Lakas ng Trip

I’ve been seeing the new RORO Bus here in Palawan lately. It got the craze of the people because this was the first time they saw an aircon bus that passes by the National Road. I’ve been wanting to try it out and after our trip to Sabang in Puerto Princesa, Palawan I was finally able to ride one of these buses.

I could not help but compare the new buses to the shuttle services available from Puerto Princesa to El Nido such as Lexus Shuttle Service and Eulen Joy. The following list are my comparisons to the bus versus the van transport service.

1. Schedule

If you ask me why I love Lexus Shuttle Service it’s because of their fixed schedule. Whether they are full or not, their van will leave on schedule. Plus, they have a target travel time. Fortunately, the new RORO Bus also does that but it only has 2 trips everyday to El Nido, 6AM and 2PM. Unlike Lexus who now has 5 trips a day to El Nido. Both bus and vans has a target travel time of 5 hours.

But according to the conductors that I’ve been talking too, there will be more buses that will arrive at the end of  this month (February 2012) and their target is to have a trip every hour from 4AM to 8PM to El Nido. Not only is this good news to travellers but also to locals as the latest bus that passes on the National Road is only about 3 to 4PM, with the full implementation of the RORO Bus the locals will now have the convenience of the transportation even in the evening.

They also have another target and that is to have trips from Cubao in Metro Manila to Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

Personally, I’m excited to see the developments of the RORO Bus as this will push the quality of service and lower prices around Palawan. I think I’ll make another post on their schedules when all their buses are here.

2. Price

Vans from Puerto Princesa to El Nido costs 500 Pesos/person but the RORO Bus only costs 480 Pesos/person. The downside of the RORO Bus though is that it is expensive when you’re only going to ride short distances like from Puerto Princesa to Roxas, vans only cost 150-180 Pesos/person while the RORO Bus costs 220 Pesos/person.

RORO Bus Fare Matrix

3. Comfort » Read more…

We took a packaged tour to Underground River last October of 2010 but somehow the backpacker inside me was saying that it is best to stay in Sabang than just be controlled by the packaged tours that will take you there for a day just to see the famous Subterranean River. So my brother and I visited Sabang again last  weekend to see how awesome it really is.

Below is my personal list of what you should do when you are in the town of Sabang in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

1. Visit the Majestic Underground River

Inside the Underground River

At my visit there last October of 2010, I was really amazed when we got inside the Underground River. There were a lot of cool stone formations and birds and bats that I can only feel but not see because of the low light inside the cave. There’s also the guides of the Underground River that will paddle you in and out of the cave while telling you different interesting and funny facts about the cave.

2. Take a tour in the Mangrove Forest

Paddle Boat Mangrove Tour

Learn why a Mangrove Forest is important by taking the paddle boat tour at the eastern end of town. Best to go there during low tide as you will see many animals that depend on the mangrove for survival and if you’re the daring type you can ask your tour guide to get you a fresh-from-the-wood tamilok that you may eat it.

3. Dip in Sabang Falls

Sabang Falls

Ever heard of a waterfall facing the sea? That’s the shortest way that I could describe Sabang Falls but there’s more to it than just a falls, it’s actually where the people of Sabang get their water. But you can take a dip at the basin below because the water » Read more…

I recently moved to Palawan to pursue my dream of farming. Fortunately, I met Medy Tabangay, a provincial agriculturist, and she told me that she was training the Caruray Farmers Association (CaFAs) in organic farming. The whole name of the training is Farmer’s Field School in Organic Vegetable Production (FFS-OVP).

Unfortunately, the training will be held in Caruray in San Vicente, Palawan where the jeep only have one trip per day and the road is long and rough. Who am I to complain? The rougher the road the more enjoyable the trip gets. Let me share to you my experiences so far on the adventure road to and from Caruray.

Who am I with on this journey?

Couple of passengers

Some pigs

The pigs seriously stinked that the other passengers complained. The solution shower them with a lot of magic powder or what the locals call rice chaff (ipa ng bigas), a by product when milling the rice.

And a lot of Cargo! » Read more…

From Puerto Princesa, Palawan
From El Nido, Palawan

Taytay, Palawan

From Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Take a bus or van going to Taytay or El Nido, Palawan. Both transportation will stop at the Taytay Transport Terminal

Van fare is 350 Pesos per person. Travel Time is 4 hrs.
Bus fare is 200 Pesos per person. Travel Time is 5hrs. » Read more…

• How to get there
• How to go back
• Important Notes

After the Tubbataha ay A.T.I.N. presentation the volunteers of Tubbataha no longer had any plans for the afternoon so decided to go around town and visit Caniqui Falls. When I heard it I invited myself to join them even if was not ready for the quick swim in the falls. Good thing that I was wearing my trek shoes and was bringing an extra pair of shorts in my small bag. I don’t know why I brought them but it was destiny.

So after lunch we were on their service van headed for Caniqui Falls.

The walk to the falls starts at this broken bridge

Then you'll walk on this rough road

Then you'll pass by a broken bridge again

» Read more…