Trip Log: Honda Bay, Palawan

First of all, I'd like to thank the readers out there (if there are any) for taking the time to browse my articles. I know my brain seems all over the place lately, but I'm back. :)

For our Honda Bay trip, we didn't actually get a agency reservation for it. Frankly, I hated the idea of following strangers around, the limited time for absorbing everything, especially the uncomfortable feeling of being around people you can't fart around.

Basically, we just dove into the waters.

ATTENTION: This part is important --- the cut-off time for the island hopping is at 2:30 in the afternoon.

It's important that you don't waste time on tours because you'd really want to savor the moment and the place, right? So you need to take very careful note regarding your time.

Some other tourists' van

We toured the city that morning so we had to do the island hopping in the afternoon. Fortunately, we arrived at 2:15 at the dock. We paid fees for the boat and the environmental taxes etc. Oh wait, scratch that. Dad paid. :D For four people, he paid Php 1200. We preferred to get the short trip because frankly, we had little time before sundown. The boatmen were instructed to have all boats docked by the port before six. For the long trip, the bill would just be around Php 2000, which is really not that bad when you think about it. There were also some forms that you had to fill up. Nothing fancy, just basic facts about you and your fellows. Other than that, we rented snorkeling gears, at a cheap price of a hundred bucks each.

If you want the whole effect (snorkeling gears, swimming shoes, and those fin thingys they use) you'd have to pay Php 300 for the whole set.

Another important tip: BUY BREAD. Lots and lots and lots. I'll explain in a few.

So we loaded the boats. Palawan has these neat, spacey boats fit to accomodate tourists. They build them so the passengers could face each other, unlike the ones that we rode in Surigao. Each passenger were instructed to wear bright orange life-vests, and we were set to go. If you're going on a long trip, it's recommended that you bring food with you, in case you'd get hungry.

Then the real fun begins.

It actually depends on what you talked to your primary boatman with. We opted to go to Pambato Reef and LuLi Island. In each stop, you need to pay a certain amount of fee, per pax. This is where things can actually get expensive. If, for example, you go to 5 different islands with 10 people. And the average fee would amount to 50-100 Php, you'd pay quite a lot. Still, the experience will be priceless. For some, it would be a once in a lifetime trip so might as well make the most of it.

Pambato Reef is actually a new attraction. They put up a floating 'kubo' in the middle of the ocean, which is awesome by the way. It has this large 'Pawikan' sitting on top. This is where they actually 'warm up' the tourists. You won't have to worry if you don't know anything about swimming, i don't too. With your trusty lifevest, your boatman leading you, and another floating device they'd make you hang into there is no way you can drown. On top of that, they have like a dozen people watching over you. All of which are ready to dive if anything goes wrong.

When I placed my 'alien-looking' mask on and saw the hidden beauty of the ocean, I screamed. Which was awkward because I had the gear on, and I was submerged in the waters. But, people heard, and I heard chuckles. :)

It was breath-taking. I was floored to say the least. To see the schools of fish so near you could touch them, is definitely worth everything you'd pay for. If you don't know, I am actually a big fish-person. I've tried a couple of times to take care of the little ones, but the city living really doesn't fit them.

The next island is the LuLi Island, short for 'Lumulubog, Lumilitaw' the tagalog terms for sinking and appearing. At high tides, the island disappears, leaving only the cottages behind. I personally like this one because we were able to do more here. First of which is the fish feeding. This is where your bread comes in. Again the boatman guides you as you snorkel and see the wonders of nature beneath you. A tip my dad gave us is to place the bread directly at your face, so that the fish nibble at you.

But, no. I didn't do it. I mean, ew.

To give you an idea, for three people (my dad didn't go feed the fish) we used three packs of bread. And that's for only a single island. So, if you're planning to go far you better go big.

Other than that, the island also has these cute picture ideas that they offer. This was my favorite detail for the whole trip: in every place we went, locals were experts on taking souvenir photos for tourists. And when I say experts, I mean SLR-techy. You'd only teach them few of the camera specifics and away they go.

Disclaimer: This shot was not in any way sponsored by SMB

After that, we found ourselves tired from all the activities and found ourselves packing to go home. :) It was definitely a fun experience, and you'll make it more special if you spend it with your loved ones.