This is my do-it-yourself (DIY) travel itinerary during my first visit to the southern half of Palawan Island. I only got to visit the Tabon Caves in Quezon town because of my limited time left in Palawan. I spend four days in Quezon town and the remaining days in Puerto Princesa City. While I was in Puerto Princesa, I got the chance to visit the Bonton Falls in Brgy. Irawan and a taste of the best chaolong I’ve had so far.


Route map of my Tabon Caves, Quezon and Puerto Princesa DIY Itinerary for 6 days

continued from El Nido and Puerto Princesa Underground River Itinerary 8 days

Day 8 (December 6, 2011; Tuesday)

Transport: Puerto Princesa to Quezon

  • 4:00pm – Arrival in Puerto Princesa City (San Jose) bus/van terminal
  • 4:10pm –  Board van to Quezon town, Depart Puerto Princesa
  • Puerto Princesa to Quezon, Palawan van ride via Charing lines (4 hours) – P200 fare
    • Stopover at Narra town. Asked my “seatmate” cheap for accommodations options in Quezon town proper. She suggested Jovavich Pension.
  • 8:00pm – Arrival in Quezon town proper. Requested van to drop me off at Jovavich since there weren’t any tricycles around that late at night
  • Check-in at Jovavich – P200 per night
  • Dinner at Jovavich
    • Meatballs, lomi soup, rice – P39. Good food for its price.
Sleep: Jovavich Pension in Quezon Town Proper, Palawan

Day 9 (December 7, 2011; Wednesday)

  • 12:47nn – woke up
  • Extend +1 night at Jovavich
  • 1:00pm – tricycle ride to National Museum – Quezon branch (5 minutes) – P9 fare. It was around three blocks away from Jovavich. Walked on the way back.
  • Inquired about the Tabon Caves tour. The pumpboat transfer costs P800 with additional P20 for the entrance/permit fee. No tours booked that day. I was hoping to join a tour group to save on costs. Curator told me to come back early morning (8am opening time) the next day. In the meantime, went through the exhibits at the museum.
  • Quezon Municipal Hall, Church, Public Market, Fish Port, Bayside area. Nothing spectacular. Just wanted to see what’s around town and observe life in Quezon
  • Drop by Quezon municipal tourism office.
    • A few promising sights in town like Frettoria Falls and many beautiful off-shore islands. Locals manning the tourism office were very convincing but I wasn’t able to go to any of them because the sights were a from the town proper and public transportation was a bit lacking (have to charter my own transport).
  • Beef Chaolong at “Nice Blas” food stall near Jovavich
    •  Special chaolong beef stew with whole egg – P45. Decent enough Chaolong. Too bad they didn’t have french bread that time.
  • Drop by Zambrano’s Lodge, which was nearer to Quezon Municipal Hall and the Public Market.
    • P100 budget room. Single fan room with shared TB
    • P200 double fan room with private TB
    • P600 spacious double aircon room  with private TB
  • Eat at pizza stall in the Quezon Public Market
    • Hawaiian pizza – P15 per piece. Cheap pinoy style pizza
  • Dinner at carinderia (local eatery; near Jovavich) – P50

Day 10 (December 8, 2011; Thursday)

  • 7:30am – woke up
  • Walk to National Museum (3 blocks away)
  • 8:00am – Walk to National Museum. Wait for a group to arrive.
    • Take photos of the small stream and “mini underground river” behind the museum grounds.
  • 8:45am – A group of Quezon locals arrived at the museum to get a permit for the Tabon Caves National Park (had their own pumpboat service). They agreed to let me join them for the boat ride to the Tabon Caves. Instructed us to wait at the Municipal Fish Port.
  • Pay P20 Tabon Caves entrance/permit fee.
  • Larry (our tour guide, who also works at the National Museum – Quezon Branch), offered me a ride in his motorcycle. Quick stop at a bakery to buy assorted breads – P50. Assumed the locals would stay at the caves past lunchtime
  • 9:15am – Board the pumpboat service of the locals
  • Quezon town proper to Tabon Caves National Park entrance pumpboat ride (1 hour). Our pupmboat ranreally real slow.
  • 10:19am – Arrival at Tabon Caves entrance
  • Start Tabon Cave Tour
    • 1st: Ligang Cave
    • 2nd: Tabon Cave – main site of burial diggings
    • 3rd: Diwata Cave
    • 4th: Igang Cave – most beautiful cave with extensive stalactites
    • 5th: Manunggul Cave (wasn’t able to visit because it was high up in the cliffs)
    • 6th: Tadyaw Cave
  • 2:45pm – Departure from Tabon Caves
  • 3:45pm – Arrival in Quezon town proper
  • Eat chaolong at Chaolongan near the public market. Worst chaolong ever!
  • 6:00pm – Walk back to Jovavich. There was a power outage the for the whole day and most of the night. Fortunately, power was restored at 9:30pm.

