The declaration of the Underground River in Puerto Princesa, Palawan as one of the new 7 Wonders of the Nature really increases the visitors in the area. It was also reputed as the longest underground river in the world. It’s navigable by boat up to 4.3 km.
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| Clear water at the loading area |
To conserve the current value of the underground river, the management has set a maximum of 900 visitors per day only. A "No Permit, No Entry" policy is also strictly enforced. The park is open all year round, but it's advisable to plan your trip and book in advance to avoid inconvenience.
What amazes me most when I first saw the place, was the clear blue-green water that passes through the cave. I was really excited to see this river, but the boats and tour guides are limited so we had to wait for our turn. You won't mind waiting for your turn because there are other things you can do while waiting. You just have to be fun and creative :)
My excitement vanished, though, when we started navigating because I feel claustrophobic. It's really dark and you won't know where you are going and what will happen. There's only one spot light guiding us through but it's not enough.
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| Rock formations inside the underground river |
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| Other guest navigating the Underground River |
The tour guide is kind of funny but I don't like it when he creates a sound under the water using his paddle. I feel like something will come from water and devour us. He showed us all the rock formations that can be seen inside the cave and told us the names of them. It's kind of educational but I know they just made up with those names.
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| Rock formations inside the underground river |
Navigating the Underground River is a really must do when you visit Puerto Princesa. It’s a great experience and made you think of how precious life is. It made me realize that what you really can’t see scares you most. I was so glad when we finished and headed out and saw the light peeking though. Finally, I can see the sun again!
Traveling here is really not a joke because it’s really far from the town proper. You won’t be bored though because there are lots of beautiful views along the road. Aside from a long trip from the town proper, it’s also a long trip via boat going to the river. Make sure to come here in the morning, as the waves tend to get bigger in the afternoon. There’s a schedule of trip also, so you really have to wait. Don’t worry; the view at Sabang Port is really beautiful so you won’t be bored.
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| Beautiful rock formations along the way to underground river |
Be very watchful and careful because there are lots of naughty monkeys here. I’ve heard that they actually snatch things from tourists and ran.
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| Wild monkeys roaming around the park |
One more thing, Underground River staff will take pictures of you as soon as you stepped out of the boat, but it's not for free. You can either buy a copy or just leave it there.The price is Php250.00 per copy. We decided to just get 1 copy and had it scanned at work so we can all have a copy.
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| Picture taken by the staff...price is Php250.00 |
This really is a must see when you get the chance to visit Puerto Princesa!
Address: Booking Office, No. 350 Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa (located just 10 minutes from the airport)
Phone: +63(48)723-2563/+63(48)434-2509
How to get there: From downtown proper, ride a public utility jeep, bus or air-conditioned van going to Sabang Port. It takes one and a half hours of travel. Fare is Php140.00 (Local) & Php200.00 (Foreign). From Sabang port, it takes 20 minutes via ferry going to the beach area near the cave entrance. From the beach, it takes 5 minutes walk through the forest to get to the loading area.
General Entrance Fee(s): Php100.00 (Adult); Php75.00 (Minor) for Local Tourists. Php150.00 (Adult); Php100.00 (Minor) for International tourists.
*Includes sightseeing, jungle trail, bird watching, snorkeling and spelunking.
Tour Entrance Fee(s): Php175.00 (Adult); Php100.00 (Minor) for Local tourists. Php250.00 (Adult); Php150.00 (Minor) for International Tourists.
*Senior citizens and minors 17 yrs old and are exempted from the tour entrance fee. Children 2 yrs and below are not allowed for the underground river tour.
Other Points of Interest: Wonder of Nature, Jungle Trekking, Wildlife Watching, Mangrove Forest Tour, White Sand Beaches and Ethnographic Museum.
