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The capital of Palawan, it lies in the heart of the long island
province. Considered as the vastest city in the country, it stretches
over 106 kilometers of land. It is approximately 306 nautical miles
from Manila, 206 from Panay Island and about 250 from Zamboanga. To its
west lies the South China Sea while its eastern coastline faces the
Sulu Sea.
Climate
The City of Puerto Princesa is seldom hit by typhoons. However, the best time to visit the city is during the dry warm months of March to May. The coolest months are November, December, January and February. It has two prevailing types of climate: Six (6) months of dry weather (November to April) and six (6) months of wet weather (May to October), with the heaviest records of rainfall in September.
Getting There
By Air, it take 55 minutes from Manila via Philippine Airlines, Air Philippines or Cebu Pacific. By sea, it takes 18 to 22 hours from Manila on board the Negros Navigation or Superferry passenger ships. For international flights, it takes 1 1/2 hours via Layang-Layang Aerospace from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia to Puerto Princesa City.
Activities
Puerto Princesa City is a perfect destination for eco-tourism. It offers a variety of land based and sea adventures. The rich waters and marine environment are ideal for scuba diving enthusiasts, snorkeling, kayaking, island hopping, sailing and fishing. For the more adventurous, spelunking and jungle trekking are available. And you can also have tours arranged to visit the various indigenous tribes in their native villages.
Lastly, there is a wide selection of native arts and crafts to choose from, available in the many shops and stalls around the city, as well as at the local open-air market.
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Established as a national park in 1971, the Puerto Princesa Underground River has been visited since the middle of the 19th century. Forming part of the core zone of the Palawan Island Biosphere Reserve and inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1999, it continues to attract thousands of visitors each year who never cease to marvel at what Mother Nature has offered on display. From the awe-inspiring limestone formations and the actual 8.2km Underground River itself, to the amazing diversity of both fauna and flora, it is truly a remarkable place.
Its variety of habitats gives the Park a high degree of biodiversity. At least 140 vertebrates, including 90 bird species, 30 kinds of mammals, 19 reptiles and 10 amphibians have been found in the Park. All of these are endemic to Palawan; they exist nowhere else on earth. There also are a number of endangered bird species like the cockatoo, the blue-napped parrot, the Palawan peacock pheasant and the Palawan owl. Threatened animals in the Park include the scaly anteater and binturong.
The vast forests surrounding the Underground River and its buffer zone are among the few remaining examples of unspoiled forest in the Philippines. The mangroves in the park and around Ulugan bay are still pristine. They contain unique and superlative tree formations that provide an important habitat for marine life and endangered bats. A daily spectacle is the soaring of thousands of bats from the caves of the Underground River at dusk and flying toward the mangroves, where they feast on the flowers.
In spite of similar sites in the country, the Park and its buffer zone is the Philippines’ only model of sustainable management of environmental resources successfully undertaken by a local government unit in close partnership with the resident community and the Protected Area Management Board. The outstanding landscape found in the park and the river makes it a world-class destination and a rich source for scientific study.
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