Puerto Princesa, Philippines Tour Operators

[BlackJack2]

Hello -

Any recommendations on private tour operators in Puerto Princesa, Philippines?  We'd like to visit the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park.  

Thanks in advance!!

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

We just did that in early February.  We used Corazon Travel & Tours with a small group that someone on our cruise and Cruise Critic Roll Call arranged.   We were pleased with Corazon, though be forewarned there's a good amount of waiting and traveling involved that I believe you can't lessen or omit.  It was about a 5 minute walk from the ship to where we met the van in a parking lot outside the port gate. Our group met beforehand on the ship and we walked together.  The port is large, and the walk was hot, but it's fairly easy to get to where vans and drivers can come - past the coaches that are there for the excursions.  (The excursion folks didn't have as far to walk, but even they had to walk.)  Then we were driven to a place which was described as Sabang Wharf, 1 hour 30 minutes away.  It didn't seem that long, but perhaps it was.  For the boat ride, I'd wear shoes that can get wet, as the boats are often bangkas (basically outriggers) and you may get a tiny bit wet.  There are people to help you get on the boats.  I have some photos, but basically you'll spend some time waiting in two places, one with lots of people, boats, vendors, and benches with shelter, and one with shelter right outside the cave. Our trip with Corazon included a buffet lunch with a drink; it wasn't fabulous of course, but it hit the spot.  Lunch came maybe half way through the tour.  The cave itself is pretty amazing if you like caves. It's dark with little noise or narration, but the boatman at the front shines his flashlight on things we should see. And I liked the scenery, boat travel, and whole experience of the tour, even though there was definitely some travel and waiting time.  Afterwards I was hoping to have time to visit the nearby park in Puerto Princesa, which is an interesting place (google it), but when we came back, I dropped my plan.  I was happy, tired, and didn't feel I had enough time to do more. 

 

We had a group of 8; think it was USD $130 per person, with a deposit to Paypal pre-cruise and then either pay cash (unmarked, untorn USD) at the end or prepay the balance before you arrive. I'll try to post some pictures later. Their communication pre-cruise was quite good.  The guide was good as well.  Recommended.

Edited March 2 by IWantToLiveOverTheSea

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

As a P.S., I didn't have to call the company or guide on the day of the tour, but I believe the person who organized our tour did that using whatsapp.  She may have had a sim card or something to do that; not sure. Here are a couple pictures.

Edited March 2 by IWantToLiveOverTheSea

[BlackJack2]

Thanks so much for the info and the wonderful photos.

[SusieKIslandGirl]

@IWantToLiveOverTheSeaWhat time did your ship arrive in the port? And what was your all-aboard time? Most tours I've looked at don't seem to fit our time frame (8-5). Thanks for the information.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

11 hours ago, SusieKIslandGirl said:

@IWantToLiveOverTheSeaWhat time did your ship arrive in the port? And what was your all-aboard time? Most tours I've looked at don't seem to fit our time frame (8-5). Thanks for the information.

We were scheduled to be there 10 AM to 6 PM, with onboard time 5:30.  Originally we may have been scheduled to arrive or depart a bit earlier/later though.  On our cruise there was some condition which caused the ship to have to change a few arrival times early on in the cruise. My spouse thinks it was engine trouble, but we never really explored more than that.  But in any case, at least a day or two prior to our Puerto Princesa stop, the scheduled arrival time was stated as being 10 with departure at 6, so 8 hours, not counting getting to/from the meeting place. The ship's excursion was scheduled to meet in the lounge at 10:15, so I suppose their timing was similar.  It's a long day with a lot of driving, however you get there.  And it's a very popular place, with only so many boats allowed into the cave at a time.  Corazon filled some of that time by having us eat lunch nearby while we waited. 

 

Even if the timing of an excursion doesn't work with your schedule, I'd still contact the vendor to see if they think they can work with you on it.  If you can get others to join you, maybe it will end up being a go.  Certainly there are others wanting to do the river excursion some way or another.  Roll Calls these days aren't too helpful, and not everyone joins Facebook groups.  But if you can find others interested, that will likely help. 
 

[SusieKIslandGirl]

Thanks for your reply. We do have a group organized and I think it’s a go but still waiting for an answer from the tour operator. At least we have a few months to be organized.

[JourneyJim]

On 3/8/2024 at 8:52 AM, SusieKIslandGirl said:

Thanks for your reply. We do have a group organized and I think it’s a go but still waiting for an answer from the tour operator. At least we have a few months to be organized.

It sounds like you’re on the right track with your planning. Having a few months’ lead time is definitely beneficial. It’s great that you’ve already formed a group; that should give you some leverage with the tour operators. Best of luck, and I hope you have an amazing trip to the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, @SusieKIslandGirl!