Puerto Princesa

Motorcycles and tuk tuks go buzzing by. Crossing the street is like being in a game of Frogger.  The main strip in Princessa has a busy road, but a number of cafes and restaurants make it easy to find a good place for food and drink. I ended up at an Airbnb down by the Bay Walk. It was a tiny room above a little shop. The owner was a young mom, Glorefe with a daughter. Glorefe was a hustler. She was born and raised in the Philippines. She married a Canadian man who passed away young, and she was now raising her daughter as a single mom. Glorefe did everything she could to make our stay comfortable and to accommodate every need. She came to the airport to meet us off the plane, had a rental motorcycle brought to the BnB for us, and was a wealth of information about restaurants and things to do. Her daughter and nephew would play in the little shop that was below our room, making us feel like we were part of the family. 

Puerto Princessa in summary

If you are only going to Palawan to see El Nido (the most northern part of the island) you can just fly in and out of El Nido directly. Princessa is another way to access the island, if you are in the mood to explore more of what the island has to offer. 

Princessa is bustling. There are plenty of tourists here, but walking around the town, you are mixed among the locals. It's not the nicest beaches and water, but it's an interesting place to explore.

You only need a day or two in Princessa to get a feel for the area. Then I recommend you move onward and upward, really though, go north! While you are in Princessa, here are some things to keep in mind. 

Me and Glorefe in front of her shop

A bangka returns to shore in Honda Bay

Honda Bay- All of the travel books tell you to go to Honda Bay to take a bangka ride to the islands. It’s not worth it. The best part was the boat ride and meeting this father and son duo who manage their own boat. Once we got to the islands, it was quickly apparent to us that this was a complete tourist trap, lacking any and all local people and experiences. The only thing I liked was that you could get a massage for about $2 for 15 minutes. 

A father and son team own and operate the bangka

The son puts out the stairs so I can climb on board

Each bangka is owned by a family. They come back and forth collecting tourists and bringing them out to the islands. Our boat was operated by a father and son. It was nice to see the typical father-son relationship play out. The son had a bit of an attitude and ran around the boat with a cigarette hanging from his lips. The Dad bossed him around. 

Kalui- You enter this bali-like restaurant and you instantly know you are going to have a really nice experience. You slip your shoes off at the door and walk across the bamboo floors that connect all of the little seating areas. A simple menu is easy to enjoy in the nice ambience. It's more expensive than some of the restaurants, but still cheap compared to US standards. 

The inside of Kalui is a network of boardwalks. Remove your shoes please!

Fresh sashimi at Kalui

Baywalk- I stayed at an airbnb on the Baywalk, so it was easy for me to pop over and check out the scene. The Baywalk area has an outdoor market with local food and treats. You'll see kids running around and playing. Being there right around Christmas time meant that the decorations and Christmas tree were up. Of course, it was all still very tropical themed too. 

The Christmas tree at the Bay Walk

Local treats at the market

How to get out of Princessa 

Once you are ready to hit the dusty trail, head over to the bus station. If you are patient, and strive to save money, you'll wait for one of the buses that are schedule to drive you from Princessa to one of the other major destinations. The other option is to hire a driver. It's easy to find, just ask around the bus stop and you'll find someone to take you. *Warning* Driving with a local is not for the faint of heart. You will be bobbing and weaving for the entire trip, going at unsafe speeds, and narrowly missing dogs and people on the sides of the roads. But hey- isn't that part of the experience?