Puerto Princesa Travel Guide – Visit Puerto Princesa – Budget Travel In The Philippines

Visit Puerto Princesa, the capital city of the Palawan island, to experience the cleanest and greenest city in the Philippines. Many tourists come here to visit the Subterranean River National Park and to move north to El Nido.

Our Philippines adventure got off to a disappointing start in Manila, so we were looking forward to our first taste of the island of Palawan. It took us a long time to decide where to go in the Philippines and we originally planned to travel more. However, the cost of flights between the islands was not as cheap as we had expected so we decided to have a more relaxing experience and just visit Palawan before moving on to Coron.

Arriving In Puerto Princesa

We flew from Manila airport to Puerto Princesa with no dramas. The airport is pretty much in the centre of the city so there was no lengthy onward travel. In fact, our hotel was only a half hour walk away. I couldn’t remember ever walking from an airport to my hotel so, despite the heat, we decided to use our feet instead of the local tricycles that are the most popular mode of transport here. A tricycle from the airport to anywhere in the city centre only cost 50 peso (per tricycle).

Where To Stay In Puerto Princesa

These are some of the best budget hostels in Puerto Princesa, according to user reviews. These are affiliate links to the Agoda web site. I found Agoda to be much better than booking.com in Southeast Asia. I receive a small amount for any bookings made through these links at no extra cost to you.

• Treffpunkt 5300 Hostel
• Kaleb Hostel
• Casa de Oro Homestay
• Hostel Privado
• Bamboo Nest
• Sealor Pension House
• Ezy Stay Puerto Princesa

Princess Armicha Pension

As we were returning to island life, we knew that a lot of rooms within our budget would have basic facilities and probably no hot water. We managed to find a room in a place called ‘Princess Armicha Pension’ (map) that promised hot showers, good WiFi and strong air-con and was budget-friendly. It was well-located too, a few minutes walk from the main Rizal Avenue.

You can never be sure what to expect with ‘homestays’ or ‘pension houses’. They are usually very basic and cater to the smaller budget. Whilst some offer exceptional value, many are a bit run-down and slightly grubby. Keep your expectations low and you might be nicely surprised.

Our room was very basic and the bed was a bit small for the two of us. But we did have hot showers, good WiFi and strong air-con.

We didn’t have any room service for our whole stay (despite the house’s own rules stating they would clean every day) but that didn’t bother us. We left before the towels got too stinky! They organised our transport to our next destination and got us a good price.

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We paid £50.64 for 4 nights in a double room with en-suite bathroom.

Click here to stay at Princess Armicha Pension.

Things To Do In Puerto Princesa

Fujisan Japanese Restaurant

Once we checked in, we decided to head out for food. We were very hungry and, as luck would have it, we were located just around the corner from an all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurant called ‘Fujisan Japanese Restaurant’ (map). We had read that this place offered an all-you-can-eat deal that included unlimited food AND DRINKS for 600 peso (less than £10)! It seemed too good to be true but we were delighted to discover this was the case!

I was expecting a buffet where you go to a table and collect your own food but this was more like a Korean restaurant where you grill your own food at your table after ordering the raw ingredients from the many waitresses. There were some interesting items on the meat menu, including heart, tongue and beef liver.

I ordered everything from the meat menu. Twice. I then moved on to the fish. Then back to the meat. It went on like this for quite a while. All washed down with many cold beers. I was in food heaven! We stayed for over two hours before we waddled back home. A must-visit!

Puerto Princesa Coffee Shop

We had decided on our first day we would simply have a wander around the city. As always, the day must start with coffee. We found a coffee shop near our hotel, on Rizal Avenue, called ‘Sweetcorner’ (map). It was expensive and the coffee wasn’t worth the price. We skipped on breakfast.

Immaculate Conception Cathedral

We continued walking on Rizal Avenue heading west. There was nothing of note on this street. I was surprised as I thought it would be more touristy but it was mainly pawn shops and general stores. Puerto Princesa is not much of a tourist city. The first place that grabbed our attention was the ‘Immaculate Conception Cathedral’ (map).

