With an astonishing mix of pristine dive sites, vertiginous cliffs, and idyllic islands and beaches, Palawan is considered to be the Philippines’ last frontier and the country’s biggest province. It includes 1, 169 islands and islets, most of which have irregular coastlines that make excellent harbors.
There are several stories regarding the origin of the name Palawan; some contend that it was derived from the Chinese words pa lao yu meaning ‘Land of the Beautiful Harbors’ though popular belief has it that Palawan is a corruption of the Spanish word paraguas or umbrella, the main island being shaped like a closed umbrella.
Palawan’s charm, although difficult to penetrate with thick jungle mountains and strikingly sharp limestone rock faces, boasts of ecotourism sites such as: El Nido and its towering marble cliffs and white sand beaches; the Underground River in Puerto Princesa where tourists can take a boat trip under limestone cliffs and sepulchral chambers along a subterranean river; Cayangan Lake in Coron, a hidden lagoon where you scramble uphill to a dazzling volcanic lake; and the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park.
However, many areas in Palawan are still relatively untouched by tourism, such as the friendly little fishing village of San Vicente and nearby Long Beach, one of the finest stretches of sand anywhere, yet rarely visited by tourists.
Fast facts:
Local Dialect:
Native dialects spoken are Cuyuno, Pinalawan, Tagbanua, Cagayano, Agutayano, and Batak. The non-native tongues are Tagalog, Ilonggo, Cebuano, and Muslim dialects.
Must see:
El Nido – Towering midnight cliffs that jut thousands of feet above mirror flat emerald waters are El Nido’s most distinguishing features. This interplay of somber darkness and ethereal light provide the dramatic backdrop for several luxury resorts and dozens of moderately priced diver lodges on the islands.
- Image via Wikipedia
The Underground River in Puerto Princesa – Take a boat trip under limestone cliffs and through sepulchral chambers, the Palawan Underground River has also been continually in the top list of the New7Wonders of Nature online poll, and is now officially the country’s bet for the final stage which will be held in 2011.
Tubbataha Reef Marine Park – The country’s largest marine habitat, it hosts giant manta rays, sea turtles, and hundreds of reef fish species. Located at the heart of the Sulu Sea, the marine park is 33,200 hectares of coral atoll, barely emergent islets, and open water, and constitutes a unique complete open ocean ecosystem. It is inscribed in the World Heritage List as “rare and superlative phenomena as well as formations, features, and areas of exceptional beauty.” It is located some 98 nautical miles from Puerto Princesa and is a premier diving destination.
The Bacuit Archipelago – It is essentially a cluster of countless limestone islands and islets of all kinds of shapes and sizes that are sprinkled across the ocean in northern Palawan.
Must do:
Animal Safari in Calauit Island Wildlife Sanctuary – The Calauit Island Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of 3,700 hectares and is home to both endemic and African animals. The imported giraffes, zebras, impalas, waterbucks, and gazelles, among others, have successfully bred and graze the preserve undisturbed. They share the land with endangered endemic animals like the Calamian deer, Palawan mouse deer, bear cat, leopard cat, tarsier, Palawan peacock pheasant, scaly anteater, porcupine, and monitor lizard. Safaris can be arranged with the park rangers. Modest accommodations are available for overnight stay.
Backpacking in Port Barton – Port Barton is a laid-back and friendly beach town with simple accommodations and rustic nightlife. The town has been known as a backpackers’ haven because of its cheap accommodations. It offers a variety of sporting and leisure activities from snorkeling, sailing, hiking, and diving.
How to get there:
Palawan can be reached within an hour and five minutes’ flight from Manila to the capital city of Puerto Princesa or a 20-hour trip by sea.
via mb.com.ph
Filed under News by on Sep 3rd, 2010. Comment. 
- Image by the_calife via Flickr
–>Ayala Land Corp. (Ayala Land) is hopeful it could complete the rehabilitation of its Pangulasian Resort in El Nido, Palawan, in time for the opening of the tourism season next year, as the company improves its tourism-related portfolio.
Ayala Land president Antonino Aquino said developing the Pangulasian resort “is the logical thing to do” after the group’s Lagen and Miniloc resorts in the area which is operated under Ten Knots Development Corp.
Ayala Land announced its entry into the El Nido-based Ten Knots in April, infusing money equivalent to 60 percent of the latter’s interest.
“We’d like to continue with the build up in El Nido. You know that we have Lisland and Miniloc resort, and we’d like to do some more island resort. We hope that there would be more islands that we’ll be operating in the coming years. Pangulasian (is) still under development right now… Because that is something that is the logical follow through. That we hope (would be open) some time enext year. Ttamang tama ang tourism next year,” Aquino said.
