Palawan, a gem in the heart of the Philippine Islands (Puerto Princesa)

If you live or have visited the Philippines but have never been to Palawan, I implore you to read on.

I'm a true blooded Filipino, born and raised in a country that is comprised of over 7,000 islands. But it was only in the past few years that I have been able to visit the islands of Palawan.

If I needed one word to describe Palawan in its entirety, it would be "paradise." Palawan is  well-known for it's ability to take you back to when times were a bit more simpler and to immerse you in it's natural surroundings. There are a few specific places around Palawan that are regular destinations for anyone looking to take a vacation, Coron, El Nido, and Puerto Princesa.

While Coron and El Nido, are well-known for their lush scenery and their floating islands, I'd like to focus on Puerto Princesa, the economic hub of the province and the home of one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park.

Puerto Princesa in itself is not as "scenic" as compared to it's island counterparts, but it still has it's own merits.

My itinerary was very relaxed and focused a lot on staying within the resort, but I did not just limit myself to this wonderful and relaxing moment. My family scheduled two of Puerto Princesa's famous travel tours 1) Island-hopping via the Honda Bay tour and 2) Visiting the Underground River.

The Honda Bay tour is the more popular of their many island-hopping tours, and I mean this literally, in that you take a small bangka (boat) and travel between different islands, one of these islands is known as Starfish Island where they allow you to go snorkeling looking for starfish. They do regulate a lot of their tours as commercial fishing is one of the main livelihoods of the islanders. There are nearby towns such as Port Barton that are must-visits while you are there.

The Underground River as I mentioned is now 1 of the New 7 Wonders of the World. The subterranean park is located about 45 minutes away by van from Puerto Princesa itself and requires you to eventually hop on another bangka to get to the shoreline close to the river. The underground river is around 24 kilometers long. The limestone found inside the cave create unique formations of stalagmites and stalactites. There are several chambers that go higher than 60 feet and have an estimated volume of 2.5 million-square meters. The area surrounding the cave and river are home to 1000s of flora and fauna and some are completely native to the island.

Disclaimer: This photo of the underground river is not mine.

Before I forget, food is another thing that you cannot miss when visiting Puerto Princesa. The island is known for its very unique specialty dish called Tamilok, which pretty much consists of shipworm which is best eaten raw. If you're not the exotic food eater, rest assured that there are many more places that will give you the experiences of a lifetime.

There are so many activities to do and sights to see in Puerto Princesa, so make sure that once you visit, try everything. I can guarantee that you won't regret it.