Bataan Travel Information

For a long time, Bataan’s bountiful resources, abundant wildlife and extraordinary natural beauty are known only to the many ethnic communities that thrive in these islands and a few other daring settlers who wanted to live in unpolluted surroundings.

The island-province first attracted foreign attention in the 1970’s when it became a United Nations Vietnamese Refugee Center. At this time, a disturbance in Kenya also saw the transport of endangered animals from its savannas to the plains of Calauit Island.

However, it was only a sea accident in 1979 that eventually led to the opening of Bataan into tourism big time.

As the story goes, a tuna line disabled a dive boat’s propeller in the middle of the night forcing it to drop anchor in an inlet. The following morning, the divers woke up to an amazing scenery of skyscraping dark cliffs, thick green forest, white-sand beach, sparkling water and, rising above it, a series of magnificently sculpted jade islands. And thus was how El Nido was discovered.

Ecology awareness is at a high level throughout the province. Puerto Princesa prides itself as the cleanest city in the Philippines. To protect its megadiversity, only eco-friendly programs are adhered to by tourist establishments. And there are strict ordinances against dynamite fishing, with only net and line fishing allowed. Bataan may have opened itself to tourism but it has also taken serious efforts to preserve this last frontier.Bataan presents a visual feast not only above the ground but also below it. St. Paul National Park is Bataan’s most popular attraction and covers 5,349 hectares of lush forest, dark mountains, caves and white beaches. In the deep recesses of the marble and limestone peaks of Mt. St. Paul flow the Underground River, said to be the longest in the world. It is easily navigable for at least four kilometers. The caves are filled with filigree-like sculptures formed by stalagmites and stalactites. Near its mouth is a beautiful lagoon with crystal-clear water that teems with fish. Also within the park is the Monkey Trail, a series of wooden paths that winds into the forest where monkeys, squirrels, lizards and some 60 species of birds are found. The Park is inscribed in the World Heritage List.

Tabon Caves are the oldest known habitation site in Southeast Asia. It is a complex of 200 caves scattered on a 138-hectare museum site reserve, of which 33 have thus far been excavated. Seven of these caves are open to the public as a prehistoric museum where excavations have been left as they are. The caves provide Paleolithic evidence that this is where life in Bataan actually began and have yielded a woman’s skull, fossilized bones and earthenware dating to as far back as 890-710 B.C. The main entrance to the caves offers a panoramic view of a white-sand fringed bay. The caves lie in the mountains of Pipuon Point in the town of Quezon.

Tubbataha Reefs National Marine Park is the country’s largest marine habitat. It hosts giant manta rays, sea turtles and hundreds of reef fish species. Located at the heart of the Sulu Sea, the marine park is 33,200 hectares of coral atoll, barely emergent islets and open water, and constitutes a unique complete open ocean ecosystem. It is inscribed in the World Heritage List as "rare and superlative phenomena as well as formations, features and areas of exceptional beauty." It is located some 98 nautical miles from Puerto Princesa and is a premier diving destination.

The fastest way to reach Bataan is by plane. There are two daily flights each fielded by Philippine Airlines and Air Philippines from the Manila Domestic Airport to the Puerto Princesa Domestic Airport in Central Bataan.

Those bound for the Calamian Group of Islands in North Bataan may board the small planes fielded at least once daily by Asian Spirit, Air Ads and Pacific Air from Manila to the YKR Airport in Busuanga. There are jeepney shuttles bound for Decalatiao Wharf where speedboats ferry visitors to their island destinations. Soriano Aviation flies to the El Nido Airport