Puerto Princesa, philippines has always been a stop over point for us. We tend not to stay here anymore because it does not have to offer what we are looking for in the short time available to us. Usually we get picked up straight from the airport and head for Sabang or Port Barton. If you have lots of time, have a look around though.
Puerto Princesa is the Capital city of Palawan, so it is a busy commercial centre. This bustling city centre will offer absolutely nothing for the tourist unless they are stocking up on supplies. There is a pleasant part of Puerto which is located in the vicinity of the airport entrance. Asiano, Casa Linda, Tom Tom Club and Kamarikutan can all be found around there.
Asiano is a great shop to browse in and second to none. It is situated just past Casa Linda, along Rizal Avenue. Asiano is run by JoJo - he provides a wealth of local information about places to go and things to see. He is also an artist and with other friends has put together an impressive stock of jewelry and beadwork as well as an excellent range of traditional crafts goods. Beautiful black and white woven basket plates are available for very cheap prices- beautiful geometric designs. Winnowing baskets, large, flat, circular shapes are gorgeous too. Container baskets from Palawan are quite different to anything found elsewhere. These baskets are square at the bottom, round at the top, most of them with conical lids, or rounded lids -all sizes from tiny to huge.
"Kamarikutan Kapi at Galeri" is also well worth a visit. The name translates to "Wilderness Coffee Gallery". It is open from 8AM till 11PM and serves very good coffee - meals are also available. The natural vegetation in its large garden creates a wilderness ambiance. I believe that all of the art on display is for sale. It is only about 100 meters from the main entrance to the airport on Rizal Avenue. tel +63 48 433 5182
Your stay in Puerto Princesa can be fascinating, depending on how adventurous you are and where you are prepared to go. My friend and I spent the twilight hour laughing with some local children on a small jetty which passed between the cramped houses and out into the bay. Surrounded by bangkas moored for the night and quiet net fishermen on the waters around, it was a beautiful place to see out the day.
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