Usually a trip to Palawan is about white sandy beaches and immaculate lakes. But new adventures await, especially for thrill-seeking travelers.
Splash House
Imagine a floating aquaculture facility in the middle of the sea. Besides breeding different types of fishes, Splash House is also a playground.
The place, 10 minutes away from Honda Bay, cultivates leopard coral gropers, tiger lobsters, horseshoe crabs, sea horses and milkfish. Attendants can bring out these sea animals (except the carnivorous ones) for touching and taking pictures.
This facility also has a basketball court to shoot hoops and play a good three-on-three. There is a 12-foot diving board where one can conquer a fear of heights; and, my favorite, an inflatable trampoline and slide to bring out the kid in us.
Having a number of choices of what to do is not the only dilemma. You’ll also have time to decide which scenery to take in—either the vast mountains to your left, the calm sea straight ahead, or the different islands to the right.
When hunger pangs strike, you can grill in-house fish or bring food to be barbecued right there. There’s nothing like having a BBQ party on a wooden platform supported by 900 blue drums as the main floatation device.
What’s more, Splash House is parked near a sanctuary for bats called Bat Island. You can see hundreds of bats flying right above you as they flock to another island at sunset. This was surprisingly a majestic sight to see.
#SplashHousePH
Pandan Island and the Blob
After a day of being far from the beach, your feet can finally sink in the sand of Pandan Island, 30 minutes past Splash House via pump boat. You can rent a nipa hut on the shore, and a scrumptious seafood meal can be prepared by its restaurant.
This can be your everyday beach trip. But what makes this island different, compared to the more than 7,000 others in the Philippines? Pandan Island has the Blob.
Basically, the Blob is like an inflated giant pillow you mount before getting thrown up in the air to land in the open sea. Crawl your way to the end of the Blob and prepare to be catapulted way up.
Someone positioned 20 feet on a tower jumps onto the other end of the Blob, the force of which causes you to be chucked up before plunging into the water. It is a major adrenaline rush and absolute fun!
Blue Palawan
These one-of-a-kind adventures are best experienced in a resort that understands the adventurous spirit. The newly opened Blue Palawan, seven kilometers from the airport, aims for that chill beach-club vibe. Rooms are designed like nipa huts, but have amenities and conveniences for modern-day living.
The pool deck, restaurant and bar are located centrally within an open space that maximizes the outdoor experience.
The best part of staying at Blue is interacting with the people behind it, especially the owner, Jojo Mitra, whose dream is to infuse a #BluePalawan culture into the whole place.
If you have time to spare, ask the staff about Nagtabon Cave. It’s a hidden treasure of Puerto Princesa, 40 minutes from Blue. This is a beautiful large cove with no Wi-Fi, signal or 3G at all. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch some nice waves and get really stoked!
Use #SplashHousePH. Call Monica Mitra, 0917-5264872.