Thinking of where to go when in Puerto Princesa, Palawan? Get to know the islands in the capital of Palawan through a day tour Honda Bay Palawan DIY island hopping trip! And get the chance to try some local seafoods while enjoying the islands at Honda Bay.
Last October 2022, we got the chance to explore the islands as it has finally reopened its doors to the public after months of pandemic. So here is an updated Honda Bay Palawan DIY travel guide for you!
Table of Contents
About Honda Bay Palawan
To give you a bit of information, Honda Bay is located in the East Coast of Puerto Princesa City. It is only approximately 10-15 minutes away from the city proper which makes it a good choice for a day tour island hopping because of its proximity.
According to our local tour guide Kuya Albert, Honda Bay has 16 islands in total and only 14 islands during high tide. However, there are only 3 main islands that are visited by tourists because some islands doesn’t have trees or sheds for shelter. These are Cowrie, Luli and Starfish Island.
Where to Stay in Puerto Princesa?
A Honda Bay Island Hopping trip is usually just a day tour. If you are looking for a place to stay around Puerto Princesa, below are my suggestions.
- We stayed for 5 days and 4 nights at Aziza Paradise Hotel. It is just 2-4 minutes away from the airport and includes free airport transfers too. The hotel has swimming pool, free use of wifi, restaurant, bar, and a huge lobby.
BOOK ROOMS AT AZIZA PARADISE FOR PHP2,500.00/NIGHT GOOD FOR 2 PAX
- Another recommended is Hue Hotel. It is walking distance from Robinsons Mall and location is along the National Highway.
BOOK ROOMS AT HUE HOTEL FOR PHP3,100.00/NIGHT GOOD FOR 2 PAX
- For budget travelers, I recommend Go Hotels. They are quite famous for offering affordable rooms around the country.
BOOK ROOMS AT GO HOTELS FOR PHP1,400.00/NIGHT GOOD FOR 2 PAX
- If you have the budget, I highly recommend Princesa Garden Island Resort. It is about 40 minutes away from the airport but the destination is highly sophisticated. Honestly, their goal is for their guests to find every bit of enjoyment and entertainment inside he resort so that they would never have to leave. Every penny is worth it.
BOOK ROOMS AT PRINCESA GARDEN ISLAND RESORT FOR AS LOW AS PHP6,500.00/NIGHT GOOD FOR 2 GUESTS
Where to Eat in Honda Bay?
Because of the distraction caused by super typhoon Odette, most restaurants in Honda Bay were destroyed. As of today, the only islands where you can find and buy food is at Starfish Island and Cowrie Island.
Personally, I enjoyed seafood mukbang at Starfish Island! They sell lots of seafoods here such as sea urchins, abalone shellfish, lobster, ranga-ranga and many more. FYI, the abalone shellfish is a must! Furthermore, lunch at Cowrie Island is the best!
Read here: Where to Eat in Puerto Princesa + Trying Exotic Food “Tamilok”
Suggested Tour Agency
For hassle-free tours, I highly recommend booking with a trusted travel agency. If you are traveling in a group and/or family vacation, do check iTravel Tours on Facebook! They have amazing packages such as (1) Honda Bay Island Hopping, (2) Underground River and (3) City Tours. Message them on Facebook to know more details!
How to go to Honda Bay Palawan DIY way? (Budget)
Take a direct flight from Manila to Puerto Princesa (PPS). Local airlines like Cebu Pacific, AirSwift, Air Asia and Philippine Airlines offers this route. It’s actually a very popular route and you can score cheap flights to PPS.
From PPS airport, there are multicabs outside that can take you to the city proper which is just about 3-5 minutes. Then proceed to Mendoza Park and ride multicabs with Sta Lordes Honda Bay signage. These multicabs will go directly to the wharf where you can rent a boat for Honda Bay island hopping. In addition, it also passes by Robinsons Mall and Hue Hotel which makes it more convenient if you will be staying anywhere near that area.
Expenses & Boat Rentals
Proceed to the registration area where you will rent a boat and pay the necessary fees. Environmental fee is Php150.00 and terminal fee is Php5.00 only. Refer to the photo below for updated fare rates.
Important note: cut-off time of island hopping is at 2:30pm.
Honda Bay Island Hopping
Going to Puerto Princesa is incomplete without getting your skin tanned! Swim and bask at Honda Bay’s pristine beaches and islands. As I’ve mentioned earlier, Honda Bay island hopping comprises 3 main islands which are Starfish Island, Luli Island and Cowrie Island.
Starfish Island
Entrance Fee: Php50.00/person
After a 15 minute boat ride from the pier, Starfish Island was the first destination for our Honda Bay island hopping trip. There is a snorkeling site here so if you are looking for a swimming/snorkeling activity around Honda Bay, this is the place to be!
Starfish Island is also quite famous for serving its guests local seafood delicacies. I highly recommend trying sisig abalone! For more information about the seafood delicacies read here. There are available cottage and picnic tables for rent here too.
Luli Island
Entrance Fee: Php70.00/person
The name of the island came from the word lulubog lilitaw which meant the disappearance and appearance of islands depending on the tides. It has an amazing sandbar and there are crystal kayaks for rent like that of Boracay.
Cowrie Island
Entrance Fee: Php100.00/person
Cowrie Island is the last one we visited. This island is quite gorgeous and has everything you need for a group outing/gathering. It is closest to the pier, has volleyball area, kayaking, paddle board, lots of cottage and picnic tables you can rent, has a restaurant and they also have clean bathrooms.
Help me improve my Honda Bay Palawan DIY travel guide! By commenting suggestions in the comment section below, I am very open to new ideas. Drone shots by yours truly. Contact Us for paid promotions and link insertions. For proposals: email me at contact@joansfootprints.com |
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