Sunday, December 28, 2014

Sabang X Zipline

Date: Nov 9, 2014 (last of my 3 days in Palawan for work)
Travel Buddies: IFC Phils SEF Team + some BPI staff



I was in Palawan for this.Training bankers how to finance sustainable energy investments. (#shamelessplug)

At the jump off point for the Puerto Princesa Underground River lies the Sheridan Beach Resort and Spa. A lot has been written about them (even my own blog entry here). Since the resort boasts about its energy efficient design and facilities, complemented by its renewable energy technologies (harnessing solar and wind power), BPI (Bank of the Philippine Islands) uses it as a "laboratory" for its staff to learn all about sustainable energy. My team at work facilitates what we call the Sustainable Energy Bootcamp, which is really fun and educational. Ahem. But that's another story.

I have been to Sheridan about 3-4 times already and rarely have time to explore the island. So when I found a few hours to kill before we had to leave the resort, I decided to go try the Sabang X Zipline - Zipping over the sea appealed to me so much! Nobody wanted to go with me, so what the heck, I had no problems going solo.

I checked in at the small Sabang Zipline kiosk near the Sabang Beach Pier (they open at 8:30 am) , and was lucky to be the first customer for the day - so I decided to just hitch a ride with the crew's 4x4. In less than 20 minutes we were along the banks of a wide swamp, where we boarded a raft to take us to the other side.

There was an AMAZING stretch of white beach, before one plunges into the woods again for a very short, but quite steep, hike.

The zipline is 800 meters long and carries you for a little over a minute across the blue sea - giving you an awesome view of the Palawan mountains, surf, and sand. I'll let the video tell the story :) Excuse my basic editing skills. Shot with a Sony Action Cam.

At Php 500.00, I think the zip was worth it for the view that it offers. It is tame enough for the non-adventurer. For those who are expecting extreme thrills, you might find it slow and boring. But do try it for the view !



SabangZipLineFree from Hanna Fernando-Pacua on Vimeo.