THE first time I visited Palawan was in 1996 yet. The trip was part of the prize I won for a media contest on climate change sponsored by former Senator Heherson T. Alvarez. My sister Elena, who is now living in the United States, accompanied me at that time.
Last year, I went back to the country's last frontier, as the island has been dubbed, along with fellow scribes who are members of the Philippine Network of Environmental Journalists.
"Exotic islands, unspoiled beaches, world class dive sites, lush virgin forests, endemic flora and fauna, waterfalls, hot springs, rivers, and many more abound in this place," said Edward S. Hagedorn, who was still the mayor when we visited Puerto Princesa, the island's capital.
Hagedorn was talking about his city Puerto Princesa but unknowingly, he may have been describing the whole province, too, which covers almost 2,000 kilometers of irregular coastline and dotted with roughly 1,780 islands and islets, rocky coves, and sugar-white sandy beaches. The disputed Spratly Islands are considered part of Palawan by the Philippines and is locally called the Kalayaan Group of Islands.
In recent years, Palawan has become the prime destinations of tourists. In fact, the province has been named the best island for travelers in the "2013 World's Best" put out by "Travel+Leisure" magazine.
"The island province in Southern Luzon was included in the list only this year, pushing Boracay, which previously topped the rankings, to second place," reported Kim Arveen Patria. "Palawan had a score of 95.04 points and Boracay got 93.58 points based on a survey of the magazine's readers from December 2012 to April 2013."
It must be recalled that last year, Palawan grabbed global attention after the Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) was named one of the new seven wonders of nature. Located about 50 kilometers north of the city proper of Puerto Princesa, PPUR has a distinguishing nature of its water flowing directly into the South China Sea.
Boatmen usually ferry only a kilometer and a half of the 8.2-kilometer long river. The boat rides takes about 45 minutes to an hour on a small narrow "bancas" (outrigger) with a battery-operated lamp.
Once you get inside the cave, it's totally a new kind of world. You get an opportunity of watching various formations of stalagmites and stalactites. Among those that prominent are mythical creatures like Pegasus the winged horse; giant vegetables such as mushroom, corn, and carrots; and religious icons that include the Holy Family and the Three Kings who travelled to Bethlehem.
Aside from the exciting boat trip down the underground river, the PPUR is part of the national park that is home to several wildlife species. Monkeys, large monitor lizards and squirrels may be found on the beach near the cave.
Sitio Sabang of Barangay Cabayugan is the entry point to the PPUR. It takes a day trip to explore PPUR so it's best to stay in some of the hotels in Sabang. We were lucky to have stayed at the Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort, which has led other local resorts in the mission of bringing environment consciousness to the forefront.
Since there were not too many visitors when we got there, we had the Sabang Beach to ourselves. The water is very clear. For children, the water is pretty safe as it's a long distance away before the water gets deeper.
If island hopping is what you want, then Honda Bay should be part of your itinerary. Located at the eastern side of Puerto Princesa, it is 12 kilometers away from the city proper to Sta. Lourdes wharf where a hired pump boat takes visitors to the island or islands of their choice.
During my first visit, our group visited Lu-Li Island (an island visible only during low tide; its name was derived from the first two letters of two words lulubog and lilitaw, which means sinking and floating, respectively).
There are eight other island waiting for exploration at Honda Bay: Cowrie Island, Bat Island (a bat habitat), Meara Marina (a quiet, cozy and private island to relax and enjoy nature's wonder), Starfish Island (with white fine sand and clear water that teems with starfish), Snake Island (a long stretch of fine white sand and shaped like a snake), Pandan Island (white sand beach with coral reef nearby), SeƱorita Island (breeding site of lapu-lapu fish), and Arraceffe Island (an island with Class A Resort and fine white sand).
Palawan is not Palawan without mentioning El Nido, the Cable News Network (CNN) described as the Best Beach and Island destination in the country for its "extraordinary natural splendor and ecosystem."
CNN's Candice Lopez-Quimpo described the coastal town of El Nido as "the gateway to wild adventure."
"Sure, it's got powder-fine beaches and gin-clear waters. But the views are what really sell the place," the CNN correspondent wrote. "Off the coast of El Nido are majestic karst limestone formations, empty lagoons, marble cliffs, prehistoric caves and waterfalls. All are easily explored."
On what to do while there, Lopez-Quimpo wrote: "El Nido is a popular base for divers. Surrounding waters contain more than 50 species of coral, and attract whales, whale sharks, sea cows, manta rays, dolphins and endangered turtles."
There are some reports that Alex Garland is believed to have been inspired by El Nido's secret beaches when he wrote his popular novel "The Beach." (Too bad, the film adaptation was shot in Thailand.)
Dow Griffith, the location manager of monster hit "The Bourne Legacy," himself admitted, after wrapping the film there, that El Nido can be considered "a paradise."
"I can live in Palawan forever!" That was what Oscar-winning actress Rachel Weisz reportedly said while shooting "The Bourne Legacy" in El Nido.
Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines, and Zest Air all have daily flights from Manila to Puerto Princesa. The Puerto Princesa Airport is only one and half kilometers from the city proper and is accessible by jeepney, bus and tricycle. Flight time: slightly more than an hour.
Several airlines also fly from Manila to El Nido, either through a commercial airline or via chartered plane. Flying time from Manila is approximately 75 minutes. Depending on where you're going, from the El Nido airport tricycles can take you to El Nido town.