The Underground River in Puerto Princesa, Philippines is one
of the 7 wonders of Nature. The cave goes so deep that it is impossible to
fully explore because of oxygen deprivation. When you go in it you get to
experience complete darkness where the only light available is from the flashlight
that the tour guides uses to point various aspects of the cave throughout the
tour. You have to wear headphones on the guided tour because any noise will
disrupt the natural environment and species of the cave which include the
millions of bats that are hanging from the ceiling. Before entering the cave
they warn you not to open your mouth in order to avoid any animal droppings
from falling into your mouth. You are also warned about looking up too much because
the liquid that falls off the rock formation can cause blindness and other
effects to one’s eyes and skin. Not really the most encouraging thing to hear
before heading into this pit of darkness. 
In order to get to the caves you have to take a shuttle out
of Puerto Princesa on a long curvy road in which people are known for getting
sick on, which unfortunately happened to someone on our bus. After this long
drive you wait on the beach until your boat is ready for departure. Around this
area there are many food stands with fresh fruit smoothies and snacks. After waiting
two hours we took a short boat ride to the other side of the island in which we
then had to wait another hour in the forest.
While waiting, we went on a walk
and saw monkeys and komodo dragons which was for sure a highlight of the day.
Finally we were put into smaller row boats and went into the cave for the tour.
There were many rock formations inside the cave which were
said to look like various foods, animals or people. Parts of the cave were low enough
that we felt the need to crouch down while other tunnels opened into giant
rooms which they called cathedrals. It was mind blowing to see how much is
going on in the world just below our feet. New parts of this Underground River
are still being explored and discovered every year which shows how massive this
area is.
This was for sure worth all the wait time and bus rides as
it was one of those experiences that leaves you in wonder at the world around
you. Don’t make any other plans though they day that you go because the whole
tour ends up taking much longer than was originally anticipated.
