The colorful interior of Dos Taquitos Centro

A Traveler Feature Article By Kat Sunlove & Layne Winklebleck

Finding really good, out-of-the-way places to eat in a vacation city can be a challenge. Avoiding tourist traps while figuring out where the locals go is tough. If you want organic or locally grown ingredients, that’s tougher still - unless you are in the Triangle metro area of North Carolina. When visiting the oak tree-studded Capital City of Raleigh, or her neighbors, Durham and Chapel Hill, you may get lucky and happen upon one of the many farm-to-table restaurants sprinkled throughout the region. Then again, you may not.

An easier and more dependable solution is a Taste Carolina gourmet food walking tour. The brainchild of self-proclaimed food junkie Joe Philipose, a former lawyer and “corporate drone,” as he puts it, and local gourmand Lesley Stracks-Mullem, Taste Carolina prides itself on guiding visitors to “restaurants and shops serving innovative food sourced locally from farm-to-table.” The pair met only a few months ago in a fortuitous coincidence. While researching her business concept, Lesley talked with Kelli Cotter, manager at Toast Paninoteca in Durham. As she was explaining her vision of a company that would offer farm-to-table restaurant walking tours, Kelli commented that someone else had just been there with the same idea. Intrigued to know her competition, Lesley got in touch with Joe and Taste Carolina was born.

Lesley conducted our mid-day tour of downtown Raleigh, hitting five deliciously distinctive food establishments in a little over two hours. This mid-day jaunt is just one of many options available from Taste Carolina, which offers unique outings that range from the Taqueria Tour to the Happy Hour Tapas Crawl, or the Southern Comforts Tour to a Whole Hog Barbeque Bus Tour. You can even customize your own excursion.

As we hiked along Raleigh’s mostly level streets, Lesley filled us in on the burgeoning organic and locally sourced food movement, which finds expression in farmers markets and upscale restaurants throughout the Triangle area. Working with the national group, Slow Food USA, the regional chapter works to preserve food traditions, promote “gastronomic culture and provide support to local agriculture. A recent initiative was planting heirloom apple trees at an elementary school in Durham.

The first stop on our excursion was Dos Taquitos Centro, a colorful Mexican lunch spot popular with locals. As we enjoyed one of the best steak tacos ever alongside a small salad topped with a delicate cilantro vinaigrette, manager Natalia explained that they keep their menu small so that they can maintain high quality and reasonable prices. Using mostly organic ingredients, they offer a seasonal menu that changes as products become available. In late spring the choices included Gorditas, Tortas, a Whole Wheat Burrito, Quesadillas, Tamales, plus Sopa de Pollo and Mexican salad. Accompanied by Hibiscus Infused Agua, one of their signature Aguas Frescas, and Horchata Original, a yummy tiger’s milk, cinnamon and sugar concoction, the small taco plate was a perfect start to our tour.

Our next stop was The Mint, a remodeled former bank complete with a one-ton vault door and a dramatic interior featuring original etchings that soar two stories high up one wall. Open for lunch, cocktails and dinner, The Mint prides itself on offering “the freshest organic ingredients sourced locally,” paired with delicious local wines. We missed sampling any wines on our mid-day tour, but Chef Eric Foster had prepared a unique Tuna Tartare for our group, spiced with jalapeno and pineapple and accompanied by mango sorbet on a bed of pickled onion, of all things! But it worked beautifully, the mango softening the tang of the tuna dish. But the highlight for me was the fabulous Soft Shell Crab dish, so delicately breaded and quick-fried that, after the initial crunch, the meat simply melted in the mouth. We learned that the crab dish originated as a seasonal specialty, but turned out to be such a favorite, it was added as a regular menu item. Ironically, the soft shell crabs are not really local, as they come from Maryland and their pasture-fed beef travels all the way from Australia.

As we sauntered along to our next stop, Lesley informed us that fresh out of college, she had yearned to open her own sandwich shop, one with “chalkboard menu, the finest meats, cheeses, locally grown produce, and fresh baked bread….” Her involvement in Taste Carolina is satisfying that passion for finding good food at good prices and enjoying it as she shares her food fetish with the rest of us.

