The next tour, with departure from Puerto Princesa, was in Honda Bay, a group of islands of various sizes located on the eastern side of the Palawan archipelago.
Because we loved the previous experience at The Underground River, we chose to go with the same agency this time, as well, which offered us the tour for the price of 1100 PHP / person (≈ $ 22).
The significant difference was the distance from the hotel to the point where we had to board the boat. It didn’t last 5 hours like last time, with tremendous speed and ups and downs.
We arrived in less than 40 minutes at the destination.
What I use every time I travel:
- To book hotels: Booking.com
- To book tours: GetYourGuide.com
I generally do not mind traveling by car, and I can easily travel for up to 15 hours without problems, but the curves on the hills leading to Sabang Beach gave me a slight headache, so I was glad to know that Honda Bay terminal is pretty close.
PIN IT FOR LATER ↓
Honda Bay island hoping, Palawan – Philippines
Tour summary:
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- Van transportation. Yup, air conditioning and comfortable seating included
- Transfer by boat, with a wooden support frame, to each island
- Visiting 3 islands (Starfish Island, Luli Island, and Cowrie Island)
- Entrances on the islands are included in the price
- Buffet lunch
- Life vest
- Guide, which besides communicating about the time we had on each island, was largely absent
- Besides the actual cost of the tour, you will also have to pay an environmental tax of 40 PHP / per person
Because the term “island hopping” will be used more and more on my blog in future articles, I want to get you familiar with it to avoid confusion like “what did the author mean …? “.
Thus, island hopping means a recreational activity from one island to the other, that is, a day or a few hours tour, where you can explore islands at small distances.
In the meantime, you can enjoy the landscapes that nature puts at your disposal, socialize with your boat or island “colleagues”, or get involved in some fun water sports.
At the end of the hopping day, you are brought back to land, and you will again be on your feet after a day of adventure amongst fish, corals, starfish and sea hedges, and other marine life.
In Honda Bay, float far more than the three islands we had access to, but it depends on the climate and the agency from which you buy the tour, which one you will visit.
Some are private, and you can not reach them, but others are available, and you will have to inform yourself in advance if you want them on your itinerary.
You also have the option to rent a private boat, especially if you have a large group of friends to share it with.
The price will be somewhat higher, but you will have the choice of where to go and how long you stay there.
In the case of the organized tour we opted for, we had about an hour for each island, enough time to explore it and enjoy its attractions.
These are the three islands I visited in Honda Bay:
Starfish Island | Honda Bay island hoping
As its name implies, Starfish Island is where I saw so many sea stars per square meter. The living creatures are fixed close to the beach and waiting to be laid and filmed with your waterproof camera.
The most common is the orange-colored ones, but you can see other species with some luck.
To ensure you don’t miss them, you need to know that most do not stay in the snorkeling area but are close to it.
Since Starfish Island was where we had our lunch, I didn’t have much time to spend amongst sea stars and fishponds, but there are a few memories and photographs to share with you.
Also, on Starfish Island, I made a set of super sympathetic pictures with the help of a local with all the “props” already arranged. You can give him a little attention for his help if you want. 🙂
The lunch was buffet style and quite similar to that of the Subterranean River. We had fish, rice, chicken, cucumber, eggplant, and many other delicious foods you can see in the photos.
Although I did not expect to feed myself from the first stop, the food gave me extra energy for the rest of the tour.
Luli Island | Honda Bay Palawan
Luli Island has a super sympathetic name, but its origin is full of meaning. In the case of the high tide, the island is lost under the swampy waters, full of mangroves – the phenomenon is called Lulubog.
On the other hand, during the low tide, it rises as a mysterious, reborn-Lilitaw. I liked Luli Island, and it seemed like a patch of earth surrounded by waters, which measures only a few centimeters deep over a relatively large radius.
Of the three islands, Luli Island is the best for water sports. You can swim, snorkel and dive from a specially arranged platform in a small setting.
Cowrie Island
We have reached the last island, the most spectacular in terms of landscapes. Cowrie Island is set in a very picture-perfect style with many towering palm trees, white sand, and towering palms.
Cowrie is perfect for the well-deserved relaxation at the end of the tour, especially as there is a bar, massage area, and volleyball net designed to entertain tourists.
We preferred to stay on the beach and enjoy the sunshine and the green-blue shades, but many travelers wanted to rent a canoe or a jet ski to complement the day’s adventures.
Bella’s tips:
- Rent the snorkel equipment for 150 PHP = 3 USD. Do not rent aqua shoes; they are entirely useless because the sand is pretty ok, and you will not find too many stones in the water. You will see many fish, corals, and sea stars.
- Be patient. It is pretty crowded, and you must wait a bit until a boat is available for your group.
- Pay attention to jellyfish.
- You can negotiate the tour price. We bought the tour for 1100 PHP/person, as the initial cost was 1400.
- Always ask the guide for the time you spend on each island. You may forget this detail and be surprised that you didn’t do everything you wanted in that place, not knowing how long you have to spend there.
- Memorize the number of your boat and the faces of your colleagues so as not to confuse and climb into another boat.
- Do not forget to bring sunscreen, water, money for urgency, a bathing suit, some snacks, a camera, and a lot of joy.
All of these islands look gorgeous! My husband is filipino so we want to visit real soon. Pinning this for later.
We love to travel with you, in all these beautiful places. Philippines is one of these!
Thank you! The Philippines is awesome! 😀
These islands are breathtaking! Thanks to your excellent post, these islands are on my bucket list now!
Thank you, Agness! 🙂