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PhilippinesDescription and is it worth a visit
Prison Iwahig (Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm) is a completely unique attraction that will surprise even seasoned tourists and travelers. This is a real prison and correctional farm, where about 4,000 prisoners are kept, and at the same time it can be visited.
Iwahig prison is similar to a colony-settlement, i.e. here prisoners are kept not in cells and in a building, but in an impressive territory where they have the right to move freely. They live in separate houses, and as a correction they are engaged in useful work: they take care of the impressive territory of the colony and work on the farm. Depending on the severity of the crime, different prisoners have different degrees of freedom in three categories of severity of crimes, this is determined by the color of their clothes. Prisoners in brown robes have the greatest degree of freedom.
But you ask, what is all this for tourists and travelers, and why visit it? In fact, this is a unique experience: to visit a real colony and communicate with real prisoners. You can come here, move freely around the territory (excluding administrative and private residential premises, as well as areas marked with prohibition signs), communicate with prisoners. We visited here and talked to one of the prisoners. Convicted of drug trafficking for a very long time, he told about the way of life here, about his family, who visits him, about how he made a mistake and got here. It was a very frank and real conversation that would hardly have left anyone indifferent.
As we already mentioned, the prison is big. There is a center, something like a village among the fields of the farm, where the administrative buildings and what kind of information or community center Recreation Hall. This is where you need to go. You can freely walk around this area and you should stop at the information centre. There is a exhibition about the history of the prison, you can buy Souvenirs made by the hands of prisoners, and always "on duty" one of them who watching this prison store. But most importantly, this is where you can communicate with the prisoners, of course, mostly in the English language. Be sure to buy something from the Souvenirs. Prices are available from 10 pesos.
🕐 Working hours
Open to the public from 10:00 to 16:00.
💵Entrance fee / ticket price
Free of charge.
🚶 How to get there
Iwahig Prison is located 20 kilometers from the center of Puerto princesa (Iwahig prison on the map). Jeepneys and buses do not go here, excursions are not carried, you need to get there by rented transport or taxi. A trip by tricycle or taxi will cost about 400 pesos one way. At the entrance to the territory there is a checkpoint where you will need to leave any document, in return you will be given a number that you will exchange back for the document at the exit. Also, a check is provided at the entrance, usually a formal inspection of the trunk. Further from the checkpoint to the center of the colony and the information center it will be necessary to drive another two and a half kilometers.
We also recommend to see the possible options for other excursions on Palawan, which can be booked online: