How to go to the Puerto Princesa Underground River On Your Own

How to go to the Puerto Princesa Underground River On Your Own

1. Get a Visitor Entry Permit to go to the Underground River at Puerto Princesa City Booking Office (No Permit, No Entry)

a. Go to the booking office at Puerto Princesa city.

For Information and Reservation Please Contact:

PPSRNP Information and Booking Office
No. 11 National Highway,
Bgy. San Miguel,
Puerto Princesa City, 5300,
Philippines
Telephone Number (Puerto Princesa City):  +63(48)434-2509
Telefax (Puerto Princesa City): +63(48)433-2409
E-mail:  info@puerto-undergroundriver.com
Website: http://www.puerto-undergroundriver.com

Note: Groups of more than forty (40) people are required to secure bookings at least three (3) days before the planned visit or may be refused entry to the Park.

b. Fill out a permit application form indicating:

• the name of visitor, 

• place of visit, 

• purpose of visit, 

• date of visit;

c. Pay the following fees. Permits are issued only after paying the following fees:

General Entrance Fee
P 75.00 and P 50.00

Cave Entrance Fee*
21 – 59 yr. Old (P 200.00)
17 – 20 yr. Old (P 100.00)
13 – 16 yr. Old ( P 75.00)
6 – 12 yr. Old (P 50.00) 

*Filipino Senior Citizens 60 yr. old and above, Children 5 years old and below, and the handicapped are exempted from paying entrance for the Underground River Tour.

Note: Permits paid for but not used on date as indicated may be refunded or rebooked to another date only upon payment of a 10% surcharge.

d.  Upon issuance of the permit, check the following:

• check if the permit contains the correct details of the visitor. The rule is that permits are non-transferable and may be only used by the person whose name appears on the permit.
• check the schedule of the tour indicated in the permit to find out the time you need to arrive at Sabang Beach. You need to arrive and register at Sabang Information Office 30 minutes before your tour schedule. According to the rule, failure to arrive on time may result in the cancellation of space reserved.

2. After getting the permit, hire a van from any tour operator in Puerto Princesa (ask your hotel) to bring you to Sabang Beach.

• Average cost of van rental from Puerto Princesa to Sabang Beach roundtrip, with return on the same day: P3500
• If you want to stay overnight, you add P1500 for the van to wait for you overnight.

3.Upon arrival at Sabang Beach, go to the Sabang Information Office.

• The rule is that visitors are required to confirm the tour by registering at Sabang Information Office not less than thirty (30) minutes prior to the schedule of tour indicated on the permit.  

4. Hire a boat from Sabang Beach to the Underground River Park (you can ask the Sabang Information Office where to hire a boat).

Boat to Underground River Beach
P700.00 for 6 persons – two way

Note: if you are more than 6 persons, extra person must join another boat or you may opt to hire 2 boats instead.

Warning: They say it may be difficult for you to get a boat if you arrive late. Some people stay overnight, book the boat on the day they arrive then go to the Underground River the next day.

5. While waiting for your turn, eat lunch and/or swim on the beach.

I recommend Taraw Restaurant of Taraw Resort. You can use their shower for free if you eat at the restaurant

Acknowlegment: Source of park information: PPSRNP website

My tip: 

1. Get the tour. Why?

• The rates are reasonable considering that you don't have to worry about transportation, meals, and getting government permits to go inside the Underground River. 

• You are sure of getting inside because the tour operators know people from the Sabang information office and lines up for you and makes sure you get in.

• The tour operators know when the park is closed to visitors. One time, my sister-in-law was not able to visit the Underground River because the tour operator advised them that the Park Management closed it for the shooting of scenes for the Miss Earth Pageant. In the Philippines, it's hard to get that kind of information unless you specifically ask the locals. They are not announced in the newspapers or the information made accessible to the public.

See how the underground river tour goes in Our Day at the Underground River 

2. Give a whole day for it.

• Never think that you can go to the Underground River and hope to catch your plane on the same day. The guides do not know your number in line for the use of the boat to go to the Underground River Park until you arrive at Sabang Beach. They also cannot predict how long you will line up for the boat tour itself once you arrive at the site where you take the boat that goes inside the cave. They can promise your tour will be complete. But they cannot promise what time the tour will end.