We visited only 2 islands at Honda bay. The Pandan Island where we spend hours of snorkeling and Snake island where we spend another 3 hours of snorkeling! Other islands that we saw (during our boatride) are the luli island (Lulubog-Lilitaw), the sandwich island, bat island, dos palmas, and a certain maria -i forgot the name.

At the otherside is the White beach located at the southern part of Palawan running towards Sulu Sea. It is a public beach where local folks usually spend their weekends with their family. Though it's public, the place is still breath-taking with its mangrove forest, white shores and blue water. It is typical for discovery dives since is has a steady current and the water is almost as straight as a platform.

Aside from the usual sun quests and swimming, you can also try other activities like banana boating, snorkeling, fish feeding and scuba diving. I suggest you visit the Snake Island if you want to snorkel or dive because it cradles schools of fish at a depth of 10 ft or even less. Don't forget to bring your underwater camera to capture the scene!

We had our first scuba diving experience at white beach (the course is called discovery dive) under the supervision of PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) licensed dive master. It has been a wrong connotation that swimming skills is a requirement for scuba diving. It is definitely wrong! Unlike swimming, scuba diving is not a sport. It doesn't need high skills since its main purpose is to let you relax and enjoy the underwater scene. And it is definitely safe since your dive master will guide you under the water until you have completed the 5 course open dive and is issued of a diver's license. You will be educated and trained first before you can do your first dive.

The course would introduce you to the safety gears - your wet suit, the mask, the regulator, eight kilogram waish weight, gauge, compressed air tank, fins, and inflate/deflating vest.

You will also be taught of basic skills so you could enjoy the dive. Here are some:

• Breathing through the mouth with the use of the regulator. This should be deep and relaxed breaths.
• Clearing the mask - inhale through your mouth and blow through your nose while your head is tilt and pressing the mask against your forehead to let the water out
• Clearing the regulator - blow and breathe. Or press the regulator while sticking your tongue in the air passage and then breathe after.
• Equalizing pressure - pinch the nose the blow gently (you will feel like your ears will pop) or you could swallow instead of blowing
• Hand signals - for ok, go up, dive down, no air, relax, problem, short of air, inflate, deflate and gauge measure
• Retrieving your regulator - right hand swipe backward
• Drop back dive - use the regulator in breathing. Pinch your nose using your thumb and 4th finger, push your mask against your eyes using your second and third finger. Support your head by putting your left hand at the back of it. And drop at the water backwards.
• Relax and enjoy

I never thought that I would be enjoying the dive very much though I had some difficulties also under the water. Nonetheless, it was an awesome experience.

It takes about 2.5 hours of land travel from puerto princesa city to Sabang, beach. You will have a free "palawan version massage" as about 30% of the road is rough. The local government is continuously paving the road to make it more easier for guests though. Also, you will pass by the narrowest road of Palawan to get to the river - The Bahile road. It is considered as the waistline of Palawan.

Though the road is quite a challenge, the underground river earns an average of Php 5M per year so it definitely shows that the unpaved road is never a hindrance to sell the scenic experience. It actually is not much to complain because your attention will be captured by the mountain ranges and limestone karsts cliffs. You'll find mountains shaped like mc Donald's and sleeping elephants. :) You will also pass by the Viet Village where quite a number Vietnamese has resided after escaping their land because of communism. You can have lunch in one of their authentic restaurant.

You will also have to take a 20 minutes boat ride at Sabang river and about 50 meters walk at the monkey trail where local monkeys will greet you if not grab your food. Monitor lizards are also permanent residents in the area.

The underground river is one of the world's heritage as declared by UNESCO in December 1999 so since then writing/carving on the cave stones is prohibited. You will see 1936 remarks on the caves -those who have visited the cave before it was declared by UNESCO. It is located inside St. Paul's mountain range on the northern part of the island. And it is the world's longest navigable underground river though a special permit is needed to navigate its whole 8.2km length. (Some says it's the second though.) For domestic and foreign tourists, the 1.5km river is enough. A local boatman who is very well familiar with the river also acts as the tourist guide. Inside the caves are different stalagmites and stalactites which takes forms of birds, dinosaurs, vegetables and church images. Your imagination is your only limitation. Imagine, we were able to see a male mushroom inside the cave! The cave also serves as home for the local bats of about 500,000 estimated population.

A distinguishing feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea making the lower portion of the river subject to tidal influences. The salt and brackish water meet at the end of the river.

It is a different experience.

Trivia: The cave also turns to a time warp because everybody exchanges "Good evenings" at 0800H.

I always love to travel but this vacation has been the most memorable for me so far. I think I have found myself a retiring place. Hahahahah! It is still 20 years or more so I could still dream on of owning an island at palawan. :)

Anyway, the next entries will give you a glimpse of what I love about the place.

Breath-taking sights, white sand beaches, trees, rainforests, beautiful islands, mangrove swamps, limestone cliffs, hilly terrain, wildlife, rivers - No wonder it is dubbed as the Last Frontier.

The place seldom encounters typhoons and earthquake so it is practically safe the whole round year and of course, has a stable production of crops. It makes the cost of living very low! Just imagine lobsters, crabs, prawns, fish at a very low prices! Wow! Palawan is really blessed.

When I saw the place, I was convinced that blue, green and red are the favorite colors of God. Palawan is clothed with green trees (especially mangroves), blue and green waves, and red soil! And people here knows how to value God's gifts! Palawan is the cleanest city for 4 consecutive years (1992 - 1996) and now second to Marikini (still not bad).

They have an abundant sea and gain most from agriculture and tourism. With a population of only 200,000, they only consume 10% of their sea harvest, 70% is brought to Manila, and 10% is exported.

Isn't it a nice place to retire!? Wow!