Miss Iggy goes to Puerto Princesa

 

Schoolgirl Iggy--who's not in school anymore (she hasn't quite chosen a new name for herself yet)--traveled to the island of Palawan in Southern Luzon to enjoy its beaches, explore the famed Puerto Princesa Subterranean River (one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature!), and commune with the crocs.

 

She had fun strolling along the beach and feeding fish!

 That's the entrance to the subterranean river. Around 10 people can fit into a small boat. The boatman also serves as your guide in the cave, and he tells you where to look. He also occasionally reminds you not to say "aah" when you're in awe--"just say 'mmm!'"--because well, it would be better to find out yourself. :)

 The underground river tour took about 40 minutes. It was really nice, and Miss Iggy hopes the tourist attraction won't destroy the beauty of nature in the years to come.

 

These crocs are about a year old.

When one of the old crocs died, they made its hide into a wall decor. No bags, please.

 

This is the croc's skeleton.

Miss Iggy saw her future...

and she also made friends with Ella, the bearcat!

Miss Iggy had an awesome time in Palawan.

However, another thing happened.

Her baby ran away with the crocodiles!

One of the older crocodiles felt this was a sign that it was time for Miss Iggy to have a new companion, so she was given a baby crocodile to travel with.

Miss Iggy's excited to show you her crocodile Pawan (derived from Palawan, of course!) in her next travel post. Until then!

up to mt. tapyas

see that mountain over there? the one with the cross on top? well lo and behold:

mr. iggy set out to climb it. having missed the mountains, mr iggy hopped his way towards the summit in glee even with the 700+ steps paved for the ones daring to climb:

and he had a reunion of sorts with none other than his sister:

vienna vixen iggy!

their companions, gingmaganda and princess ody though, didn't think the climb as that easy. in fact, it was arduous. however they were all smiles. climbing up a mountain is no mean feat for these two (not really fit) city girls.

it's true when they say that climbing mountains are worth it because when you reach the top, the feeling is exhilarating. indeed.

Miss Iggy and the islands

In January, Mr. Coco Jam Iggy and Ms. Euro Iggy (a.k.a. Vienna Vixen Iggy) hopped on an Air Philippines plane for an island getaway to Coron, Palawan. Both were really looking forward to the trip because Palawan has been named one of the 20 Best Trips of 2011 by National Geographic Traveler. Exciting!

Miss Iggy welcomes you to the Coron Loop island hopping tour.

Starting point: the docks by the Lualhati Park near the Coron Public Market.

If you don't have goggles, stop by the market where you can rent them for Php 100.

Ahoy there!

First stop: the Siete Pecados Marine Park.

Entrance fee is Php 100.

The clear water, colorful fish and amazing corals make it a great place for snorkeling.

Don't forget to bring bread to feed the fish! The Iggys forgot to bring some, but luckily their tour guide brought a pack of Fita crackers. The fish loved it.

Next stop: Kayangan Lake.

This tranquil and beautiful lake is said to be the cleanest in the Philippines.

Kayangan Lake was definitely an Iggy favorite.

Miss Iggy's tip: bring your lifevest and goggles! Also, prepare to climb some steps. It's tiring but oh-so worth it.

Entrance fee: Php 200

The white sands ...

and turquoise waters of Banol Beach.

The Iggys loved this picturesque and quiet beach that looked like something out of a movie.

Entrance fee: Php 100

Not in the pictures but also explored by Mr. and Ms. Iggy was the Twin Lagoon (because most pictures there involved their chaperones in their lifevests either just floating or trying to spell out "Coron" or "wow" with their hands). The gang swam through an underwater tunnel to get from one twin lake to the other.

The entrance fee for the Twin Lagoon is Php 100.