Palawan with a Kid: Puerto Princesa Underground River

Row,row,row your boat gently down the river, slowly, slowly, slowly please or it will capsize. Boy do I make lame versions of Nursery Rhymes.

But that's pretty much how it was like for an edgy mom to be exploring the Underground River with a hyper 4-year-old tot. That's because one slight movement in the boat and you'll be rocking it. From the dock to the cave, I was an annoying mom, well...more annoying than usual: " Sput, sit down! Please!", "Sput, don't lean!", "Sput, don't keep moving!" while Hugo was just being his usual self, taking pictures and stuff. Geez, what a cool mom, eh? Sure, we had life jackets and hard hats but it's just that I don't want to get wet especially because the water is brown and I did not bring extra clothes. 

When we were finally inside the cave, I was amazed by its grandness (and maybe paranoid with other things like the darkness and bat poo) that I forgot about my fear of the boat capsizing. There was a section in the cave that looks like it's straight out from a National Geographic magazine. I'm not exaggerating. I had to blink a few times because it looked like a 3D rock with the milky way as the backdrop. It took my breath away even though I'm not really into rocks. 

Sput didn't enjoy it as much as I expected, though. I expected she's get a Dora kind of high. She was more concerned of finding spiders inside the cave instead of finding rock formations. What she found entertaining were the silly monkeys we met on our way back to the beach. She also enjoyed playing with new-found-friends at Sabang Beach. So my tip is, don't be like me. Don't be too paranoid while you're exploring the Palawan Underground River because, trust me, the boat won't capsize. If you're thinking of leaving the kids at home and just enjoy Palawan with the hubs, you will regret it because Puerto Prinsesa is one of the kid-friendliest cities in the Philippines. Sure, the Underground River experience might make you nervous but that's just one of the many things to do in Palawan. And if you learn to control your paranoia, then trip would score ten out of ten.

Puerto Princesa Underground River Summary and Tips:

HOW TO GET THERE:

BUDGET:

TIPS:

* Don't go near monkeys. They will bite you.

* Apply Mosquito Repellent every two hours. Let your kids wear those repellent stickers. Palawan is a paradise but it is known for Malaria. Make sure you're protected. 

*Go DIY so you can have your own schedule and pick the resto you want. Details below.

* Let your kids play with the beach kids. That's the kind of experience that will make them grow and it's free.

* Bring a shawl. The sun could get really intense by noontime so make sure your skin is protected. There are batik sarongs sold at P150 in Sabang bu t if you'd rather use that money on something else- like a fresh buko shake- then you know what to do.

*Set one whole day for this. Don't try to squeeze in so many activities in your trip or else you would not enjoy Palawan as much. We left for the Underground River bright and early and we got home to our hostel just before sunset. 

Exploring Tanay with a Kid: Why it's Waaaaay Better Than Malling

We just got back from our quick trip to Tanay, Rizal and once again I was reminded that we don't have to spend a lot in order to have fun. 

Sput's first spelunking adventure- Calinawan Cave, Tanay, Rizal

We explored a cave, had lunch beside a waterfall, climbed up a grotto, and went to Laguna Lake to witness fishermen unload their catch. And how much did we spend? A teeny-weeny super-meager amount of P 850! I'm notalayer. That's cheaper than a Pizza Hut meal for four...or a pair of Forever 21 shorts...or hey, that's cheaper than a regular trip to the mall!

Let's compare.

Trip to the Mall with a kid:

Fare/Gas- P300

Food- P 500

Movie/Timezone/Play Station tickets- P 300

TOTAL: P 1,100

Trip to Tanay with a kid:

FX Fare- P 250

Tricycle Fare (Package which includes all the destinations)- P350

Food- P100 (just bring a canned Tuna and rice)

Cave guide fees- P100 (or any amount you're willing to donate)

Daranak falls entrance- P55 

TOTAL: P 855

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Is a trip to Tanay sulit or whut?! To make it more obvious, let's compare the "value" of these two.

What do you get from a mall trip? 

Sore feet, entertainment, maybe a full stomach, some things (important or not), more credit card debt, maybe some happiness.

What do you get from a spelunking/hiking/camping adventure?

Sore feet, realizing that you are very small and the world is so big, realizing that material things do not matter a lot, good memories, knowledge. For kids: Seeing, smelling, touching real flowers, trees, fishes, rocks. 

What does a trip to the mall teach your child? 

Hmmm...that it's nice to have things, basically. If you're a good parent, the best lesson you can teach them from a trip to the mall is the difference between wants from needs, the importance of hard work (so they can buy the stuff they want). 

What does a spelunking/hiking/camping adventure teach your child?

OMG. 1001 things- life rules like exploring without being reckless to science stuff like why fishes jump and squirm when they're out of the water.

Who gets a little richer every time you visit a mall?

The Sys and the Ayalas and the advertisers and the big brands. 

Who gets a little richer everytime you have a nature trip?

The locals- tricycle drivers, tour guides, small stores, carenderias. And YOU.

Quick Packing for Our First Spelunking Adventure

Spelunking. The term sounds sooo kick-ass but it simply means exploring a cave. But not all cave explorers are called spelunkers. There are also CAVERS and SPELEOLOGISTS, which are labels for the more hardcore and geeky cave explorers.

the term "spelunker" to denote someone untrained and unknowledgeable in current exploration techniques, and "caver" for those who are. Speleology has always been an interdisciplinary science, requiring one to have at least a smattering of geology, hydrology, biology, chemistry, climatology and survey techniques in addition to whatever specialty one has.
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Tomorrow we're spelunking with a 4-year-old kid in tow. Yey! We're going to explore a cave in Tanay, Rizal called Calinawan Cave. I chose this cave because 1.) it's close to where we live which means less travel time and less expenses; 2.) It's just a 30-minute trip inside the cave so anytime there's a sign that Sput's not enjoying the trip, we can exit fast; 3.) It's not yet too popular so I'm hoping it's not too crowded.

Sooo..packing. We expect to do duck walks and body-bending positions inside the cave so we're packing really, really light. We're preparing Hugo's regular-sized backpack and Sput's teeny-weeny bag (just so she would be responsible for her own stuff).

WHAT'S IN HUGO'S BAG:
* First aid kit
* Small pouch for our wallets
* Camera
* Extra shirts
* Slippers (for post-spelunking)
* Alcohol
* Face towels
* Century Tuna (big can)
* Can opener
* Water bottles
* Flashlights
* Head lamps
* Spoons+ forks
* Rice inside a lunchbox (to be packed)

WHAT'S IN SPUT'S BAG:
* Yam the bear
* Whistle
* small Flash light
* Snacks
* Small water bottle

That's all. Just the basic stuff. I hope spelunking with a kid would be fun (and safe) for everyone!