Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Underground River
If you ever go on a tour in the Philippines please make it this one.
Before I dive into detail about how absurdly cool the actual Underground River is I want to talk about how impressive the tour itself was. From start to finish it is the most organized tour we have been on in the Philippines. The process to pay was simple and organized with a government facilitated building, the waiting area was designated and had covered seating, the boats to the beach were clean and had a set price so no need for haggling, there were restrooms!, the audio tour was phenomenal, the live tour guide was also great and lastly, the Underground River itself was majestically cool.
Ok, now the nitty gritty.
Bright and early we took a short ten minute walk from our fantastic hotel Daluyon, to the pier in Sabang. At the pier is a very organized government building to pay all the fees and then you are assigned a boat. We waited at the covered area until our boat was ready and naturally ate sorbetes at nine in the morning because...vacation.
It tickles me to see basketball courts everywhere! On the base of a volcano, a mountain top, overlooking an ocean, they are anywhere!
Tip: In case you promise starving crying kids ice cream at the hotel only to find out that your hotel and no other hotel on the entirety of Sabang Beach has ice cream just immediately run to the pier and find the sorbetero. You must be fast on the walk/run home as to not have all the sorbetes melt before your whiney children receive their reward for excellent (yeah right) behavior. I will say, this experience filled me with more satisfaction than I realized. The reward is sweeter when the odds are stacked against you I suppose (or when you deliver like a freaking (mom) boss!)
Sorbetes at nine am! #judgeme
Ready to go!
After a twenty minute boat ride we arrived at the connecting beach to the river. We took a short walk, got our head sets and we were off!
This view!
Over the ocean and through the woods to the underground river we go!
Again, these views!
Palawan's natural wonder is one of the longest underground rivers in the world, traveling five miles through a subterranean cave system. Guided boat tours take visitors down a portion of the waterway, where karsts, natural rock formations created by dissolving limestone, loom in every direction. The Underground River, one of the new seven wonders of the natural world. The river is 8.2 kilometers (about 5 miles) long and runs through an impressive cave system with karsts (limestone and other rock formations). CNT Traveler
Entering the bat cave! The tour itself was around 30 -40 minutes.
I'm not a magician so I didn't get any cool photos inside the cave but I did get this awesome dorky family photo and I love it!
On our way back to the pier.
Walks on the beach are better with this little guy.
Ah, back to heaven at Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort.
The Underground River or Bat Cave as my boys call it, was a remarkable family activity. Once in Sabang getting there was super easy and had a big pay off. The tour made me so proud of the Filipino people and how they have taken care and pride in a natural wonder.
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Many thanks to Daluyon for organizing and sponsoring our visit to the Underground River, all we had to do was show up and enjoy.
