Browsing the blog archive for Palawan Travel Guide | Ambot ah! Travel Blog
Coming out from a long trek through the jungle trail in Palawan, I finally caught sight of the underground river’s mouth. There were no crowds of tourists around, only me the boatman, who was intently anticipating my arrival for the guided tour of the subterranean marvel. From the dock, we swept across the tranquil waters going to the cave portal and drifted even further. The cave became increasingly dimmer as if the daylight were avoiding getting too deep inside the inner chambers. We continued our voyage until everything went … pitch black.
The ghastly solace inside the underground river reminded me of tales from Greek mythology, particularly descriptions of the River Styx, which divided the world of the living from the world of the dead. The darkness, calm waters, eerie echoing sounds, and otherworldly rock formations made it easy to imagine as if I were being ferried by Charon on his ubiquitous paddle boat to the land of Hades. Like the hero Aeneas, who saw many illusions while crossing the river styx, the boatman pointed out peculiar cave formations, which resembled real life things from fruits, vegetables, everyday items to human figures, and religious scenes.
I stumbled upon Port Barton while I was researching about places to visit for my first solo trip to Palawan. Just the name “Port Barton” instantly got me curious since it sounds very “British,” which is highly unusual in the Philippines. I wanted to know what’s there to see in Port Barton, which often described as an excellent backpackers’ hangout in Palawan. Barangay Port Barton is located in the town of San Vicente, which is situated between two destinations I also wanted to visit. Although it was not right along the highway, I hoped to do a quick overnight sidetrip on my way to the Sabang, Puerto Princesa City from El Nido, Palawan.
Locals on a carabao (water buffalo) drawn carroza along the white sand beachfront of Port Barton in San Vicente, Palawan
Woke up super early to catch the 7:00AM bus out of El Nido, Palawan. My next destination was Port Barton, a small village located in the town of San Vicente, Palawan. While waiting at the terminal for the bus to fill up, I noticed some of the passengers were taking a spot ON TOP of the bus. While it’s fairly common in the Philippines to see people toploading jeepneys/tricycles, it was my first time to encounter it being done on a bus. It didn’t take me long get my ass up there and try toploading a bus for the first time. Definitely the best seat on the bus if you’re looking forward to getting a sweeping view of Palawan’s scenic countryside.
The late afternoon hours are a major part of my day when I’m traveling. I’ve already watched the sunset at Calaan Beach located past the northern end of El Nido town proper. To switch things up, I hopped on a tricycle (P10 fare) headed southwards to Corong-corong Beach. At first glance, Corong-corong seemed very laid back and looked more like a typical fishing village than a resort town. It’s a great place to go to escape the tourist crowd in El Nido.
Laid back Corong-Corong Beach
Its day two of my El Nido island hopping adventure. I wanted go on “Tour A” this time. At around 9:00AM, Kuya Jason was ringing my phone … I was already running late and the group I was assigned to (for the day) were all waiting for me at the boat … talk about a shameful entrance :( On the way to our first destination, I inescapably overheard group’s conversation … they mentioned meeting each other in an online forum. I immediately got curious and asked them about it. My suspicions were true, they were indeed fellow Pinoy Exchange (PEX) members… what a coincidence! “Tour A” took our group of 7 (Me, Ana, Fritzie, Jo, Cyril, Cyrus, and Nanay) to the most amazing lagoons and beaches in Miniloc and Shimizu Islands.
Undoubtedly, the biggest attraction that draws tourists to El Nido are the picturesque islands sprinkled off its coast. I planned on staying in El Nido for at least two full days so I can indulge two different island hopping tours. There are a handful of organized island hopping tours in El Nido codenamed “Tour A,” “Tour B,” … C, and D. Each of these tours go around four to five spots in the islands. Even if you’re traveling alone, the boatmen will just let you join a group for the island hopping tours in El Nido. The tours are a whole day affair (picnic lunch included) with prices ranging from P500 to P900 per person. I read from everywhere that the best tours were A and C, so I booked “Tour C” first with Kuya Jason, my contact. I woke up at around 6:00AM, which was really early for my standards, I must have been very excited to finally go on the island hopping tour :)
On the boat approaching Cadlao Island
The daylight was already starting to fade when I arrived in El Nido town proper. It took me a few months to prepare and plan my first solo backpacking trip to El Nido. Like most people, I was initially scared at the thought of travelling alone but I knew that I had to overcome this fear if I were to achieve my long term travel masterplans *evil laugh*. Palawan, was the perfect start since, other than being a very beautiful place to visit, it was already an established backpacking destination. After getting off the bus in El Nido, I couldn’t resist to urge to dash to the beach. I felt really good that I’ve survived the long journey … yey! My itinerary worked really well so far :)
It was time to bid my goodbye to San Vicente and get back on the road enroute to El Nido, a place I’ve fantasized to visit for far too long. My legs were actually still aching from my misadventure at the longest beach in the Philippines the day before and I still had long way to go. From the terminal in San Vicente, I hopped on the van going to Roxas town (P120 fare). The van left at 9:00AM and arrived one and a half hours later in the Roxas Terminal, which is a major transit point in Northern Palawan. I was hoping to catch a bus to El Nido from there but couldn’t find one at the time. The locals told me I could ride a bus to Taytay (P70 fare) and catch another bus to El Nido from there. I was so glad I did because it gave me the chance to take a short sidetrip to the charming coastal town of Taytay.
Riding the local bus to Taytay, Palawan
In the Philippine Ilonggo dialect, ambot ah literally means "I don't know." After graduating in college, I decided to hold off pursuing my profession and embarked on a free spirited journey of adventure and self-discovery. My travels have led me to many places across the Philippine Islands and South East Asia. I don't know where this path will take me but I'm certain I'll get a lifetime of stories out of it.
