Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOURS FROM PUERTO PRINCESA
There are several attractions around Puerto Princesa that you can easily visit in a day or less,
including
Honda Bay
(see p.376) and the
Underground River
(see p.380) - note that for the
latter you need to sort out a permit at least a day in advance (see below). All the hotels and
agents in the area sell essentially the same tours, taking in the nearest sights for around P600
per person in a minivan, or P500-700 for a tricycle.
Most “city” tours take in
Butterfly Garden
(daily 7am-5pm; P50), a tropical garden with
hundreds of brightly hued butterflies, and
Baker's Hill
, a manicured park and snack stop
with a couple of aviaries. The
Crocodile Farm & Nature Park
(Mon-Sat 9am-noon & 1-4pm,
Sun 2-4pm; P50) breeds endangered crocodiles, while the
Iwahig Prison & Penal Farm
(daily 8am-7pm; free) is an intriguing “Prison Without Bars” established in 1904.
RECOMMENDED TOUR OPERATORS
El Mundo
National Hwy, Brgy San Miguel
T
0921
756 6762.
Island Paradise Tours
Rizal Ave
T
048 433 2245.
Topstar
Rizal Ave
T
048 433 8247.
Trip Buddies
Rizal Ave
T
048 723 0160.
7
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
PUERTO PRINCESA
By plane
Flights arrive at tiny Puerto Princesa Airport at
the eastern edge of the city on Rizal Ave. A small tourist
o
ce (
T
048 434 4211) opens to meet flights. Most hotels
will arrange to pick you up for free; tricycles cost around
P50. Most passengers book tickets online (where rates
can be very cheap), but hotels will also book them (for a
fee). Of the airline o
ces at the airport, Philippine Airlines
is open daily (8am-4.30pm;
T
048 433 4565), while Cebu
Pacific (
T
048 433 554) and the other airlines open for
flights only.
Destinations
Cebu (Air Asia: 2 daily; 1hr 10min); Manila
(Air Asia, Cebu Pacific & PAL Express: 11 daily; 1hr 20min).
By ferry
The port is at the western end of Malvar St, a
short walk north of Rizal Ave.
Destinations
2Go operates a Puerto Princesa-Coron-Manila
service (Sat midnight; 14hr to Coron, 30hr to Manila).
By bus, jeepney and van
Most services depart from the
San José terminal (also known as “New Market” after the
market next door), 7km north of the centre. Tricycles
charge P100-120 from the city centre to San José; you can
also catch multicabs (a minivan version of a jeepney; P15)
and jeepneys from the corner of Rizal Ave and the National
Highway (junction 1). Departures to all points north are
most frequent in the early mornings; the times quoted
here are guidelines only. Vans are typically 25 percent faster
than buses, but are correspondingly more expensive, and
often less comfortable - Daytripper Palawan (
T
0917 848
8755,
W
daytripperpalawan.com) is a notable exception,
and is well worth the extra money. They have one daily
service from Puerto Princesa to El Nido in each direction at
9am (P900).
Destinations
Brooke's Point (4 daily; 5hr); El Nido (10 daily,
mornings; 6-8hr); Port Barton (daily 9am; 3hr); Quezon
(hourly, mornings; 4hr); Roxas (10 daily, mornings; 3hr);
Sabang (8 daily, 6.30am-3pm; 2hr 30min); San Vicente
(2 daily; 5hr); Taytay (10 daily, mornings; 5hr).
GETTING AROUND
Tricycles
There are no taxis in Puerto Princesa, but it's not
di
cult to find a tricycle. The standard fare per person
within the city - including the airport and port - is P10
(more after 9pm), while hiring a tricycle privately will cost
P50 for a short hop.
Motorbike rental
There are numerous motorbike rental
shops near the airport on Rizal Ave, all charging around
P500/day or P3850/week (P800-1000/day for the bigger
Honda trail bikes). ATO Motorbike Rentals (
T
0920 491
3069) on Manalo Extension is a reputable operator.
INFORMATION
Tourist o
ce
Provincial Capitol Building, Rizal Ave, 1km
west of the airport at the junction with the National
Highway (Mon-Sat 9am-5pm;
T
048 433 2968).
Maps
The tourist o
ce's city maps (P50) are not as useful
as the map in this Guide or the
EZ Map
of Puerto Princesa
and Palawan (P99), sold at many city hotels.
Underground River permits
If you're planning to visit
the Underground River independently (see p.380), take
your passport along to the park o
ce in the City Coliseum,
San Pedro (daily 8am-5pm;
T
048 723 0904) to arrange a
permit on the spot.