A sampling of the exotic chocolate varieties at Escazu Artisan Chocolates

To cleanse the palate in a delightfully tasty way, we visited Escazu Artisan Chocolates on Glenwood Avenue, just off the downtown area. There we met co-founder and chocolatier Hallot Parson, who treated us to samples of the creative varieties made on the premises, all produced directly from the bean. Starting with a very dark and bitter selection made of 81% cocoa content Carenero bean from Venezuela, we graduated to a 41% milk chocolate bar with a deep sweet flavor that lingered on the tongue. The founders took their name from Escazu, a city in Costa Rica, which served as inspiration for the business. After meeting a farmer there who had turned his struggling business around by changing to organic methods, Hallot and his partner Robert Henkens decided to open their business offering all natural chocolates with Latin American influences. Thus, you will find flavorings such as Chipotle chili, Brazil nuts, Guajillo Chili, Costa Rican coffee beans and dried organic bananas. Available by mail order as well as in many stores, these are probably the best chocolates you’ll ever eat.

Just down the street was Zely and Ritz restaurant, a family-run operation that boasts its own farm, Coon Rock Farm, which delivers over half the restaurant ingredients daily. Talk about fresh! The farm raises organically grown heirloom vegetables and heritage breed pasture-raised meat and eggs. Those eggs were presented in a wonderfully flavorful quiche for our sampling as we chatted with Chef Sarig about his youth on a kibbutz in northern Israel. It was there that he came to appreciate the importance of fresh foods and the bounty that is provided by a well-cultivated and cherished earth. His menu highlights in green ink all the locally sourced ingredients used in each dish, turning dinner into an exercise in tough decision-making.

The last stop on our Taste Carolina tour was The Cupcake Shoppe, which predictably offers a cornucopia of cupcake flavors, from the “Plain Jane” vanilla to “Lemon Zinger,” which hides a squirt of lemon curd in its center. Although the icing on my “Pretty in Pink” concoction was overly sweet for my taste, the strawberry cake beneath was moist and delicious.

A tempting display at The Cupcake Shoppe

Walking your way to a “locavore” restaurant in Raleigh or a neighboring city is certain to whet the appetite and satisfy the stomach with the best of local foods. After all, good healthy ingredients are the foundation on which gourmet meals are built. So when in Raleigh, take a bite of North Carolina’s farm-fresh edibles with a Taste Carolina culinary tour.

Go to the main section of town. The centerpiece is the Market Square, with its indoor market: fresh produce, meats, souvenirs, etc. The market was particularly crowded because the cruise ship Serenade of the Sea was docked in the harbor. You could tell the cruise passengers. All of the women carried single red roses. From there travel the interior pedway through the Brunswick Square shopping mall to the visitor’s center, where you can get valuable information about walking tours of the city.

Walk out to Loyalist Plaza, where thousands of Colonial non-revolutionaries from the Middle Atlantic Colonies arrived only to live in tents and makeshift dwellings until better accommodations could be found. On the square is the Balfour Store, a general store from the 1800s brought intact from the country and then restocked as a general store. One of the items they had was “Surprise Soap”. In every eighth bar was a coin. This was a way for the youngsters to get to wash themselves. Women, however, used their hat pins poking at the soap to find the coin.

Walk along Prince William Street, once the hub of financial and governmental activity. You pass by the former home of Benedict Arnold. He was as well liked in St. John as he was in the Colonies. The townspeople burnt his home to the ground, because they did not like his arrogant attitude. Once a jerk, always a jerk.

Drive to Fort Howe and the reconstructed Blockhouse, which offers a beautiful view of St. John and the harbor.  A volunteer guide is usually there to answer your questions.

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John Pelley is a Geriatric Gypsy. He is retired from the rat race of working. He is a full-time RVer, who ran away from home. He began our travels on the East Coast and, like the migrating birds, seek the warmth of the seasons He has discovered volunteering with the National Park System. He has a CD he has recorded of Native American flute music., A Day with Kokopelli. For pictures, links, and more information visit http://www.jmpelley.org.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/st-john-new-brunswick-home-of-the-reversing-waterfalls-956216.html

Except for the gangway’s frenzied chunk-chunk against the flank of the anchored ship, the Antarctic blizzard furies around us in eerie silence. The captain of our converted ice-breaker has sought shelter in the flooded caldera of Deception Island, an ancient volcano north of the Antarctic Peninsula. Despite this safer anchorage, the Polar Star rolls and heaves in the five-foot swells.

Feeling for the gangway’s ice-skimmed steps with clumsy, insulated boots, I inch my way downwards. Below, a zodiac bucks at the end of its frozen tether. Other photographers and naturalists, waiting their turn to go ashore, press against the deck railing above me, faces shielded from the stinging snow by Darth-Vador face-masks.

