Tulum of Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico

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Tulum is the site of a Pre-Columbian Maya walled city serving as a major port for Cobá.
Tulum’s greatest attraction is its location itself as it stands on a bluff facing the rising sun looking out on views of the Caribbean that are nothing less than spectacular scenery. Ruins are situated on 12-meter (39 ft) tall cliffs, along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico.
The Yucatan Peninsula on Mexico’s southeastern coast is famous for its fabulous beaches, Mayan archeological sites, and the Great Mayan Reef. Many visitors come for the sun and nightlife and spend their time in one of the luxurious hotels along the Cancun strip. There’s more to the Yucatan than Cancun and it’s easy to rent a car or hop on a local bus and see it all.

The Yucatan has 500 species of birds. It’s a great place for snorkeling and diving because the second largest coral reef system in the world runs by it.
Tulum is said as one of the last cities inhabited and built by the Mayans, it was at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries and managed to survive about 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. Now known as one of the best-preserved coastal Maya sites, Tulum is today a popular site for tourists.

Tulum has architecture design typical of Maya sites on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. This architecture is then recognized by a step running around the base of the building which sits on a low substructure similar to Chichen Itza. Doorways of this type are usually narrow with columns used as support if the building is big enough.

As the walls flare out there are usually two sets of molding near the top. The most of the room contains one or two small windows with an altar at the back wall, roofed by either a beam-and-rubble ceiling or being vaulted. This type of architecture resembles what can be found in the nearby Chichen Itza, just on a much smaller scale.

The name Tulum is the name given the site following a visit by the explorers Stephens and Catherwood in 1841, just before the beginning of the Caste War in 1847, long after the city was abandon and fell to ruins.

They ordered trees cleared and Catherwood made illustrations of temples, later to be published in their famous book “Incidents of Travel in Yucatan”. Juan José Gálvez is actually credited with Tulum’s rediscovery in 1840.

Perito Moreno Glacier

6:31 AM

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The Perito Moreno Glacier is a glacier located in the Los Glaciares National Park in the south west of Santa Cruz province, Argentina. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in the Argentine Patagonia.

The glacier was named after the Argentinian explorer Francisco Moreno, who was born in 1852. Moreno discovered and explored numerous lakes and rivers in Patagonia and, inspired by America's Yellowstone Park, was instrumental in creating South America's first national park, the Nahuel Huapi National Park.

Perito Moreno Glacier was declared a Natural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 1981.It is also considered the eighth wonder of the world because of the spectacular view it offers.It stands 80 meters (262 ft) tall and is 5 kilometers (3 miles) long.

The Perito Moreno Glaciers in the province of Santa Cruz is without a doubt one of the biggest natural spectacles of the world. Every 3-4 years when the ice breaks, it creates a fantastic natural performance not to be missed..
It is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field located in the Andes system Argerntina shares with Chile. It is the world's third largest reserve of fresh water. Photographers and film crews come from all over the world to Patagonia in southern Argentina to capture the event.

The calving of the Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the most impressive natural phenomena in the world. You can enjoy the thrill of seeing massive chunks of ice plunge forcefully into the water.

Pantanal

9:32 PM

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 The Pantanal (swamp or marsh in Portuguese) is a region in South America lying mostly in Western Brazil but extending into Bolivia as well. It is considered one of the world's largest and most diverse freshwater wetland ecosystems. The Pantanal is also one of Brazil's major tourist draws, for its wildlife. Some of the large cattle farms offer accommodations and organized tours.

Millions of waterfowl breed along the Pantanal National Park rivers and lagoons of. Dense populations of jaguars, capybara, hyacinth macaws, roseatte spoonbills, jabiru storks, kingfishers, rheas, magnificent Tababeuia trees and others thrive in its forest and grasslands. The Pantanal attracts dense populations of animals that feed and breed along its waterways, including giant river otters, river dophins, marsh deer and tapirs.

The wetland also provides habitat for more than 650 bird species, including cormorants, egrets, herons, ibis, jabiru storks and roseate spoonbills. Less than 2 per cent of the Pantanal is under federal protection. The strategic location of Pantanal makes it more vulnerable to the advance of large scale agriculture, cattle ranching, water pollution, dams and transport navigation, thereby increasing the pressure on the local habitats. Funds go directly to manage, monitor and restore this vast 400,000-acre watershed, critical habitat for migrating animals during the rainy season.
CLIMATE: Usually warm to very hot and dry throughout, but occasionally winter cold fronts push up from the south bringing cooler weather and some rain.
DIFFICULTY: Mostly easy and flat. There is one steeper and more difficult optional hike at Cristalino.

