Let me just say the obvious, Palawan is huge! There are so many places to go to and things to see. The main go-to places are: Puerto Princesa, El nido and Coron. We decided to go to Coron since we got to hitch with my husband on the way there and only needed to buy tickets going home. The only catch was we had to sit on styro boxes aboard a small airplane. That was the beginning of our adventure.
GETTING THERE
To get to Coron you must fly to Busuanga. There are flights to Busuanga everyday via Philippine Airlines,Cebu Pacific, Zest Air and Air Philippines. They also have promos quite often. I read that to get to Coron you must take a one-hour jeepney ride from the Busuanga. Jeeps are outside the airport waiting for passengers from the plane. Some resorts have their own vans. We, on the other hand, hitched [again] with my husband’s consolidator via fishing trucks. Yep, you read that right. We were sitting on the front seat though, it’s not as bad as it sounds.
THE TRIP
This being my first Palawan experience, I expected to land on a beautiful island, with lots of white sand, no frills and no need to work for paradise-I was wrong! You only go to Coron if you’re up for an adventure. This is not unless you booked a place on an island resort, which I plan to do on my next trip back!
Coron is a very small fishing town. It’s surprisingly underdeveloped and provincial, despite the boom of tourism. There are no beaches on the mainland, although most resorts face the sea and are beside the pier. These are also the best resorts to choose from (we made a mistake in choosing ours, far from the port).
This means that you need to go out on a boat EVERYDAY to swim. Island hopping to nearby destinations costs 1,500. It costs 3,000 to go to places hours away. We thought the nearby islands were so-so and opted for the further ones. We told our boatmen we wanted to see a secluded white sandy beach and so they brought us there. There are lots of beautiful places to see if you go have time to take 1-3hour boat rides. Take note that those places are far apart so you really have to decide which ones you want to go to.
 |
| this is where they took us: MALCAPUYA ISLAND
better sand than boracay, no corals, water is deep-PPPuurfect! |
Also, you will definitely need to have the boatmen cook for you. With that you need to go to the market to buy EVERYTHING, food, sauces, charcoal, utensils, ice, paper plates etc. Be prepared to carry a big bag of stuff everyday and keep some things too. Since there were just three of us, we had to keep certain things we couldn’t finish and use for the next day such as sauces, plates etc. I think I should have brought my bayong bag with me.
The people there are very kind and helpful. They will not overprice. Tricycles are 10php each and it never went up for us. Most nearby island hopping destinations have entrance fees that go to the Tagbanuas. They are the natives of Palawan. The government gave them some tourist spots to look after- bravo Palawan government!
Scroll down to see island hoping destinations, tips and where to stay.
 |
| twin lagoon, the Tagbanuas look after this |
In Coron you have to keep on moving to maximize your stay. We were lucky and very much thankful to have been taken cared of by my husband’s charterers. We were there for about 3 nights and didn’t even see half of what Coron has to offer.
They have the Barracuda Lake which is in a volcano crater. Then there’s the hot spring that started out as a small puddle from mountain water and now is 2 big pools, waist deep and real hot! Then there’s the awesome lagoon, the island with animals and many many more. It truly is a magical place and my Coron adventure has not ended yet, especially now that I’ve learned to dive. I’ll be back Coron, with my bayong bag this time.8o)
They have the Barracuda Lake which is in a volcano crater. Then there’s the hot spring that started out as a small puddle from mountain water and now is 2 big pools, waist deep and real hot! Then there’s the awesome lagoon, the island with animals and many many more. It truly is a magical place and my Coron adventure has not ended yet, especially now that I’ve learned to dive. I’ll be back Coron, with my bayong bag this time.8o)
Scroll down to see island hoping destinations, tips and where to stay.
ISLAND HOPPING DESTINATIONS
nearby destinations:
- BANOL BEACH- these are coves on the island nearest the mainland. The sand here is white, it's ok for swimming although you get a lot of corals a few meters from the shore. It's good for snorkeling. The coves are quite short and gets crowded during lunchtime. Expect to pay 100 entrance each for the Tagbanuas.
