Puerto Princesa and the 7 Wonders - Longest Navigable Underground River in the World

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Sabang, Palawan Western Philippines is ranked and top as 7 Natural wonders of the World. Prior to the discovery of the longest underground river in Mexico, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National is the known as the longest one. In the present, it is still the longest navigable underground river in the world and the 7 natural wonders of the world.

City of Puerto Princesa, capital of Palawan province, is the center of government, commerce and industry in the long island province also known as the "last frontier of the Philippines." Named in 1864 after Princess Asuncion, the daughter of Queen Isabela II, Puerto Princesa has evolved to be the cleanest and greenest city in the Philippines and a major tourist destination.

As the second largest city in the country (next only to Davao City) in terms of land area, Puerto Princesa is composed of 66 barangays spread over an area that is 76 percent forested. Its reputation as the cleanest city in the country is emphasized by its strict anti-littering laws; it is amazing to see absolutely no trash or litter even in the remotest barangays.

Tourism is easily the top industry of Puerto Princesa, with the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park as its top draw. Located in Sabang town 50 kilometers northwest of the city proper, the park is one of the most important biodiversity conservation areas in Asia. It features a limestone or karst mountain landscape that contains an 8.2 kilometer long underground river that flows directly to the sea. The river is navigable up to 4.3 kilometers and trained park staff operate paddleboat tours for visitors to experience the amazing stalactite and stalagmite formations and chambers, as well as the thousands of bats and swiflets that inhabit the caves.

Through the efforts of Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn, management responsibility of the park was transferred to the city government in 1992. As the first national park devolved and successfully managed by an LGU, it is a model of best practices for biodiversity conservation and sustainable tourism in the Philippines.

As the official representative of the Philippines, the Underground River is currently one of 28 finalists to the Search for the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The Underground River’s bid may be supported by logging on to www.new7wonders.com  and voting for it.

A tour of the landmarks and seemingly endless wonderful sceneries and adventures of Puerto Princesa City would best be experienced in 3-5 days. One of the best places to stay is the three-month old Hotel Centro, a first class hotel in the heart of the city that boasts of wide open spaces and a well-trained hospitality staff.

Must-see places in Puerto Princesa are the Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral, whose imposing twin spires are easily the most recognizable landmark in the city; the Plaza Cuartel, an ancient fort across the Cathedral that was mute witness to the burning of 150 American captives by Japanese soldiers during World War II; the Baywalk that boasts of a clean and panoramic bay; and the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Park that includes a crocodile farm. Island-hopping on famous Honda Bay is best enjoyed as a separate tour.

 

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the Best A honeymoon adventure? The Paradise Islands Philippines

Marriage is one of the most exhilarating adventures that a couple can plunge into, and what better way to start the wedded bliss than by going on a non-traditional honeymoon?

The Philippines is blessed with so many thrilling destinations, and now, with very competitive air travel rates being offered by the country’s fastest growing budget airline, Airphil Express, deciding on a honeymoon site has become a lot easier if one want to stretch his pesos for a longer, heart-pounding stay in paradise.

For beach lovers, the provinces have plenty of gorgeous shorelines to choose from. Worth noting are special spots like El Nido in Palawan where one can go on private sailing and diving trips, and Mactan in Cebu for kayaking through hidden coves and mystery-filled sea caves.

Camsur is a must-visit if one is both competitive and into aquatic sports: impress the spouse by doing backflips without falling off the wakeboard. Siargao, with its many surf spots that even surfers from abroad regularly visit, is another awesome honeymoon site with its pristine waters teeming with marine life.

When one leaves behind the comforts of the city, there is lot of options for land adventure like rappelling down cliffs or trekking along active volcanoes. Masbate offers rock-climbing activities, plus newlyweds can get a kick out of watching the bulls during rodeo festivities in the country’s cattle capital. At Southern Negros, a pleasurable time can be had by going jungle-hiking amid lush forests and waterfalls.

Or newlyweds can decide to take their marriage to literal new heights. In nature-abundant Bohol , spouses can fly over steep slopes on a zipline adventure or get an adrenaline rush by going bungee jumping there. If honeymooning in Coron, don’t leave the island without having experienced parasailing. For the ultimate once-in-a-lifetime thrill, Cebu is one of the places in the country that offer couples a chance to do tandem parachute jump.

These are just a sampling of what the Philippines has to offer celebrate love off the beaten track -- it’s high in passion and can bring newlyweds even closer as they discover more of each other while exploring exciting new frontiers together.

So numerous are the natural and man-made thrills here that it may not be enough to go on just one honeymoon trip. Airphil Express offers great airfare deals to encourage couples to get frequent action anywhere across the country.

Airphil Express is the only budget airline that grants perks up to 15 kg free baggage allowance, and an additional seven-kilo free hand carry. It also provides value-for-money travel services like web check-in, travel insurance, seat selector, and pre-paid baggage. If you are late of your flight then you could try another airlines such as Philippines’ Air Line, Cebu Pacific Air, Zest Air and other Domestic airlines.

 

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Siargao Surfing Island Philippines: Nature's ongoing canvas

by Nickie Wang

Cebu Pacific Air is the only domestic airline in the Philippines that flies to Siargao airport, one of the smallest airports I’ve been to so far. Well then again, most of the time, we just land our small plane on a small strip anyway.

Surfers around the globe will visit the Siargao Surfing Islands of the Philippines to enjoy the cloud 9 perfect wave.

When our boat reached the islet called Naked Island I thought I was in paradise. The clear turquoise waters were so calm and inviting. A full 360-degree view gave nothing but a scene of the waters kissing the blue sky while clouds of every imaginable form floated aimlessly.

I jumped off the boat we were riding for 20 minutes and marveled at Mother Nature’s spectacular canvass. No photograph can give justice to this wonder, I silently told myself.

And because of its seclusion anyone can actually go skinny-dipping without being bothered by ogling onlookers. I wanted to swim without my clothes on but I was with people whom I have only met for the fist time so totally dismissed the whole idea. Nonetheless I took a dip in the waters as if I’m my body was thirsty for it.

True to its name, Naked Island is an isolated 200 meter-long sand bar accessible by boat from General Luna, a municipality that boasts 27 km coastline of powdery white sand. It’s a piece of heaven and anyone would not mind staying there to swim and frolic in the sand with all the privacy he can get. But actually, Naked Island is just one of the stunning and mesmerizing gems in Siargao. Move around the island and see how this charming place can literally tame your psyche.

Off to Siargao

Getting to Siargao is an adventure in itself. The trip is not for the fainthearted because one will experience a literal bumpy ride. Although the Department of Tourism is already eyeing a direct flight from Manila to Del Carmen (the lone airport on the island), for now, tourists would have to take an hour and a half plane ride from Manila to Surigao del Norte, then by a two-hour ferry ride from Surigao City Pier to Siargao’s main entry point, Dapa Municipality Pier.

From the jetty port, the traveler will experience another challenging one-hour rough ride going to Pilar and General Luna, where most accommodations can be found. But as most tourists and surfers who have been to the island say, all the hours travelling are worth it once you see the majestic scenery that the tear-shaped island can offer. Seeing a rainbow every now and then is just a bonus—passing and distant rains are notorious in the area.

Siargao is a tropical island in the Philippine Sea. It sits on the eastern tip of Surigao del Norte, making it one of two places in the Philippines to experience sunrise ahead of the other parts of the country (the other one is the Caraga Town in Davao.)

Due to the island’s location, the winds and currents coming from the Pacific Ocean continuously influence the rock formations on its coastline and on the surrounding coconut islets. Majority of the magnificent rock formations are located in Magpupungko, which is also a swimming den during low tide when the waters are washed out and several lagoons are revealed.

Half a billion peso has been invested for road networks, port enhancement and the other tourism infrastructure for Siargao since it became a popular surfing destination. According to Tourism Department Secretary Alberto Lim, Siargao is one of the agency’s top priorities along with the other tourist destinations in Central Philippines. The island remains unspoiled by commercialism thus it attracts weekend backpackers who want to escape the busy life in the city. Lim said the province attracts around 39,000 visitors a year.

General Luna Mayor Jaime Rusillon told Standard Today that the municipality is planning to have a biodiversity park. Currently being lobbied to the national government, the park aims to highlight the island’s exuberant flora and fauna. Del Carmen itself is home to a dense mangrove forest reserve, which is the second largest in the country.

The big fish

Locals in Siargao are well aware of the importance of the mangrove trees that abound the whole island. They know for a fact that mangrove forests serve as breeding ground for fish and other marine life. Local government is keen in educating its people about the significance of these reserves to their livelihood.

Apart from farming, fishing is the main livelihood in Siargao thus big fish like Wahoo and Billfish are no stranger to its people. Last month, the island hosted the 4th Siargao International Gamefishing Tournament. The event was participated in by 73 foreign and local anglers and gamefishing enthusiast from 16 different countries. The biggest catch was a billfish that weighed around 32 kilograms.

Switzerland’s Rolf Trachler won the P50,000 first prize in the Main Division —Biggest Billfish Category, Philippines’ Voltaire Esparago, a native Surigaonon, got P30,000 second prize and Joseph Lee settled for P10,000 third prize.

 

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