Bring that beach bod to gorgeous Palawan this summer

UNDERWORLD The 8.2-kilometer Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1999 and one of the “New 7 Wonders of Nature” in 2012.  —PHOTO COURTESY OF PUERTO PRINCESA UNDERGROUND RIVER WEBSITE

Hello, summer!

It’s time for revenge travel and in the spirit of revitalizing the economy after the pandemic, I hope that you have chosen a local destination for the upcoming mega-long weekend.

One of the destinations you can consider is Palawan, which is celebrating 400 years since the arrival of Spanish missionaries in Cuyo and which the new Global Tourism Ambassador, Fil-Am actress Vanessa Hudgens, just visited last week, showing photos from Pangulasian Island in Bacuit Bay, El Nido. Thankfully, Cebu Pacific now has at least five flights to Palawan daily so there is no problem getting there!

While El Nido has island-hopping and Coron has the best beaches, the wonder of nature you must not miss is the Underground River of Puerto Princesa. Officially called the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, this is a banca ride into what literally feels like the underworld.

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. —PHOTO COURTESY OF PUERTO PRINCESA UNDERGROUND RIVER WEBSITE

Upon entering the mouth of the cave, it soon becomes pitch black, save for the light flashed by the guide. There are bats in the ceiling. It is extremely cool and drops of water may fall on you. You are asked to be quiet as you might disturb the peace. The rock formations are incredible. Imagine Petra but the formations are by Mother Nature and underground. To easily remember them, the guide—you are to wear a headset into the cave—compares the formations to relatable images such as a T-Rex or even the Holy Family. The most incredible image of all, however, is what appears to be the face of a man, similar to the image of Christ, etched on the cave wall.

You are discouraged from eating anywhere near the underground river as there are monkeys that may snatch your bags of food. So it is highly recommended that you have a heavy breakfast before you make your way to Sabang, where you will take a boat to the island where the subterranean park is.

For a heavy breakfast, go for the buffet or try the award-winning beef tapsilog of Chef Noy at La-ud, the restaurant of Hue Hotel (puertoprincesa.thehuehotel.com) on Km 3 Puerto Princesa North Road, one of the main roads. This restaurant also has a very filling Hue Chipotle Burger and charcoal oven-fired pizza with generous heaping of cheese, which you can devour after a long day of touring.

DELISH The award-winning tapsilog and bestselling burger of Chef Noy at Hue Hotel. —Photos by Margaux Salcedo

Food crawl

Since it is extremely hot nowadays, you can also go for the halo-halo at Noki-nocs, which has very fine ice and is deliciously creamy. For a hearty meal, there is also excellent Vietnamese food at Viet Ville (facebook.com/vietvillagepalawan), introduced to us by Bishop Socrates Mesiona as this is owned by the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa. Make sure to order the Chao Long noodles, which are oozing with umami and really delicious!

At night, you can head over to the baywalk for grilled food, including lobster, or even enjoy dinner aboard a boat right before you take a ride to the mangrove area to see the fireflies. Our local hostess with the mostest, Katya Santos recommended Dolphin and Whales for the fireflies tour or look for the guide named Handsome.

For crabs and another unique Puerto Princesa foodie experience, you can also have dinner at Badjao restaurant. This is not recommended for the handicapped, though, as you would have to walk a bit of a distance on a narrow elevated path between mangrove trees before you get into the restaurant. But once inside, you can enjoy excellent seafood, especially crabs, in an airy and relaxed setting.

Palawan is gorgeous and there is so much to explore. Three days would not be enough. It is recommended that you stay for a whole week so you can visit more islands. The 400 Years of Christianity is being celebrated yearlong or until August 2023 and there will be a grand celebration in Cuyo to be led by His Excellency Archbishop Charles John Brown, concelebrated by Bishop Broderick Pabillo, Apostolic Vicar of Taytay and Bishop Socrates Mesiona, Apostolic Vicar of Puerto Princesa. This is another excuse to hit the wonderful islands of Palawan! We are so blessed with such a beautiful Philippines! INQ