The (Anti-)Solo Traveler Diaries (PPUR+ Edition): THIS Is Why We're Here

Today, whenever you say you've been to Palawan, the first thing people will ask you is, 'Have you been to the Underground River?' Because ever since this landmark made it to the list of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, everyone -- from locals to foreign tourists -- wanted a glimpse of what's inside the 'cave with a river.'

I was one of them.

And seven months ago, I was beaming in pride to say that 'I went inside the Puerto Princesa Underground River.

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The road leading to the place was a long one though. The underground river is located in Sabang Island, some 50km south of Puerto Princesa city proper. So it was a pretty long ride from the lodge to the port that will bring us to the island. That included a stopover, which is an opportunity to 'do our thing,' because such activities has a charge upon reaching the port.

Some souvenirs for sale

A baby goat

Taratitat is the name of the coconut stand, not the talkative person

It was around 10:30am when we got to the port. The line for the boat ride going to Sabang Island was also a long one, but we did not get bored easily because of, well, photo-ops.

Miss Red Hat...

And Mrs. Pink Hat

 Upon reaching the island, I was amazed at how soft and silky (is this a skincare product ad?) the sand feels. Reminds me so much of the white sand in Boracay, but this one is much cleaner, and 'pure.'

Before getting to the river itself, we have to put our names in the 'guest list' of the visitors' lobby near the entrance. After that, we walk on a long stretch of wooden path (much like a boardwalk) leading to the 'lagoon.'

Along the way, I saw different plants and creatures such as exotic orchids, monkeys and a monitor lizard or bayawak. Taking photos of these animals are prohibited so I do not have pictures of them. But I swear, the bayawak I saw was so big, it was almost the size of a young (not baby) crocodile.

Read before proceeding...

The wooden path leading to the river

I say 'lagoon' because there was a shallow (read: knee-deep) lagoon leading to the river. The guide, however, says that the river itself was deep, and more of that later on.

Blue lagoon over here...

To preserve the integrity of the place, the flow of visitors are regulated; thus only two boats with ten passengers each enter the river each time. But since there was a line (again, so spell PUP: Pila Ulit Pila), we have to wait for our turn to ride the boat inside the river. That also means another round of cam-whoring!

To save precious battery life for the more important things, I used my phone camera for the photo ops of Team Grade Six. I used the camera to take the picture of a school of fishes in the lagoon.

Yes, the water is so clean you can clearly see these almost-transparent fishes.

Finally, it's our turn to ride the boat. Each boat is powered by a single oar; and has a high-powered flashlight attached to the front which serves as the guide light throughout the dark 'cave.'

Here we go...

According to our guide, the underground river spans 8.2km, but only one kilometer of it is accessible to tourists. The rest is open only for further research. Also, some areas are closed due to its extremely low elevation. And just like what I have mentioned, the water inside the cave is deep -- human deep, actually.

Seven months after visiting the underground river, I could not bring myself to describe in detail what was like inside. For this reason, I post some pictures of the inside of the underground river. But I still highly suggest that you visit the place and see for yourself.

Most of the things found inside the underground river consists of stalactites (above) and stalagmites.

Can you see the Virgin Mary here?

How about here?

Was that a jellyfish?

Looks like a bird perching from a branch...

A mushroom? Another jellyfish?

A cacao fruit (where cacao seeds come, where chocolate and cocoa butter are sourced)

Another jellyfish?

It's faintly lighted, but could you see the Holy Family?

It's a banana heart! I wonder if I could open my mouth from above this one and let an amulet drop from it. (Captain Barbell a la Edu Manzano?!)

The things you see here are not man-made -- they are formed by years of lime deposits brought about by droplets of water.

Now you know why people voted for PPUR to be included in the New Seven Wonders of Nature.