A week before our trip, Metro Manila was flooded because of typhoon Ondoy. Never have I seen so much water in the streets in my twenty-ish years of existence. It was really sad that a lot of people were put in danger, their houses and properties destroyed. But despite all this, I have seen a hope for our country—a people power of a different kind manifested itself.  Ordinary people suddenly became heroes, risking life and limb for complete strangers.  It’s nice to know that even if natural disasters can’t be avoided, you can always count on the spirit of bayanihan to help you get through the storm.

That week came to pass, and yet another storm was brewing… I’d fear that the country hasn’t recovered yet and here we had another typhoon coming. I was worried too that our trip to Coron would be cancelled. Darn it.  I waited a long time for this trip since we booked our flight way back March –thanks to the Cebu Pacific Promo!  I was happy to know that Ondoy is leaving the country, but alas, that happiness didn’t last long since a new typhoon was coming! Pepeng or Parma which is expected to be worse than Ondoy will be in Manila on the day of our flight. That really sucks. Luckily (not entirely) it switched into a different direction. Thus it did not hit Manila. So, we still took the flight.

I was relieved when we arrived in Busuanga, it was like summer! So sunny,  we experienced slight showers but generally the weather was perfect  for a vacation. We arranged a van to get us to Coron (Php 150.00 per pax). It took around 45 minutes to 1hour travel time from the airport to our destination.

Things to do in Coron

Actually, we haven’t set any plans on what to do when we got there. We asked our van driver on where we should go, and we just went to the places he mentioned.

Go Hiking at Mt. Tapyas

I am not sure about the history of the name of the mountain because I don’t have any reliable sources, but judging from its slight cut at the top I would assume it’s why they called it “tapyas(cut or chip)..” It’s  700 steps from the foot of the mountain up to the peak.

You would see the entirety of Coron at the top. I was slightly worried about my prior knee injury but, urgh, whatever! I’m decided to climb this hill! Haha! The effort was very well worth it!

It’s was so nice to see everything from that height. It was an astounding view of the scenery plus the scent of fresh green grass, oh it was so blissful!

Relax at Maniquit Hot Spring

After hiking, we went to the Maniquit Hot Spring (30 to 45 minutes travel time from the town proper) to relax our weary feet. Going down the steps was quite difficult for me. My knees were really shaking. Entrance fee cost us around Php 100.00. They gave discounts to students and senior citizens. It was really hot! I have been to hot springs, but with this one, you have to slowly adapt with the heat. They said that the water came from a volcano, so that may help explains the ultra hot temperature and the sulfuric smell. It was relaxing but I noticed that hot waters kind of affected our breathing. And I felt tired afterwards. After being immersed for 20 minutes, I laid my back on the edge. It felt so good!

What else?! Island Hopping!!!!

I was really really excited with this one! The guest house owner, Patrik has a boat for rent and I think he’s got the cheapest rates in town.

We went to Siete Pecados (fee: 100.00 each) for snorkeling. My bf and I tried to get near in one of the islands but when we got there, I got scared cause there might be a sea snake so we went back right away. Haha! There were lots of fish there! We took some slices of loaf bread  so that the fish will come nearer from where we were. It was really fun and I enjoyed a lot cause a lot of cute fishes came around me and just a few moments later, bigger fish (about the size of tilapia) was already swarming all over! I really got scared and went to the boat as fast as I can! Whew!

We went to the Blue Lagoon. I said to myself, “God has wonderfully created these islands!” Lime stones were beautifully hewn and the plants accessorized it plus the clear blue waters made it even more beautiful! I was stricken with awe.

Sorry for the digression. This is where you get dropped off to hike going to the Kayangan Lake ( fee: 200.00 each). There was a short briefing that explained some tribal ritual and beliefs of the Tagbanua tribe (early dwellers of Palawan). It is here that we were told of the four lakes in the Calamian group of islands. One lake was believed to have a barracuda and only professional divers were allowed there. The biggest lake  was believed to have a giant octopus living in it! And they would only allow divers to explore the lake only if they were given the blessing of the Tagbanuas.

We also went to Twin Lagoon ( fee: 100.00 each) where in you can only pass by swimming. since the tide is high, we have to swim underwater to get to the lagoon. We decided not to go because some of us can’t swim without vest.

One of the best beaches I have been to is the Banol Beach( fee: 100.00 each). The water was so clear and the sand was really fine. Plus I found the place to be quite safe cos I didn’t feel strong currents that pull you away from the shore.

Hike to Concepcion Falls

Yes, we really did a lot of island hopping and it’s really really tiring but really worth it. We were supposed to go to Banana Island but the tide is high so we decided to go somewhere else. We decided to explore around the area. the van driver Kuya Raffy, advised us to go to Concepcion falls. we hired the van for Php 2500.00. travel time is around 2 hours of rough drive.

It wasn’t a really big kind of falls and it’s not even famous among Coron travelers.  It was quaint, but I really found it really beautiful. The water was cold and clear, it relaxed our muscles. After swimming, we stopped at a view deck to have a few shots taken and, of course, soak up more the beauty of Coron. Definitely, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to.

Food and Pasalubong

Coron town is very friendly for tourists, especially the prices of necessities. Food is relatively cheap compared to other tourist destinations. You can have a meal for as low as  Php 50.00. Mang Joe’s Tapa is the best. It’s just at the corner of the town proper.

Palawan is known for

• Cashew Nuts
• Seafoods
• Yummy seaweeds

Must Haves

There were lots of mosquitoes, so it would be a good idea to bring lots of insect-repellant lotion. You should also bring umbrella (during this season)  As in the duration of our stay, we had at least 2 showers a day.

Where to stay

I’d  like to take this oppurtinity to  thank Timi for referring us to Patrik’s Guesthouse. Thank You Timi!

Try staying at Patrik’s guesthouse. It’s really reasonably priced but cozy and clean. it’s not air conditioned but it’s really cold during the night because the house is by the bay.  For more informantion visit http://swewa.net/

For van rental  contact Kuya Raffy(09085661749).  He’s very nice and he’s rate is a bit cheaper than the usual rates there.