Yes, we are ready for an adventure! On April 27, 2009, my family decided to have a trip in the amazing island of Palawan. I heard a lot of wonderful things about this place.. Aside from its greatness of preserving its environment, the people here are very hospitable and kind. I once wonder, is this still Philippines?
Early in the morning of April 27, everyone is ready. We arrived in NAIA at 7:00 am to catch our flight for Cebu Pacific. I sat beside the window of the plane and fasten my seatbelt. As soon as the plane takes off I saw the familiar places of this country. I can see the crater of the famous Taal and the edges of the islands. Manila to Puerto Princesa is just two hours. We arrived safe and we are welcomed very dearly.
The people in Palawan are very disciplined and honest. There are no jeepneys and taxis there, only big tricycles (have you watched Ploning?). 6 people can fit in the tricyle and the minimum fare is just P7.00. Even if you have a change of only a peso, they’ll give it to you. They are also accommodating and are not masungit. Tourism is really important for them.
1st day of our trip is city tour. Our tour guide brought us first to the crocodile farm where you can obviously see- crocodiles! You can find there the skin of the biggest and oldest crocodile found here in the Philippines. Next stop of the tour is Mitra’s ranch, it’s just like the Mines View park of Baguio because you can see the mountains of Palawan and can feel the inviting air. Next destination is Baker’s hill where we had our picture taken with its beautiful garden. After that, our last stop is the beautiful butterfly garden. The playful butterflies are flying around us. The flowers are also welcoming. 1st day here in Palawan is really worth remembering.
2nd day is also unforgettable. Itinerary for the day is the world’s famous underground river. It’s on the list of the new 7 wonders of the world. It takes 3 hours to be in Sabang beach and then at the said beach we took 1 hour boat ride to be in the island where you can find the mouth of the cave. We were given helmets and vests for protection. We rode on a Bangka with a capacity of only 8-10 people. At first I was afraid to enter the cave for what we only have is a small flashlight. Our manong tour guide said that if you are inside the cave, say good night instead of good morning for it was very dark. He also said that there are no crocodiles in the cave because crocodiles are only seen in the Senate. It is very beautiful inside the cave. Many formations of stalagmites and stalactites are seen like the Pegasus, the Titanic, eagle, dragons and many more. The highlight of the cave is what they called cathedral because of the formations of saints, three kings, angels and the face of Jesus. The cave is 8 km but tourists are only allowed in the 4 km. There is also a part of the cave that has a foul smell because of the bats living there. They called it bat-hroom. The 1 hour trip inside the cave is worth it. It is magical and impressive. The cave really deserves to be in the new 7 wonders. We enjoyed the day even if we are all exhausted.
3rd to 5th day of the trip will be spent in one of the islands of Honda bay- the Dos Palmas Araceffi Island. We are welcomed by its hospitable band and they gave us a welcome drink. We stayed in the beach villas of the resort and rest for a while. All people that I see are tourists- Japanese, Koreans, Americans, Spanish…. In the afternoon, we did snorkeling. The water is deep but you can still see the colorful corals and fishes. The activity is very fun because of the playful colorful fishes that you can feed. I saw Nemo and his friends. I saw the friends of Ariel, the starfish, blowfish, clams and many more. Swimming in the pool, kayaking in the beach and the yummy buffet served to us kept me busy. Yes, I gain! The resort’s white sand, pristine waters, fresh air and trees really amaze me. Addition to the relaxation is the Filipino massage they offered us. This is really vacation.
The next day, last day of April, we had our privileged to have our picnic to one of the near islands of the resort. Isla Puting buhangin (white sand island) is the name of the island. It’s just a small island with a long sandbar. You can walk even if you feel you are already in the middle of the sea. We were fetched at the receiving area of the resort at 11:30 am. A small boat brought us to the near island. The weather is good when we left Dos Palmas. In Isla Puting buhangin, we ate a lot. Sea foods, fruits and other dishes were served. After eating… what else? Swimming time! At 1:30 pm, I can see big waves coming over us. I can also feel the strong winds. We started riding our boat and leave the small island with our fellow guests and the resort’s staff. In the middle of the sea is obviously big waves, strong winds and heavy rains.. I feel dizzy. I can hear the staff of the Dos Palmas resort from the tour guide’s radio asking us if we are okay. I am nervous because I am aware that there storm coming named Emong, and this storm is playing with us in the middle of the sea! I suddenly heard the crew and the other guests shouting because our boat is nearly submerging! “Life vest!!! Life vest!!” are the words I heard from our tour guide. Oh my! They forgot to give us these materials that could save us! We are not wearing any life vest. Thank God for the alert crew who run at the other side of the boat so that we will not sink. Without the good crew, I may not able to be here and writing this piece. The captain did not bring the boat to the receiving area because it is very dangerous. He brought the boat nalang to the beach. Concerned staff of the boat welcomed us with many towels. Did I mention that we are verrryyyy wet? After that near death experience, we enjoyed the dinner buffet served to us. Even if there are no TV’s and no radios in the villas, there are activities naman that you can enjoy like billiards, darts, the music of the bands, ping pong, board games and many others. This night is the last night in Dos Palmas that is memorable.
The next day is also a happy day because it is my day.. It’s my sweet 16th birthday! We woke up early to take our breakfast and I was surprised that the staff and chefs of the resort surprised me with a birthday song and a birthday cake. Even my family didn’t know it. After we ate, I went to the beach, stared the ocean and thanked God for giving me another year of my life, for being with me in good times and in bad. At 12:00 pm, we checked out and rode a boat to Puerto Princesa mainland. Again, big waves are with us but the sea is not that mad compared to yesterday. We had a time to go to the market to buy pasalubongs to our friends. We, then, went straight to the airport to go back home in Pampanga.
We arrived in NAIA at 7:00 pm and arrived in Pampanga at 11:00 pm. We were all tired. I can say that Palawan is really a must see place in the Philippines. What I liked there is just not the beauty of the nature but the unity of its people as well. They are helping hand in hand and really conserving the nature. Palawan is a place where we can all be proud of. 
