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Palawan has new tourist attractions you can come visit.
Image: Keith Anthony S. Fabro
Palawan is known for innumerable attractions, making it a go-to destination for travelers. When the province is mentioned, what comes to mind are its spectacular underground river, islands, and beaches - but this tropical paradise is more than that! Recently, five new tourist attractions in Palawan opened that provide visitors opportunities to blend in with locals and immerse in the province’s rich cultural heritage.
Address:National Highway, Barangay Tiniguiban, Puerto Princesa City
Operation hours:8 AM to 5 PM
Recommended budget for one:PhP50 for the entrance fee
Clad in traditional dresses, indigenous women welcome visitors at Ladawan Cultural Village.
Image: iGO Puerto Princesa
Opened in February 2019, Ladawan Cultural Village showcases and preserves Palawan’s unique cultural heritage. The quaint village, situated inside Holy Trinity University’s Sienatel Hotel compound, hosts model houses of eight indigenous groups in the province, namely Cuyunon, Batak, Tagbanua, Ken-Uy, Palao-an, Tau’t Bato, Molbog, and Jama Mapun. Ladawan Cultural Village also features their arts and crafts and how these are made, as well as their way of life through cultural presentations, among others. “Ladawan” is a Cuyunon word for picture.
How to get there: From any point within the City proper, take a multicab or tricycle to Sienatel Hotel in Barangay Tiniguiban.
Address:Sitio Sabang, Barangay Cabayugan, Puerto Princesa City
Operation hours:7 AM to 5 PM daily
Recommended budget for one:PhP50 for the entrance fee
Bask in the lush greenery of Cacaoyan Forest Park Restaurant.
Image: Char Mie Dela Cruz
Cacaoyan Forest Park Restaurant is a picture-perfect destination restaurant located at the heart of the biodiversity-rich Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. The enchanting park opened doors in December 2018, and has since attracted countless guests, thanks to its Bali-inspired installations. The attraction also gives the tourists the opportunity to commune with towering trees that harbor unique birds and other wildlife. The restaurant, meanwhile, serves buffet local food (PhP250 per person, inclusive of entrance fee), and brims with awe-inspiring art works made by local artists..
How to get there: From the City’s San Jose terminals, ride a van that travels for an hour to Sitio Sabang, and ask the driver to drop you off at Cacaoyan.
Address:Rizal Drive corner Rengel Street, Barangay Bancao-Bancao, Puerto Princesa City
Operation hours:11 AM to 7 PM
Recommended budget for one:No entrance fee
Stellar Grounds is aglow with decorative lights at night.
Image: sia.barbra05
Stellar Grounds is a haven for food and art lovers. The park opened in December 2018, providing a place for people to hang out at night, and chill under the comfort of its century-old Acacia trees. Stellar Grounds houses restaurants that serve local and international cuisines that fit every taste and budget. You can also head over to the park on weeknights when it sponsors a live acoustic music band. Stellar Grounds also houses a souvenir shop where you can buy locally-made arts and crafts, such as paintings, wood carvings, and many more. For the artsy ones who want to refine their crafts, you can join workshops being organized here from time to time by a local art group.
How to get there: Coming from any point in the city, charter a tricycle going to Stellar Grounds. Alternatively, you can ride a Rizal Avenue-bound multicab and ask to be dropped off at Junction 1. From there, take a tricycle going to Stellar Grounds.
Address:Sitio Lada, Barangay Pangobilian, Brooke’s Point
Operation hours:8 AM to 5 PM daily
Free entrance
Experience riding on a carabao’s sleigh as you tour around AgriWorld.
Photo by Keith Anthony S. Fabro
Nestled amidst Brooke’s Point’s vast coconut plantation, AgriWorld is a municipal government-managed agri-tourism site that allows visitors to experience farm life. Launched in March 2019, the site features sprawling flower and vegetable gardens, a duck hatchery, a fish pond, carabao stations, huts, and pavilions, among other facilities. The model agri-tourism site will also soon see the rise of a cultural center, a restaurant serving local delicacies, stingless bee farm facilities, and a playground, as part of its master plan.
How to get there: From Puerto Princesa City’s San Jose Terminal, take a three-hour van ride to Brooke’s Point in southern Palawan. Get off at the tourist information center along the national highway in Barangay Pangobilian and charter an e-tricycle to Sitio Lada.
As of March 2021, AgriWorld is yet to announce its reopening.
For more places to be in Palawan, visit Yoorekka.com!
Recommended budget for one:PhP250 for the entrance fee
Lose track of time just by staring at the serene Maoyon River.
Image: iGO Puerto Princesa
Hop on an outrigger paddle boat and let it leisurely tour you through the mangrove-fringed Maoyon River where thousands of glimmering fireflies dance on a pitch-black night. The Maoyon Firefly Watching is a new community-based sustainable tourism site opened in January 2019, with an initial capacity of 100 guests per night and 10 paddle boats. It hopes to accommodate up to 500 guests in the future when more facilities and boats are in place. Supported by the City tourism office, the new attraction is seen to give livelihood opportunities to locals, and sustain the City’s robust tourism growth.
How to get there: Take a multicab or tricycle to San Jose terminal. From there, ride a van that travels north, and tell the driver to drop you off at the jump-off point in Maoyon Bridge.
Whether you want to take a break from work for a while or just simply enjoy life, these new attractions in Palawan will surely give you the quick escape you need.
This article was originally published in Yoorekka on June 14, 2019.
About Keith Anthony S. Fabro
Keith Anthony Fabro is a freelancer based in Narra, Palawan. He explores the great outdoors, talks to strangers, and designs promotional materials for a living. In his free time, he practices mindful meditation or reads anything about personality psychology and the natural environment, all while listening to mellow music. When inspiration strikes, he writes spoken poetry. He can live with just water and chocolates.
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