Manila: Manila Ocean Park

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When I first heard that the Manila Ocean Park, a marine park, recently opened in my city, Manila, I thought that that was so first world. Parks of this kind that I know of only existed in countries like the US, Spain and Japan. To be inside one of those tube aquariums, I thought, I would have to travel to those countries. Suffice it to say, that no longer applies.


Admittedly, our marine park is smaller than those in first-world countries. And it is. Depending on how fast you walk, you'll probably be able to go through the whole park in half an hour. But then I thought, hey, we got enough biodiversity in our seas to fill our marine parks with.


The park starts off big, literally. The first aquarium is that of three giant freshwater arapaima, a tropical fish normally found in the Amazon. They are big. I mean, Nat Geo Monster Fish big. I particularly enjoyed seeing them up-close because I am a huge fan of the show.


After the freshwater aquariums, you move on to a gallery of smaller ones, with a lot of interesting-looking fishes. Some elegant, some with elaborate fins and spines, some snaky, and some cute. I think this part would definitely be most enjoyable to kids.




Then, there are the ugly and scary ones. A rock fish which you would totally mistake for a colorful sea rock. Unfortunate, really, because they're poisonous. There's thing tank, too, full of sharks. Two or three of those sharks are so huge they can swallow a child whole. Really scary.




After the seawater fish gallery, you come up this huge atrium, the walls of which had huge built-in tanks of deep-water fishes. Some of them, I thought, looked plump enough to make good dinner. Haha. The atrium then leads off to the tube aquarium, which I very much enjoyed. You can tell by now that I am a fan of larger-than-life marine creatures.


The 400-peso entrance fee (350 for children) is not bad, actually. Well, I got in at a 50-percent discount because the company I work for chose the park as the venue for its year-end party. But I'd pay 400 for it. I'd pay a little more if I could actually get inside one of the tanks and be really up-close and personal with the marine life. Fortunately, they do have this activity. Aquanaut Voyage, they call it. One of these days, maybe.

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Manila: Intramuros

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It has to be done. I have been to quite a few places in and around the country and yet, I have never really explored the history of the city I was born in, at least not in recent years. I have seen and photographed remnants of the Spanish occupation in other parts of the Philippines. I guess it was time that I did so in my city, the country's capital, Manila.


Intramuros, Latin for within the walls, is a small territory located in the western part of Metro Manila, right by the bay and on the southern banks of the Pasig River. Back in the day, this walled city was considered the whole of Manila itself. Over the years, the territory covered by "Manila" expanded to the chaotic urban sprawl you see today.



The most prominent landmark of Intramuros is, of course, the Manila Cathedral, our first stop. The original church was erected here in 1581. It has taken quite a number of beatings over the years, including a world war, and so what we see today is actually the sixth incarnation of the church.



The cathedral interiors are palatial to say the least, the kind of place a lot of couples would want to be married in. The church is notoriously booked though. We're talking years, not just months. In fact, in the hour or so that we were there, we saw at least three set of wedding entourages pass by. Crazy.


After the cathedral, we walked the stone-covered General Luna street onto Casa Manila. It is basically a museum, a showcase of the architectural style and design popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. It costs 75 pesos to go inside the house itself and cameras aren't allowed. Needless to say, we contented ourselves exploring just the exteriors, including the courtyard, which were enough really.



For our final stop, we went back up the road, past the Manila Cathedral and the Palacio del Gobernador, into Fort Santiago, a defense fortress which was a necessity and thus a staple of Spanish colonies founded at the time. The fort forms part of Intramuros' actual walls but to get in, you need to pay 75 pesos.


Most of what Fort Santiago is right now is a well-manicured park/museum which houses memorabilia and other historical artifacts in the life of Filipino national hero Dr. José Rizal. It is a widely known fact that Fort Santiago served as Rizal's final holding prison before his execution on December 30, 1896.


We came to Intramuros in the afternoon. By the time we finished, it was already getting dark and we were getting really hungry. So we did the natural thing to do. We crossed the river into Binondo, Manila's Chinatown. After about a fifteen minute walk into Binondo's busy streets, we settled for a place that served all kinds of Chinese-Filipino dishes. At that point, we all knew we had a very good day. A very very good day.

For my complete gallery on Manila: Intramuros, please go to my Flickr set here.

