We booked an Underground River Tour with our hotel Acacia Tree Garden Hotel. (Review of this hotel on a separate post, click here.) The price per head has increased to Php1,800 starting July 1 this year.
The tour van picked us up from the hotel at 8:30 am. After innumerable street bumps and road curves (300 plus!) we finally arrived at Sabang Port in time for an lunch. It was a hell of a trip, I got so dizzy that I had to pause and watch every one else eat before having my own lunch.
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| Sabang Port |
The buffet lunch which was included in the package tour, was served in an airy nipa hut. The food was nothing fancy, just typical Filipino food: Sinigang na Bangus, Pork Chops, Vegetables, Pancit (Noodles), some other seafood (freshness to be noted), and gelatin for desserts. There were flies trying to score for some free meal, but the owners were kind enough to stand by the buffet table and fan the food for us.
Since it was off peak season, we did not have much waiting time. A short motor boat ride brought us to the entrance of the Subterranean River National Park.
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| The favorite photo spot of tourists. |
After the registration, it's off to the park we go!
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| Monkeys roam around freely! |
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| Trail to the Underground River |
Finally, the highlight of our trip..
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| Paddle boats waiting for us.. |
A boat man manually paddled our boat into the cave. He has great knowledge of this place, and even added some funny jokes to his stories and introductions.
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| Amazing limestone formations |
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| Paddling out |
The Subterranean River is a marvelous gift of nature. I would rate this unique experience an 8 out of 10, not a perfect 10 because the travel was extremely tiring!
On our way back to the city, our travel guide suggested that we also take their city tour. We agreed to add Php 600 per head for this addition. We were able to visit several places in just one afternoon.
First stop, a Buddhist temple. As requested by a fellow tourist, we got to visit a temple. Not usually part of the tour.
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| A taste of tranquility |
Next stops: Crocodile Farm and Mitra's Ranch.
I spotted a yawning croc! He maintained that open mouth for so long as if inviting me to take his photo. I got my camera and started to shoot, but look what happened..
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| Crockie decided to close his mouth the exact second I pressed the shutter. |
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| Lush greenery at Mitra's Ranch. |
Next, my favorite stop: Baker's Hill
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| Baker's Hill |
We had our afternoon snacks here at Bakers' Hill. We got to eat their freshly made hopia (a kind of pastry with filling inside), which tasted good. You can bring home delicious snacks and pastries available at the bakery, perfect pasalubong for family and friends.
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| Ms. M posing for the camera |
Baker's Hill is not just for snacks and pastries. There are colorful plants, quirky décor pieces, majestic houses and even a restaurant. Too bad, we had to leave so soon. My shutter addiction was not fully satisfied!
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| My future house will be patterned on this! |
Our tour ended as the sun started to set. The last stops were Plaza Cuartel and Immaculate Conception Church, a drive through the Baywalk, and a couple of souvenir shops. :D
It was a tiring day, but we were amazed at how many places we could visit within a limited time!
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