Actun Tunichil Muknal

11:42 PM

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This is the acclaimed “Cave of the Crystal Maiden,” one of the most spectacular natural and archaeological attractions in Central America. The trip to Actun Tunichil Muknal, or ATM, as the cave is also known, is for fit and active people who do not mind getting wet and muddy—and who are able to tread lightly around ancient artifacts.

Just about 1-1/2 hrs drive southeast of San Ignacio we arrive at the car park where we reorganize for a 45 minute hike through the jungle with three knee-high river crossings on the hike to the cave entrance.

The cave has a rich archeological history of the Ancient Maya, with dates of activity recorded from the Classic Period of 200AD to the Late Classic of 900AD.

Actun Tunichil Muknal cave was used by the Late-Classic Maya as a place for sacrifice. The cave’s sacrificial room is a broad raised area reachable only by wading and swimming the underground river back for about a mile then climbing a large rock to step across to a ledge near the ceiling.

As with any cave exploring, one can only think of where to put one’s foot so as not to slip and which rock to grab when falling to avoid the sharp ones.

Around the edges of this large space are many offerings containing human skulls and pots of different shapes and sizes.

Lying undisturbed for a thousand years the bones and pottery are covered with waterborne calcite.The Maya had many ways to solicit the spirits. One method of sacrifice was to remove the lower jaw while the victim was still alive which, it is said, makes the eyes pop out.
There is evidence elsewhere of this procedure carved in stone as well as in paintings on ceramics. The lower jaw is missing on most of these skulls. Another way to sacrifice is face flaying but this may not have been done at the same time as jaw removal as the victim would already be dead.


The History of ATM

Actun Tunichil Muknal was discovered in 1989 and opened to the public in 1998. Dr. Jaime Awe, a Belizean archaeologist was the first to explore the cave. Dr. Awe and his Western Belize Regional Cave Project (WBRCP) conducted archaeological research at Actun Tunichil Muknal from 1993-2000.

In January of 2003, it was decided that 455 acres of the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve would be re-designated as a natural monument. Official signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Belize Audubon Society and the Institute of Archaeology (IoA) occurred on June 10, 2004. This agreement was the first of its kind to be signed by the Society for the co-management of an archeological site.

Getting There

Actun Tunichil Muknal Natural Monument is located south of Teakettle Village in the Cayo District. The junction is at mile 52 on the Western Highway. Due to the sensitive nature of this cave only two tour companies are licensed to take guests here: Pacz Tours and Mayawalk Tours, which are based in San Ignacio. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Mt. Vesuvius

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Vesuvius is one of the best-known volcanoes in the world and is arguably Europe’s most dangerous volcano.
Mt. Vesuvius is still active today. It is the only active volcano on the European mainland.
Mt. Vesuvius's most famous eruption was in 79 A.D. when it destroyed the citites of Herculaneum and Pompeii. When Vesuvius erupted it covered the cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii it covered the cities with 20 feet of volcanic debris.
During this eruption about 2000 people were killed inculding Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist. That eruption was called a plinian explosion. This means that when extremely gas-rich, viscous magma explodes deep inside a volcano (the vent serves as a gun barrel) and tremendous blast shoots straight up at twice the speed of sound, creating a vertical column of ash as much as 20-miles high. Since then it has erupted over 50 times and is still active.
Some other eruptions include one in 1631 when 5 towns were destroyed and 3000 people were killed, another one was in 1794 when it destroyed the town of Torre Del Greco.The next viloent eruption happenned on April 1906 when it lasted ten days and causing great destruction and killed 2000 people. Since then smaller eruptions happenned in 1913, 1926, 1929, and 1944.

Cordillera Del Paine

11:12 PM

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Mountains are considered to be one of the most magical out of all nature’s delights. They have a unique and rare charm to them that combine beauty with adventure. Besides mountains are also said to be symbolic of being perseverant and dedicated to achieve all goals set in life. A perfect example to all this is the Cordillera del Paine in Chile.

