Following the Jr World Gymnastics Championships in Manila, I walked to the airport and flew to Puerto Princesa on the popular tourist island Palawan.
It poured rain on arrival. November being near the end of the rainy season.
Tourists in Palawan sign up for 3 popular tours:
Due to rain, the only one running was the Half-day City, so I signed on. It turned out to be surprisingly good.
BUT crowded. The only tour running. AND there was a cruise ship in town.
Puerto Princesa is the site of the Palawan Massacre. 14 December 1944 …
Allied soldiers, imprisoned near the city, were killed by Imperial Japanese soldiers. Only eleven men managed to survive, while 139 were killed. They were set on fire after being doused with gasoline.
This Roman Catholic Cathedral is largest in the city.
I tried using a loom to weave different grasses. An impressive technology that still works today.
The first simple looms were invented around the 5th millennium BCE,
The Butterfly Eco-Garden and Tribal Village was excellent.
A conservation “zoo” taking care of perhaps a dozen indigenous animals and birds.
I’d never heard of the nocturnal Palawan binturong (Palawan bearcat). Unique to this island. It can grow to 1.4 m (4.6 ft) in length. There are others of the same Binturong species across Asia.
I’ve been to many Butterfly farms over the years. Always interesting and entertaining.
They have perhaps a dozen large insects — that you can touch and hold, if you like. But not the millipede
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Palaw’an tribespeople come down for up to 3 months at a time to man this tourist attraction. Traditional costume, musical instruments, …
We saw a blowgun demonstration with bamboo darts. Very accurate!
I was impressed with how quickly this guy could light a torch from flint. It burns up to 3 days, made from some kind of evergreen resin.
Last stop was Baker’s Hill. A collection of oddities built around the city’s most famous bakery.
Puerto Princesa is known as one of the cleanest and greenest cities in the nation. Far better than Manila, certainly. They have strict laws here regarding littering.
At dusk I ran the Baywalk.
The waterfront has been steadily upgraded in recent years. Most significantly, the main market will be moving into this tourist friendly location.
It’s still an active fishing and boating area in 2025.
This was my 2nd trip to Philippines. In 2011 I spent a week hiking the rice terraces of Banaue. Then flew to the single most touristy destination on all of Philippines 7100 tropical islands ➙ Boracay.
Rick McCharles 