Palawan's enchanting underground river

TRAVEL TIME

Jo Erlinda G. Nebres

Published in Philippines Today

http://www.philippinestodayus.com

Palawan's enchanting underground river

Marvelous! Enchanting! Extraordinairy! Wow!

These are a few words to describe this-must-see Underground River !

This simply unique underground river has been known as the world's largest underground river and is found in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

The mystical eight-kilometer St. Paul Subterranean River runs under a mountain range hollowed out by a cave system at the bottom of karsts limestone cliffs, topped in rich rainforest cave system of sprouting and most awesome stalactites.

Outside this cave, you can lie down sunbathing on a pristine, powdery white sand beach or begin snorkeling on the emerald blue waters on the coast! Nothing beats the excitement of cruising in a mystical underground river!

From Puerto Princesa it will take you two hours drive to the pier where a boat ride takes you to the underground river. Going to the underground river is an adventure itself. Upon reaching the island, there is a little bit of trekking on a forest trails leading off into the jungle. One of these leads to a boat landing point where you charter your boat and boatman to take you into the caves. While hiking, there are monkeys and large monitor lizards roaming freely. You can hear and watch many beautiful birds there! The entrance to the underground river is a sight to see with its calm deep blue green water encased by sharp, pointed rocks!

Now, going inside the underground river is another totally different experience. More mystery unfolds. If you’re afraid of the dark and deep water, then this adventure could pose a problem for you. Each boat carries one light only that primarily points to fantastic stalagmites. The boat ride is quite long, more than 30 minutes and if I remember correctly, covers at least four kilometers of the distance but when riding on kayaks it will push farther.

On your way back, when you see the opening of the river, you kind of heave a sigh of relief because the ride is almost over. Then again, you’ll see breathtaking sceneries that make you want to stay a bit longer.

Marveling at this one of the Seven Wonders of the World , interesting rock formations are very noticeable, and the thousand of bats and swiftlets, including the one that produces the edible birds nest.

Puerto Princesa, capital of Palawan, prides itself as the cleanest city in the Philippines. To protect its mega diversity, only eco-friendly programs are adhered to by tourist establishments. And there are strict ordinances against dynamite fishing, with only net and line fishing allowed. Palawan may have opened itself to tourism but it has also taken serious efforts to preserve this last frontier.

So come to the Palawan underground river and find out for yourself why it is now leading in the search for new wonders of the world.

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