Torres del Paine National Park is a large park of 2,400 km² and a popular trekking destination with a large number of mountains, lakes and rivers, and biodiversity from sub-polar forests to coastal desert.

The best-known and most spectacular summits are the three Towers 
of Paine. They are gigantic granite monoliths shaped by the forces of glacial ice. Other summits include the Cuerno Principal, about 2,100 m but often quoted at 2,600 m, and Cerro Paine Chico, which is usually correctly quoted at about 2,650 m.

The Cordillera del Paine Mountains that belong to the Andes form the core of the park. The national park was founded in 1959 and renamed Torres del Paine in 1970. It was granted a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve status in 1978 and today, Torres del Paine National Park is a popular outdoor activity destination with good basic services for visitors.

Torres means "towers" and paine means "blue," a reference to the blue hue of the park's glacial lakes and its four main glaciers, which are connected to the Southern Patagonia Icefield. The city of Punta Arenas, a four-hour flight from Santiago, serves as the central Torres del Paine hub. From there, catch a three-hour bus ride to Puerto Natales and then let your interests dictate the way you access the park, from the luxe (sailing) to the DIY (hopping another bus to one of the three entrances).

Safety & restrictions
Torres del Paine is a safe destination with no crime problems, but the extreme weather conditions can cause danger. Hikers in the national park should always stay on paths and camp in designated areas only. Wood fires are prohibited because of the big risk of forest fires.

Eisriesenwelt, Austria

12:15 AM

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The Eisriesenwelt is the largest accessible ice cave in the world. It is located in the Austrian Alps, near the town Werfen , in the mountain Hochkogel, which is 2281 m high. The complex of caves and tunnels, which is the world's biggest ice cave is sometimes referred to as the World of the Ice Giants in Werfen .

If you are looking for a different thrill with the most astounding natural scenery that you can find, the Eisriesenwelt Caves in Werfen, Austria will capture your heart as an amazing limestone ice cave.

The cave would provide you one of the most thrilling experiences during your Austria visit. In Eisriesenwelt Caves, the ice remain frozen throughout the year. The ice cave is located at the height of 1640 metre. Usually the temperature remains under zero, so make sure to be prepared to save yourself from the cutting cold.

The Eisriesenwelt (German for "World of the Ice Giants"), was once feared by locals as "the entrance to Hell," not being first explored until 1879 by a man named Anton Posselt. What was Posselt's inspiration for venturing off into this Austrian abyss with little more than a lamp and an ice pick? Maybe a mental disorder, who knows, but we can all thank him for it.

How to Reach
Eisriesenwelt Caves can be reached on the Tauern motorway, on the trunk road from Salzburg or by train. The mountain road up to the parking area, situated at an altitude of 1000 meters, is open for all the vehicles. Local buses are also available from the Werfen village. People who are comfortable walking 5 km can reach on foot also. There are no electronic lights in the cave. One have to guide himself on his own with the help of carbide lamps provided.

Practical information for visitors
The cave system is opened for public from 1 May to 26 October from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. In July and August, it is opened until 4:30 pm. The tour of the cave Eisriesenwelt takes about 4 hours, so it is advisable to dress warmly and wear good boots because it might be slippery. Taking gloves is also a good idea as the railings are covered in ice. Visitors are recommended to sensibly judge their strengths before the tour because the tunnels are narrow and slippery.

Iguazu Falls

11:34 PM

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Iguazu Falls (also called Iguacu Falls) are known throughout the world as one of the most beautiful and majestic natural waterfalls man has ever seen. The falls themselves sit on the Iguazu River and rest on the border between Brazil and Argentina. Visited by many people every year, the Iguazu Falls are one of the more popular natural tourist destinations in South America.

The falls themselves sit on the Iguazu River and rest on the border between Brazil and Argentina. Visited by many people every year, the Iguazu Falls are one of the more popular natural tourist destinations in South America.

Iguazu Falls, in the Iguazu River, is one of the largest waterfalls in the world and a tremendous natural wonder being that there are about 275 separate waterfalls ranging from 200 – 269 feet high

The name Iguazu simply means "great waters" in the local Indian language. According to legend, the great waterfall was created in an outburst of rage by the god of the Iguazu River, who lived in a particularly wild and violent area of the downpour called the Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat). The Falls are close to the point where the Iguazu and the Parana rivers join and the boundaries of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay converge. The countries are linked by two bridges: the Amistad (Friendship) Bridge between Brazil and Paraguay, and the Tancredo Neves Bridge between Brazil and Argentina.

