This port was our gateway to the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was voted as a New7Wonders of Nature in 2012. Our boat glided into the subterranean caves on the underground section of the Cabayugan River. We saw amazing formations, which, we were told, were replicas of everything from vegetables, to candles to the Titanic sinking to the face of Jesus. We were also advised to keep our mouths shut while looking around the caves, lest bat guano drop in from above.
No, this was not the vehicle that took us on our two-hour journey from the busy city of Puerto Princesa to the park, on the western coast of the island of Palawan. There were eight of us in a van, which careened around winding mountain roads at alarming speeds. We had an informationally challenged guide who was incapable of giving us any context for our visit, but hey, there’s always Wikipedia.After arriving at the town of Sabang, the jump off point for the park, we waded out to one of these outriggers for a 20-minute boat ride to the caves.We suited up with helmet and life vest and were ready for our river ride.The park is beautiful and worthy of boating and hiking outside the caves, but we had our mission.The caves are famous for their spectacular limestone karst landscapes. A karst is formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks, such as limestone, creating formations such as the caves and sinkholes found here.Our boat pilot lit up the stalactites and stalagmites for us, which took millions of years to form. Do you see iconic ships or religious symbols? Let us know what you found.Do these look like mushrooms to you? That’s what the audio guide told us they resembled as we glided by.Those little brown creatures speckled on the formation are small bats, sleeping upside down on the cave ceiling. I was determined not to experience the taste of bat guano, so no talking!We only did a few kilometers into the cave’s wonders, a safe and easy portion to explore. It was a unique and awesome experience.
J and J Travel 
The caves looked fascinating and formations definitely left up to your imagination.🩷
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