I had it all planned out: fly out to Puerto Princesa in the morning, check in at the hotel, grab a quick lunch, proceed to tour museums and other nearby areas until dinner time, before heading back to the hotel for an early bedtime because the next couple of days were bound to be jam-packed with activities.
Of course, not everything always goes as planned, starting with our flight being delayed for about three hours, till I was living in fear and cold-sweat that it would be canceled completely. (Thankfully, it wasn't.)
When we (FINALLY!) landed in Puerto Princesa, we were picked up by the van from where we stayed, Casitas de Az Pension. (Shoutout to them—everyone was so nice and friendly and accommodating. I peppered them with a thousand questions before booking with them.)
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| Garden in front of the first-floor rooms at Casitas de Az Pension |
We had a quick lunch at a
carinderia (if you don't know me, I am tremendously frugal when I am in a "strange land") and then proceeded to walk to Rizal Avenue, the main road that goes from end-to-end of Puerto Princesa City. The people we talked to said that it was just walking distance from Casitas, so we decided to venture and see for ourselves. It's kind of far of you aren't used to walking, but since my brother and I do a lot of walking during the day (and he does a lot of other athletic stuff), we found the walk to be just right.
Our original agenda was supposed to be as follows:
- Palawan Museum (near Mendoza Park)
- Plaza Cuartel
- World War II Museum
- Bayanihan Center (just to scout around for the pasalubong)
We only got as far as Palawan Museum and Plaza Cuartel before the whole agenda changed, all because Manong Tricycle Driver advised us to do the rest of the Puerto Princesa City Tour already. After Plaza Cuartel and looking for the World War II Museum in vain, we decided to proceed to go to Baker's Hill, Mitra's Farm, and Binuatan Creations.
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| The Palawan Museum |
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| Entrance to Plaza Cuartel |
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The inscription reads:
In this place, a former military camp during World War II, Japanese soldiers burned more than 150 American soldiers on the 14th of December, 1944. The few who escaped swam in the sea to Iwahig. Those who perished were brought to St. Louis County and were buried at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri, United States, 1952. |
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| It's quite a fun place to explore. There are several places where you can pose for pictures. There are restaurants and the bakeshop where they sell their famous hopia and other delicious delicacies. There are also spots where you can sit, take a breather, and enjoy your surroundings. |
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Even Shrek and his family reside there.
They are quite obliging if you ask them politely for a picture. |
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| They have several birds in cages around the area. There are several peacocks and other popular birds in that province. |
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| Top of the world view from Baker's Hill |
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| Top of the world view from Mitra's Farm |
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| Unfinished products from Binuatan Creations. |
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| Such beautiful colors! |
In the end, I was glad that we proceeded with the rest of the tour, as there were just a few tourists. We realized that, if we had gone with the City Tour on the morrow, we might have had a more difficult time getting around, what with the influx of tourists coming over for the weekend.
We ended the night eating at a
carinderia again and then we made our way to Divine Sweets, an adorable café with quaint decorations and such delicious cakes.
Finally, now I know what your Palawan itinerary was! I just realized we didn't get to talk about it. Thanks for sharing! 😁
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