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Lakbayan Update: Puerto Princesa

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Updating my Lakbayan map.


My Lakbayan grade is C.

Finally got to Puerto Princesa. The city is very clean. Tourist-friendly, too. Well-deserving of its reputation.

I really should make my way through Northern Luzon next. It is embarrassingly unshaded.

(To get your own Lakbayan grade and map, please visit this website, created by one Eugene Villar.)

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Puerto Princesa: The Baywalk

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The hotel we stayed in while in Puerto Princesa, Puerto Pension, had this restaurant on its highest floor. And since the hotel sits on top of a hill overlooking the Puerto Princesa Baywalk, the restaurant had a 360-degree view of the place. This view was what greeted us in the morning for breakfast. It was perfect.



This gave me the idea that maybe, I could shoot one of Palawan's famous sunsets from the Baywalk. However, on our boat ride back from exploring Honda Bay, we could see ominous rain clouds in the distance. I guess I would have to wait another time, another trip, before I get another chance to capture a Palaweño sunset. I was not hopeful, to say the least.


Still, though tired from all the beaches we visited the entire day, I dragged myself onto Puerto Princesa's Baywalk, just a few meters from our hotel. It was really cloudy that afternoon. Plus, I was not even sure if the the city's baywalk had sunsets, if it faces west. I went there still, tried to capture whatever was worth capturing.



Most of the people I saw on the baywalk were locals. The baywalk concludes their long day, I guess. I was about to conclude mine as well when I suddenly saw the colors of the "magic hour" come my way. Puerto Princesa's Baywalk do get sunsets, I was very happy to discover.


In my travels, I notice that a place rewards most those who are open enough and patient enough to stay with her. The point of traveling, I think, is for the traveler to open himself or herself up to new experiences, new sights, new people. You do miss a lot when you stay inside your comfort zones during your travels. Like this Puerto Princesa sunset, I am glad I witnessed it.

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Puerto Princesa: Honda Bay

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It was rainy the previous two days. So we were really banking on what locals were telling us that because Honda Bay was on the side of Palawan facing Sulu Sea, a much smaller body of water than the South China Sea on the other side, Honda Bay gets little to no rain. Thankfully, local knowledge didn't fail us.


Again, tour operators in Puerto Princesa are sort of centralized. Your hotel reception will know the people to contact to get you into a tour group and the people in charge in the tour group will know the procedures, permits to get, etc. Puerto Princesa is well set up for tourism like that.


The tour group we were on picked us up by van from our hotel and took us to the Honda Bay Port. On the port, our guide registers at the tourism desk and orders us a boat. A few minutes later, we were off.


Honda Bay is a relatively big body of water and the destinations, the islands we were hopping to, were sprawled around a wide area of sea. There were basically three destinations with one or two pit stops. The first, a pit stop, was Luli Island, named so because depending on the tides, it surfaces or it sinks. In Tagalog, lumulubog, lumilitaw. It was high tide when we got to Luli. Basically, we just passed through it.


Now, at this point, I may have already concluded that Puerto Princesa is a very touristy destination, which, I know, does not necessarily have to be a bad thing. It makes for a very easy-to-organize, safe family vacation. You would clearly feel that touristy air in this Honda Bay Island Hopping tour. More so, I think, in our next destination, Starfish Island.


Being Starfish Island, I would have guessed that there would be a lot of starfish on the beach here. I did not find any. The boatmen had some with them and apparently, the popular activity here was the distorted perspective photo-op thing. The photographer holds the starfish close to the camera while you, standing at a distance, pose like you're holding a giant starfish above your head. Something the kids would enjoy, I think.



Starsfish Island makes for a good swim, though. The water is crystal-clear and calm. It does entice you to get in and enjoy. The sand is white and fine, too. And the island had a long, partly submerged sandbar, which I always like.


We left Starfish Island at around 11:30 a.m., just in time for lunch at the next island destination, Snake Island. No, the island was not home to a huge population of snakes. Rather, the shape of it, the beach and the sandbar, snakes through the water.


Our guide told us to do whatever we want (beach bum, swim, snorkel, whatever), while she prepares the lunch. Yes, lunch is included in the tour cost. And what was lunch? Fresh, freshly grilled fish, shrimps and liempo with adobo eggplant on the side. The kind of foods that tastes best when eaten on a beach.


