The Mangrove Paddle Boat Tour was not originally part of our itinerary, however, on our last day in Palawan, when we still have some hours to spare, we've decided to give this a try. Surprisingly, this became one of my favorite tours. It was like boating in the brackish waters of the Amazon River. The boatman/tour guide was sharing facts about the mangrove forest and how mangroves (locally known as 'bakawan')  maintain the balance in our ecosystem. I have seen a lot of mangroves before but not as tall and abundant as what can be seen here in Palawan. It was nice to know that the main role of the mangroves is to protect coastal areas from erosion, storm surges and even tsunamis. They have very strong roots compared to other plants/trees. 'Tamilok', the wood worm that can be found inside the trunk of old mangroves is an exotic delicacy in the province and is eaten raw by local and foreign tourists.

When I think of a place in the Philippines where most of the people are very disciplined and law-abiding, all I can think of is the province of Palawan. You'll be amazed how clean Puerto Princesa City is, no garbage at all from side walks to main roads. You'll be more amazed how the local government protects the environment, the forests, and bodies of water like beaches and rivers. Therefore, it was acclaimed as the cleanest and greenest city in the country. It was also such a great pride to have visited the famous Puerto Princesa Underground River, the longest navigable underground river in the world. The whole area is considered as a National Park so the local government is very strict with the rules to local and foreign tourists on how to conserve and protect this natural treasure. The gigantic formations of stalactites and stalagmites blew our minds, imagining on different objects, people, animals and even religious characters.