For a split second the base of the gangway comes level with the zodiac. Gloved hands grip my wrists. One, two…THREE, and I land like a diving sea bird among six other passengers hunched against the gale. The outboard guns us forward.  Almost immediately the storm envelops us. We can see nothing but a tight circle of black water inches from our backsides.

Wilderness has always been a magnet for me. It offers something that eludes me in my modern-day life, a fast-paced world given over to anthropocentric power and control. To stand in a place where nature, not man, runs the show, and has since earth’s beginnings, is, to me, a miracle in action.

Antarctica is the largest wilderness on our planet. Yesterday, as the Polar Star cruised past the sheared-off abutments of glaciers creeping towards the sea, we saw layers of pumice and ice centuries old. I look at the beaches and try to stretch my imagination around the slow-motion pulverizing of volcanic rock that took eons to form their black sands. Even more amazing is the image of this continent as a once-upon-a-time tropical land whose plants and trees turn up as fossils buried in those black sands, a land from which sections detached and sailed away to become today’s South America, Africa and Australia.

Here in today’s Antarctica our ship skirts icebergs sculpted by wind and water into blue caves hung with stalactites, turrets clear as glass. Seals and penguins hitch rides on their glazed surfaces like commuters on public transport. Whales glide under our zodiacs, large and pale as the bottoms of pools.

On our daily landings we step around skeletons picked clean except for inedible flippers and claws. Our guides gauge every ripple of air as a possible overture to gales that will hold us hostage on shore for hours. To keep my fingers from freezing I learn to press the shutter of my camera without removing my insulated gloves.

Try to play God here, and you’re bones on the beach. In wild places like this, where life evolves at its own pace, according to its own mechanisms, I can slow down, think, regain my balance. The stark reality pushes aside my own nonessentials and zeroes me in on the best in myself.

As our zodiac hurtles across the snow-shrouded sea, I have the sense of a more recent past coming to life. Our invisible destination is a pebbled beach that, along with multiple other Antarctic locations, witnessed an epic slaughter of marine wildlife between the late 1800’s and the mid-1960’s. Here rest the rusting remains of machinery that processed the blubber of thousands of whales and, when the whales ran out, seals, sought in earlier years for their fur. Ultimately, even penguins became victims, feeding the hunger for oil destined to light lamps and lubricate newly invented machinery in far-away countries. The animals were taken in such numbers that many, thick in the water for centuries, reached the point of extinction in less than fifty years.

Straining our eyes, we begin to make out a blurry shoreline. Gauzy scarves of snow stream from figures bent against the wind, passengers and guides who left the ship on earlier zodiacs. The boat crunches onto volcanic rocks that emerge slick and glistening as we swing our booted feet into the surf and stagger onto the beach.

Through the snow flinging itself across the landscape, swaybacked wooden structures and spires of shattered machinery appear and disappear. To my right loom three rusted tanks the size of small buildings against whose shelter we lay our backpacks. Monuments to the butchery, these stored the oil.

The base of the farthest tank reveals a recently chiseled opening and through this all fifty of us make our way, one by one, into the gloom of an enormous interior. Cylindrical walls rise to a ceiling far above our heads, its fluted-umbrella shape pockmarked with points of luminescent snow-light. We fumble across a floor crisscrossed with pipes, at one time filled with steam or hot water to keep the oil from solidifying in the cold. I feel dizzy trying to fathom the number of slaughtered animals whose oil would have filled this one drum alone.

We are gathered in this place for a reason that I find deeply disturbing. A passenger, blessed with an operatic voice who enjoys performing before fellow passengers when he travels, has suggested that he sing for us within the oil drum. The acoustics are said to be phenomenal. To transform this memorial into a theatrical showcase seems to me to belittle the desecration that occurred here.

Layered in sweaters under a sky-blue windbreaker, the singer mounts a heap of burlap sacks. Wind, amplified within the hollow space, thunders against the drum, shakes and rattles sections of loose metal. We, the audience, ankle-deep in mud and pipes, wait.

The man holds aloft a tiny Walkman, pushes a button. From it issues a sound, dreamlike in this environment, the thin voices of violins barely audible above the storm’s din. Despite my disapproval, goose flesh prickles my neck and spine.

The soloist hits “stop” and begins to sing. Into the huge echoing chamber pours the beauty and tenderness of de Crescenzo’s “Rondine al Nido”.  The man’s tenor voice is rich and mellow, a meditation within the storm’s chaos. Next comes Giordano’s “Amor ti Vieta”, its loveliness threading through the howling wind.  Softened by the drum’s half-light, the singer’s self-importance fades, revealing dignity and passion. Tears run down my checks.