When to go
March to November is frequently considered the best time to visit the Iguassu Falls. But, in reality, there isn’t a best time. It depends on what you value most.

The high season is in January and February, when most Brazilians and Argentineans are in holidays. For those who want to experience the splendour and the impressiveness, that’s a good period to visit the Iguassu Falls. But… there are some downsides. The sky is bluer (it’s the peak of the summer) and the volume of the waters is high, but the humidity and the heat are also at their highest levels (as are the hotels prices and their occupation). And this is also a crowded period, you might wish to avoid.

If you want to avoid crowded periods, avoid the Easter time also. There is a strong Brazilian and Argentinean tradition to visit the Iguassu Falls in Easter. Vast throngs of tourists invade the place in Easter, crushing the quietness of most of the year. If you want to bet on low hotel prices, this is not a good season, either.

May and July are rainy months and the volume of the waters is at its maximum. The rain is rarely a problem, except for those who are looking for a quick day visit. In that case, the rain may strike the unfortunates.

If you want to enjoy an agreeable temperature, lower prices, less people and a very low probability of a troubling rainy day, September and October are great months. But it all depends of your style and preferences – and possibilities...

Halong Bay

3:46 AM

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Halong Bay Located in the northeastern part of Vietnam and constitutes part of the western bank of Bac Bo Gulf, including the sea area of Ha Long City and Cam Pha Town and part of Van Don island district. It abuts Cat Ba Island in the southwest.

Halong literally means “descending dragon,” and there’s a local legend that says that when the Vietnamese were fighting foreign invaders long ago, the gods sent a family of fighting dragons to help them defend the land. As the dragons descended upon the area, they spit jewels and gems, and when these hit the water, they turned into little islands, which today dot the bay.
Halong Bay has twice been recognized as world natural heritage by UNESCO. The first time is for Halong bay's beauty landscapes. The second time is for Halong bay's geology formation. Magnificent Halong bay Vietnam is One of 7 must-visit places on the earth.

Ha Long Bay is a complex of offshore islands being one of the most typical examples of marine-invaded tower karsts. The Bay consists of more than 1.600 islands and islets hiding inside many spectacular caves and grottoes with stalactites and stalagmites. The bay’s sublime & magnificent beauty sets it apart from other sites and is drawing millions of cruisers every year.

Getting there
By air: Halong Bay is 1 hour flight by helicopter from Gia Lam Airport in Ha Noi.

By road: Halong Bay is 160km or 3.5 hours drive from Ha Noi. The road is fairly good, though traffic may be very busy. There are many local bus companies from commuting between Ha Noi - Halong City. The buses don't have seat number and the driver may stop many times to pick up more passengers on the way until it's totally stuffed. Also all commuter bus drivers have to hurry to pick up as many people as possible on the way; they drive very recklessly.

Halong Bay can also be visited by road from Hai Phong. It's only 70km between the 2 cities and the drive takes 1 hour.

By boat: From Hai Phong you can take a speed boat for 1 hour to Cat Ba where you take a 5 hour boat cruise weaving through Halong Bay islands.

When to go
The best time to travel Halong is from October to April when the weather is pretty pleasant. In summer, it's hot, humid and rainy, while monsoons flourish. In winter, it's cold, dry, and sees little rainfall.

Halong Bay is also one of the new 7 Wonders of the World.

Grand Canyon of Arizona

8:03 PM

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The Grand Canyon of the Colorado River in northwestern Arizona is one of the earth's greatest natural wonders. It became a national park in 1919. So famous is this landmark to modern Americans that it seems surprising that it took more than thirty years for it to become a national park.

The Grand Canyon, created by the Colorado River over a period of 6 million years, is 446 km long, ranges in width from 6 to 29 km and attains a depth of more than 1.6 km. During prehistory, the area was inhabited by Native Americans who built settlements within the canyon and its many caves.

Although not the steepest nor the longest canyon in the world, the Grand Canyon is recognized as a natural wonder because of the overall scale and size combined with the beautifully colored landscape. The canyon offers a variety of lookouts and experiences that provide visitors with a view that cannot be matched.

