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Coron Island Tour

Coron Island Tour

Isha and I were alone on our second full day in Coron. Jed had to return to Manila for last minute trips and errands before going back to Toronto. We signed up with JY Travel (formerly known as CheapTravel Coron) for a Coron Island Tour that costs ₱650.00 per pax.




There has been a slight delay with our manifesto but the tour guide entertained us by speaking english all the way because we had English tourists on board. I forgot his name but the guide said something like, "We're just waiting for the captain, Captain America." LMAO


First stop of our tour is at the CYC (Coron Youth Club) reef and beach.

I'm not a fan of diving probably because it's an expensive thing to do but at least I know how to snorkel. LOL. But to be honest, I hate snorkeling with a lifevest on. It gives me a hard time swimming but then better be safe than sorry. I know how to swim but I do not trust my swimming skills in 10-20 feet deep water.

 
 
Honestly, this is the first time that I've seen colorful fishes and corals while snorkeling. Pictures were taken by the tour guide since I cannot dive that deep, LOL. But what the effff, what an amazing view down there!


Sadly, motion sickness kicked in a few minutes after snorkeling which sucked big time! :(

Of course I can't act like a diva by asking the boat to bring me back to town. I just kept my cool and prayed to God to please take away my motion sickness. It worked but it keeps going back the whole day. Sad. So while waiting for the others to finish snorkeling at the Skeleton Reef, our boat went straight to the nearby Atuayan Beach where we'll have our lunch.


Atuayan Beach

 
I was seated beside the English couple who are currently based in Vietnam. According to them, Coron is one (if not) the best diving site they've ever been. Good to know! #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines


After Atuayan Beach, we went straight to the not so hidden area of Green Lagoon.


 I was feeling a bit better when we got here. This was just few minutes before I jumped without my lifevest on. Kaloka, the water was soo deep (for me atleast, LOL). If I'm not mistaken it was probably 15-20 ft. deep.




I felt nauseous once more so I got out of the water and just took this photo of Isha who snorkeled while sitting on the boat's ladder. How lame right? Haha. She's scared of the water.


Our last stop for the tour is Kayangan Lake.


We had to hike (150 steps going up and another 150 going down) in order to get to the actual lake. This might be my favorite part of the tour. I have this hidden lust for mountain climbing, it's been years since I did something like this. ;)


Here's the obligatory tourist shot upon getting on top of the hill. That tree on my left is freaking annoying. Anyway, the view of Kayangan island cove reminded me of Vietnam's Halong Bay. Ganda! ;)


Another 150 steps down and you'll see Kayangan Lake.

Kayangan Lake is dubbed as one of the cleanest lakes in Asia. The rock formation under the sea looked like moon craters. Water here is probably 80% fresh and 20% salt water making it easier to swim around without using a snorkeling gear. Jumping into the water is not recommended because the rocks beneath are sharp and a little slippery so be cautious when swimming.


Two thumbs up for Coron!

I obviously fell in love with Coron. It is one of those places you need to visit before you die. Not kidding! It's like heaven on earth. Haha. There are a lot of seat sales now from local airlines so I suggest you start booking your trips now for summer 2015! ;)
Bulog Island, Coron, Palawan

Bulog Island, Coron, Palawan

Our last stop for Coron Nxtcapade tour is the tiny Isla Bulog or Bulog Island which is only 10 minutes away from Banana Island. It is famous for the sandbar that stretches all the way to the neighboring Malaroroy Island during lowtide season.


Malaroroy Island is the home of  Two Seasons Coron.


We arrived in Bulog Island around 2:30 in the afternoon and only have a few minutes left to enjoy the island because we need to be back at port of Coron before sunset.


Jed as a poser guest of Two Seasons Coron. LOL. But to be honest, I'd rather stay in Malcapuya. ;)


Spotted fellow tourists in their kayak. Hi girls! :)
Note: Jed took this photo, it's his way of 'spotify-ing' women around the island.


Not that we're complaining but can somebody explain why we found grey sand underneath all that white sand?


That's me getting a sandbar scrub for my thighs and legs. Hehe.

Dark clouds were approaching so we left Isla Bulog and traveled for another 1.5 hours to get back to the town of Coron. Kuya Larry served us bread that tasted like ensaymada and softdrinks for merienda. ;) Akalain mong may pa-merienda pa pala sila!


When we got back to the port, we got stuck and couldn't move further because it was already low tide. We had to wait for the boatmen to get a much smaller boat that will bring us to the docking area.

 
While waiting, one of the boatman showed us random creatures from the seafloor including this small sea urchin and a 6-legged starfish.


