Iwahig Fireflies. For Your Eyes Only

March 09, 2013

Puerto Princessa, Palawan

Travel photographers are always in the look for better cameras, always in the know of the better angle and lighting. But they always complain of how a certain majesty of a place doesn't translate into pictures.

Firefly watching is a perfect example. 

I have yet to know how high a camera spec can capture the beauty. i'm sure there would be some, but i dont think it can capture the mystic and the enchanting experience. 

The tour is a boat ride in the Iwahig River, a wide river bend about 30km south of Puerto Princessa downtown. The river basin is wide and fireflies populate different species of mangroves.  One great surprise of the tour is the glowing plankton in the river water. These group of plankton are trapped in the river from the salt water sea which flows to the river by high tide.

Imagine pitch black paddle boat ride, surrounded by hundreds of fireflies, shaded by the glowing stars, and luminous dots in the waters -- fairy land.

Iwahig Firefly watching is my first firefly watching adventure. This is actually not included in our 4day Palawan itinerary but i'm really glad we made that bend. Our PPS city tour guide just suggested  it the same day and with the manageable rates, we squeezed it in.

That's I with my travel buddies Ronchie and Ruth.

One can take a van or a tricycle to Brgy. Iwahig from PP downtown for P700, round trip. A boat tour costs P600 and can accommodate a maximum number of 3. Tour starts at around 7PM, depending on the sunset.

They're on Facebook: 

Iwahig Firefly Watching 
Iwahig Firefly Fan Page

_______________________________

Hey i'm on twitter - @rome_john