Acacia Tree Garden Hotel Review



Days after scourging the net for a good place to stay in Puerto Princesa, I ended up booking a room with Acacia Tree Garden.

 

Reservations can be made through their Palawan landline or through their mobile numbers. I bombarded them with questions and they were friendly enough to answer them all.

 

We got their airport pickup service and arrived the hotel in no time. Immediate surroundings are not very appealing but since I was not expecting much, I was fairly satisfied with how the hotel turned out.

 

Reception Area

Reception and dining area is connected. The actual space is not very big but cozy. This is perfect for some nighttime family bonding with sungka games and billiard tables available here. Staffs are warm and friendly and even allowed us bring the sungka to our rooms.

Dining Area

True to its name, the hotel's main attraction is its garden. Each room has its own small stoned pathway lined with bright tropical flowers and greenery.

Garden Rooms

 

 

And in the middle of it all, lies the swimming pool, which is an attraction in itself. Every morning, you can hear splashes and laughter floating from here. By this time, it is best to enjoy a cup of coffee from your mini patio, relax and do some people watching.

 

 



Inviting, eh?

At night, the garden lights up and gives you and entirely different view. We spent many happy hours snapping and camera whoring. Go on, fill up those memory cards!

 

 



Night View

Lights Up, Acacia Trees!

Showing Off My Photoshop Skills :p

Finally, let's check out the rooms. The garden theme continues into the room as a woody accent wall welcomes the guests, giving off a warm and nature-y vibe.




Family Room

Walls are warm but the terracotta flooring may leave your pretty toes a bit cold.  Just remember to bring some room slippers to avoid getting cold feet. :)

 

Add caption

Toilet and bath has the basic necessities. 

 

 

 

 

A sitting area is provided, which can be turned into a space for additional beds if the need arises.

 

 



Being a mere 5 minute drive from the airport, this hotel is great for a few days' relaxing stay. Aside from its location, the hotel is a good choice for it provides that happy vacation feel instead of  stiff modernity offered by hotel buildings.

Underground River + Puerto Princesa City Tour

Before welcoming the second half of the year, my family decided to take a break from the city life and explore the natural beauty of Puerto Princesa.

 

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.
 

 

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.

The favorite photo spot of tourists.

After the registration, it's off to the park we go!

Monkeys roam around freely!

Trail to the Underground River

Finally, the highlight of our trip..

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.

Amazing limestone formations

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.

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..

 

Crockie decided to close his mouth the exact second I pressed the shutter.

 

Lush greenery at Mitra's Ranch.

 

Next, my favorite stop: Baker's Hill

 

 

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.

 

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!

 

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!