The Palawan Trip: Puerto Princesa Underground River

This is the third part of our 5-days-4-nights Palawan Trip

On our third day, our hectic schedule continues. We were picked up at 7 am for our Underground Tour. This time we chose to take the group tour c/o Kuya Romeo's agency. We initially planned a do it yourself tour, however, we were having a hard time getting our permits. When we checked the UR website, some of the dates are already fully booked. Hence the tour.

The ride to Sabang wharf was already interesting c/o the sceneries you would see and the funny "hirits" of the guide. We also had one stopover where you could buy some souvenirs or food. One of the souvenirs we brought there were keychains made by prisoners. We arrived at Sabang Wharf at around 10:00 am and there are already a lot of tourists waiting. We paid an additional 40php per person for the terminal fee and waited for our turn. Since we were 14 in the group, we split into 2 groups for our boat ride to the UR site.

Puerto Princesa Underground River

Boat ride to the UR site

Upon docking, someone will take a picture of your group which you can purchase if you want to. You will also be asked to register at the entrance and wait for your name to be called. While waiting, we went to the site where they have their "bayawak" (monitor lizards) animals and took some pictures. We waited for around 5-10 mins for our turn.

The docking area for the underground river

A map of the whole underground river

One of the "bayawak"

A lot of facts and figures are scattered in the waiting area which you could read to learn more about the UR

The boat for the UR tour can sit about 10 people plus the guide. It was a bit scary at first because it was a really small boat and you can feel it tilting to one side so we had a bit of a paranoid moment. We forced ourselves to be seated in front of the boat so that we would be the one to hold the light. The cave was really dark, you cannot see your hand in front of your face. So you might have a bit if a panic attack if you're claustrophobic. One thing we could say about the UR was that it deserves to be in the 7 wonders of the world, because simply put, it was WONDERFUL. The tour guide was funny and they have a lot of stories regarding the shapes of the rocks and stones. One thing to be careful of, do not look up with your mouth open, the bats might shoot their feces inside your mouth haha. Another thing, you really could not decipher if it is bat droppings or water that is falling on you. So be vigilant! The tour lasted around 30minutes, covering 1km of the UR cave. They said that the whole cave is 24 km long and if you want to go to other parts, you still have to get another permit.

Our first look at the Underground River. Pictures cannot do justice to how beautiful the place is

Success! We got the front seat!

A closer look at the entrance

A preview of what's inside

Again, pictures don't do justice to the real thing

After the UR tour, we had our buffet lunch in Sabang. I tried the Tamilok, a worm that is popular in Palawan. It was slimy, hard to chew, and tastes like Oyster. I wouldn't try it again haha. We left Sabang at 2pm and arrived at PPS at 3:30pm. We asked to be dropped by GoHotels, our "last-day-luxury-hotel". We chose to stay here since the last day of our Palawan tour will be our rest day. Nothing beats the cozy bed, a/c, and cable tv after 3 days of hectic travel and tour.

Tamilok, the famous Palawan worm haha

One of the view in Sabang Port, the Sleeping Giant

We decided to have dinner at Kinabuch Restaurant. We were not able to go to Ka Lui since they require a reservation. We tried the crocodile sisig and bicol express. The sisig was funky, it was yummy but I kept on imagining the crocodile haha. The bicol express was too spicy though yummy. We also tried their mango shake which was ok.

Super spicy Bicol Express

Funky Crocodile Sisig

And that concludes our day 3 and Underground River Tour. Next up, our Puerto Princesa City Tour starting with Baker's Hill and Mitra's Ranch!


Summary of Expenses for Day 3
Souvenirs - 70php
Water - 25php
Environmental Fee - 40php/person
CR fee - 10php/person
UR Tour - 1200php/person
Bicol Express - 155php
Mango Shake - 60php
Plain Rice - 15php/person
Crocodile Sisig - 300php
TOTAL for Day 3: 3,140php for 2 persons

Read more:
The Palawan Trip: Honda Bay Tour
The Palawan Trip: El Nido Tour
The Palawan Trip: Baker's Hill and Mitra's Ranch
The Palawan Trip: Crocodile Farm, Binuatan Creation, and Balinsasayaw Restaurant
The Palawan Trip: Plaza Cuartel and Baywalk
The Palawan Trip: Summary Of Our Trip