A wide, shallow bay just north of Puerto Princesa, Honda Bay is the standard half-day boat trip from the city — a string of small islands and sandbars, several with good snorkelling, all reachable from Sta. Lourdes Wharf about 20 minutes by tricycle from the centre. The classic three-island circuit covers Cowrie Island (a sandbar with food kiosks), Starfish Island (a sandbar with — predictably — sea stars) and Luli Island ("now you see it, now you don't" — submerged at high tide).
The coral is patchy and visibility variable, but the price is right and a day on the bay is a relaxed introduction to Philippine island-hopping if El Nido or Coron is not on your itinerary.