It seems a beautiful place to travel.
ReplyDeleteIt is a super wonderful place Sarah. You should make sure to visit in when you go to the Philippines.
DeleteSeems like a really fun place to visit with family and friends
ReplyDeleteIt really is. Come visit with your family and enjoy Palawan.
DeleteWhat a fun adventure! So much to see & do there
ReplyDeleteWhat we did in Palawan was not even 10% of what you could experience in the wonderful province. I wish to visit it again soon.
Deletewe plan to visit the Philippines in the near future. Palawan looks like a must see. What a great birthday wish, except for the flat tire. still, I'm sure that this only added to the adventure.
ReplyDeleteI hope you also get to visit Palawan Rudy. Palawan is a place worthy one anyone's bucket list. As for the flat tire, it was an added adventure for us. =)
DeletePalawan's getting really famous nowadays, even my coworker, also knows this place and praises Palawan. I've never been to Palawan but it's really a must-visit and I know, sooner or later, I find myself enjoying this wonderful creation.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your adventure in Palawan Quin. Don't miss out El Nido, Puerto Princesa and Coron.
DeleteWhat an amazing place to visit! So many stunning islands, and sea views :)
ReplyDeleteThat's true Laithan. How I wish I'd get the chance to return as I have only seen a few places in the province.
DeleteWow amazing pictures
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
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