The concert lasts less than five minutes. Its effect on me is both unexpected and remarkable. With the storm stripping away attitude, the music has emerged as more than entertainment. It is an element that springs from something magnificent and unmarred in humanity, a beauty of spirit that has  transcended centuries of ego and aggression.

As the other passengers and I make our way through the blizzard, heading for the zodiacs that will take us back to the Polar Star and, ultimately, to our far-off cities and towns, I carry with me a reminder that within mankind exists a force that is capable of shining a light into all corners of the world, the radiance of the human soul.

Celebrating democracy in Washington on the eve of the inauguration - January 2009

The predominate fur being traded was the beaver, which was used to make hats for the gentry in every major city in Europe.  The beaver had been eradicated in Europe, but were plentiful in North America, especially in Northern Canada.  The Northwest Company’s largest competitor was The Hudson Bay Company.   They had the original British Royal Charter for trading fur since 1670, but were only a quarter of the size of the Northwest Company.  The company averaged over 90,000 beaver pelts per year for over ten years.  Simon McTavish and his partners became extremely wealthy.

In 1804 McTavish died and his nephew, William McGillivray, became the Chief Director of the company.  The distribution center took on his personality.  Whereas the Grand Portage location under the leadership McTavish consisted of approximately 17 Spartan buildings, the Kaministiquia River location boasted 42 various buildings.  Some of the buildings are painted white. They even had a fire engine in case of a dreaded fire.  This was a showcase for the entire world to see.

The original site was near the mouth of the Kaministiquia River and Lake Superior.  That is not longer there and is a switching yard for Canadian National Railroad.  Today a reproduction of the depot sits two-miles up river from the original site.

Prepare to spend a day visiting the site.  Guides in period clothing will take you around to the different buildings.  They use first person interpretation and represent different characters that were there in 1815.  Six years later, the company would be destroyed by The Hudson Bay Company and would merge with them in a hostile takeover.

Fort William Historic Park is a living history site.  Tradesmen, such as carpenters, canoe builders, black and tinsmiths, bakers, coopers, tailors, gunsmiths, etc., demonstrate their skills.  Visitors are invited to participate in their work, using the period tools of their trades.

Outside the walls is a working farm with Percheron horses, cattle, oxen, sheep, chickens and other farm animals.  Also outside is a replica of an Ojibwe village with people to help the visitor understand the culture of the Ojibwe Nation.

Back inside the stockade are a doctor’s residence, operating room and apothecary. A sea captain’s house, and various living quarters for the partners, clerks and tradesmen.  Not to be missed is the trading post where the Natives would bring furs, wild rice, maple sugar, and other commodities to be traded for the European goods: metal products, textiles, and other conveniences.  Go into the fur building and be overwhelmed by the variety and vastness of their fur collection.  Finally on the places to see is the Great Hall or mess hall.   This sits as the focal point of the depot.  Here meals were served to the gentlemen and business was conducted for the company.

Visiting Historic Fort Williams is quite an eye-opening experience.  Very few American know about what happened in Canada when their country was just a youth.  The story of the Northwest Fur Company mirrors business even today.  Only the names, commodities and locations have changed.

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John Pelley is a Geriatric Gypsy. He is retired from the rat race of working. He is a full-time RVer, who ran away from home. He began our travels on the East Coast and, like the migrating birds, seek the warmth of the seasons He has discovered volunteering with the National Park System. He has a CD he has recorded of Native American flute music., A Day with Kokopelli. For pictures, links, and more information visit http://www.jmpelley.org.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/historic-fort-williama-trip-back-in-time-933589.html

Image credet: istargazer, courtesy flickr

Chock full of cathedrals, museums, church domes and bridges, the architecture in Prague is thought to be some of the best found in Europe, and it’s not hard to see why. The city has become a very popular destination in Central Europe, thanks to its wide range of activities and attractions.

In fact, the city centre of Prague has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city is now home to around 1.2 million people. The city is also largely considered a “walkable” destination, where visitors don’t have to rely too much on other forms of transportation. But as there is so much to see and do in Prague, visitors may want to take a longer stop in the city than originally planned. One of the most popular sites is Prague Castle, which rises above the city and is considered one of the biggest ancient castles in the world.