- TWIN LAGOON- Super nice, it’s a must see; give any amount for donation.
- HOT SPRINGS- It’s nice at night or in the afternoon after a trirng day of island hopping- very relaxing. 100php entrance fee.
- SUNKEN SHIP- you don't see crap just the nose ofthe ship unless you dive. Looks kinda creepy; give any amount for donation.
- SIETE PICADOS- snorkeling site; there's no beach, you stay on the boat and get off to snorkel. For me, it's so-so. No need to pay anything.
Kayangan Lake (where the famous Coron photos come from), Barracuda Lake and CYC Island. I'm sure there's more!
destinations hours away
destinations hours away
- MALCAPUYA ISLAND- This is the BEST powder white sandy beach. Boats are not allowed to park on the main beach (which I think is an awesome rule). You have to walk about 5 mins to get there. The beach is long and perfect for bumming. 100php entrance + 200php for huts.
- CALAMBUYAN BEACH- located at the opposite end of Malcapuya beach. You can’t go to both on one go. This place is complete with hammocks, bathroom, tables and chairs. 100php entrance each. It gets crowded around lunchtime. It’s good for snorkeling not so much for swimming, there are lots fishes even by the shore.
- CORAL GARDEN-snorkeling site; there's no beach; no fee. it is beautiful under water, the corals are colorful.
- BANANA ISLAND-we didn't go here but it's right beside Malcapuya Island. I'm guessing it's as beautiful
- CALAUIT- this is the famous island that has animals from Kenya. They have zebras, giraffes etc there. I wasn't able to see it, my friend did though and according to her it's nothing great. It could be interesting still, specially if you have kids with you. This is 3 hours away. It's best to do more research on this to see if it's worth checking out. Click here for more information.
WHERE TO STAY IN CORON
Island resorts:
Resorts on the mainland:
Usually costs about 700-1800php per room. Here are resorts recommended by friends:
Princess of Coron
*more Coron resorts here and more Palawan resorts here
WARNING: Do not stay in Kokosnuss! It is the most expensive place in coron so we thought it was the best-NOT! It's far from the port, it takes forever for food to come despite ordering in advance (we over heard other guests complaining too) and bathrooms have no doors, just curtains! Definitely not worth your money. Also after a long tiring and day, the staff mixed up our reservations and were dealing with us in a hostile manner. The owner was helpful though.
*more Coron resorts here and more Palawan resorts here
WARNING: Do not stay in Kokosnuss! It is the most expensive place in coron so we thought it was the best-NOT! It's far from the port, it takes forever for food to come despite ordering in advance (we over heard other guests complaining too) and bathrooms have no doors, just curtains! Definitely not worth your money. Also after a long tiring and day, the staff mixed up our reservations and were dealing with us in a hostile manner. The owner was helpful though.
TIPS
- You would be lucky if your boat has a cooler. Better check first before buying drinks and ice. We had to buy a styro icebox for about 200php and left it with our boatmen at the end ofour trip.
- Remember to get extra food for your boatmen when you do your palenke (wet market).
- You can schedule with boatmen for the following days, that way you can haggle. You should also get their numbers in case you’ll be running late.
- Always order your breakfast the night before, most especially if you want to leave early. Most resorts are super slow in the kitchen. You may also ask them to pack it for you. Remember you still have to go to the market before you head out. Time is precious! Order dinner in advance too.
- There are no convenient stores, only sari-sari stores and the wet market so whatever modern things you need, better bring them with you.
- Absolutely no pastry shop in Coron. This does not sound like an important piece of information but I thought it might be useful if you’re going to celebrate a birthday or whatever. I took note of this because my friend was craving for fudge brownies and all they had were kabayans and cloud 9. Lol
- Take advantage of seafood! This is where exported seafood comes from. They are China’s source of Lapu-lapu. They also have a lot of squid, crabs and LOBSTERS!
- No restaurants or bars anywhere. You may eat in other resorts if you’re not too tired from island hopping.
- The more the merrier. Since you need to spend on boats everyday, it gets cheaper when there are lots of you.
I'm missing Coron already! ENJOY!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for leaving a note! 8o)