Plaza Cuartel

Much more interesting, in my opinion, is ‘Plaza Cuartel’ (map). This is the site of a former penal colony where, in WWII, 150 US soldiers were burned alive by the Japanese. There is a memorial and, though the park is a little rundown, it is still worthy of a visit. You have to sign in at the entrance (which was occupied by a security guard sleeping on his gun during our visit) but it is free admission.

Plaza Cuartel Opening Times: 8 am – 5 pm, Mon – Fri.

Puerto Princesa City Baywalk Park

We continued our exploration and headed over to ‘Puerto Princesa City Baywalk Park’ (map). I’m not sure whether this is more of a night place or whether it was because it was out of season and raining but there were a lot of food stalls that were closed. The rain made the place look a bit gloomy and run down but the views across the water made up for it. I’m sure in the evening, this is one of the main Puerto Princesa tourist spots.

We checked out a few local markets and headed back to the pension house. We had been quite surprised at how little Puerto Princesa felt like a tourist city. It really wasn’t at all what we were expecting.

Namaskar Vegetarian House

In the evening, we visited the highly rated ‘Namaskar Vegetarian House’ (map). This small restaurant has a real homely feel to it. The food is cheap and there are vegetarian and vegan versions of traditional Filipino dishes. Joanna’s meal was good but my seitan was a little on the rubbery side. However, the restaurant’s charm more than made up for this.

Island Hopping In Puerto Princesa

On our second day, we had booked a tour to go island-hopping in the Honda Bay area. For the first time, we booked the tour online, rather than through a local agent. We got a cheaper price online than anywhere in the city. This was the first time we had used ‘Klook’. I had never heard of it before but since using it I see it advertised everywhere. Klook act as agents for local operators but offer discounts. We used them for both our trips in Puerto Princesa and had a great service.

Klook.com

Heading To Honda Bay

Our driver picked us up on time and we continued to pick up a few more passengers before heading towards Honda Bay, on the east coast of Palawan. Our guide was very friendly and explained to us what the itinerary for the day would be. We stopped at a snorkeling gear hire shop and we all hired masks and shoes. When we got to the actual bay, there was a shop hiring these for a cheaper price.

We reached the bay and had to wait for our boat. During this time, we were asked repeatedly if we wanted to buy bracelets from the locals. We politely declined and they moved on to the next tourists. I wonder how many they actually sell?

It was only a short wait before our boat arrived to take us island-hopping.

Starfish Island

Our first stop was ‘Starfish Island’, named after the many huge starfish that can be found in the island’s waters. The snorkeling was great here too, with many species of tropical fish up close.

Luli Island

After ur next stop was Luli Island. This was where we had an excellent buffet lunch and got to know our fellow travellers more. It was a nice group of people from all over the world and of all ages.

The island had a mini bar and hammocks in the sea to relax in but it had started raining so we stayed undercover rather than taking full advantage of the amenities.

Cowrie Island

This was our last stop on the trip and the least impressive. There was no snorkeling here and it wasn’t the best water to swim in. We cut our time short here and headed back early. The rain had started to dampen people’s spirits a little.

Having arrived in The Philippines from Taiwan, where it was very hot, we were not used to rain. We had no idea how much it would affect our time in The Philippines.

Painted Table

In the evening, we headed out looking for food when the rain became torrential. We ran into the nearest food place we could find which turned out to be a rather posh-looking place called ‘Painted Table’ (map).

The prices reflected the decor. It wasn’t expensive by western standards but it was certainly pricey compared to other restaurants in the area. The food was decent; Joanna had octopus tacos and I had a chorizo burger. It felt good to treat ourselves and even better to get out of the rain.

As we had an even earlier start the next day, we spent the evening relaxing in our room and having an early night.

Subterranean River National Park

We were up bright and early the next morning for a 2 hour van trip to visit the ‘Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park’ (map) and, more specifically, the underground river.

Our van picked us up and 6.45 am and we were hoping to maybe catch some sleep on the way there. Our guide had other plans. He had decided that he must talk VERY LOUDLY for the entire trip!