Best Ways to See the Grand Canyon

Many spectacular views of the Grand Canyon can be experienced from the many vistas that are presented throughout the park, particularly along the South Rim. However, probably the most spectacular view of the canyon occurs from the Toroweap Overlook. The only challenge is that this view is only accessible by three different dirt paths:

-St. George, Utah (97 miles)
-Colorado City (62 miles)
-Pipe Spring National Monument (64 miles)


An easier alternative to a still breath taking view can be experienced through Lipan Point on the South Rim. This view exposes visitors to a variety of rock strata and delivers an amazing view of the Unkar Creek area.

A helicopter tour is the best way to truly appreciate the vastness of the canyon.

The best times to explore the Grand Canyon could easily be debated. Winter scenes are arguably some of the most spectacular scenes, however the winter months close the roads to the North Rim which really provide the better views of the vastness of canyon.

With that said, the best time to explore the Grand Canyon is during the summer months which provide visitors with greater access to a variety of opportunities that the Grand Canyon provides to explorers. If you really want to explore the Grand Canyon, don’t plan a day trip. One could easily consume a week discovering and exploring the canyon.

Bay of Fundy

7:03 PM

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The Bay of Fundy (French: Baie de Fundy) is located on the Atlantic Ocean coastline of North America, at the northeast end of the Gulf of Maine between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. A small portion of the bay touches the northeast corner of the state of Maine.

The tides in Canada's Bay of Fundy are the most extreme in the world. Because of the unique shape of the bay, the difference in water level between high tide and low tide can be as much as 48 feet (14 meters). Observing tidal changes over time at any coastal location can show interesting patterns. These patterns can reveal the relationship between tides and the lunar cycle. Bay of Fundy is also popular for their rocks that are as high as four storey building.

Twice everyday the Bay of Fundy fills and empties of its 100 billion tonnes of water, creating the highest tides in the world. The height of the tide is 3.5 meters (11ft) along the southwest shore of Nova Scotia and steadily increases as the flood waters travel up the 280 km (174 miles) of shoreline to the head of the Bay where in the Minas Basin the height of the tide can reach 16 meters (53ft).


The force created by these mighty waters is equal to 8000 locomotives or 25 million horses at the Minas Channel. This energy works within the Bay’s waters to stir up nutrients from the ocean floor, the mud flats and salt water marshes providing an abundance of food for the birds, whales, fish and bottom dwellers that visit or call Fundy home.

Because by its amazing, it is not surprising if Bay of Fundy become the finalist of New 7 Wonders of Nature. Fish, lobster, mussel, scallops, smoked salmon are several foods that you can eat in the Bay of Fundy. Winter is one of the best times to explore the Bay of Fundy, you will be impressed by two-tone seascapes, random ice cakes, frothy of snow and swirling winds.

Crystal Cave of Bermuda

2:28 AM

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 Crystal caves in Bermuda is about 120 feet under the ground and is one of the largest caves in Bermuda. The caves are the most famous of many subterranean caves in Bermuda and are located in Hamilton Parish, close to Castle Harbor.

The clarity is so perfect that it is possible to see the cave floor, which at one point lies 55 feet below the deep blue underground Cahow Lake. The cave features a variety of formations that include: soda straws and stalactites. However, some crystal formations have been damaged by earthquakes in the far past.

Crystal is the most famous and visited cave in Bermuda. It's believed to have been discovered by two 14-year-old boys in 1905 when they went looking for their lost ball. Instead of going down via 140 feet of strong rope tied to a tree like they did, you can walk down 83 steps to view the magnificent crystal stalactites and stalagmites. You can only touch two broken-off crystals because they take hundreds of years to grow.

In fact, they grow only a cubic inch every century. Crystal cave is 1.6 million years old and that's considered young. Down below you can explore the crystals along a wooden floating pontoon walkway that sits on top of a clear 55-foot-deep lake.

The Crystal Caves Bermuda is owned by the Wilkinson family since 1884. It has been dubbed “ Crystal” because of the crystal clear blue pool of water that occupies it.

Indeed, the water is so clear that its transparency offers a view of the cave floor. In certain points, the cave has a depth of 55 feet below the water surface. Adorning the caves are numerous stalactites and stalagmites formed over several million years.