Day 11 (December 09, 2011; Friday)

  • 9:08am – Breakfast at Jovavich
    • Fish steak with rice and egg + coffee – P70
Transport: Quezon, Palawan to Puerto Princesa
  • Walk to Quezon bus/van terminal. No buses at the terminal that time. Attempted to wait for a cheap local bus. Gave in to riding the van after waiting (in vain) for 45 minutes
  • 10:00am – Departure from Quezon
  • Quezon to Puerto Princesa van ride (4 hours) – P200 fare
  • 2:15am – Arrival at San Jose Market Terminal in Puerto Princesa
  • Multicab ride to Mendoza Park – P12  fare
Check-in at Dallas Inn
  • Walk to Dallas Inn. Check-in.
    • Dorm bed (free coffe and wifi) –  P300 per night
  • Late lunch at FilViet Cuisine near Dallas Inn
  • Early dinner at Pho Saigon restaurant (along the highway to San Jose Market Terminal; near Robinsons Place Palawan mall)
    • Phot Tom (Shrimp Noodles) – P70, French Bread with Tuna – P45.
Sleep: Dallas Inn

Day 12 (December 10, 2011; Saturday)

  • 11:00am – Brunch at Chowking
    • Wanton Noodles with siopao + pork chao fan – P120
  • Jeepney ride from Mendoza Park, Puerto Princesa City proper to Brgy. Irawan – P30 fare. Drop-off at intersection going to Irawan Barangay Hall.
  • Ride jeep to internet café near PPC Coliseum – P8
  • Inquired about how to get to Bonton Falls (located along the Bonton River in Brgy. Irawan, Puerto Princesa City). There are no organized tours to Bonton Falls. Shared how interested I was to visit the falls. Fortunately, the Barangay Captain requested one of his “Tanod’s” to guide me (and my friend) for the trek to the waterfalls.
  • 2:30pm – Single motorcycle ride to the Bonton Falls  jump-off point, which was located within the Puerto Princesa City Water District compound.
  • 2:40pm – Start trek upstream along the Bonton River. The undeveloped natural landscape of the forested area was breathtaking. Many fallen trees untouched. Crossed the stream many times. Had a rock climbing moment using a vine at one point.
  • 3:29pm – Arrival at Bonton Falls.
  • Brgy. tanod shared that there are 3 more waterfalls in Brgy. Irawan: Tadtaran Falls, Mananangop Falls, one other waterfalls. All of them are undeveloped to mainstream tourism.
  • 3:54pm – Trek back to water district compound
  • 5:00pm – Arrival at the water district compound
  • Single motorcycle ride back to Irawan Brgy. Hall intersection. Walk to Sicsican because there weren’t any jeeps left in Irawan.
  • Jeepney ride from Brgy. Sicsican to Puerto Princesa City Proper – P20. Drop off at Palawan Provincial Capitol.
  • Tricycle ride to Bona’s Chaolong – P8
  • Dinner at Bona’s Chaolong
    • Beef stew chaolong and chicken filled french bread (forgot how much it costs but wasn’t very expensive). Best tasting Chaolong so far. I was fulfilled having I left Palawan with a very satisfying taste of this famous soup dish.
  • Tricycle ride to Puerto Princesa Baywalk “baybay” – P8
  • Walk along the bayside promenade
  • Walk to Itoy’s Coffee Haus
    • Double Dutch Frappe – P145. Excellent coffee.
Sleep: Dallas Inn

Day 13 (December 11, 2011; Sunday)

  • 7:40am – Check-out at Dallas Inn
  • 7:45am – Tricycle ride from Dallas Inn to Puerto Princesa Airport – P30. Agreed to the rate since I was running late.
  • 8:05am – Arrival at Puerto Princesa Airport
  • Check-in for Airphil Express flight# 2P 942 – P40 airport terminal fee. Since I was on a “Puerto Princesa to Manila” and “Manila to Iloilo” connecting flight. Airline staff told me I can claim my checked-in baggage at the Iloilo Airport
  • Breakfast at Puerto Princesa Airport
    • Bacon and cheese sandwich (P100), 500ml bottled water (P40)
  • 9:10am – Departure from Puerto Princesa
  • Puerto Princesa to Manila flight via Airphil Express flight #2P 842 (1 hour and 10 minutes)
  • Arrival at Manila International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3
  • Spend free time wandering around Metro Manila
  • 5:00pm – Check-in for Airphil Express flight #2P 953
  • 5:50pm – Departure from Manila International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3
  • Manila to Iloilo flight via Airphil Express flight #2P 953
  • Arrival at Iloilo Airport
Finished :D