Sand Under My Feet: PUERTO PRINCESA TRAVEL DIARY: Where to Buy Souvenirs

Whenever I go on a vacation, I cannot leave that place without bringing something home with me that will always remind me of that place. That’s why I always make it a point to buy souvenirs. I’m not really fond of key chains and t-shirts as souvenirs, what I collect are refrigerator magnets (and they must be as unique as possible and would really represent that certain place) and I usually get a handful of sand from the beaches I’ve visited (ok don’t alert me to the airport securities or DENR, they’re just a handful, ok? hehehehe!) Our ref is already half-covered with ref magnets some are from our trips and some are gifts from friends.

In Puerto Princesa, I was not able to find ref magnets that are unique enough for me, so I settled for what’s available. There are a few souvenir shops that you can go to buy stuff that you can take back home to family and friends. The two well-known souvenir destinations in Puerto Princesa are LRC 908 Market Mall and almost just across the street is the Mercado De San Miguel.

We drop by LRC 908 Market Mall after our day trip in Dos Palmas which was on our second day, just before heading to Kalui Restaurant. This is where I found super cheap mementos, way way cheaper than all the other souvenirs I’ve bought during our past travels. You will all kinds of souvenir items here from personalized t-shirts, wood carvings, ref magnets, key chains, hats, dried fish, local delicacies, cashew tarts, South Sea and fresh water pearls, etc. One air-conditioned store was so huge that it houses almost all the souvenirs from Puerto Princesa, Palawan that you can think of.

I’ve been meaning to buy a pair of South Sea pearl earrings in Puerto Princesa because I’ve read from blogs that its cheaper there and have already set aside a budget for it. But when I was inside one of the stores at LRC 908 Market Mall and started asking for the prices, I had a sudden change of heart even though the small to medium-sized South Sea pearl earrings cost only around PHP 1,000-1500. The stingy side of me prevailed and I ended up buying a large-sized pair of fresh water pearl earrings. I’ve been wanting to buy pearl earrings in that size, I saw a lot of it being sold by vendors in Boracay for a hefty price of PHP 500-600 per pair, pricier than the ones being sold in Greenhills (PHP 350-400). So I was pretty happy with how much I bought mine and because I fought the urge to buy the South Sea pearls, I was able to buy small fresh water pearl earrings and more souvenir stuff.

We also visited Mercado De San Miguel on our last day in Puerto Princesa. From what I can remember it’s just across LRC 908 Market Mall and they sell very similar items with that of what we saw in LRC, price is just the same too. I only bought additional cashew tarts. This is also where you will find Island Souvenirs and Gypsy Lair Cafe (which we were not able to check out.)

photo c/o Mercado San Miguel's Facebook page

If you’re planning to buy dried fish (danggit and daings), or Lamayo (danggit marinated in vinegar and pepper) or seafood, you can buy them at a cheaper price at the Puerto Princesa City Public Market. Just make sure you haggle because, you know how they can be with tourists sometimes. Also be careful to get ripped off by some of the vendors there for putting the seafood that you bought in a box. They will charge you for the box, the ice and the labor; you will need to include it in your check-in baggage as well. I had the mistake of buying a small quantity of crabs and paying half of what I paid for the them, just to have them packed. On the other hand, dried fish and Lamayo will be wrapped several times in newspaper and plastic. What I did is wrap it using our soaked towels so I can include them in my hand carry.

Sorry if I haven’t got that much photos in this blog post, but I hope this entry gave you guys some helpful tips. Thanks for dropping by!

LRC 908 Market Mall
Puerto Princesa North Road, Puerto Princesa,
Palawan, Philippines

Mercado de San Miguel
Puerto Princesa North Road, Puerto Princesa,
Palawan, Philippines
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/MercadoDeSanMiguelPalawan

Puerto Princesa City Public Market
Malvar Road, Puerto Princesa,
Palawan, Philippines

Puerto Princesa Tour Assistance/Licensed Tour Guide: Bryan Elivera - 09152788528

Read about my Puerto Princesa Travel Diary blog posts here:

Go & See:

- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: Kuyba Almoneca, Your Alternative to the Palawan Underground River
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Plaza Cuartel, & - Puerto Princesa Baywalk
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: Palawan Special Battalion WWII Memorial Museum
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: Emerald Playa Beach & Nature Park
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: Dos Palmas Island Resort
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: Where to Buy Souvenirs
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: Honda Bay Island Hopping Tour Part 1
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: Honda Bay Island Hopping Tour Part 2
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: Irawan Eco Park and Zipline
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: Crocodile Farm and A Peacock I've Never Seen Before
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: Mitra's Ranch & Baker's Hill
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: Binuatan Creations Handloom Weaving

Eat:
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: Badjao Seafront Restaurant
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: KaLui Restaurant
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: Bona's Chaolong
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: Kinabuchs Bar & Grill
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: Rene Saigon Vietnamese Specialties
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: White Fence Country Cafe

What I wore:

- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: What I Wore #1

- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: What I Wore #2
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: What I Wore #3

Sleep:
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: The Legend Hotel Palawan
- Puerto Princesa Travel Diary: Purple Fountain Courtyard Inn