Palawan, Philippines Tour

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Copyright © 1996-2012 by Charles Keng. All Rights Reserved

*Whew! Somewhere on an island I managed to sneak out, without my tour friends knowing it, to ride on this speedboat. ü §:-) Top | Bottom

**April 18, 2000- Original boarding time was at 8:40 A.M. but moved to 10 A.M., then later moved again to 12 noon! Aren't these ladies pretty and cute and by the way, they're all single! J All the chairs in the airport lounge have been taken, so we sat here, and divided us from the glass wall is where all the arrival passengers walk through.

**Everybody sit, wait, chat and smile here at this new NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) Terminal 2 (Centennial Airport, MIA Road, Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines) lounge. Eating snacks treated by tour friends. Top | Bottom

**Tour friends bring many extra snacks and drinks for the trip.

**Strolling along the new NAIA Terminal 2 (Centennial Airport) while waiting to board the jet plane. Top | Bottom

**With friend Jennifer at the new NAIA Terminal 2 (Centennial Airport), which exclusively handle transit point for PAL's (Philippine Airline) domestic and international flights. Later airline company provide each of us with a free chicken sandwich but no drinks!

**From Manila We jetted 50 minutes to reach Puerto Princesa City, and finally this second time I came here I saw a small luggage conveyor under construction inside this airport. Top | Bottom

*Outside the airport at 1:25 P.M. while waiting for the van to arrive to fetch us, many sweated at 32ºC!

*From the airport we go right to Ka Lui restaurant, our first seafood meal. Top | Bottom

*Almost everybody was barefooted and only a few wear socks.

*It's the restaurant's way that we must removed our shoes and placed it near the entrance gate. They provided us slippers when we want to go to the restroom. Top | Bottom

**While waiting for the food to be served, we're all eagerly took many pictures.

**There are many sizes and shapes of wooden and earthen jars hanging on the wall and many more were placed on mezzanine. Some are new and many are antique. Top | Bottom

**Entrance to Ka Lui seafood restaurant along Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. We left Ka Lui about 2:30 P.M. for a port in Roxas, where we would ride on a boat to Coco Loco Island.

*After 5 hours ride on the van at 9 P.M. we ride on this boat to Coco Loco Island. Finally we are all smiles and relax here after a long ride and a few ladies slept too! §:-) Top | Bottom

*A big one so far for us, this boat can carried about 15 to 20 persons.

*We're so scared on our 5 hours car's ride from Puerto Princesa City to the port in Roxas where we are suppose to ride this boat to Coco Loco Island, because the route we travel has many detours and were so dark and isolated. As a result, one of the ladies ask the boatman if he could maneuver this boat at night to where we are going. The boatman answers with a sure and loud voice. It was a full moon that night and everything brightens up a little. Top | Bottom

*All are very relax now and chatting.

*When about 5 kilometers distance before reaching the island, the boatman turn on an incandescent bulb on and off to signal the island that we are approaching, and the island responded by signaling back. Top | Bottom

***A tourist (on the right) join us too, he was so kind earlier to wait for us to finished our lunch at Ka Lui Restaurant.

Coco Loco Island's top view, the resort is located at the top left of this island. Top | Bottom

*April 19, 2000 Wednesday, about 6 o'clock in the morning on the north-east point of the Coco Loco Island.

*Here at the northerly direction of the island. After the rain stop at passed 6 A.M., we could see a fainted rainbow on the west coast of the island at about 8 A.M. Top | Bottom

*Early morning at the north-east direction of Coco Loco Island. I stood in front of the cottage where we lodged to take this picture. "Naloko kami sa Coco Loco!" just joking! §:-)

*All smiles and ready for breakfast. Behind these pretty ladies are the cottages we stayed in. This is the north-westerly portion of the island. Top | Bottom

*And behind these pretty ladies are 3 small wood/bamboo/nipa huts sheltering 3 white plastic tables and many plastic chairs. Top | Bottom

*North of the island

*Behind is the tall wood/bamboo/nipa hut stood a big water tank. To the right of it are 3 small huts sheltering 3 white plastic tables and many plastic chairs. To the far right are the blue colored cottages where we stayed in. Top | Bottom

**While snorkeling very near the beach, we saw this little fish sneaking her head out looking for prey. Top | Bottom

**Ho ho ho! At long last, our first dip in this crystal clear water! Here we are on the beach of Coco Loco, swimming and snorkeling around wearing life buoy jacket. Taken about 9:30 A.M. (Hindi kami naloko sa Coco Loco) kidding again! §:-)

