Palawan Adventure: Spelunking + Zip Line at Ugong Rock

When my friends went to Palawan last year, they can't stop raving about spelunking and how enjoyable the experience was. So after the Underground River Tour which ended at around 12 noon, I asked our tour guide from Sanctuary Tours (contact them at +639175911234) if it's possible for us to go to Ugong Rock. She then asked the other couple we are traveling with and when they agreed, we headed straight to Brgy. Tagabinet where the cave is located with no additional fee.

Upon arrival, we were instructed to proceed to the tourist center for briefing. According to the staff at Ugong Rock Adventure, the area was under the care of ABS-CBN Bantay Kalikasan at first but later transferred the management to Tagabinet Community Tourism Association.

We paid Php200.00 for the caving and additional Php250.00 for the zip line. Helmets and gloves are provided free of charge but make sure you bring proper shoes especially for the climbing parts. I totally forgot about bringing one so I just wore my flip flops which made it harder for me to climb on pointed surfaces.

All the guides and staff are residents of the barangay. It's nice to know that there's a source of livelihood for almost everyone here.

Ugong is the reverberating or echoing sound made whenever you tap the hollow rocks. It's like nature's own doorbell.

The gloves will protect your hands from the sharp rocks so wearing one is a must.

Our journey continued to the climbing parts of Ugong Rock.

 

View from below

There are a lot of cramped spaces so be ready to squeeze yourself in.

Manny Pacquiao's glove

And the most exciting part of this adventure is climbing your way up through the steep parts by the use of ropes and harness. No worries though because there are guides to help you reach the top.

In order to reach the entry point of the zip line, everyone must climb this vertical ladder. It looks scary in the photo and it is in real life!

What sets Ugong Cave apart from others is that the exit point is located at 75 feet high! So you can either walk back down or take the more enjoyable route which is the zip line ride.

If you're a bit on the heavy side, they will put a sack behind you so the wind will somehow slow down your fall.

I really had a great time with the adventures at Ugong Rock. Spelunking is one of the most enjoyable things I have ever done in my trips so far and I'm planning to do more caving soon, hopefully more challenging than this! Sagada and Tuguegarao anyone?