I stayed overnight in Puerto Princesa (a scheduled but totally unplanned vacation). It was a real pity that I couldn't go to the Subterranean River! I've heard so many great things about it. But what can I do when I'm just staying overnight?!?
Go to Honda Bay, that's what! My best friend and I were supposed to go island hopping, but considering that I have a 5 p.m. flight to catch on that day, we only went to one island. And it was already worth it. We'll just have to save the other islands and the underground river for another visit, a more organized one.It was really easy to arrange for island hopping or city tours because almost all, if not all, hotels and inns can arrange them for you. They work closely with the tourism agency so everything is organized. Heck, you can even ask the tricycle drivers for tour details.
Since we wanted to control our own time, we decided to arrange the island hop by ourselves. Our receptionist at the inn helped us flag down a trike and she gave the driver instructions to take us to Honda Bay. The inn-Honda Bay-inn trip costs P400. We just got our driver's mobile phone number and arranged for him to go back for us at the Honda Bay tourist center at 2:00 p.m. The trip from the inn to Honda Bay took about 45 minutes. If you're riding in a van, the trip would be much quicker.
At the tourist center, we rented a boat for P1,300 for the whole day. The admission fees to the
different islands were posted in the info booth.The island we went to was Starfish Island. It was so lovely! When we got there, there were only three groups (including us) in the island. I could stay there the whole day, but I was also fully conscious of my 5 p.m. flight. Sigh...
The admission fee was P50 per person and the fee already includes use of a cottage. There's no shower room nor running water in the island. Just toilets, so you don't have to do your thing out in the sea.
Noknok, our very kind boatman, accompanied us when we went snorkelling. We went into the water and just a couple of feet from the shore... Camera!!! I need a camera!!! Anywhere I looked there were interesting coral formations and schools of multi-colored fish. The whole scene, coupled with the sun's rays reflected underwater, was really beautiful.
My favorite moments:
- Face-to-face with a fish. I just found it so amusing when one fish swam straight at me and stopped a couple inches from my face. We just stared at each other for three seconds before it swam away. I stretched out my hand after it and managed to feel its slippery body.
- Spotting a fish that was trying to camouflage itself. I felt a sense of accomplishment when I spotted that fish. Its body was light brown, like the sand and corals around it. I was just swimming by when I saw two blue circles. I did a double-take. Could it be? Upon closer inspection, I saw that it was indeed a fish. Yay!- Eating spider shell. While we were busy stalking the fishies, Noknok was busy getting spider shells. There was a grill by the cottages where he barbecued the spider shells. He gave us a piece each and it was so yummy! It didn't even have any flavoring or seasoning on it but it was so delicious and fresh. I think its taste is closest to a squid's.
