Things To Do in Sabang, Puerto Princesa, Palawan
There are plenty of things to do in and around the famous Underground River in Puerto Princesa. These are mostly found the villages of Sabang and its neighboring village Tagbinet. The area is about 80 kilometers away from the city center.
Many of the activities below are just within walking distance from each other. They mostly serve as side trips during day tours to the Underground River. Here are the most recommended activities at the National Park:
Puerto Princesa Underground River
Photos courtesy of La Venta Geographical Exploration.
The Underground River spans a mindblowing 8.2 kilometers and is as old as 30 million years. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s the most captivating cave in the Philippines and is considered the second longest underground river in the world.
Of the entire length of the cave, only the first half is open to the public as the deeper areas have limited oxygen. Standard paddleboat tours showcase the first 1.5 kilometers of the Underground River, while a special permit is required to see the first 4.3 kilometers.
During the tour, the boat guide sheds his lamp light at unique formations and features of the cave. The deeper regions, meanwhile, display charming crystal formations, glittering minerals, and embedded bone fossils of marine animals. Read more >>
Tour Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Location: begins at Sitio Sabang, Brgy. Cabayugan, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan (see map)
Sabang Beach
Located next to Sabang Port, this beach spans about a kilometer long of soft white sand and lovely aquamarine water. You’ll have to watch out for riptides though as the current in this beach can get pretty strong.
The best best time to go to Sabang Beach is during the summer months between April and June, when the weather is calm. The waves are wild and choppy during the amihan season between November and March.
There are several accommodations along this beach, going for as low as P500 per room, good for two. The two best rated places to stay are Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort and Sheridan Beach Resort and Spa.
Entrance Fee: Free to see or swim
Operating Hours: The beach is open 24 hours but lifeguards are on duty only during day time.
Location: Sitio Sabang, Brgy. Cabayugan, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan (see map)
Sabang Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour
This serene boat tour takes you deep in the sprawling 47-hectare Sabang Mangrove Forest. The mangrove trees in this forest are some of the oldest in the National Park, rising as high as 45 meters and going as old as more than 300 years.
The boat guide will introduce you to the four species of mangrove in this forest, as well as the wild creatures that make this place their home. These include various kinds of fish, birds, snakes, lizards, and crabs, some of which you can spot from the boat.
If you’re lucky, your guide can let you visit a 100-meter bamboo boardwalk on a cliff side. You’ll see some mud-surrounded mangrove trees, their impressive root systems, and the mangrove tree that’s more than 300 years old.
Entrance Fee: P350 per person
Operating Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Location: Sitio Sabang, Brgy. Cabayugan, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan (see map)
Sabang X Zipline
Situated right next to the Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour, this experience begins on a cliff side in Sabang. You’ll go on a 10-minute hike to the starting point of the zipline, wear safety harness, and then fly down an 800-meter cable over the beautiful sea and waves crashing on crags and rocks. The zipline experience takes about 40 seconds and ends on an islet. You’ll have to walk on a sandbar and white beach on the way back to the entrance and parking area.
Entrance Fee: P550 per person
Operating Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Location: Sitio Sabang, Brgy. Cabayugan, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan (see map)
Sabang Jungle Trail
A great alternative for outdoor lovers, the Sabang Jungle Trail (also known as Monkey Trail) serves as an inland route to the Underground River. Tourists usually take the jungle trail when the sea is choppy and boats cannot cross to the national landmark.
The trail is about 3.6 kilometers long and takes two hours to trek. A forest guide will accompany you and tell you about the kinds of old trees and interesting animals that thrive in the area.
The trekking difficulty ranges between easy and moderate, with minor ascent and descent over wooden boardwalks and ladders. Common sights in the forest include long-tailed macaques, monitor lizards, and various types of insects.
Entrance Fee: P200 per person
Operating Hours: 7:00 am to 12:00 pm
Location: trail begins at Manlipinien Beach (near the zipline), Sitio Sabang, Brgy. Cabayugan, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan (see map)
Cacaoyan Forest Park and Restaurant
This forest park is located along the highway about 1.5 kilometers before reaching Sabang Port. The park features wooden hammocks high up in the trees, a high bamboo bridge (called akyatan) with great forest views, and a tree-shaded game area for kids.
Not to be missed in this park is the century-old Dao tree, whose base is as massive as it is beautiful. The forest park also has an art and nature-inspired buffet restaurant that serves Filipino food.
Entrance Fees: Free to roam and see the century-old tree, P50 to climb the bamboo bridge, P250 for the buffet lunch (this includes free entrance to all park amenities)
Operating Hours: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Location: Cacaoyan Forest Park and Restaurant, Sitio Sabang, Brgy. Cabayugan, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan (see map)
Ugong Rock Adventure
One of the thrilling things to try in Sabang, this adventure takes you on a vertical ascent inside a cave and an optional zipline over rice fields and views of surrounding limestone cliffs.
The ascent takes about 20 minutes, involving rope-assisted climbs, walking on wooden pathways and ladders, and squeezing yourself into small cave openings.
On top of the 50-meter limestone, you’ll have pleasant views of greenery and other karst mountains. From here you can take a 800-meter zipline or zip bike, or just walk back down to the cave entrance.
Entrance Fee: P200 per person for the caving, P450 to P550 per person for the zipline, and P500 per person for the zip bike.
Operating Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Location: Purok Pagkakaisa, Brgy. Tagabinet, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan (see map)
Hundred Caves
Just a kilometer away from Ugong Rock is Hundred Caves. The regular tour takes you to maze-like passages where you’ll have to crawl or squeeze into cave chambers of various sizes.
Cave guides will show you some cool rock formations including crystal formations, cave ceiling aberrations, and the sleeping quarters of long-time cave residents–bats, spiders, and snakes.
If you can’t do the regular tour (about one hour), you can opt for a quick tour (30 minutes). A special tour (two hours) is also available, featuring the cave’s most impressive rock formations.
Entrance Fee: P350 per person for the quick tour, P450 for the regular tour, and P1,000 for the special tour
Operating Hours: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Location: Brgy. Tagabinet, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan (see map)
Sabang Falls
Off-the-beaten track, this side trip is just a kilometer away or a 30-minute walk from Sabang Port. You’ll walk on a shaded path along the coast and enjoy the sea breeze until you reach the waterfalls.
The waterfall supplies clean and pure spring water to a nearby village. Some tourists drink it straight from the rocks too! You can climb the boulders to the falls or just relax in the manmade pool facing the deep blue sea.
The waterfall in the photos was taken during the summer months. During the rainy months between June and December, the waterfall has much more volume while the surrounding area is also greener.
Entrance Fee: P100 per local, P150 per foreign national
Operating Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Location: Sitio Sabang, Brgy. Cabayugan, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan (see map)
(+63) 917 677 3781
Palawan, Philippines