Our Puerto Princesa Vacation: Day 2 - Underground River, Baywalk, Ka Lui

We had an early morning call time on our 2nd Day.  We were picked up by our tour guide at around 6-6:30am.  We asked the pension house to prepare our breakfast in styro containers so we could just eat in the van.  We also bought pandesal on the way.  My mom couldn't get enough of the distinctly probinsya taste of the pandesal - to me, wala akong nalasahang kakaiba. hehe.

Prior to our going to Puerto Princesa, our tour coordinator already asked us for our names and the copies of the boys' birth certificates to register us for the Underground River Tour.  Prior booking is required as the PPUR receives around 700 visitors per day! (and that number is estimated to grow after the official proclamation of the PPUR as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World).

The Drive to Sabang Port takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.  Then you ride a bangka to be able to get to PPUR.

Araw sleeping again in the van on the way to Sabang Port

 

At Sabang Port

Excited to see you, PPUR!

 We're here!

It was too dark to take pictures inside, but, boy, it was everything it was hyped up to be.  The tour lasted for 45 minutes to one hour.  Our boatman/tour guide was so funny.  He kept on telling all sorts of jokes while we were inside.  We thought we were going to have a problem with our boys because of the dark (and the bats!), but they were amazed and quietly observing everything while we were there. (It helped that they were holding their own flashlights, feel na feel nila ang pagiging explorers nila). 

satisfied tourists

 Bayawak roaming freely

 

Monkeys roaming freely and snatching bags and junk food of careless tourists

 Boys waiting for the bangka that will bring us to our lunch destination

As part of the package, we had buffet lunch by the beach.  We got to have our first taste of tamilok!  It tasted ok, although it has a mala-kahoy aftertaste.  Wouldn't trade my love for oysters for tamilok just yet.

After lunch, we headed back to the pension house.  At around 5pm, we headed to Baywalk so that the boys can ride bikes first before our dinner at Ka Lui.

 The country's tallest Christmas tree

Dinner that night was c/o my brother.  We made our reservation in Ka Lui, said to be Puerto Princesa's most famous restaurant, while we were still in Manila.  We ordered too much food that night, all beautifully-plated, all superbly-cooked.  We had the Ka Lui Special of the Day as well as a few other items.  I have never seen halaan as big as what they served.  Their fish in mango (?) cream was so melt-in-your-mouth delicious.  The crispy fish tail was also very good.  The salad  had tuna sashimi slices :) I think we also ordered the tempura kaka because I can recall eating deep fried veggies.  Everything was delicious. (No pictures, though, we were too busy. :P)

 while waiting to be seated.  we had to remove our footwear upon entering.

 

 artwork