Pangulasian is a 43-room resort, in an island off the El Nido town.
Aquino said they intend to keep the “El Nido Resorts” brand that Ten Knots has developed. A brand that has been proven in that location, “it carries its own strong unique brand,” which can bring more opportunities for the company’s tourism foray in the area, said Aquino.
“It’s really El nido that is the brand, that carries on (the) brand of Minoloc and Lagen. It is already known. As a matter of fact, it is know internationally. I think that is worth keeping and no need to rebrand,” he said. Apart from the Miniloc, Lagen, and Pangulasian properties, Ten Knots also has another 535 hectares of landbank in Palawan for future development. – Albert Castro
Filed under News by on Sep 6th, 2010. Comment.
Agoda, Asia’s leading online hotel reservations company, continues to promote responsible tourism with the publication of its Top 10 Eco-Friendly Asian Resorts for 2009, which recognizes resorts for their innovative environmental policies and practices.
Mr. Michael Kenny, CEO of Agoda, said the Top 10 Eco-Friendly Asian Resorts list helps travelers make informed environmentally-conscious decisions when booking their vacation by highlighting properties with established “green” policies and carbon-reducing practices.
“Since we first launched the list two years ago, we have seen an increasing number of properties supporting sustainable tourism and travel,” said Mr. Kenny.
“Agoda considers it the company’s responsibility to recognize hotels and resorts for their efforts to reduce the tourism industry’s impact on the environment,” he said. “Not only does this provide valuable examples of eco-friendly policies for other resort operators, it also helps our customers do their bit to combat climate change and to conserve nature.”
Agoda’s selection criteria for the list ensures the green policies at these top-rated eco-friendly hotels go beyond simply encouraging guests to reuse their linen or take shorter showers. Hotels are given extra credit for reducing their carbon footprint, empowering local communities and implementing green policies specific to their locations.
1) The Tongsai Bay, Koh Samui, Thailand
This resort near Chaweng Beach was pioneering sustainable policies long before the global trend caught on. When the resort’s late founder, Akorn Hoontrakul, designed the property in 1985 he ensured it accentuated the bay’s natural beauty without needing to fell a single tree. Akorn’s son now runs the property and continues his father’s legacy with the resort’s Green Project, a policy that outlines several initiatives including waste management, recycling and energy conservation. The Tongsai Bay works with the local community where it has built a low-carbon school and it is collaborating with other hotels on the island to ensure Koh Samui preserves its natural beauty for future generations.
2) Alila Ubud and Alila Manggis, Bali, Indonesia
These two Alila Group eco resorts featured in Agoda’s Top 10 Eco-Friendly Asian Resorts for 2007. Alila Ubud was built in the style of an Indonesian hillside village while the Alila Manggis combines traditional Balinese architecture with contemporary design. Both resorts have policies to reduce their impact on the environment and each promotes Earth-friendly activities such as trekking, cycling and Balinese cooking lessons.
3) Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort, Cambodia
The Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort is the only hotel in Cambodia to win an Asean Energy Award, which it received in 2005, 2007 and 2009. For more than five years, Accor – Sofitel’s parent company – has partnered with Agrisud International, an NGO which runs a number of poverty reduction programs in Seam Reap. Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort also buys produce from local farmers, sources locally made products and employs staff from nearby communities — many of whom are trained at the Paul Dubrule Hotel School in Seam Reap (Paul Dubrule is Accor’s co-founder).
4) El Nido Resorts, Miniloc Island, Philippines
- Image by permanently scatterbrained via Flickr
This resort, which has won several awards for its nature conservation activities, is passionate about protecting the local wilderness. Surrounded by forests and mangroves, El Nido Miniloc Island Resort minimizes its waste through recycling, operates an energy conservation policy and requires all staff to attend a five-day training seminar called ‘Be G.R.E.E.N.’ (Guard, Respect, Educate El Nido). The property also works with local organizations to conduct coastal clean-ups and monitor the Miniloc Island’s ecosystem. A database of local plants and animals is featured on its website.
5) The Frangipani Langkawi Resort & Spa, Langkawi, Malaysia
This secluded resort is located on a 400-meter stretch of sand on Pantai Tengah Beach, southwest of Langkawi. Its various green programs are integrated to streamline and minimize the environmental impact of its daily operations. The resort helps conserve the local environment by reducing its consumption of resources, minimizing energy use, only using environmentally-friendly detergents and cleaning waste water through wetlands – a natural biological filter.
