After days of bouncing from Puerto Princesa to the southernmost town of Bataraza and everywhere in between, our bodies were reaching exhaustion level. Long drives, rugged trails, and back-to-back adventures had taken their toll.
The Acacia Tunnel
Enter The Funny Lion.
Tucked away in Puerto Princesa, this boutique retreat delivered exactly what we needed: comfy beds that slowed down our fatigue, an expansive property designed for unwinding, and amenities that hit all the right notes. Think expertly crafted cocktails, a menu that satisfies, and a pool that stretches out toward the sea offering a front-row seat to the famed Palawan sunrise.
.jpg "Funny Lion Puerto Princesa") |
| The Funny Lion at Night |
After days on the
road, Funny Lion wasn’t just a beach resort, it was a reset button.
.jpg "Funny Lion Puerto Princesa") |
| A mouthful of flavorful ribs |
As all good things
must come to an end, so did our stay at Funny Lion. All too soon, we found
ourselves packing our bags the next morning and hurrying off to Sabang.
However, in our case, the end of one adventure marked the beginning of another
good adventure, this time, to explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Puerto
Princesa Subterranean River National Park.
.jpg "Jungle Trail Puerto Princesa") |
| the "Jungle" Trail gave me a new Underground River experience |
Having been
fortunate enough to have visited the Underground River twice before, I wanted a
different experience this time. So, I asked our tour coordinator, Ash, if I
could skip the boat ride to the beachhead and instead trek to the river via the
Jungle Trail.
.jpg "Alma Camaso Tour guide") |
| The trek was not a boring one, thanks to the stories Ate Alma shared to us |
An adventurous
spirit herself, Ash agreed, and we set off on a two-hour trek through the
forested mountains. Along the way, we encountered macaque monkeys, giant
monitor lizards, and a stunning array of plant species. Guiding us was
49-year-old Alma Camaso, whose endless stories turned the hike into an
experience of its own.
.jpg "Jungle trail puerto princesa") |
| A rock formation along the trail that looks like the mouth of a dinosaur |
“You might say I’m
a Marites,” Alma joked, using the local term for a neighborhood gossip. “But I
just have too many stories to share. Once I start, I can’t stop.”
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| Start of our trek |
True to her words,
Alma kept us entertained with tales that ranged from local legends to mountain
survival tips. By the time we reached our destination, we realized her
storytelling had done more than just educate us, it had made the trek feel
effortless, making us forget about the time.
.jpg "Puerto Princesa Underground River") |
| The inside of the underground river never ceases to amaze me |
Once we’ve settled
into our paddle boats, we begin our entrance into the dark cavern of the Puerto
Princesa Subterranean River, where the world outside fades away, replaced by
the eerie stillness of the ancient cave. Inside, the silence is unmissable and
broken only by the rhythmic splash of the paddle and the occasional flutter of
bats overhead.
.jpg "Underground River") |
| Impressive stalactite and stalagmite formations |
Visitors now wear
headsets that provide an informative, well-paced narration about the cave’s
stunning limestone formations, from cathedral-like chambers to stalactites and
stalagmites shaped like mythical creatures, religious figures, and even
vegetables one would see in a market.
.jpg "Underground River") |
| Deserving of its UNESCO World Heritage Site distinction |
However, something
feels different. On my first visit more than a decade ago, guides led the tour
with humor, their witty anecdotes turning the pitch-dark voyage into an
entertaining ride. As it turns out, the added noise of the guides and visitors’ conversation can cause
disruption to the life span of the limestone formations; thus, the change to
the quieter headsets.
.jpg "Jungle Trail Puerto Princesa") |
| Back at the Jungle Trail we also some some caves |
Despite visiting
the Underground River for the third time, it never gets old. Each corner,
illuminated by our guide, still gives me goosebumps, as the details of every
limestone formation seem to tell a story dating back thousands of years.
Knowing that the section open to tourists barely scratches the surface of the
entire underground river, it only adds to the intrigue and mystery of what lies
ahead in the farther sections, accessible only to scientists, geologists, and
archaeologists.
.jpg "Sabang Mangrove Park") |
| Our knowledgeable tour guide Alfie Tejada |
Fresh off our
underground river visit, we slide onto a narrow boat, slicing through the still
waters of Sabang Mangrove Forest. It’s here that we witness something
remarkable, a community-based tourism done right.
.jpg) |
| Healthy mangrove forest |
“We always attend
training whenever we can,” says Alfie Tejada, our guide, when I tell him he’s a
gifted tour guide. In his late 30s but already a veteran, Tejada has spent 13
years navigating these maze of waterways, leading visitors through this
47-hectare sanctuary near Palawan’s famous Underground River.
.jpg "Sabtang Mangrove Forest") |
| The whole ride through the mangrove forest puts one into a Zen mode easily |
“This river isn’t
connected to the Underground River,” he clarifies early on. Over the next 30
minutes, Tejada delivers a masterclass on mangrove ecosystems; how they shield
coastlines, shelter marine life, and fuel biodiversity. “Palawan makes up
one-fifth of the Philippines' mangrove area,” he notes, a claim backed by
research: nearly 60,000 hectares of mangroves is found here in Palawan, a vital
chunk of the country’s 300,000-hectare total.
%20monkey%20333.jpg)
A macaque monkey
As he points out
various species of mangroves including the fruit bearing trees, he shares one
story. “When we started guiding here, we saw the macaque monkeys feasting on a
fruit from one of the trees,” he recalls. Curious, he and his colleagues
decided to try it themselves. He grimaces at the memory. "It tasted bad.
We said to ourselves, let’s leave that fruit to the monkeys."
.jpg) |
| at the jungle trail |
Throughout the
ride, Tejada was also able to identify bird species, a flash of blue signals a
kingfisher, while a heron according to him, just usually land and hops through
the shallows. "Birdwatchers also like coming here," he adds.
"They start very early, before 7am".
.jpg) |
| The day couldn't been more beautiful |
Before we even set
off, Tejada had spoken proudly of the park’s management. “This is a
Community-Based Tourism project,” he explains. “We all have a role in
protecting this place.”
.jpg) |
| Third time here is definitely a charm |
What I had thought
would be a side trip before heading to El Nido turned into something else entirely,
an immersion into the quiet pulse of Palawan’s mangrove forests. And at its
heart stands Alfie Tejada and his fellow tour guides, storytellers, and guardians
of the mangrove forest.
.jpg "Cacaoyan Forest Park Restaurant") |
| Good food and great artworks at Cacaoyan Forest Park Restaurant |
Almost nearing the
final stretch of our coverage trip from Southern Palawan to Puerto Princesa
before heading to El Nido and Coron, we made a lunch stop at Cacaoyan Forest
Park Restaurant.
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| At the back of the restaurant, you can see the 100-year old Dao tree |
At Cacaoyan Forest
Park Restaurant, rustic charm intertwines with artistry, as framed works by
local artists line the wooden walls, their colors deepened by the soft forest
light. The garden, wild and lush, is adorned with more installation artworks
and features a century-old Dao tree at its center, one that I attempted to hug,
only managing to cover a mere sixth of its width.
.jpg "Ash Sarmiento") |
| Ash of Ellen Travel and Tours, trying out the Tamilok |
For the daring, there's the unique experience of tasting Tamilok—a worm-like, shell-less clam that weaves its way into mangrove trunks. Slimy on the tongue yet truly unforgettable, which to say, how I would also describe our Palawan trip so far at this point.