We arrived at the Sabang Boat Terminal and had a short wait for our boat to depart.

The boat ride was short and we arrived at the entrance to the underground cave.

We were given helmets before we went into the cave so we didn’t bang our heads on low-hanging stalactites.

Our boat entered the cave and we were immediately surrounded by hundreds of bats flying around our heads. There were hundreds more hanging on the cave’s roof.

I have a couple of tips for any future visitors. If you afraid of bats, it is probably not the most suitable activity. Also, if you do visit, do not look up with your mouth open. That is, unless you want a mouth full of bat droppings. Keep your mouth closed!

We were given an audio guide for the short tour in the cave. Unfortunately, our guide also felt he needed to give an audio guide meaning we had two people to listen to at the same time.

The cave is breathtakingly beautiful. It is around 5 miles long but tourists need a special permit to visit deeper into the cave than the tours allow. I didn’t manage to take any spoiler photos because of the light. You will have to visit for yourself!

Following our visit to the underground river, we had a buffet lunch which was the first time we got to try ‘sea grapes’.

Mangrove Tour

Following lunch we took the optional mangrove tour. This was, once more, a short boat ride into the mangroves of Sabang. The area was extremely well looked after and the tour guide was excellent; well-informed and friendly. He even gave us a song at the end of our trip.

This concluded our second consecutive day-trip. All that was left for us to do now was to take the 2 hour van journey back to Puerto Princesa. Thankfully, by now, even our tour guide was tired and quietened down a little.

Craft Beer In Puerto Princesa

As we had early starts for the trips, I had not been out and experienced any of Puerto Princesa’s night life so I decided to check out some of the bars in the evening. My first stop was ‘Palaweno Brewery’ (map) which prides itself on making ‘the first and only craft beer in Palawan’.

The brewery has a bar where you can taste all the beers made here. As expected, the beer is more expensive than the usual lagers but the quality was good. I tried the blonde beer and the Hunter stout and both were very tasty.

Reggae Bar In Puerto Princesa

I then took a 50 peso tricycle to a reggae bar called ‘Kweba’ (map) on Rizal Avenue. I had high hopes for this place but there were no customers when I got there and the place looked like it was going through some renovation work. The staff were very friendly and apologetic for the mess and they did play some nice reggae tunes. I had just one beer then moved on.

Aztec Grounds Bar

From Kweba, I headed back towards the centre of town and there were a number of bars on the way. My next stop was ‘Aztec Grounds Bar’ (map) as it looked good from outside and they were playing Bob Marley (obviously). This place does food and hosts live music. I wasn’t expecting any live music on this evening as the place was almost empty so I was surprised when a keyboard player and two female singers began to play. The music was very easy-listening and not really my thing so, once again, I decided to move on.

TataBoom Bar & Restaurant

I didn’t need to walk far to find the next bar; it was right next door (map). This was more like it. It was busy and there was a live rock band playing songs by Neil Young, Nirvana, RHCP and, err, Eric Clapton. Unfortunately, they finished playing before I finished my beer. Time to move on again!

Reef Hotdogs

By this point, I was hungry and I knew exactly where I was heading. I wanted HOT DOGS! ‘Reef Hotdogs’ (map) sell a variety of different hot dogs and optional home-made sauces. I ordered a Hungarian sausage with banana ketchup, mustard and pickles. It was delicious!

Junction Street Market

I knew the hot dog wasn’t going to fill me up; if anything, it just made me more hungry. My next destination was a logical choice. ‘Junction Street Market’ (map) offers a number of food stalls alongside bars and live music. Perfect!

After a couple of beers and some questionable chicken wings, it was time to head home. Tomorrow was another early start. This time, to move on to our next destination: Port Barton.

Is Puerto Princesa Worth Visiting?

I found the city of Puerto Princesa to be enjoyable but not remarkable. It does offer good access to Honda Bay and the underground river which is why most tourists come here. There are some good bars and restaurants but I wouldn’t consider the town to be a must-visit. It was, at least, more enjoyable than Manila.