6) Banyan Tree, Bintan Island, Indonesia
The architects who designed this property took special care to avoid cutting down trees. A conservation lab was built to preserve the surrounding rainforest, where trees are aged from 50 to 100 years and include some rare species. To reduce its impact upon the fragile environment, Banyan Tree Bintan supports a local village and helps preserve indigenous traditions by employing a network of more than 40 village craftspeople and connecting them with project partners throughout the region.
7) Hotel de la Paix, Cambodia
Everything about this hotel says ‘luxury’, but in practice the Hotel de la Paix is an environmental workhorse. Its responsible tourism policy is realistic and sensitive to the local infrastructure and it sponsors many initiatives that benefit local communities, including a Sewing Training Center that provides skills training to disadvantaged Khmer women. The Hotel de la Paix’s sister hotel, Shinta Mani, runs the Shinta Mani Institute of Hospitality, an award-winning capacity building program that supports young Cambodians from high-risk areas. The hotel also offers guests the opportunity to sponsor students or donate bikes, wells and pigs to local families.
The Orchid Hotel, Mumbai, India
The Orchid Hotel was Asia’s first property to receive ECOTEL® certification and it has won more than 61 awards since opening 11 years ago. It boasts an environment officer who leads its ‘green teams’, organic rubbish is disposed of in nine ‘vermiculture’ bins (worm farms) and an onsite water treatment facility recycles waste water. Guests have the option of pressing the ‘Green Button’ which increases the room’s temperature by 2 degrees C incrementally over a two-hour timeframe, reducing the air conditioning system’s power consumption. Coat hangers made from sawdust and herbal pesticides are other examples of the hotel’s sustainable policies.
9) Soneva Fushi by Six Senses, Maldives
Sustainability isn’t a buzzword for the award-winning Soneva Fushi, which is on the Agoda green list for a second time – it’s wired into the resort’s DNA. Its list of green initiatives is both long and impressive and includes tree-planting projects, campaigns to ban shark fishing and a carbon offset program to buy a wind turbine in India. Soneva Fushi also has an in-house marine biologist to educate guests and ensure dive trips do not damage the local environment. One of its guiding principles is ‘Slow Life’, an approach which emphasizes ‘slow’ pursuits such as nature walks, star-gazing and non-motorized water sports.
10) Kingfisher Bay Resort and Village, Fraser Island, Australia
Situated on the Unseco World Heritage-listed Fraser Island, Kingfisher Bay Resort and Village is an eco-tourism veteran. Since opening in 1992, it has won several awards for its environmental practices, including the inaugural Steve Irwin Ecotourism Award. In partnership with the University of the Sunshine Coast, the resort runs a research and education center that closely monitors the island’s ecology, while guided eco tours cover everything from mangrove colonies to Aboriginal culture. Waste is sent to the worm farm where it is transformed into fertilizer and then used on the resort’s herb garden.
Note to Editors
About Agoda Company:
Agoda s an online hotel reservations service which specializes in securing the lowest discount hotel prices in Asia. Agoda.com is part of Priceline.com (Nasdaq:PCLN). Agoda’s network includes 8,933 hotels in Asia and more than 50,000 worldwide. The staff of over 300 professionals, located throughout Asia, provides a first-rate reservation service that uniquely combines local knowledge and local connections to provide the best hotel deals to both business and leisure travelers.
In addition, Agoda customers participate in the Agoda Rewards Program, earning further discounts and free stays. Unlike programs that limit travelers to a single chain, the Agoda Rewards Program allows customers to redeem Rewards Points at thousands of hotels around the globe, at any time. A member of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Agoda’s aim is to promote travel by making it more affordable and more accessible to more people.
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Filed under Press by on Sep 6th, 2010. Comment.
A closer look
Image by bingbing
From Wikipedia: Horseshoe crabs possess five pairs of book gills located just behind their appendages that allow them to breathe underwater, and can also allow them to breathe on land for short periods of time, provided the gills remain moist.
Horseshoe crab
Image by bingbing
I first thought they were stingrays. The lady (no, not the lady in the pic. hehe.) who caught these, um, rather strange-looking sea creatures told us that these are horseshoe crabs. Madalang na lang daw makakita ng mga ganito ngayon at sa Pinas, sa Puerto Princesa lang daw meron. I don’t know if that’s true though.
From Wikipedia: The horseshoe crab, horsefoot, king crab, or sauce-pan (Limulus polyphemus, formerly known as Limulus cyclops, Xiphosura americana, Polyphemus occidentalis) is a chelicerate arthropod. Therefore, it is more closely related to spiders, ticks, and scorpions than to true crabs. Horseshoe crabs are most commonly found in the Gulf of Mexico and along the northern Atlantic coast of North America.
Filed under Photos by on Sep 6th, 2010. 24 Comments.
