It was the summer season of 2019, me and my mom, my ninang, and her daughter traveled to Palawan. This was my first travel since I acquired my first job. And I’m so excited because I will be able to use my earned money to go on trips. Our itinerary was a five days and four nights trip.
We took our flight to the Clark Pampanga airport and landed at the Puerto Princesa Airport. Upon arrival at our accommodation, we roamed around Puerto Princesa City and had dinner on our way back to the hotel.
The next morning, we went on a Palawan Honda Bay Island Hopping Tour. We rode on a boat, and in the middle of it, we went snorkeling and saw the underwater life of a different variety of fishes. It was about time for lunch when we reached the last island. Each island has its picture-perfect views that you can’t miss. And the water of each beach was clean and clear that you can enjoy while swimming. Unfortunately, our Firefly Tour was canceled due to sudden rainfall in the evening. We only had our dinner at their restaurant and went back to our lodge.
On the following day, we checked in to Astoria Palawan Resort. We exhausted ourselves experiencing their waterpark during the day, and in the afternoon, we swam in their pools, then visited the beachside to watch the sunset. And in the evening, we enjoyed the live bands and fire dancing performance while having dinner. Their room was also comfortable and perfect for resting our minds and body after a long day on the water. Before we leave the next morning, we were able to roam around where they had a playground area, game room, a gym and garden.
Next stop was historical places such as Palawan Museum, Butterfly Eco Garden, and Tribal Village. The personnel welcomed us, walked us through the museum while explaining some historical events, and showed us the artifacts of that era. While in the Butterfly Eco Garden, besides the butterflies, they have several animals such as Palawan Native Bearded Pig, Palawan Civet Cat, and others. At the Tribal Village, the villagers present their culture using their owned musical instruments and hunting tools. Although none of us understand the song very well, it has that pleasing tribal melody. While the villagers were showing their tools, the personnel discussed each of them with us and how to use it.
Just the trip finally came to its end, we advanced to Underground River experience. First, we took pictures on the Buenavista View deck, stopped by on the Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour, climbed to the zipline course and headed to the Underground River. We saw monkeys climbing the branches of trees, some went down to greet us, and some were mischievous enough to play tricks their visitors. On our way inside the cave, our boatman jokingly talks us through the different rock formations. The ride was full of laughs and knowledge.
That’s how our wonderful experience in Palawan ends. It was truly one of the most amazing trips I had in my life so far. What I like the most during this trip was that I was able to take a closer look at our history, appreciate the preservation of culture and enjoy the God-given nature. I hope someday that may these things will still be here for our future generations.
