Palawan Adventures: Day 1

My family and I took a trip to Palawan last May and it was absolutely amazing! We took a plane to Puerto Princesa, which is the cleanest and greenest city in the Philippines. On the first two nights, we stayed at Dos Palmas Arreceffi Island Resort, which was about 45 minutes away from Puerto Princesa by boat. At first I had some qualms about staying in Dos Palmas because it's infamous for being the location of a terrorist kidnapping attack and the death of actor Rico Yan. But all these worries melted away when I saw how stunningly beautiful the place was. We went swimming and kayaking on the first day, and I was reminded of the time when the fellows and I went kayaking in Pulau Ubin—only this time, my arms didn't hurt so much! Hehe!

We were given a warm welcome in the city!


The entrance to Dos Palmas.


The beautiful Gumamela flower is abundant in the island.


My sisters relax by the shore.


Kayaking is F-U-N!!!


Look at these huge starfish!

The place was also super peaceful at night. There was no TV or radio in our room, which made it conducive to bonding and reflection (unlike Boracay with it's bustling night life and shopping area). I thought this was perfect because before I left Manila, I told myself that I would take this time to be silent and reflect on some things that have been bothering me. But as I lay on the hammock looking up at the stars, listening to the soft lapping of waves upon the shore, and feeling the cool breeze on my skin, the things that were bothering me seemed so far away. I didn't have the energy to think about anything. I just lay there smiling and thanking God for this blessing.

Palawan at dusk.