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:: Sabang ::

Underground River, Sabang, Central Palawan

Sabang beach and the wild terrain of central Palawan

Sabang is a small settlement located right on the coast in central Palawan. The small village is known for its wild scenery and the nearby Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park featuring a large limestone karts landscape. The underground river emerges directly into the sea and at its lower portion can be visited in a boat at ebb tide due to tidal fluctuation.

Trip to Sabang from Puerto Princesa

First of all, it’s easy to reach Puerto Princesa by flight from either Manila or Cebu City. When in Puerto Princesa, catch a jeepny to Sabang from the central bus station. When we were there, the jeepny service operated once a day. The drive is quite hard-hitting along dirt tracks – although nothing compared with the trip across northern Palawan from Sabang to El Nido.

Underground River, Sabang, Central Palawan

Long and exhausting trip across Palawan in a jeepney along bumpy dirt tracks

The jeepny stopped in local villages along the way to on- and off-load luggage and gear

Underground River, Sabang, Central Palawan

Arrival in sleepy Sabang village

Crossing Sabang beach, looking for bungalows

View towards Sabang village from Blue Bamboo Resort

Times of contemplation and laziness at Blue Bamboo Resort

Sabang is extremely relaxed and there is not much to do. The small beach settlement can be explored in less than half an hour and if you leave the village you are in the middle of a wild, mountainous and inhospitable jungle-terrain.

There are three small resorts along the long beach, all of them very similar. We stayed at Blue Bamboo Resort in a rusty cottage built from bamboo and palm thatch. There was not much to do after dark as the generator was turned off almost immediately and, hence, no light was available.

Underground River, Sabang, Central Palawan

Jakob and Cristoffer taking a nap at the beach

Underground River, Sabang, Central Palawan

View towards St. Paul Bay and the South-Chinese Sea, Sabang, Central Palawan

Boat ride to Underground River

From the beach in Sabang you can either walk to the Underground along the so-called monkey trail (4 km) or simply take a boat to the mouth of the river. We did the boat ride, which offered beautiful views of the St. Paul Mountain Range and limestone karst landscape.

View towards Cleopatra Needle (1593,) from St. Paul Bay, Sabang, Central Palawan

Underground River, Sabang, Central Palawan

Arrival by Tuturinguen Point in front of Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park – the underground river

The National Park features an 8.2 km navigable underground river, i.e. a river that runs beneath the ground surface. At arrival we jumped directly into a small boat and entered the cave with a guide/navigator. The site features major formations of stalactites and stalagmites as well as several large chambers.

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is reputed to be the worlds longest, although Son Trach River in Vietnam perhaps is longer.

Other notable examples of subterranean rivers are:

- Zenne (Brussels, Belgium)

- Dommel (‘S-Hetogenbosch, Netherlands)

- Mojave (California, USA)

- Santa Fe (Florida, USA)

- Sac Actun (Yucatán, Mexico)

Underground River, Sabang, Central Palawan

Jakob at the entrance Access to Underground River in the background

Giant lizard in the National Park

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