Honda Bay in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan is a smattering of islets that have become popular swimming, snorkeling and diving destinations. Island-hopping in the Bay has also become a staple for tourists. As for me, visiting the different beaches on these islands was a great way to celebrate my 28th.

The jump-off point is located in Barangay Sta. Lourdes Tagbanua about 12 kilometers east of the town proper where pump boats could be hired to reach the different islands.

Some islands require entrance fees, some are privately owned and require permission before you can visit. The package tour I took (PHP1000) is inclusive of hotel pick-up, pump boat to the different islands, entrance fees and donations, and lunch. You can easily book tours from your hotel.

The van came to fetch me at 7 a.m., an hour when I would normally still be in lalaland. A guard knocked on the door saying that the van was already there, 30 minutes earlier than expected. As it turned out, they came for me before picking up other passengers from their respective hotels. From the proper, we proceeded to the wharf where a pump boat was waiting for us.



Make sure you bring a lot of water and snacks, best bought from a convenience store in town since things are expensive in the wharf and on the islands. You can also rent snorkels from the wharf but one of our guides also rented some out for PHP100.



Our first stop was Pandan Island. There are several huts and cottages on the island which visitors could use. And the hammocks are so enticing! It was a really great place to relax and unwind. Since it was rainy season and thus off-peak, we had the island all to ourselves. If you need a drink, you could also ask caretakers to get some coconuts to quench your thirst.



Snorkeling was great around Pandan Island. And it's fun feeding the fish since they'd all be swimming towards you as you hold a piece of bread. That’s why you should make sure you have snorkels with you; you’ll be missing a lot if you don’t.



After an hour or two, we moved to Snake Island, which was a two-kilometer sandbar shaped like a snake. It would have been fun to walk up to the end of the sandbar, but halfway there, we started to get hungry. And high tide was setting in, with parts of the sandbar starting to get submerged. So we decided to walk back to the huts where our tour operators served lunch.



There were those who had brought their own lunch and were grilling them in the cottage beside us. You can also check out the caretakers' fresh catch, which include crabs and fish. Although they say feeding on Snake Island was even better, the fish were no longer as plenty in the afternoon.



Our last stop was Starfish Island. We got there just in time since it started to rain really hard and the winds started bringing in strong waves. Starfish is known for its fine white sand and clear water that teems with starfish. The island had a sandbar encircling a lagoon, which was a good thing since we were able to enjoy the warm water sans the strong waves.



Other islets in Honda include Cannon (Cowrie) Island, Bat Island, Lu-Li Island (from "lulubog-lilitaw"), Meara Marina, and Señorita Island (the breeding site of lapu-lapu fish). It would have been fun to sleep overnight in one of them if I only had the chance.