Beyond island hopping and an underground river

The highlight of the trip to Puerto Princesa should have been a visit to the Underground River. But the permits to visit one of the new “Seven Wonders of Nature” were scarce and we had a slot that required us to get up at a ridiculous hour of dawn. So the plan was nixed. But it all turned out for the best because we were able to appreciate, even more, the often-overlooked attractions of Palawan’s capital city.

A major attraction of the place is the food. Perhaps to emphasize this, our first stop after landing in the Puerto Princesa airport was dinner at Kinabuch’s. Much has been written about this restaurant where the newbies in our group were treated to their first taste of tamilok, a type of shipworm harvested from the bark of mangrove trees. Simply served with vinegar kinilaw-style, fondness for the dish is, admittedly, an acquired taste. For my part, however, I was hoping to get a glimpse of restaurant owner Butch Chase. My siblings and I considered the erstwhile Philippine motocross legend as one of our childhood heroes. Many years ago when Suzuki rented our guest house in Baguio for its motorcycle racing team, we made pests of ourselves and ran out into the driveway each time the racers revved up just to be able to breathe in the distinctive smell of bike exhaust. But Butch wasn’t around that evening. Nevertheless, our group thoroughly enjoyed Kinabuch’s’s standouts of fish sinigang, shrimp and crispy pata.

The Gypsy’s Lair: Lively café that is home to artists, musicians and the expatriate crowd

As it was getting late and we were off to an early start for island hopping the next day, we hied off to Gohotels Palawan, our billet for the weekend. The Palawan property is the second of Robinsons Land Corporation ‘s (RLC) value-for-money hotel chain. With its catchy tagline “A place for every Juan,” Gohotels makes travelling easy on the pocket by promoting online booking. By planning trips and booking early, Gohotels’ clients are rewarded through low hotel rates. Currently, overnight promotional rates at gohotels.ph-Puerto Princesa start at P388 if you book online, and P2,000++ for walk-in guests.  

We were glad to note, however, that the budget hotel does not scrimp on the essentials. Guests can sleep soundly on comfortable Windsor beds and bathrooms are equipped with “super shower set-ups.” Each room is equipped with LCD cable TV, and free Wi-Fi can be accessed throughout the hotel. Moreover, Gohotels Puerto Princesa is located near the airport and various lifestyle hubs. The hotel has also partnered with agencies like Gulliver’s Travel that provide safe, efficient and competent tours of the city and its environs.

As can be expected during summer, there was a horde of sun and sea lovers in Pambato Reef, Starfish Island and Pandan Island the next day. Even at the height of noon, they frolicked in the white sand and clear, clean water, oblivious to the ill effects of the scorching sun. Past experience with severe sunburn had taught to be more wary, so we resisted the urge to be reckless. And thus, we still had the energy to explore Puerto Princesa’s nightlife after a superlative dinner at Ka Lui’s that evening.

Wine distributor Antonio Cogolludo plays a mean Spanish guitar.

Topping our “to-do” list was a visit to The Gypsy’s Lair in Mercado de San Miguel. The art-café is owned by long-time friend Dinggot Conde-Prieto who relocated to Puerto Princesa some years ago. Apart from being home to local artists and musicians, the lively café features an eclectic menu consisting of Filipino, Asian, Spanish and Western cooking. This was a welcome change after a surfeit of local fare. Small wonder, then, that the café is a favorite of Puerto Princesa’s growing expatriate community. It is a great place to meet people, exchange stories, and share happy memories over a glass of wine.

The friendly, laid-back and welcoming mood of Puerto Princesa has to be one reason why Spaniard Antonio Cogolludo has chosen to stay. He is the local distributor of Spanish wine for Bodegas de Hidalgo, and at a shop called Ikaw Cag Ako in Rizal Avenue, sells wine by the bottle or by the glass. Following the Spanish tradition, each glass comes with pinchos, or tasting servings of tapas. Should the guest want more, he can get a racion, or a full serving. Popular choices for tapas include meatballs (almondigas) or a large potato omelet (tortilla de patata) cut up into bite-sized serving pieces.

Gohotels in Palawan: Great rates makes traveling easy on the pocket.

Another food discovery on this trip is the chocolate made by entrepreneurs Ferdinand “Bogs” and Celeste Pontillas. Aside from Natripal honey from Palawan’s indigenous tribes, Celet’s at the Gohotels lobby sells an assortment of chocolates. A favorite is the Black Forest-flavored variant.

An early morning visit to the market allowed us to fully appreciate the bounty of Palawan. Apart from tubs full of crabs, there were lobsters, shrimp, sea grapes (lato) and an assortment of fish ranging from the usual palm–sized specimens to an impressive barrel-girthed marlin that practically occupied a vendor’s allotted space. There were cashew nuts, heaps of squid, and dried fish galore to excite the shopper. We naturally succumbed to the lure of pasalubong shopping.

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Travel to Puerto Princesa should be within the reach of every Juan.” For bookings and information, log on to www.gohotels.ph