Starfish Island, Honda Bay (Palawan, Philippines)

Starfish Island, with coral reefs breaking crystal clear water onto empty, fine white sand beaches and clear water that teems with starfish. The perfect place for “sun questers” and those who love to snorkel and go diving is Honda Bay. It is one of the most beautiful places in the Philippines comprised of several islets each uniquely named based on its appearance and on what its known for. Every tourist stop won’t be complete if you wont be able to go island hopping here.

Last September, my friends and I went to Palawan to tour around Puerto Princesa. Itinerary for the first day was to eat at a restaurant near the mangroves then go island hopping in Honda Bay. We were lucky that the weather permitted us to go snorkeling and of course pic taking! We rode a motor boat and passed around the islands such LuLi (Short for “Lulubog-Lulitaw” which has an English translated as Sink-Float). The island is visible only on low-tides. The famous islands were the Cowrie and Bat named because of the large fruit bats coming out of their holes at sundown for their evening feed. Another is Snake island, named only because of the shape of the area, which offers a white sand beach. Other interesting islands are Canon, Pandan, Señorita Island and Meara Marina. The last stop (and our favorite!) was the Starfish Island.

For an entrance fee of P30 you can already see A LOT of starfishes that you can touch, hold and play with. BUT too bad you can’t bring any home. One can also swim here and cottages are available for overnight accommodations. There are some coral reef formations in an area and there are also some reef fish. Plus, when you walk around, you’ll be fascinated to see sand dollar shells and you cant help yourself but pick them up to collect them.

Starfish Island guarantees a pure-pleasure experience. From snorkeling in its clear waters to the more adventurous island hopping around or to simply have a picnic in the fine sand of its beach. It will surely leave a lasting impression on every visitor.

geschrieben von bluemie5 am 2009-03-02 in #Orte #location #snorkeling #palawan #fisheye #diana #island-hop #starfish