I’ve been wanting to visit Southern Palawan lately as it remains a total mystery to me. I’ve been planning and researching for quite some time but there is minimal information about Southern Palawan in terms of where to go. Fortunately, Dong Ho of EscapeIslands.com messaged me last March and we planned to go around Southern Palawan for 3 days in late August.
Rio Tuba Pier
Time passed and it was time to meet Dong Ho at the Puerto Princesa airport. Unfortunately, I got busy for the past few months so I had minimal idea on where to go and how to get there. So when we met that’s when I asked “What’s our plan?”, Dong Ho answered go as south as possible. It was simple and easy to understand – I like it!
Without breakfast, we went straight to the San Jose Terminal and rode the earliest van going to Rio Tuba which is a 4 hours and 30 minute ride from Puerto Princesa. And the rest is an epic adventure through the towns of Rio Tuba, Brooke’s Point and Narra.
Brooke’s Point
This is my expense report on our trip there.
| 8.00 | Tricycle from Puerto Princesa Airport to Junction 1 | Day 1 P998.00 |
| 12.00 | Multicab to San Jose Terminal | |
| 450.00 | Van to Rio Tuba (Lexus Shuttle Service) | |
| 70.00 | Stopover Food | |
| 20.00 | Tricycle from Rio Tuba Market to Pier | |
| 27.00 | Noodles at Rio Tuba Pier | |
| 20.00 | Tricycle Rio Tuba Pierto to Market | |
| 132.00 | Bus from Rio Tuba to Brooke’s Point (Roro Bus) | |
| 86.00 | Dinner | |
| 150.00 | Accommodation at Glabs Lodge – Brooke’s Point | |
| 23.00 | Soap and Shampoo | |
| 45.00 | Breakfast | Day 2 P913.00 |
| 15.00 | Bottled Water | |
| 25.00 | Entrance to 7 Falls Hot Spring and Nature Park, Brgy. Mainit, Brooke’s Point | |
| 100.00 | Guide Fee to the 7 Waterfalls (200 Pesos – No standard rate) | |
| 15.00 | Halo-halo (P10/Cup); We treated our tricycle driver | |
| 250.00 | Tricycle Tour around Brooke’s Point (80 Pesos/hour for 5 hours) | |
| 83.00 | Lunch | |
| 165.00 | Bus from Brooke’s Point to Narra (Roro Bus) | |
| 100.00 | Tricycle to Panacan Pier, Borbon and AR Pensione | |
| 130.00 | Accommodation at AR Pensione (260 Pesos/night) | |
| 50.00 | Arranged tricycle to Borbon to see the Katala (100 Pesos/tricycle) | Day 3 P408.00 |
| 15.00 | Tricycle from Panacan Pier to AR Pensione | |
| 53.00 | Breakfast | |
| 10.00 | Tricycle to Lexus Shuttle Service Station at Narra | |
| 150.00 | Van to Puerto Princesa (Lexus Shuttle Service) | |
| 13.00 | Multicab to Puerto Princesa Town Proper | |
| 8.00 | Tricycle to Bona’s Chaolong | |
| 101.00 | Bona’s Chaolong* | |
| 8.00 | Tricycle to Airport** | |
| 2,334.00 | Total |
* Treated by Dong Ho. Thanks!
** Only Dong Ho went back to the airport as I needed to go somewhere else.
Was it worth?
Here’s a list of what where we went and what we did
- Rio Tuba Pier
- The beach where the largest pearl in the world was found in Brooke’s Point.
- Ocean Spring in Brooke’s Point. A fresh water spring in the middle of the sea water.
- 7 Falls Hot Spring and Nature Park in Brgy. Mainit, Brooke’s Point. (Challenging trek)
- Crossed the hanging bride of Cabcaben River also in Brgy. Mainit, Brooke’s Point.
- Went inside St. Joseph Parish Church in Brooke’s Point.
- Historical Lighthouse in Brooke’s Point.
- Pier in Brgy. Panacan, Narra.
- Tried to do bird watching for the endangered Katala in Brgy. Borbon, Narra. Unfortunately, we did not see one.
- We saw Rasa Island, a whole island dedicated to preservation in Narra. Unfortunately, we did not get there.
- We saw a fishing boat docking in the old pier of Narra.
- We had Chaolong at Bona’s Chaolong in Puerto Princesa.
Narra
With just the list it was already worth it but it became more worth it with the people we met on the way, especially the people we met on the van who gave us information on where to go which helped us plan our route.
Most of what I heard about Southern Palawan was negative but now that I personally experienced the place, I went back with a positive outlook of Southern Palawan.
A travel blog by Josiah Sicad that aims to make Filipinos Travel Responsibly and observe the unique culture of the Philippines. 
sa wakas nagawa rin natin tong southern palawan trip. walang buhay to kung wala akong kasama. kaya salamat sa pagsama at ang astig ng detalye ng nagastos. cheap trip! abangan ko ang susunod pa na post.
Actually maraming salamat sa pagimbita para lumibot sa Southern Palawan. Balikan natin yang Rizal at Quezon, Palawan.
sayang di ako kasama! i must’ve been in northern palawan during these days.
oh, and Josiah, Dong, challenge accepted! would love to visit rasa island too
thanks…