March to May marks the dry season here in the Philippines, making it the best time to go to the beach. The Honda Bay Tour in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, is the best option you can try if you want to experience the Palawan beach without getting too far from the city.
The Honda Bay Tour is mostly just chill. My desire to travel during the dry season isn’t just about me; it’s also about allowing my mother to enjoy this season as well. I could say that the Puerto Princesa tour is senior-friendly, so I asked my mother to tag along with some of her friends for a 3-day 2-night tour. Well, that’s just them, not me.
I decided to extend my stay in Palawan by going to El Nido for another 4 days, where there are more activities that seniors wouldn’t typically go for. El Nido is also a 5-hour journey from Puerto Princesa that my mother would absolutely complain about, lol.
Just in case you’re curious, here’s my El Nido Tour A and Tour C experience.
Going back, the reels below summarize our Puerto Princesa trip. The Puerto Princesa 3D2N SULIT PACKAGE we availed was priced at ₱5,849.00 per person. The Honda Bay Tour was on Day 2 of our itinerary.
@9jammoves My obedient cast for this vid includes my mom and her friends ☺️😉😝😚 #puertoprincesa #palawan ♬ original sound – Niall Gray
Puerto Princesa 3D2N SULIT PACKAGE
🗓️Day 1
– Arrival/Pick up at the Airport
– Around 7:30AM to 8:00AM• Pick up from Airport and Proceed for Underground River Tour
– Around 4:00PM • End Tour/ Drop to accommodation
– Free Time
🗓️Day 2
– Complimentary Daily Breakfast
– Around 7:00AM • Pick up from Accomodation and Proceed for Honda Bay Tour
– Around 4:00PM • Travel back to Accomodation
– 5:00PM onwards: Freetime
🗓️Day 3
– Daily Complimentary Breakfast
– 7:00AM-12:00PM • Freetime
– Check out to Accomodation
– 1:00PM-5:00PM• Pick up from Accomodation for Half Day City Tour
– 5:00PM • Drop off to Airport for Departure
✅Inclusions;
✔️2 nights Accomodation with basic room amenities
✔️Complimentary Daily Breakfast
✔️Van & Boat Transfer
✔️Licensed Tour Guide
✔️Permits
✔️Life Vest
✔️Audio Devices
✔️Underground River Tour with Buffet Lunch
✔️Honda Bay Tour with Picnic Lunch
✔️Half Day City Tour with Light Snacks
✔️Travel Insurance
❎Exclusions;
✖️Environmental Fee ₱150.00/pax
✖️Other Side Trip Activities
✖️Mask and Snorkels
Based on my observation, Palawan has a centralized tour system where it feels like even with numerous agencies, they are united. You can expect to encounter different tour guides, drivers, and vans.
For instance, I may have initially communicated with Agency A on Facebook to arrange the tour and made the down payment. Upon arrival, Agency B may have facilitated the tour on our first and second days, and we completed the full payment with them. On our third day, Agency C handled the tour for us.
Similar stories were shared by other tourists I met during the tour, where they were passed on to different service providers. This setup might be surprising, as it’s not the norm when availing tours in places like Cebu. However, this system allows tourists to meet many new people every day and enables Puerto Princesa to offer attractions at a more affordable price than exclusive tours.
Pambato Reef
Pambato Reef is one of the prime snorkeling and diving sites located within Honda Bay near Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Philippines. Pambato Reef is an ideal spot for snorkeling and diving enthusiasts as it has vibrant coral gardens and a colorful school of fish! I am stunned by the cement floater they have. See the picture below.
Luli Island
“Luli” means “Lu-lubog” (disappear) and “Li-litaw” (appear) island. Known for its beautiful sandbars that emerge during low tide, Luli Island offers opportunities for swimming, snorkeling, and relaxing on the beach. There are so many things you can do here:
- Hammock lounging
- Taking pictures with sandcastles
- Getting creative with photos featuring coconuts, Red Horse (a brand of beer), and shells
- Diving
- Exploring on a crystal kayak
- Swimming and chilling
Cowrie Island
Cowrie Island, named after the cowrie shells commonly found in its waters, is popular for its white sandy beaches and clear waters. This is a place where you can also just chill and practically do nothing but get yourself a tan. We also had our lunch here, which was included in the package. The food was great! I also got a henna tattoo here for P100 and drank buko juice for P60. They also serve cocktail drinks.
Conclusion
The islands that the Puerto Princesa Honda Bay Tour can offer are as stunning as Port Barton and El Nido. You can surely expect white sand and a much more laid-back activity than the El Nido tours.
