The Puerto Princesa Underground River Tour

Day 2 of our 6days/5nights Puerto Princesa and El Nido Itinerary was the Puerto Princesa Underground River Tour. Part of this tour was a side-trip in Ugong Rock where we went Caving and Zip Lining.

Necessary permits from local government need to be secured days before your tour to make sure that you have a slot on the day of your visit. Most travel agencies arrange this for you as part of their package. Standard rate for this tour is PhP1500 per person.

The tour needs to start early because its a long trip from Puerto Princesa to the Underground River. Plus, it is a must to get on the waiting list as early as you can as the queue of visiting guests can be overwhelming especially during peak seasons and you don't want to miss the opportunity to step foot at the famous Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park or commonly known as the Underground River.

Ugong Rock Adventure

On the way to Sabang (this is the jump-off point going to the Underground River) you can stop at Ugong Rock and have a bit of an adventure. You can go Caving, Zip Lining, Rappelling, and Rock Climbing.

Sabang Beach 

After the Ugong Rock adventure, we continued the rough ride going to Sabang. At the stop, a long strip of white sand, coconut trees and of course, cottages welcomed us as we arrived. We settled and had our lunch to one of the restaurants at the beach front, which was also included in our package. After the buffet, we had a quick stroll at the beach and did some photo ops.

Puerto Princesa Underground River

At the wharf, you will need to register and wait for your turn to ride a boat going to the Underground River. This is where tour guides become a good advantage because they do all the works for you. Less hassle when there's a long line of people waiting for their turn.

Monkeys were roaming freely at the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. Some say you have to take care of your belongings as they might snatch it from you, so we got extra careful with our things and just didn't mind them. Then, a small trek led us to the entrance of the Underground River.

One impressive thing about Palawan is they are tight on rules on protecting Nature especially the tourist spots like the Underground River.

The cave is really dark and you can only rely on the tour guide's flashlight to see what's inside. You also need to pay attention to what he's saying to enjoy the tour. These are the only decent shots I have of the Underground River. (Shame!)

Quite frankly, I wasn't stunned that much with the cave. Maybe because I've been to Lumiang and Sumaguing Caves at Sagada and I can't resist to compare them. Anyhow, the Underground River is undeniably a beautiful creation of Nature. I was awed with the fact that inside the "ordinary looking" limestone mountain is an 8.2km long underground river and a cave full of amazing rock formations and different stories (as told by our tour guide). I also enjoyed the boating experience inside the cave.