How I discovered Palawan in six days

Ernest Hemingway once said, “It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end.”

This thought came to mind after my friends and I recently embarked on a cherished trip to Palawan via M/Y Discovery Palawan, our cozy home at sea for a week.

The very comfortable ship lifted anchor from Batangas port in time for us to catch the sunset as we leisurely sailed around the northern end of the province of Mindoro. As the sun started to set, the distant mountains and islands turned purple — a dramatic contrast to the orange sky. With tropical cocktail brews in hand, we listened intently to the boat briefing as the sea breeze cooled us. It was an enchanted evening as we savored a generous buffet of the freshest catch from the sea under a star-filled sky.

On board the posh M/Y Discovery Palawan, the only dedicated cruise ship plying the Philippine waters, our group had a life-changing sojourn. The cozy ship, falling under the “Pocket Cruise Ship” category, is owned and operated by the same people behind the multi-awarded Discovery World of Companies whose  properties include Discovery Shores in Boracay and Discovery Suites in Ortigas. Pocket cruise ships are designed to comfortably carry 200 passengers or fewer and Discovery Palawan has 20 well-appointed rooms catering to only 42 passengers. It can easily navigate itself through smaller inlets where the views and experiences are more intimate, unique and extraordinary.

My dear friend, ace diver and underwater photographer Yvette Lee, who led this adventure, intimated that the Discovery Group did not opt to purchase a bigger ship because the local attractions that were on the itinerary did not have the infrastructure to support more than 50 to 80 passengers at a time. To preserve our natural treasures, a ship of this size offers the most sustainable option. “Just imagine 600 or 800 people trying to get to Kayangan Lake in Coron, or 600 people at the hot springs in Maquinit?” Yvette shared. “For most of our guests, especially from Europe and Russia where the winters are harsh, while the luxury of space is of immense value to them, it was an amazing revelation for them to explore several of our tropical islands in a brief time.”

The M/Y Discovery Palawan was the former Hans Christian Andersen and has been in service here in the Philippines since 2007 but was hardly noticed by the locals because almost all of their clients were inbound guests from Europe. When the Danish owner decided to retire and sell the ship, the Discovery Group purchased her and gave the vessel a $1.5-million handsome makeover to bring her up to Discovery luxe standards.  It began its well-received operations only this year in May when it ran “Divers-only” cruises to Tubbataha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the middle of the Sulu Sea where stunning myriad of marine life abounds.

From October to March, the winter months in temperate countries, the ship offers passage to anyone seeking sun and fun in Northern Palawan’s Calamianes Islands with a stopover at the breathtaking Apo reef in Mindoro. It is open to both divers and non-divers, with the latter taking up most of the space on these winter sojourns.

There was palpable excitement in the air when we explored Apo Reef, the second biggest coral reef system in the world, next to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. After a hearty buffet breakfast with an omelet station amongst other offerings, we disembarked for Apo Mayor. The bigger of only two islands in the park, it is a long islet surrounded by an immaculately white sand beach. Landlubbers like me went snorkeling in the gin-clear waters fronting the ranger station. The shallow reefs in front of the beach were in pristine condition and filled with soft and hard coral inhabited by colorful fishes and even an adorable turtle!

The divers from our boat explored the Southern End of Apo Mayor Island. At the dramatic point where currents converged, they spotted white-tip sharks, a curtain of pyramid butterflyfish, barracudas, schools of midnight snappers as well as giant clams. Diving there was simply incredible and visibility like crystal vodka.

The breathtaking cliffs of Coron Island sanctified our senses the next morning.  Just a glimpse of the stunning grey limestone poignantly jutting out of the azure sea and the shallow areas were like emerald jewels in the otherwise blue waters. The ship anchored under one of these massive cliffs and we spent the morning at Kayangan Lake, which won the award of the Philippines cleanest lake twice. It is one of seven lakes on Coron Island, the residence of the Tagbanua tribe — one of the oldest ethnic tribes in the country. As we snorkeled along the sides of the lake, we were in awe as pinnacles under water even extended above the water! Like a living dream, the ones topside were grey while the ones in the water were more cream or beige in color.

Siete Pecados is another marine sanctuary where, according to our local guide, scientists had discovered two new coral species not too long ago. The divers were able to make an unusual dive in Barracuda Lake, which reminded them of the home of Superman, where the limestone peaks we could see at the surface extended below the water and where the water got warmer and then hotter as you descend deeper.

On our fourth day we anchored off a white sand cove near Sangat Island, near the coast of Busuanga.  We lazed about a deserted beach and kayaked along the shoreline while the divers were able to explore several ships

The freighter Kogyo Maru sank on the morning of Sept. 24, 1944 together with 10 other Japanese warships.  In one of the cargo holds, cement bags and a small bulldozer can be seen. The sunken ship’s sides and steel beams have become gardens of orange colored black coral trees. The Olympia Maru, also a freighter, now stands upright at 27-meter depth. It was carrying oil drums when it was sunk and the barrels are now visible in the cargo holds.

The non-divers also went into town to visit the old Culion Leper Hospital where we watched a short film on the history of Culion. We also visited the museum that still had the laboratory equipment they used to treat lepers and the remains of an old fort.

There were two island stops on the fifth day, Calambuyan and North Cay. They were the postcard equivalent of those picturesque islands with white bracelets of sand, green lush vegetation and deep blue skies as a background.

We simply appreciated the exclusivity of our destination. We have a tendency to take this for granted because we have 7,107 islands. Come to think of it, where else in the world can you have a beach, or an island, or a waterfall, all to yourself or just a few of your friends?” At the beach luau that evening, the foreigners took endless photos of the lechon while the locals waited impatiently to fork the succulently roasted pork.

We sailed away from Dibotanai Island on the sixth day where a mysterious shipwreck exists.  No one knows the identity of this wreck but this 50-meter structure is now a living coral reef with plenty of soft coral and fishes that have made it their home.

Our seventh and last morning at sea was spent around the Tara islands, and by lunchtime we found ourselves docked by Dimakya Island where Club Paradise is located. The resort is newly acquired by the Discovery Group where ship guests are allowed access to the facilities. Those who are on long holidays can choose to disembark and extend their holidays here. Damages from the recent typhoon have been repaired and the resort is now back in operation. Plans are underfoot to expand the accommodations to a total of 100 new rooms and cottages.

The last night of our unforgettable sojourn, we thanked the good Lord for travelling mercies as we lay under a cacophony of stars as the lively crew serenaded us. We realized that we don’t choose the day we enter this world or the day we leave, it is what we do in between that truly matters. We were blessed to have luxuriously discovered in six days, the most alluring eight treasures in our own seas — one island at a time. 

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Discovery Fleet runs Northern Palawan Cruises from October to March every year. On a Saturday to Saturday schedule, the trip begins and ends from Batangas City International Port. This is open to divers and non-divers with separate programs for both every day. The ship is also available for charter during the Tubbataha season from the end of March to the middle of June. For more information, please log on to www.discoveryfleet.com or send e-mail to yvetteclee@gmail.com or info@discoveryfleet.com.)

E-mail the author at miladay.star@gmail.com.