Arrival in Puerto Princesa was at 0h30, and all managed to get off quickly and
orderly, unlike other ferries. I cycled into town to locate accommodation and came
upon recommended Casa Luna. The rooms were reasonably priced and
conveniently situated around a courtyard.
Puerto Princesa
Arrangements were made to see the underground river the following morning.
Afterwards, I took off to a bank to draw as much money as possible, as I
understood this was the only ATM on the island.
Puerto Princesa & The Underground River
An hour or two’s drive brought us to the underground river, en route stopping at
the Ugong Cave. The Ugong Rock stood roughly twenty-odd metres high, and one
could clamber through caves and crevices (using ropes) right to the top. Instead
of returning on foot, I used a zip line. In a mere twenty seconds or so, I was on
the ground. How cool is that?
Located in a national park, the underground river was immensely touristy but
worth the effort. Turquoise, crystal-clear water disappeared into the darkness of
the mountain and ran for almost eight kilometres. The river wound through the
cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea. We merely explored one and
a half kilometres of the route before retracing our steps past stalagmites,
stalactites and strange limestone formations created aeons ago.
Puerto Princesa – Honda Bay – 13 km
Early morning, I departed Puerto Princesa, prepared for a long day of cycling, but
in the end biked a “record-breaking” thirteen kilometres. Shortly beyond the town,
a sign pointed to Honda Bay. Turning off to investigate, I found a small jetty where
boats left for nearby islands and befriended Edna in the process. She oversaw the
selling of boat tickets and had a small property featuring two nipa rooms and
offered me one of the rooms at 200 pesos.