Jeju Island

1:00 AM

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Cheju Island, alternately known as Chejudo or Jejudo, is an oval-shaped volcanic landmass covering 1,845 square kilometers (712 square miles) off the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula. Geologists estimate the island’s age at 2 million years, and archaeological finds suggest that people have lived on the island since prehistoric times. Today, Cheju is both a tourist attraction and home to a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site.
 Originally Jeju was an independent country called Tamna. In 662AD Jeju became a province of Goryeo which was a part of present day South Korea. In 1121 Tamna was renamed Chejudo or Jeju Island. In 1910 Jeju and Korea were occupied by the Japanese. After the Second World War Jeju became a province of the Republic of Korea.
Jeju Island is Korea’s most famous local honeymoon destination and can be considered as Korea’s equivalent of Hawaii. It takes only one hour by flight from Seoul to Jeju Island. It is also frequently visited by foreign tourists particularly those from Japan and China. Besides that, Jeju is also frequently used as a filming site for Korean dramas such as All In and Dae Jang Geum. The hit movie Shiri was also filmed here.

Jejudo Island is sometimes referred to as “Samdado Island” which means “three many” because of its abundance of rocks, women, and wind. It also has a dormant volcano, Mt. Halla, which rises more than 6,397 feet (1,950 meters) above sea level. 360 satellite volcanoes are around the main volcano.

On this island, there are many women divers known as haenyeo. They age between 40 and 70 years old, and dive into the ocean to search for abalone, shellfish and seaweed to sell. The amazing thing is that they dive into the ocean without any oxygen tanks. Unbelievable but true!


Jeju island is filled with palm trees, mountains, volcanic tubes and amazing beaches. You can go scuba diving, hiking, sightseeing, museum-hopping, horseback riding, hot-air ballooning, water-sliding, or a million other adventures.

It's truly a must-see if you're in Korea for work or travel. Come for a weekend or a week, it's easy and cheap to get there on a quick flight from Seoul on one of the many discount carriers. Or, you can take the ferry from Busan or Mokpo as well. Visitors to Korea often list Jeju Island as their favorite part of the trip.

Puerto Princesa Underground River

6:31 AM

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The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park ( Also previously known as the St. Paul subteranean river) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located about 50 kilometers north of the city of Puerto Princesa in the province of Palawan, Philippines. It contains the renowned Subterranean River, thought to be the longest navigable underground river system in the world. The National Park is part of the Saint Paul Mountain Range situated on the northern coast of the island.

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park features a limestone karst mountain landscape with an 8.2 km. navigable underground river. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea. It includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and several large chambers. The lower portion of the river is subject to tidal influences. The underground river is reputed to be the world's longest.

The area also represents a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation. The site contains a full mountain-to-the-sea ecosystem and has some of the most important forests in Asia.

Tourism

Because of its natural wonders, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is a key destination for local and international tourists alike. According to the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development website, the park gets an annual income of about Php 5 million. This finances the maintenance, managed by the Protected Areas Management Board (PAMB) headed by the City Government of Puerto Princesa.

Travel Advisory


In order to get to the National Park, you must take the Puerto-Roxas road which goes all the way to Sabang, where the park is located. There are also daily buses which leave Puerto Princesa's San Jose bus terminal at 7am, and fare costs are at around Php 300. Two or three jeepneys also take the same route, leaving the terminal at the same time, but are cheaper at Php 200. Trips take three hours.

To explore the Subterranean River, one must secure a permit at the Tourist Information and Assistance Center at the Sabang pier. This costs Php 150 for Filipinos and Php 200 for foreigners. The office can also arrange boat transport to the river (round trip P700, 15 minutes). Then after a five minute walk to the actual entrance, you will be given a lifejacket and helmet, and assigned a boat and driver for the trip to the cave.

The boat ride takes you inside the cave for only about 5 kilometers, since beyond this the river becomes difficult to navigate. The round trip takes about 45 minutes. Cameras are allowed.

History

The PPSRNP was established on March 26, 1971, by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 835 issued by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos. Formerly known as the St. Paul Subterranean National Park, it initially comprised of 3,901 hectares of terrestrial reservation. To ensure long-term viability, former President Joseph E. Estrada signed Proclamation No. 212 on November 16, 1999 expanding the area of the Park to 22,202 hectares that now includes the entire catchment for the Underground River and significant forest important for biodiversity conservation.

It was also renamed to Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park to properly identifying it with the place. The PPSRNP was also declared as a National Geological Monument on December 11, 2003 by the National Committee on Geological Sciences (NCGS).