Aside from boasting clean & green environment, great
food and rich biodiversity, it’s always a mantra when visiting Palawan that
your trip wouldn’t be complete if you weren’t able to see their astounding
beaches and islands. And what I believe the best way to see how rich their marine
biodiversity, is through an island hopping to their famous Honda Bay tour. As I
have mentioned on my previous blog, we availed Sis Tiara’s package (La Tiara’sTour & Convention) for our Honday Bay Island tour which costs P1,140
inclusive of van service, entrance fees, permits, licensed tour guide, boat
rental, snorkeling on Pambato reef and buffet picnic lunch in one of the
islands. We scheduled the Honda Bay island hopping tour on our 3rd day as our
final adventure in Palawan because we want to enjoy the white sand, beach waves
and blue waters of Palawan before heading back Manila the following day.
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| Starfish Island - Honda Bay Palawan |
According to locals, Honda Bay is originally called “HUNDA”
by Palawenos, but when the Americans visited the island, they had a hard time
pronouncing “Hunda” and since then on with the American’s slang diction, the
place was now known for “Honda.” Honda Bay in Palawan is where a cluster of
gorgeous islands and islets can be found. It is composed of different
islands viz. Pandan Island, Luli Island (lulubog-lilitaw), Starfish Island,
Snake Island, Cowrie Island and Pambato reef.
During our tour, only 3 spots were included in our itinerary; Pandan
Island, Starfish Island, and Pambato Reef where we last for hours enjoying snorkeling.
7:30 in the morning just exactly after our free breakfast at
Metrosilog (just beside Corazon tourist Inn) when La Tiara’s service van
fetched us at Corazon Tourist Inn. We stopped by an aqua shoes and snorkeling
gear rentals as advised by our tour guide Ate Maricel. According to her it’s
advisable to wear aqua shoes because at times you will encounter too spiky
corals and stones. We rented aqua shoes and snorkeling gear for 150 each and as
what we have experienced, you can eliminate renting aqua shoes because it is
more enjoyable if your feet will feel the cold water and sand.
For our first stop, we docked at a holding area of Pambato
reef where you can enjoy snorkeling. After dipping into water with our life
vest on, our group was guided by a “kuya” who’s also the assistant of our
boatman. He made sure that we’re safe under his supervision. He allowed us to
hold a big float while gradually pulling us to the reef. We really enjoyed our snorkeling at Pambato
reef as we saw different corals and fishes. It does so relaxing to float on
cold water while enjoying the scenery above and underneath.
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| Pambato Reef - Honda Bay Palawan |
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| Pambato Reef - Honda Bay Palawan |
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| Pambato Reef - Honda Bay Palawan |
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| Pambato Reef - Honda Bay Palawan |
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| Pambato Reef - Honda Bay Palawan |
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| Snorkeling at Pambato Reef palawan |
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| Our group and our guide at Pambato Reef |
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| Our group and our guide at Pambato Reef |
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| Done snorkeling - Pambato Reef Palawan |
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| Pambato Reef Palawan |
After basking the Pambato reef, we rode again our hired boat
and headed Starfish Island. This is where we took our buffet lunch by the
beach. Starfish Island depicts its name from the existence of various starfish
in the island. Aside from being
peaceful, you will also enjoy the fine white sand and stunning view here because
the island is surrounded by mountains. While Ate Maricel is preparing our
lunch, we decided to walk by the beach and explore the island. We passed by a
ruin which according to locals is a ruin of an old restaurant that actually
contributes beauty to the island. One more thing that caught our attention is
the presence of mangroves which is a sign of healthy ecosystem as it serves as
a breeding ground for marine life. But where are the starfishes? Actually, we found
few starfishes on the coastline near the cottages, but as we explored the
outmost part of the island we awesomely found out where they rest. At the far
end of the island we saw bunches of star fishes in different colors and sizes,
even baby star fishes in white. So cool!
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| Starfish Island - Honda Bay Palawan |
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| A restaurant ruin at Starfish Island - Honda Bay Palawan |
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| Starfish Island - Honda Bay Palawan |
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| Cottage at Starfish Island - Honda Bay Palawan |
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| Restaurant Ruin at Starfish Island - Honda Bay Palawan |
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| Starfish Island - Honda Bay Palawan |
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| Ruin at Starfish Island - Honda Bay Palawan |
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| Lovely starfishes - Starfish Island Honda Bay Palawan |
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| Starfishes at Starfish Island - Honda Bay Palawan |
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| Starfishes at Starfish Island - Honda Bay Palawan |
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| Playing with the baby starfishes - Starfish Island Honda Bay Palawan |
After playing with various starfishes, we walked back to our
cottage for a hearty lunch buffet. It was indeed a feast; liempo, eggplant with
bagoong, salted egg with tomatoes, grilled fish, crabs, squids, and mangoes. A hearty meal by the stunning beach is
superb!
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| Mangoes - Picnic by the beach Starfish Island |
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| Hearty Meal |
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| Feast |
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| Beautiful Coral - Underwater shots at Pandan Island Palawan |
Beautiful, isnt it?! In general, our Honda Bay island hopping tour was
exceptional. We have discovered how beautiful Palawan is particularly their
beaches and marine life. Indeed a beautiful place that makes you want to come
back over and over. Palawan is truly a paradise!