**Struggling to get closer. Hey! Wait for me! Top | Bottom

**Trying hard to compose this perfect picture. I mean almost perfect!

**Forced myself into the picture frame! Top | Bottom

**All smiles? And excited to swim in very crystal-clear water! Top | Bottom

**Me and Jennifer, and my big belly! §:-)

**Beautiful coral reefs surrounding the Coco Loco Island's seabed. Top | Bottom

**Everybody's amazed to see so many fishes on this island.

**One of our tour friends brings leftover of rice, and wow, I seldom snorkel and I never see so many fishes came in different size, shape and color! By the way, 60% of Metro Manila food fishes came from Palawan Island. Top | Bottom

**Snails all over this island in the early morning, crawling toward cottage we stayed. Top | Bottom

**Leaving Coco Loco Island we headed north-west about 2:30PM for Port Barton. The big house with white roof on the left housed the restaurant and management, on the center is the wood/bamboo/nipa hut that housed the water tank, next to the right are 3 small huts with tables and chairs, and to its right are all the cottages. One could walk and circle around the coast of this island and come back to where he/she started in less than 30 minutes time. From port of Roxas to Port Barton, it takes about 2 hours ride on a van.

*Thursday 6 o'clock in the morning of April 20, 2000. Cottages we stayed in Swissippini Resort, Port Barton, Palawan Island. It is a very beautiful and nice place. Top | Bottom

*Cottages along the coast of Swissippini Resort, Port Barton, Palawan Island.

*Early morning at the seashore of Port Barton. Top | Bottom

*Tour friends swinging after morning breakfast

*Behind the hammock are the boats we will use for island hopping. Top | Bottom

*Everybody's ready to board the ships, I mean small fishing boats. Top | Bottom

*Here we are on board and ready again to hop the islands and swim on their beaches.

**Our first stop is the German Island. Top | Bottom

**There aren't much fishes here in these three islands as there are in Coco Loco.

**Next is Exotic Island. Top | Bottom

**The water is as crystal clear as in Coco Loco Island. Top | Bottom

**Tour friend dived to take a closer look at the stone on the seabed of Exotic Island, or is it Paradise Island? Sorry I forget which one! Top | Bottom

**Don't know what they call this one. There are many small flowers, at least it looks like it, which attached to this stone and comes in many colors. And when you touch it they will hide and shrink into the stone's cracking holes.

**6 or 7 of us, me included, snorkeled without wearing diving mask (only goggles) and use no breathing tube (Is this the right words for this?). This is how good we are comparing to the other tour friends who used snorkeling gears. Smiles §:-} Top | Bottom

**One of our friends was bitten by jellyfish and is applying medication. This photo was taken along the beach of Paradise Island. Top | Bottom

**The third island we hopped is small Paradise Island which can only accommodate about 20 persons. I love this island, it's clean, cute, special and has all the facilities as their big counterpart have. I ate so many kinds of delicious fishes here. They have freezer/refrigerator here to supplied us cold soft drinks, distilled waters, etc.

**After eating lunch we left this beautiful Paradise island for Panaguman Resort. Top | Bottom

*We ride on the boats for 4 hours and experienced the long chilling effect when it rains that day. And many of us quivered too, from the windy and the cold moist wet wind and rainwater that hit us hard on our bodies.

*Docked at Panaguman Resort. Top | Bottom

*Sunset on the beach of Panaguman Resort. Top | Bottom

*Very colorful sky!

*Maybe it's the afternoon rain that make this sunset very colorful and spectacular! Top | Bottom

*After taking this group picture, though two are missing here (Don't know where they are, but they're surely wish they were included here!), we went to the restaurant for dinner. Top | Bottom

*Here we are at the restaurant of Panaguman Beach Resort! Top | Bottom

*After dinner we remained here in the restaurant and play playing cards on their table. Oh! I enjoy it so much and have the best laughs of my life with these 12 ladies. They are pretty, funny and smart, and certainly they outwitted me most of the time on the games we played. Top | Bottom

*0810 hours of April 21, 2000 (Friday), behind us is the entrance to the Underground River Cave, St. Paul Subterranean River National Park, Palawan. Top | Bottom

*Ready to enter the cave, all wear life buoy jackets. The boats used now are very big compared to 4 years ago, wherein we could only seat 5 persons per boat then. Gone were the required helmets we used to wear. Top | Bottom

**Behind the ladies is the route where you go straight to the Underground River Cave. Top | Bottom

**After the Underground River cave tour, we all relax for a while here near the main entrance of Underground River Park (when you travel by boats). There is another entrance on the other side of the Underground River park when you chose to hike or climb the Monkey Trail. If you could see it there is a lizard (Looks like a Komodo dragon. but it's only about 5 to 6 feet (1.53-1.83 meters) long (including the tail)) behind Jennifer.

