Puerto Princesa Underground River

PUERTO PRINCESA UNDERGROUND RIVER

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean National Park, where the Underground River is found, has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1999. It has also been chosen as one of the modern Seven Wonders of the World.

This park features a spectacular limestone karst landscape with an underground river. One of the river's distinguishing features is that it emerges directly into the sea, and its lower portion is subject to tidal influences. The area also represents a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation. The site contains a full 'mountain-to-sea' ecosystem and has some of the most important forests in Asia.

Each group is assigned a boatman with paddle boat equipped with a search light. The boatman gives a running commentary while viewing the formations inside the pitch-dark recesses. A most impressive area inside would be the 'cathedral', towering some 800 meters in height.

This is the main reason why I went to Puerto Princesa. Not only is it one of the 7 new wonders of nature, but imagine being able to see formations that took millions of years! Pretty humbling and awesome in my opinion. Yes, travel time and waiting time is a bit long (1.5-2hrs by van to Sabang port, wait in the port to ride on your assigned boat, arrive at the island and wait for your turn to ride the paddle boat) that will take you to the underground river) but it's all worth it! Plus you'll have a nice view in the island and the possibility to see wild monkeys run around (or steal some food from other tourists) and see large monitor lizards walk by. 

The boatmen who will be your guide during the actual underground river tour are funny and very entertaining. They will point out different stalactites and stalagmites which looks like something else. Beauty and imagination combined! 

Word of caution, it may smell a little different inside because if the thousands of small bats but for me, it was part of the attraction.