Puerto Princesa: Discovering the City in a Forest
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| Puerto Princesa Bay |
So what made a former city girl like me love Puerto Princesa so much? Every city dwellers who've been to this part of the country would surely agree that there's more to Puerto Princesa than the famous Underground River and many island beaches. Surprisingly, it also offers a much tamed city vibe feel unlike its equally stunning El Nido and Coron. Okay, just to be transparent, I've never been to the latter two which I'm pretty sure will both sweep me off my feet for their scenic beauties. It's just that I already found Puerto Princesa a lot more conducive to live (if ever I plan to live here for good), it's the more developed (without the pollution) part of Palawan. You get the outdoor feel which can be practically just a few feet from your home and at the same time you have a good number of schools, cheap and fancy restaurants, government agencies, hospitals, malls (Robinsons Galleria is under construction) and airport within reach.
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| our room overlooking Puerto Princesa Bay |
Prior to our arrival in Palawan, I have noted down two foreclosed properties on a piece of notebook which unfortunately I left at home. I was with my uncle and aunt during the three day trip and being business minded that we are, we all agreed that Puerto Princesa is a very promising city with a great investment potential. Imagine a typhoon free city, with no earthquake fault and very low crime rate, it's relatively safe to live here!
Upon landing at Puerto Princesa Airport, we drove to Marianne Home Inn (our home for 3 days) and left our bags. Hungry for lunch, we decided to ride a tricycle and made our way to our first Palawan restaurant, the KaLui. (More of KaLui in my food blog)
Went back to the inn and rested for a while then came ate Elvie, our tour guide that day. There were already groups of people in the van, including a foreign tourist thus she needs to speak in English the whole duration of the tour. For those who are thinking of hiring a tricycle instead for the city tour, you may want tho think twice, especially if you're tagging along your parents. The tourist spots included in this city tour are like kilometers away from each other with bumpy "massage roads" along the way. Thus I find paying the Php600 city tour totally worth it.
The city tour covered Puerto Princesa Baywalk, Plaza Cuartel, Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral, Crocodile Farm, Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, Mitra's Ranch, Baker's Hill and Pasalubong shopping.
Click here for more photos of our Puerto Princesa city tour
When I arrived home after 3 days of Palawan bliss, I began searching for that notebook and immediately texted all the info about the properties to my uncle. One thing's for sure, I want to invest in Palawan. Make no mistake, I appreciate the convenience that goes along Puerto Princesa's development because it uplifts the lives of many Palaweños. I, however, fully support the local government's responsible eco-tourism projects and effort of preserving what's already there. So hopefully, mining projects can be stopped as it not only wreaks havoc to this tropical paradise but also affects the health of many locals. Just what other city needs in order to survive and grow, it boils down to a give and take process. In order for Mother Nature to provide the people the resources, we have to give Mother Nature what is due to her.
Puerto Princesa definitely lives up to its name, "City in a Forest."
Upon landing at Puerto Princesa Airport, we drove to Marianne Home Inn (our home for 3 days) and left our bags. Hungry for lunch, we decided to ride a tricycle and made our way to our first Palawan restaurant, the KaLui. (More of KaLui in my food blog)
Went back to the inn and rested for a while then came ate Elvie, our tour guide that day. There were already groups of people in the van, including a foreign tourist thus she needs to speak in English the whole duration of the tour. For those who are thinking of hiring a tricycle instead for the city tour, you may want tho think twice, especially if you're tagging along your parents. The tourist spots included in this city tour are like kilometers away from each other with bumpy "massage roads" along the way. Thus I find paying the Php600 city tour totally worth it.
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| Plaza Cuartel: city tour with our tour guide ate Elvie discussing about the spots horrific story |
Click here for more photos of our Puerto Princesa city tour
When I arrived home after 3 days of Palawan bliss, I began searching for that notebook and immediately texted all the info about the properties to my uncle. One thing's for sure, I want to invest in Palawan. Make no mistake, I appreciate the convenience that goes along Puerto Princesa's development because it uplifts the lives of many Palaweños. I, however, fully support the local government's responsible eco-tourism projects and effort of preserving what's already there. So hopefully, mining projects can be stopped as it not only wreaks havoc to this tropical paradise but also affects the health of many locals. Just what other city needs in order to survive and grow, it boils down to a give and take process. In order for Mother Nature to provide the people the resources, we have to give Mother Nature what is due to her.
Puerto Princesa definitely lives up to its name, "City in a Forest."
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| aerial shot: Palawan's heart shape reef? it's submerged so it's definitely not an island |
Palawan series:
Loving Palawan's Great OutdoorsPalawan: Inside Peek on One of the New 7 Wonders of Nature
Deeper into Palawan's Mangrove Forest
Puerto Princesa: Discovering the City in a Forest
Palawan: Pearl Shopping
Palawan: Itinerary and Expenses
Puerto Princesa: Good Bites
My Puerto Princesa, Palawan Travel Video