The city is divided into an Old Town and New Town, with plenty of interesting attractions on each side. The Old Town boasts a number of historic buildings including the Astronomical Clock, theTown Hall and the old Estate Theatre. The New Town is home to Wenceslas Square, which is a centre for many shops, stalls and restaurants. What’s more, the National Museum, parks and arcades can also be found on the New Town side of Prague.

Charles Bridge is also a draw in the city, as it stretches across the river and is considered one of Prague’s most beautiful attractions. The bridge is very busy during the day, where visitors can find tradesman and entertainment.

Those looking for a museum to learn more about the history of Prague and the Czech Republic won’t be disappointed: the Czech National Museum, Prague City Gallery and Czech Museum of Fine Arts are all located in Prague. And, if you are looking for something a little bit different then there are night boat tours, jazz theatres and performances to enjoy.

While Prague is considered an old destination, the city does boast many modern amenities. In addition to old architecture and accommodation, there are also a wide range of modern places to spend the night, such as serviced apartments Prague, for example.

As you can see, when on a trip to Prague there are opportunities to experience what the old and the new have to offer this historical city.

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Paul McIndoe writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/discovering-the-charm-and-beauty-of-prague-896014.html

A visit to wine country is an indulgence of the senses. Savor complex flavors at a spring barrel tasting. Smell the bouquet and aroma of a Colorado Pinot Noir. Taste fresh Palisade peaches or Colorado rack of lamb at a food and wine pairing. See historic Victorian towns at cherry blossom time. Stay at quaint boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts. All of this can be enjoyed while surrounded by amazing scenery, ranging from red rock mesas to snow covered mountains.

Colorado’s fledgling wine industry has exploded in the last 20 years. The high desert farming town of Palisade witnessed both the birth and rebirth of the state’s vineyards.

The first recorded wine production in Colorado was 1899. It was Colorado Governor George A. Crawford, the founder of Grand Junction in 1881, who first saw the Grand Valley’s potential for grape production. Crawford planted 60 acres of wine grapes and other fruit on Rapid Creek above Palisade.

Places to Visit
Palisade to Grand Junction The wineries are clustered in the town of Palisade and on Orchard Mesa. After your tour, follow Interstate 70 along the Colorado River from Palisade to the foot of the spectacular Colorado National Monument just west of Grand Junction.

Delta, Montrose, Paonia & Hotchkiss Follow US 92 west along the Gunnison River. Turn north on US 65 and stop at the wineries along Surface Creek, on the south slope of Grand Mesa , the largest flattop mountain in the world. Or, travel along the North Fork of the Gunnison River on US 92 east out of Delta and then US 133. This will take you to Hotchkiss and Paonia, where you will find yourself in the West Elks AVA.

What to Do
Tour the wineries and sample the vintages in a casual atmosphere complemented by mountain or desert scenery. The free tours and tastings are laid back, informative and family friendly. Colorado’s Wine Country offers many complex reds and whites for serious wine lovers. Most of these little wine towns also tend orchards, so many wineries produce an assortment of fruit and dessert wines. There are a wide variety of sweet wines and blushes to satisfy even the most inveterate sweet tooth. Please note, not every vineyard offers a tasting room, while some open by appointment only.

Wine Tasting
Basics of Wine Tasting

• Horizontal tasting — lineup of wines made at the same place or from the same grape.
• Vertical tasting — compares different vintages of the same wine.
• Blind tastings— where the variety of grape and the vintage are concealed.
• Wine tastings range from light wines to dark.
• Tasting flight — Refers to a selection of wines, usually between three and eight glasses, but sometimes as many as fifty, presented for the purpose of sampling and comparison.

Don’t just drink wine; look, smell, taste, savor, learn and enjoy. Tasting wines is an adventure that will grow your appreciation for both wines and winemakers. Depending on the size of the winery, you may need to pay in hard cash. In theory, you can pay by credit card, but the option is usually unavailable. Colorado’s Wine Country is also home to many meaderies, microbreweries and hard liquor distillers.

Wine Tourism Offers Information on complete travel guides of world’s top wine destinations, wine tasting, wine
history.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/colorado-wine-county-956559.html

The sunlight dims behind our narrow red, white and blue paddle banca as the looming darkness ahead draws nearer.  The smell of wet seaweed washes ashore from the ocean and the sounds of water dripping from amongst the cave ceiling surrounds us. The ambiance fills with curiosity as our group submerges into the unknown environment of the intertwining rocky tunnels within. At 8.2 kilometers, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in the Philippines is the longest navigable underground river in the world.  Nominated as one of the World’s Seven Wonders, this river flows underneath a magnificent limestone mountain landscape that exits directly into the South China Sea. However, this cave system only allow boat tours access to the first 4 km before turning back due to low rock ceilings. According to the guide, it was in 1971 that Americans first explored this cave.

