A City Tour in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan

the crocodile skin

Aside from the famous Underground River and beaches of Palawan, there are other must do and must see in the City of Puerto Princesa, Palawan. According to our tour guide in Honda Bay, a city tour in Puerto Princesa will only take five to six hours. So after our Honda Bay Island Tour, we quickly went back to the resort, take a quick shower and went off to our city tour.

The first stop of our trip is the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (PWRCC), formerly known as the Crocodile Farm and Nature Park. The place serves as a sanctuary to crocodiles, though there are also some animals that are being taken care of.  One of the main attractions of the PWRCC is the skeleton of a huge sea crocodile encased in a glass and at the wall behind the case is the skin of the said crocodile.

the large crocodile skeleton

The tour at the conservatory includes visiting the hatchling center, wherein the baby crocodiles are segregated from different level of maturity. The baby crocs are inside big white basins placed at the each side of the building creating a walk path in the middle where visitors pass through as they take a look of the crocodile. Visitors are prohibited to extend any body part into the basin as the crocodiles can leap from the basin. At the end of the hatchling center is a big cage where the big and crocodiles are kept. Above the cage is a metal bridge where visitors need to cross to get to the other end. After the crocodile den, visitors can visit the other animals being taken care of at the conservatory like the bear cat and cockatoos.

baby crocodiles

the teen-age

crocodiles

adult crocodile

Our next stop is Mitra’s Ranch. Mitra’s Ranch is owned by the former Senator Ramon Mitra. The place gives a perfect view of Palawan being on top of a hill. Aside from the good view it offers, the place also gave off a relaxing feeling. The grass surrounding the house is inviting that you will find yourself sitting on the ground while looking at Honda Bay.

the house at Mitra's Ranch

enjoying the view of the Honda Bay

Near Mitra’s Ranch is Baker’s Hill. This is a go to place if you want to buy pasalubong. They have a variety of hopias, cakes and breads. Upon entering Baker’s Hill you will be welcomed by various life-size figurines. The area is liked a theme park with full of statues and different kind of plants and birds. It also has a restaurant inside that allows tourists to dine. The place is relaxing and very nice to do a lot of your photo ops. 

the large house at Baker's Hill

Flower arrangements

Cockatoos at Baker's Hill

 Before going back to our resort we decided to go to the local church. It was already a habit for me and my friends to visit the local church to say our prayer for the safe journey and to light up some candles.

the church at Puerto Princesa

A Guide to Bataan

It seems like everyone I know is going to Bataan for the summer. The province of Bataan is well-known for the very historic Death March during World War II has now become a go to destination this summer. Aside from the rich history that Bataan offers, it also has its beautiful beaches to boast.

At the Balanga bus terminal

The travel to Bataan is approximately 2-3 hours. For commuters like me, you can ride a bus at the Five Star bus station in Cubao bound to Balanga. Fare is Php 200.00. There is a bus leaving for Balanga every fifteen minutes. The last stop of the bus is at the terminal at Balanga. The Balanga bus terminal serves also as the start off point in discovering Bataan. 

having fun while waiting for the shuttle

From the bus terminal, one can ride a tricycle to have a city tour of Balanga. Tricycle fare is php 10.00 per person. The places that you may want to vist in Balanga are their city hall, church and the mall whose architecture is very different from the malls in Metro Manila. At first glance you would not have thought of it as a mall, but because of the fast foods located at the ground floor and the elevator we realized that it was indeed a shopping center.

the town hall of Balanga

the shopping center at Balanga

the shuttle

Most of the resorts and beaches in Bataan are located in Bagac and Morong. There is a shuttle bound for Morong at the bus terminal. Fare up to the town of Morong is Php 65.00. Travel period from Balanga to Morong approximately 90 to 105 minutes.

During my last two visits in Bataan I opted to sit next to the driver to get a better view of the road. And this is also to ask questions about Bataan. Fortunately, the two drivers that I have talked to from my last two visits are very nice and accommodating. They gave us instructions and tips on how we can reach our resorts.

the road ahead

As I have mentioned, the trip is about 90 to 105 minutes, and the ride is a lullaby. Although the shuttle is non-air-conditioned, rusty and old, but because of the fresh air coming from the mountains and farms you will definitely get into a sleep. As much as possible don’t drowse into a slumber as you might miss seeing Mt. Samat, the different Death March landmarks and other beautiful scenery.

a view of Mt. Samat

palays drying up at the road

a marker of the Bataan Death March