Puerto Princesa is the capital city of the Palawan province in Philippines. The city is known throughout Philippines as being the most naturally conserved and cleanest city in the whole country. There is so much you could discover in this cultural melting pot of indigenous Palawan islanders and settlers from other parts of Philippines.
Puerto Princesa is a nature-friendly city that is surrounded by lush green forests, thanks to the conservation efforts made by the city authorities and public figures. In fact the Puerto Princesa is often called the city in the forest. You would be hard-pressed to find any other city in Philippines that is comparable to Puerto Princesa. If you are a nature lover, then Puerto Princesa will be a place where you can indulge in the beauty of this unspoiled surrounding even when you are within the city itself. You can find a wide range of natural attractions in Puerto Princesa such as clean pristine beaches with sparkling sands and wildlife reserves teeming with exotic plant-life and animals.
If you want to know more about the city, you can visit the newly-opened Palawan Heritage Museum within the city to learn more about the history of Puerto Princesa and see interesting collections of ancient artefacts that bear witness to its rich heritage. You will also discover the various culture of the indigenous people of this city.
Are you looking for a place to shop and eat out? be rest assured even though the city is sparsely populated compared to other cities in Philippines you will find a good selection of shops, bars and restaurants in Rizal Avenue which is the main street in the city. At night you can unwind in one of the bars and listen to live music performed by the local singer with their captivating voices. You will discover why most would consider Filipino live bands to be amongst the best in the world.
One of the attractions in this city is dugong sighting. These endearing aquatic mammals live around the waters of Palawan near the city. You can easily take a boat ride from the city to watch these gentle sea cows frolicking in the surrounding clear blue water. If you go to Puerto Princesa Bay you can do a bit of dolphin watching when the sea around the bay is calm. It is a glorious sight to behold witnessing the dolphins swimming around without any care in the world.
The crowning glory of Puerto Princesa is undoubtedly the Puerto Princesa Underground River. The underground river is the most important reason tourists began to converge on Puerto Princesa. In fact, the discovery of this underground river is the major factor that gave the tourism industry in this city an exponential boost. This UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the 7 Wonders of Nature is well-acclaimed as being one of the longest and the most beautiful underground river systems in the world. The underground river winds through a large beautiful cave stretching up to 8.2 kilometres before flowing into the South China Sea. The breathtaking cave formations are just simply magnificent beyond words. You could even be bold enough to say that this underground river is the most photogenic cave system in the world. So, do pack enough memory cards for your cameras when you visit the underground river.
By now you can see that there are many reasons why you should go to Puerto Princesa. Maybe you should instead ask why you should not go there. The underground river is a good enough reason on its own for you to take off on the next flight to the Philippines apart from the other alluring charms of the city. You will definitely be glad that you did so!