As our banca with outriggers crawls further in, the only light available comes from one large flashlight held by the person sitting in front - in this case, me. I hold the flashlight and my camera with my foot resting on the boat’s edge. Perhaps having control of the light and my camera for evidence (just in case) would keep my restlessness down. Tour boats resemble that of narrow canoes but the side edges are close to the water’s surface level. How easy it looks for the boats to submerge in water. Our guide navigates from the back of the boat as other tour boats glide past going the opposite direction. Its a good sign to see them coming back with smiles.

The low light conditions makes photography difficult. However, limited light sources also prevent large mosquitos (larger than I’ve ever before seen) from becoming too much of a nuisance. The brownish green waters’ depth lies between 10 to 29 feet deep, depending on the tides. In fact, the lower portions of the river is subject to tidal influences. During high tide periods, parts of the cave is actually underwater. The highest point in the entire cave is a 65 ft tall domed amphitheater above ground level which is never underwater. Our guide recommends against swimming in the area as it is too dark and potentially hazardous - a suggestion I will definitely not test.

Above us parts of the rock ceilings boast hundreds of bats, too dark and too far up to see in detail. A few fly near the top but threaten no harm. The bats also do not react to the sound of loud voices. I discover this fact when I excitedly point out “ Look! Those are bats up there!” Their glowing eyes can be seen if you watch carefully. It can be a mesmerizing yet anxious and eerie moment to see creatures not common in city-life. As far as the guides are concerned, there are no crocodiles or sharks dwelling in the cave area. If there are other life forms living here, it probably would not be visible to visitors.

As the boat glices smoothly in the water, our guide describes the major rock formations passing by: “Just ahead to the right is a whitish smooth rock that resembles a woman.” Unique rock formations and boulders such as stalactites, stalagmites and large chambers align the cave walls. Sharp rock pillars also hang from overhead. The cave wall where rock meets water also exhibit marble-like material while others display a smooth lumpy texture. The flashlight holder must be quick at following the guides’ instructions of where to point in order for the shapes to be seen. Luckily, I heard no complaints from the back of our boat about my flashlight operations.

Smaller tunnel pathways and black hallow recesses lead deeper into the cave where visitors would have to duck should they choose to continue. It is at this point where our tour guide slows the canoe to turn around due to low ceilings, sharp twists and turns. To further proceed to the inner depths of the niches and tunnels before flowing out into the sea may require more skilled scuba divers. Although curiosity of the mystical environment beyond our turning point irk the group, the point of sunlight upon return bring about some relief.

Visitors can be assured lifejackets and hard hats are provided. Professional tour guides are very knowledgeable of the cave area and know exactly what and where everything is without the need for flashlights. Using mosquito repellent is recommended. The general registration fee to enter the park is 30 PHP (approx. $0.65 US). Visitors will need to obtain entry permits from the Park Information and Booking Office or Visitors Center at the Park itself. Cave entrance fees are 200 PHP (approx $4.25 US dollars) for individuals ages 21-60, 100 PHP for those ages 17-21, 75 PHP (approx. $2.13 US) for 13-16 year olds, and 50 PHP  for 6-12 year olds. For those that want commercial videos, 3000 PHP (approx $63.00 US) is the fee. Hours of operation begin at 8:30 am with 4:30 accomodating the last tour due to tide influences.

Photo credits: Bev Isla and iStockPhoto

Information:

The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is one of the most unspoiled natural beauty of the Philippines. It boasts a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation as it contains some of the most important forests in Asia. Considered a National Geological Monument, the global significance of the park is also inscribed in the World Heritage list.

For more details, go to www.puerto-undergroundriver.com
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park Office
No. 11 National Highway, Junction 1
Brgy. San Miguel, Puerto Princesa City 5300, Palawan, Philippines
Tel: (048) 433-2409
Email: reservation [at] puerto-undergroundriver.com

Getting there:

Bahile is 81 KM (2 hours) from Puerto Princesa. Jeepneys or aircon shuttle vans can be taken. After registering at the park entrance, a 15 min pumpboat ride or 1 and a half hour hike then leads you to the underground river.