One thing you might want to do when you're in Puerto Princesa (PP) is to take the Underground River and Honda Bay tours. At least that's what tourists who've been to PP would tell you. Well, I'd like to say the same primarily because I have immensely enjoyed both activities. I know you will too. If you are time-pressed and only have a day to spare in the...

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Don't feel weirded out when waiters at Kalui ask you to take off your shoes before they lead you to your reserved seat inside. It's part of what makes eating here a unique experience. Eating barefooted, that is. You'll feel the coolness of the wooden floor sooth your feet as you sashay your way past diners and real fruits tucked on posts and bamboo tables. ...

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Travel and movies are some of the things that make me sane. When I don't travel, I watch movies. In fact, when I travel, I try to squeeze film watching in my itinerary. So far, I've watched movies at SM Bacolod, SM Naga and Robinsons Palawan. Well, I guess I'm trying unconsciously to intricately weave films into the tapestry of my travels. So I hope I've justified my...

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Itoy's occupies a small space along Rizal Avenue Itoy's Coffee Haus, a homegrown local cafe sandwiched between two commercial establishments along Rizal Avenue in Puerto Princesa, is barely noticeable, thanks to its poor location. Its unimpressive signage bearing a B&W profile shot of the owner perched atop its facade can be easily missed. But none of this observation matters as this coffeehouse is quite famous in the city. People...

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After a gruelling but exciting hike to reach the summit, we emerged at a shelter atop Ugong Rock with a great 360 view of Tagabenit below. Panting and sweating, I took the helmet off and wandered to the edge of the wooden floor to see how high we were. I could feel a tickling sensation sweeping under my feet and the knot in my stomach tightened as I...

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This is a guest post. Deadlines are looming, meetings are filling up your diary and the limited free time you do have, you want to be able to relax. Image from Google When travelling on business, there is rarely time to enjoy yourself. When it comes to business trips, the last thing you want is to be stuck in the middle of a buzzing city knowing you can’t...

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A side trip to Ugong Rock wasn't originally part of our itinerary. The idea to drop by at this towering limestone pedestal came about after realizing that the Underground River tour wouldn't take that long, ergo we'd be wasting a whole afternoon if we went straight back to our hotel. We talked to our tour guide about it and he was cool with us stopping in for a...

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Paranoia sets in as the small outrigger boat winds its way inside the dark tunnel of the Underground River. It's not the depth of the water that scares me, it's the silly thought that in case an earthquake occurs, we'll be completely goners, buried under massive limestone rocks, forever irretrievable. I'm overreacting, of course, because you see, Palawan doesn't have fault lines so the probability of an earthquake happening...

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In downtown Puerto Princesa, old acacia trees arch over streets like canopies and nestled inside vacant lots or sandwiched between low-rise buildings. They line along avenues with an air of both invitation and intimidation, like rows of giant smiling saleswomen, rustling and swaying gently in monsoon breeze. You see them everywhere, inside and outside the city - proud towering trees, live and tangible proofs that Puerto Princesa is...

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As the guides paddled the boat idly away from the wharf, we accustomed our eyes to the darkness. The crescent moon overhead was not enough to light our way but it provided the perfect setting for this one-of-a-kind experience. It's almost seven in the evening; we arrived in Iwahig just in time for firefly watching. The stillness of the river was creepy, I couldn't shake off the thought...

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