We stayed the longest on Snake Island, I think. Because after lunch, being full and all, nobody wanted to do anything, naturally. So, we walked further from the beach, settled on a sand bar away from the crowd, and had our this-is-the-life moment. It was sweet.


The last island we were to visit on this trip was Pandan Island. Our guide tells us that this is where a lot of colorful fish and coral reefs are located, the best site yet for snorkeling. Local knowledge succeeded again. At this point, I decided to put down my camera and enjoy the beach one last time. It would be a while before I go to another one. I am glad I made the right decision.

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Puerto Princesa: Sabang and the Underground River

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Sabang Town, on the outskirts of Puerto Princesa around two hours drive from the city, looks like the usual small fishing village I have seen a number of times throughout the country. It has one teeny tiny difference, though. It has a UNESCO World Heritage Site under its belt.


The entrance to Palawan's Underground River National Park is located in a cove about 30 minutes by boat from Sabang Beach. The beach is on the side of Palawan facing the South China Sea, definitely a much bigger body of water than the Sulu Sea. Naturally, this is the part of the province that gets the gloomy weather.


We arrived at Sabang Beach around lunch time. Restaurants line the beach, so this is where most, if not all, visitors to the river would have their midday meal. It was around this time, though, when our luck in the weather department run out. It had been cloudy earlier but we were still counting on sunny weather, obviously a little foolish, looking back. It did not stop people from swimming on the wide beautiful beach, though.


Most locals tell us that their rains usually last for just about one to two hours a day. Some part of me did not believe them. But impeccably so, the rains did stop after about an hour, allowing some of us to get out our cameras and try to capture Palawan's rainy day charm.






It started raining again when we arrived at the registration desk of the Underground River National Park, forcing me to keep my non-waterproof camera inside its waterproof bag and then wrapping that with plastic bags. I knew I was pushing it still hoping I was going to take pictures of the site.

No, I did not take the risk. Which is okay really. I doubt I would have been able to capture the enormity of what I was experiencing under that limestone mountain anyway.

In fact, I don't think I have seen a travel show capture the sights in and around that river. The caverns you would be passing through while on the 45-minute boat ride were just too grand to be photographed or filmed by any ordinary equipment. It is a sight to behold. And it is a must-do activity, touristy as it is, not just in Palawan but in the country.

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Puerto Princesa: Ugong Rock

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Summer was clearly over and we completely knew it. The weather has been gloomy all over the country and rains have been happening almost everyday. We, however, still went on with it. Puerto Princesa on a rainy August. And the answer is yes. Palawan is a rewarding place, rain or shine.


The first activity I went on was the day trip to the very famous Subterranean River National Park. The park is actually a two-hour drive from the city center. Naturaly, there are stops along the way. One of them is the Ugong Rock Cave, named so due to the sound the rock produces when you knock onto it.


Ugong Rock is actually a limestone cliff, caves and burrows inside of it, located smack in the middle of rice fields and plantations. The limestone is similar to those I've seen jutting out the water in the bays of Coron, also in Palawan. Our guides explain that, geologically speaking, that whole area used to be submerged in water.


Our guides, by the way, are part of the local cooperative managing the site. They say its sustainable tourism. It aims to preserve the environment and local culture, while still providing employment and a source of income for the local community. And you'll see lots of that in Puerto Princesa, which is highly inspiring, to say the least.


The fee for the cave exploration is 200 pesos per head. It includes rent for the helmets and gloves you'll be needing once inside. It's inclusive of the guides' fees, too. And you'll need them more than you realize. The cave starts off easy enough, until you get to some treacherous climbs (just ropes, no carabiners and support around your body) as well as to some stone creaks and holes. Challenging? Yes. Quite an experience? Absolutely.


After about 45 minutes to an hour, you will reach the top of the cliff. A viewing deck has been constructed there and it provides respite for the climbers after their most harrowing experience. That is, before they make their way back down, through the same creaks and holes they passed through. Bummer, I know. Our guides say that soon, a zip line will be constructed from the viewing deck to the ground below. And I would very much appreciate that.


Still, despite the cuts on the elbows and the muscles pulled, I would still recommend that people visit the site. It's support for the local community, for one. It is also a very rewarding experience, much like Palawan is, as I would further discover.

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