The adventure related to the underground river starts from Puerto Princesa City. After a journey of about two hours in an air-conditioned car, we arrive at the small coastal town called Sabang. On the way, we pass through the beautiful rural landscapes of Palawan. The Underground River National Park is located on the west coast of Palawan Island and is rightfully named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. The site is characterized by its spectacular karst landscape and the 8.2 kilometer long river that flows directly into the sea.
From the port of Sabang, we continued our journey on board a motorized bangka to the entrance of the national park, which is located in a wonderful tropical bay. The boat ride is short but offers breathtaking views of the sea and the lush green mountains that line the coast.
When we disembarked, after a short walk, we arrived at the lagoon at the entrance of the underground river. Wild monkeys living on the beach at the entrance were accustomed to human presence and were watching with hope to see if we would treat them to a little food.
In the lagoon, we boarded a small, rowed canoe for exploring the interior of the cave, and then the journey into the world of rocks, shadows and stalactites began.
The geological formations of the cave system are million years old. The river is also of great importance for the preservation of biodiversity, as it encompasses an entire ecosystem. The deeper parts of the cave are practically unexplored due to the lack of air. We only walked a short 1.5 km section. Inside the cave, the stalactite formations – huge stalactites and stalagmites – are revealed by the light of the guide’s flashlight, which take on various shapes in the visitors’ imagination. The cave is home of thousnads of bats and other endemic animal species.
