Honda Bay Island Hopping, Palawan, Philippines (Our Third Day Tour)

On our way to Honda Bay

"Jeepney," Public Transportation in Palawan

We rented snorkeling gears here

Along Honda Bay while waiting for our boat, for our first tour, "Pambato Reef"

Our tour guide  (wearing his ID) was helping the old man to get off the boat

Pambato Reef, where boats are docked while people are snorkeling....what a gloomy day!

I think I'm one of them but not sure where I am hehehe

It's me!!! Can you see me???

My Dad! with the huge sea turtle on the background

Our next island destination, "Starfish Sand Bar"

Starfish Sandbar

Getting off the boat, at Starfish Sandbar

Boats along Starfish Sandbar, while the clouds are trying to say something.......rain!

The cottage

This was after the rain stopped

Our tour guide was preparing our lunch, slicing the barbecue

Our boatman showing the starfish to my son

Making a grasshopper out of coconut leaves

Grasshopper out of coconut leaves

"love birds"

Bruno Mars, ooppps nope, it's a witch! hehehe

My Dad can break a coconut! hehehe

My Dad trying to push the big beer hehehe

As we approach "Isla Pandan" or "Pandan Island"

Isla Pandan

Another shot at Isla Pandan, the sun did not show up 

My son carrying the big starfish hehehe

Wow massage by the beach

Bar /Store at Pandan Island

Kayak

Time to go home, the sun disappointed us

July 19, 2012- Honda Bay Tour, Island Hopping (Pambato Reef, Starfish Island/Sandbar and Pandan Island)

Our last tour from our tour package was the Honda Bay Tour.  That day the sun didn't cooperate with us, it was gloomy.  I didn't see much of the crystal clear water, maybe I would appreciate more if the sun showed up :-)  Anyways, still I love Palawan! ;-)

Our first destination was Pambato Reef, after few minutes of boat ride we stopped at pambato reef station where you can see the big sea turtle on top of the floating raft.  This raft is where you wait until your turn to snorkel.  There's a maximum of people that can occupy the waiting station and the number of people who can snorkel.  

I've been snorkeling before when we used to live in Hawaii so this was not new to me.  We enjoyed snorkeling especially my son, who loves swimming.  We saw a lot of different fish and corals.  Unfortunately we didn't have a waterproof camera and so no souvenir pictures under the sea and the camera protector/cover that my Dad rented was not working.  

Then after snorkeling we went to Starfish Island or Sandbar, as soon as we got off from the boat, the rain poured hard.  I was so scared because we were in the middle of the ocean and the waves were so big, the sky were so dark I thought we may get stranded on the island if the rain would not stop.  We were stuck in a small cottage and waited long for the rain to stop (we're afraid we may get wet hahaha).  I can't swim with that big waves and heavy rain, pretty scary!  By the time the rain stopped it's almost lunch time.  Our tour guide prepared some food to eat, this was included in our package.  But.....The food was not enough for all of us since we all like seafood, mangoes and shrimp paste or "bagoong" in Filipino.  If we've known that the tour guide will be bringing food, we should have bought and brought more seafood and fruits.  We told our tour guide that they should put more food or at least let the tourists/customers know if they want more food than what includes in the standard package.  After taking some pictures we headed already to Pandan Island since we were behind of our schedule because of the heavy rain, we didn't enjoy much in Starfish Island although it would be enjoyable if the sun came out.

When we were at Pandan Island it rained again,  we went swimming a little bit and then after an hour we changed our clothes already.  It was gloomy and you can't enjoy swimming if it's kind of dark.  Only on this island that you can take a shower and change your clothes. This island is pretty nice but the rain ruin our day and did not enjoy swimming in the beach.

We were so tired going home but still we enjoyed the island hopping,  there's still no place like Palawan.

Ugong Rock Adventure, Palawan, Philippines (Second Day Tour)

Along Sabang beach, a gloomy day :-'(

Underground River

"Tamilok" or Wood Worm

My son trying to eat the "wood worm" (eeewwww)

Another shot of the Underground River

My son playing rocks

Karst Mountain Elephant Cave

Another view of the Karst Mountain Cave plus 2 Nipa huts

Ugong Rock Adventures

Ugong Cave

Me, " spelunking"trying to go to the top 

Just wearing slippers,  "spelunking" or caving was not even in our plan

Can you see people wearing orange vest? Their place is where the end of the zipline

My hubby, ziplining...can you see him??

It's my turn....ziplining...whoaaaa!!

Still me

and me....I survived!!! 

After ziplining time to eat....sizzling seafood sisig

Seafood Kangkong

Coconut with watermelon and pineapple inside with brown sugar on top

Ka Lui Restaurant

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Our second day tour, Underground River, July 18, 2012

Our scheduled tour for that day was the Underground River, after our breakfast we headed to Sabang Pier already.  The package includes the tour fees and permit, boat rides and lunch buffet.  So upon arrival at the pier we let our tour guide handle all the transactions for our Underground River tour and while waiting for our turn for the boat ride we went to eat lunch buffet.

There's one lady that was selling the "wood worms" or "tamilok" while we were eating outside the restaurant,   my husband  bought some since my son was very eager to try and taste it, so he did.... same with my Dad and my husband but not me.  They said it tasted like oysters, whatever it tastes like still, I would never ever try that....eeewwww hehehe.

So after lunch we waited for few minutes before our turn to ride the boat. When we were in the underground river site, we still have to wait for another boat ride to get inside the cave. It's amazing experience to witness this "wonder of nature" unfortunately I didn't turn on my flash to take pictures inside I was just scared of the bats who may be distracted of flashlights and may chase us hehehe.

After the tour we were supposed to go back to the resort but we asked the tour guide if we can see and check the Ugong Rock Zipline.  We saw that place when we were heading to Underground River.  This was not in our itinerary and we were not prepared that we will be doing spelunking and ziplining. So my husband, brother-in-law, my son and I decided to try while the oldies (my Dad, my step mom, father and mother in laws stayed and waited for us.

This was the first time for my son who that time was eager to climb to the top but when we were on our last phase of spelunking he was trying to convince me to go back hehehe he was scared at first to wear the harness and climb through big line ropes hehehe but I was able to convince him to finish by ziplining and he really enjoyed it.

For me, this was my third time ziplining but this zipline was the steepest one among the 3 I tried.  My first one was only a short zipline which was in my jazzercise instructor's huge yard, second was in Ontario, Canada (which I forgot to post it here probably next time when I have a chance).

I noticed that the tour guides here in Ugong Rock are in between 30s, 40's age or maybe 50's but I like the idea of hiring them to help these people to get a job even they're kind of old....age really doesn't matter here.  Whoever is the owner/manager of this Ugong Rock, thumbs up, you rock! lol

Thanks to our tour guide (our guide during our entire stay in Palawan), he was the one taking pictures when we were doing spelunking and ziplining I think I regret of giving my camera to him, we don't have enough nice pictures hehehe. He ziplined first before us so we don't have nice pictures on top.

After Ugong Rock we headed back to the resort and got rested for few hours and ate dinner at Ka Lui. Superb food and the ambiance inside is very relaxing.

Next post is our third day tour, island hopping.