An African adventure in Palawan

• Source:http://www.mb.com.ph/an-african-adventure-in-palawan/
• Thursday, April 14, 2016

By Iñigo S. Roces

Fortunes are won and lost in the fiercely competitive Pickup-based Passenger Vehicle (PPV) or 7-seater SUV segment, only serving to highlight the importance of these models in their respective brands’ lineups. Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC) is well aware of this fact, and as such, spares no expense in improving and showcasing the many abilities of its Mu-X SUV.m1

Just recently, IPC flew select members of the media to the picturesque isle of Busuanga in Palawan. And while any journey here typically entails an itinerary of rest and relaxation, it would be no simple feat for the SUVs we would be driving.

Thanks to the growing popularity of the region among tourists, it is already seeing some infrastructure development in the form of more regular flights, ferries and more roads. Yet that improvement is still in progress as, upon arrival, our itinerary entailed driving through roads that had yet to be paved.

We were hardly phased as our modes of transport were 3.0-liter VGS Mu-X in both 4×2 and 4×4 trims. Upon arrival at the Busuanga airport, a row of SUVs were already lying in wait, ready to take on 4 passengers each and their luggage for the three-day sojourn.m2

The paved road to the airport quickly gave way to gravel. Thankfully, the Mu-X’s reputed magic carpet ride hadn’t changed, returning nothing but comfort and confidence, in spite of the loose and rocky surface under the tires. Grip was surprisingly abundant, and power immediate upon command, allowing us to effortlessly scale steep inclines along the way. The manual mode of the five-speed automatic made descents easy too, allowing us to shift to a lower gear and coast down without need of the brakes.

Inside, the cabin was a pleasant place to be, with my iPod easily hooked up to the in-car entertainment and much of the noise and heat outside suppressed by the cabin. Those behind will get an even better view, with a drop-down LCD screen for videos. Not that we needed it as there was great company too, with IPC’s president, Hajime Koso, who beamed with pride at how the Philippines has now overtaken Indonesia to become ASEAN’s No.2 Isuzu market, just behind Thailand.

Two hours certainly went by quickly, as we arrived at our first stop, Calauit Safari Park, hardly having ruffled any feathers. The wildlife sanctuary is home to giraffes, zebras and deer, a product of former President Ferdinand Marcos’s efforts to aid Kenya in adopting endangered animals back in the ’70s. Today, their descendants happily roam the park, with giraffe keen to eat some of the local foliage right out of your hands. The zebras and deer are not as tame, but will allow you to get relatively close. All of the animals are lovingly cared for by the knowledgeable staff at hand. They only wish more help would in the form of veterinarians and medicine to better care for animals when they are sick.

Other stops along the way included similar protected sanctuaries, like the Siete Pecados Reef, home to exotic blue coral and a diverse array of young fish. On another island was Kayangan lake, which involved a challenging hike, but rewarded with exceptional views and the clearest lake you will ever swim in.

And of course, at the end of the day, we rested our feet at the Bermuda-inspired Busuanga Bay Lodge, overlooking a cove of yachts, with a night sky that is just as arresting.

No matter how far each destination was, it was always a delight to hop back into the Mu-X and enjoy the unparalleled comfort of the ride, whether driving or driven. As good as it already is, it’s going to get even better, with the addition of Bluetooth screen mirroring, multi-touch gestures, and multi-tasking to the entertainment system. There are more safety systems too, with traction and stability control, hill descent and hill start assist, as well as cruise control coming to more trim models, particularly the 4x2s.

It certainly doesn’t take a safari-like adventure in Palawan to be see just what a Mu-X can do, but it’s certainly nice to know that the African Adventure is closer to home than most think.