I ❤ Palawan

I haven't been to the beach in quite some time so we decided to

spend a week's vacation in the island paradise of Palawan.

Palawan is rich in beautiful limestone islands with untouched beaches surrounded

by crystal clear blue waters.

Some of the islands such as the one below is on a protected status, this means that

tourists aren't allowed to disembark on its shores.

Don't worry, Palawan has dozens of other islands to choose from and beaches to enjoy :-)

A visit to the underground river is a must while in Palawan.

The photo (shot merely with an iPhone) doesn't give justice to how beautiful The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is.

The underground river is about 24 kilometers long and contains magnificent formations of stalactites and stalagmites.

I wasn't able to take photos inside because I was preoccupied taking videos which I will post sometime in the future.

Although I did feel somewhat "guilty" once we were finished with our river tour. I felt that our presence was a disturbance to the bats, swifts, and other animals living inside it.

A lot of tourists were quite noisy and the flashes of their cameras ruffle the natural inhabitants of the cave.

Palawan countryside with its limestone mountains.

At Dos Palmas Island Resort...

...where I did some snorkeling and swimming with the fishes along gorgeous coral reefs.

Guests are required to wear life vests since those waters are quite deep. 

Thanks goes to divemaster Victor for assisting and accompanying me.

These shots do not give justice to how colorful and pretty the coral reefs are.

The fish are all used to the presence of people who sometimes feed them pieces of bread that they will actually approach & swim alongside you hoping for a meal.

I didn't encounter any sharks and moray eels, much to my relief :-)

I'm afraid of them.

Perhaps I should purchase a true waterproof camera so that I wouldn't have to

place my generic cam inside one of those cheap plastic waterproof casing.

I ❤ ❤ ❤  Palawan.

If you're Filipino, you owe it to yourself to visit this island province.

If you're a foreigner wishing to go on a vacation in the Philippines, then Palawan should be on the very top of your list of visiting.

It's generally clean, peaceful, relaxed, and safe.

The people are genuinely friendly and concerned on maintaining their province's good reputation. 

I will upload a video of the other islands, beaches, and sites we visited in Palawan in the future.

I promise to come back to Palawan someday since I was not able to visit El Nido and Coron.

Perhaps next summer. Masyadong na kasi akong umitim kakabilad sa araw sa mga isla ng binisita. Kailangan din mag-ipon ng budget :-)

A week wasn't enough to fully enjoy this pristine province.