Wildlife and Luxury in Sabang

There are few things so quintesentially Philipino as a ride on a dusty twisting road on a jeepney. After a dusty busride through the heart of Palawan with a stop off in TayTay, home of an old Spanish fort and the best meal I've had at Casa Rosa, and a quick stop in the provincial capital of Puerto Princessa, we hopped on our first jeepney. So it was on this elaborately painted, overgrown jeep that we clung (literally clung, as we chose to hold onto the back of the thing rather then sit inside) and bounced over dirt roads through gorgeous limestone mountains on our ride to Sabang.



Sabang is home to the famous subteranean river but nobody mentioned the stunning expanse of beach, relaxed atmosphere and breathtaking pink and yellow sunsets. I was in heaven in our little grass hut under swaying palms on a pristine beach.



After a day of me lazing about and Gabe sweating on jungle trails we made our way along the monkey trail to the underground river that makes the region so famous. The monkey trail took us across beaches and up into the jungle then down into a Indiana Jones scene of wooden bridges and stairways where monkeys oversee your passage from the crazy limestone formations overhead. A monitor lizard or three were there to greet us as we came to the end of the trail and made our way to the river. A beautiful azure pool beckons to us after a hot hike, but no swimming is allowed at the national treasure. Instead a dock awaits us where little bangka boats ferry orange life-vested tourists in and out of the limestone cave like orange centipedes. Our turn came up and like Jules Vernes we floated into the dark and vacuous cave, exploring deep into the Earth while bats screeched above us, Gabe held the flashlight and in his awe he sacrificed his helmet to the dark waters.







We decided to finish our time in Sabang in style. We threw our backpacking budget to the wind and spent Valentines night in a fancy resort. We reveled in every little luxury...hot showers, resort robes and slippers, a minibar, and toilets that flush! We topped off the experience by getting all dressed up for a Valentines dinner. Our romantic dinner was attended on by a stellar resort staff, including Mosa, the dog who decided to curl up at Gabes feet, and Princess, the kitten who terrorized the rest of the restaurant before cuddling in my lap and purring contentedly.








Next stop is the Visayas, and just wait until you hear that story...