**On their right is another Komodo dragon. Top | Bottom

**On the right is a small monkey standing in the leaves of the plants, they are all in hiding including the lizards when we are about to leave. The reason is there are so many people arriving here now at 10 A.M., and they are scare of us humanoid because we make a lot of noises. Some passersby were able to feed them earlier.

**Main entrance to Underground River when you travel by boats. After posing several pictures here we rode a boat to Sabang then rode on a van to Puerto Princesa City. Top | Bottom

**Behind these scuba divers and swimmers is the beach where all the boats docked.

**Look how many boats there are now, there were only two when we first arrived. Top | Bottom

**This view is beside the entrance of Underground River

**Remembering jellyfish bites. Top | Bottom

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**Yes here we are in Puerto Princesa City at about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, Friday, April 21, 2000. I toke this beautiful pedicab (taxicle as they called it here) while strolling and shopping along Rizal Avenue. Charged 3 pesos (US$ 7 cents) per person when you ride on this pedicap.

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***Along Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City, behind us is the City Hall. Top | Bottom

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***Friday night dinner at a Korean Restaurant called Palawan Garden, along Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City.

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**Next early morning of April 22, 2000 (Saturday), we went on island hopping again this time in Honda Bay. This is Pandan island, our first stop of the day. Top | Bottom

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**Ride on boats again and island hopping again in Honda Bay

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**Snorkeling at Snake Island, there is not much fish here around these few islands in Honda Bay. Because almost all of the coral reef here were dead near the beach, though the water is still crystal clear. Top | Bottom

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**We caught a popper fish, it pops like a balloon. Top | Bottom

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**Left alone the popper fish will shrink to its normal size. I didn't know it's a popper, cause I haven't seen one yet, until it pops up.

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**7 of the ladies here wear snorkeling gears and they are the best of swimmers and they are all scuba divers too. Can't let go of the popper fish! Top | Bottom

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**This island is small and shape like a snake, hence called Snake Island.

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**Next stop is this island, there are many starfish here and so they called this Starfish Island. Top | Bottom

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**See how romantic this two starfishes are, the two move together and I guess they are a happy couple. Where are their babies? §:-) J

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** Here is the restaurant I won't forget, guess why? Well, their beef and/or pork noodle soup cost only Php 15.00 (US$ .36) and their special one Php 20.00 (US$ 48 cents). Its Vietnamese restaurant named Noodle House along Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City. The noodles were not enough for most of us and so many of us ate ice cream to satisfy our hunger. This one taken on April 22, 2000, Saturday lunch time, 2:30 P.M.

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*At Badjao seafood restaurant, after dinner and while waiting for the pedicabs to fetch us we play playing cards again here. Top | Bottom

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***April 23, 2000 10:30AM (Sunday), inside Puerto Princesa Airport checking in our luggages and getting our boarding passes. Four of us, me included naughtily stepped on the airport's big weighing scale to see how much weight we gained from our trip. After knowing how heavy I was, I didn't eat much for a week after I went home! §:-) J

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*After 4 hours delayed, at 1500 hours we finally board this jet back home to Manila. Top | Bottom

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*Jet plane's cabin, I ask one of the stewardesses to take this picture. Top | Bottom

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***Our plane touched down at 4 P.M., we all hurriedly went outside the new NAIA Terminal 2 (Centennial Airport) to wait for our van to fetch us home. Top | Bottom

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The red dots were the places we visited. Underground River is located in St. Paul Subterranean River National Park. Coco Loco Island is somewhere around or near the Stanlake Island and Howley Island. This map posted here without permission! §:-)
My April 18-23, 2000 Palawan tour goes like this- First the jet plane touched down in Puerto Princesa City, then we ride on a van to northerly direction to reach a port in Rizal. Then there at a Port in Rizal we ride boat eastward to Coco Loco Island, then back to Rizal again. Top | Bottom
Then in Rizal we ride on a van again to northern direction to Port Barton, then in Port Barton we ride boats again to north-west direction to reach German Island, Exotic Island and Paradise Island. I don't know where to put the red dots, but these three islands is very near to Port Barton.
And then we left Paradise Island by boats to southerly point to Panaguman Resort (It's not in the map, and I don't know where I should put the red dot on!), but it is very near (10 minutes boat ride) the Underground River. Top | Bottom
From Panaguman Resort we ride on boats southbound to St. Paul Subterranean River National Park (Underground River).
After Underground River tour we ride on boats to south-westerly direction to a port in Sabang, then in Sabang we ride on a van southward to Puerto Princesa City. Top | Bottom
Again in Puerto Princesa, we ride on a van to the north, onto Sta. Lourdes Pier in Honda Bay (Again don't know where to put the red dot), there we proceed eastward by boats to Pandan Island, Snake Island and Starfish Island. Back again by boats to the pier in Honda Bay and ride on a van to Puerto Princesa City. That's it!