HYDERABAD: In the scenic Palawan, I saw stilt houses with roofs made of coconut and palm leaves surrounded by lush green landscapes. When we stopped to watch a gorgeous sunset on the way, I captured the panoramic shot not on my camera, but in my mind’s eye as the frame froze in myriad hues of orange.
When we reached Sheridan Beach Resort & Spa, tucked away in Sabang Beach, it looked like the perfect gateway to the natural, unspoiled beauty of Palawan. The picture perfect canvas of nature’s wonder lying along the majestic landscape of mountains, jungles and the waters of the West Philippine Sea would easily steal any romantic’s heart. That night I strolled on the endless stretch of powder soft beach.
The next day morning from the resort it took just 15 minutes to reach Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, which is one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. Here, boats run along an underground river through vast caves. The journey to the cave was a scenic 20-minute boat ride across the sea, past towering limestone karsts. The walk through the national park was quite adventurous.
Giant monitor lizards slinking their way through the undergrowth looked like mini dinosaurs. I am dreadfully scared of reptiles and the monitor lizards were crawling all around me. No, it’s not Jurassic Park movie where I was watching from a distance, in the comfort of my seat in the theatre. It was happening inches close to my feet and I was petrified. Miniature dinosaurs, ready to devour me, if not whole, at least get a toe or two to nibble, just for taste.
Macaque monkeys were swinging through the tree canopies, but alert enough to grab distracted visitors’ handbags. While my attention was fully on trying to avoid the monitor lizards, suddenly I felt some tugging when I saw five monkeys collectively exploring my belongings.
They approached stealthily and went about their job silently, tearing open my red bag to retrieve a plastic cover from inside, which was holding an umbrella (maybe they thought the bag contained food). I was too dazed to protest and terrified to see them so close to me. My feeble cries for help caught Allen, the guide’s attention; he quickly came to my rescue and scared them away.
The 45-minute boat ride in the caves of the world’s longest navigable underground river was a surreal experience. The river flows directly underneath the St Paul Mountain Range, having channelled its way through a series of vast chambers and caverns over millions of years ago.
The cave system stretches for a total of 24 km underneath the mountains, and the river itself winds its way through 8.2 km of it. Tours only take visitors up to the 4 km mark, but those wanting to apply for a special permit far enough in advance, can tour all 8.2 kilometres. This far into the cave, it’s so narrow that boats can’t pass and you have to swim between the rock walls - quite scary for the faint-hearted though.
Entering the narrowest paths, paddling through the dark in a small boat, I felt we were entering the netherworld. The boatman’s headlamp was the only source of light. The audio guide provided scientific information about the river and the caves, to the accompanying music (one of them being the popular Titanic track).
The river and caves are home to a complex eco-system that has adapted to living underground here over hundreds of years: like some rare species of giant spiders, crabs, fish, snakes, etc. but in the dark, we could see only bats (disturbed from their diurnal rest) and swallows.
The audio guide told me to look out for rock formations that resembled various vegetables, fruits, chicken etc. Some far-fetched comparisons were of stalactites and stalagmites to the Holy Family, Jesus at The Last Supper, Jesus with a shroud, Virgin Mary, all relating to the Catholic beliefs.
We passed through several large chambers, including one of the world’s largest - the Italian Chamber (360-metre-long with around 2.5 million square metres volume). As we glided through giant cavernous cathedrals, the agitated bats went in circles, swallows screeched and the water dripped from the roof. When went into some of the darkest reaches of the underbelly of the cave, I switched off my audio guide and listened to the soft sounds of water made by the boat’s paddling and sat contemplating on the creation of this wonderful world.
A highly adrenaline-gushing activity came next - it’s my zip-line adventure at Sabang. Zipping over the South China Sea at 150 feet high, gazing at the crystal clear azure waters (while holding tightly to my dear life!), the 800-metre ride was filled with pure fun and excitement, with an awesome view of the Palawan Mountains, surf, and sand. After the zip line, I walked on the soft sands of the beach wading on low tides and reached the mangrove forest.
I was told that boat rides are available into the mangroves: exactly the kind I like, paddleboats where you hear nothing but the soft sound of the water and the pure air that lets you breathe a lungful. I reserved this for another day, went and plunged into the swimming pool in the resort, with a renewed love for water!
(The author is a documentary filmmaker and travel writer; she blogs at vijayaprataptravelandbeyond.com)
Fact file
Per day only 1,200 are allowed into the Underground River. You will have to book in advance for the tour. Busy months are March, April and May, JuneYou can either choose to visit on a day-trip from the capital (Puerto Princesa City) or stay in Sabang itself, which also has a lovely beach, a couple of luxury resorts and plenty of cheap beach huts for backpackers The entrance to the subterranean river is a short hike or boat ride from the town Sabang