Honda Bay: sandbars and reefs near the city

A gentle day of sandbars, sea stars and easy snorkelling in the sheltered, shallow bay just north of Puerto Princesa, perfect after a long journey.

Area

Puerto Princesa

Start from

Puerto Princesa city

Distance

about 12 km to the wharf, then short boat hops

Time needed

1 day

Best season

November – May

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

Van or tricycle to Santa Lourdes wharf, then a bangka

Tickets & rules

Environmental fee at the wharf and small entrance fees on each island

Why go

Honda Bay is the easy island-hopping trip from Puerto Princesa, and I came to it tired, a day after a long overland ride, wanting nothing more than warm water and shade. It delivered. There are no towering cliffs here, just a wide, calm bay dotted with small coral islands, mangrove fringes and sandbars that rise and vanish with the tide, all within half an hour of the wharf.

The usual stops are Pandan Island, where a reef drops off a few strokes from the beach and parrotfish crunch on coral below you; Cowrie Island, with big shady trees, hammocks and a long beach; Luli Island, a sliver of sand that appears and disappears with the tide; and Starfish Island, where sea stars lie scattered on the pale sand of the shallows like dropped orange gloves.

It is a good choice for families, nervous swimmers, or anyone who has a few hours before a flight. The water is warm and protected, the boat rides are short, and the crew will point out giant clams and sea cucumbers. In the late afternoon the light over the mangroves turns soft and green, and the city feels much farther away than it is.

The story

Luli’s name comes from the local phrase lulubog-lilitaw, roughly ‘sinking and appearing’. At high tide only a few trees and a platform seem to stand in the sea; at low tide a broad bank of sand emerges around them. Boatmen enjoy telling first-time visitors to wait and watch the island grow under their feet.

The bay has been a fishing ground for generations, and many of the boatmen who take visitors out still fish on their days off. Fish corrals made of bamboo poles stand in the shallows, and you may pass families gleaning shellfish at low tide. Some islands are managed by private owners or cooperatives, which is why each charges its own small fee.

Puerto Princesa sits on a neck of land between Honda Bay to the north and Puerto Princesa Bay to the south, and the city has long promoted itself as a green capital, with mangrove planting days and strict rules on litter. Honda Bay is where you see that effort most clearly: wide mangrove belts, cleaner water than many urban bays, and reefs that, while not pristine, are alive.

Getting there

Tours from Puerto Princesa include a pick-up, the boat, the fees and a grilled lunch. Independent travellers can take a tricycle or jeepney north to Santa Lourdes wharf, register at the office and hire a boat there; prices are posted by island and by boat size.

Trips start around 8–9 am and finish in mid-afternoon, so it is easy to combine Honda Bay with a relaxed evening in the city.

A suggested plan

1. 8:00Transfer to Santa Lourdes wharf and register for the boat.
2. 9:00Snorkel the reef edge at Pandan Island.
3. 11:00Luli Island near low tide, watching the sandbar emerge.
4. 12:30Lunch in the shade on Cowrie Island, then a nap in a hammock.
5. 14:00Starfish Island, then back to the wharf by mid-afternoon.

Where to stay

Puerto Princesa city is the base, and almost any hotel there can arrange the trip. If you are flying out the same evening, leave your bags at the hotel and keep the boat day relaxed.

Good to know

• Check the tide table; Luli is best near low tide.
• Reef shoes help in the shallows and on rough coral sand.
• Look at sea stars but leave them in the water; lifting them out harms them.
• Bring cash for each island fee.