Of course I requested for more starfish just to take this boobie shot. LOL.

WHAT. A. TIRING. DAY. I really enjoyed this tour. Thanks again to my friend Jed for this treat. ;) He's probably back in Canada by the time he reads this post. Ipon ka na thugz for our next trip ha! Hihi.

P.S. We returned the sea urchin and sea stars safely back to the water.
Banana Island, Coron, Palawan

Banana Island, Coron, Palawan

Back to Coron. Captain of our boat decided that (due to low-tide concerns) we should just have our lunch in Banana Island instead of Malcapuya. It was a bittersweet moment to leave but I learned that there are cottages and a small house for rent for those who want to spend the night in Malcapuya. Hmm, maybe next time. :)


Here's my new found traveler friends, Deb and Jay. They just got married and celebrated their honeymoon in Coron. ;)


Banana Island is less than 15 minutes away from Malcapuya. Here's Isha holding on for dear life. Sadly, my sister doesn't know how to swim and has developed a fear from deep waters.


Check out Banana Island's beach front.

 
Lunch served was good for more than 5 pax. We had grilled chicken, fish and squid, chilli crabs, cucumber salad and watermelon for dessert. Of course we ate using our hands! Check out Jed's left hand in his mouth! Haha. Nabusog kami sa rate na binayad namin sa Nice in Paradise. Sobrang sulit! ;)


Since we had a very heavy lunch, I took a break from swimming and just enjoyed the view of nearby islands.


There's a floating cottage (or whatever you want to call it) nearby. Perfect place for relaxation.

Noticed the change of water color in the photos? The darker shade of blue is the deeper part of the sea. When I say deep, it means 15-20 ft. deep or more. I panicked for a bit because I wasn't informed about the depth so I had to keep my cool and stay relaxed while swimming back to the shore or else I'll probably drown to death. Lesson learned, don't forget to bring your life vest even if you know how to swim! ;)
Coron Eco Lodge

Coron Eco Lodge

Like I said from my previous post, we got the go signal to book for this Coron trip a week before Jed's original travel dates so it was really challenging to get the lowest rates for airfare and accommodation. We bought tickets from Cebu Pacific on our way to Busuanga and Philippine Airlines going back to Manila. Total roundtrip airfare for 2 pax in both airlines cost us approximately ₱13,400 which is obviously a bit higher because we booked at the very last minute.


Just a little side comment, our flight was delayed by a few minutes and air conditioning in NAIA Terminal 3 needs repair or something. May mga parts na mainit, lalo na sa check-in counters.


Anyway, here's a view of Coron from the plane. Ganda, 'di ba?


We arrived at the Francisco B. Reyes (Busuanga) airport that was completely running on generators as the island regularly experience power outages.

The town of Coron is 30-45 mins drive from the airport. Most hotels offer one-way airport transfer for a minimal fee of ₱150.00 per pax. Luckily, Coron Eco Lodge had an available standard room. We booked ours with Asiatravel.com and cost ₱4,800.00 from May 28-31 with breakfast for two. ;) 


Coron Eco Lodge is located in Real St. which is 5-10 minutes walk from the public market.


Across Coron Eco Lodge is twin brother Coron Casa Hotel. I have yet to google who owns both hotels but if ever they get to read this: Thumbs up sir/ma'am! Nice investment you got here. :)


Back to Coron Eco Lodge. Their design is very modern, chic and simple. See the TripAdvisor logo on the counter? They're one of the recommended hotels in Coron. ;)




If you like having something heavy for breakfast, I suggest you order extra food because they serve small meals like the usual silog combos and continental breakfast. Coffee is free and unlimited for your whole stay.


May I request the management to please change the keychains of our hotel keys? It's too bulky.


We stayed at room 203 that has two single beds and can fit a maximum of 3 pax. You may request for extra mattress for only ₱800.00 a night with free breakfast. Not bad! ;)

 
The bathroom is ok. Shower water pressure isn't that strong so we took a bath the traditional way using the timba and tabo (pail and dipper). Shower curtain needs to be cleaned or might as well replaced since it's too short so the floor gets flooded after taking a bath.

Overall, we had a pleasant stay in Coron Eco Lodge and wouldn't mind staying here again the next time we go back to Busuanga. ;)
My Favorite Thing is to Go Where I’ve Never Been

My Favorite Thing is to Go Where I’ve Never Been

So I finally went to Coron in Busuanga, the Philippines.


Coron Island

My last out of town trip was back in October 2013 when my family and I celebrated my father's 60th birthday in the beautiful island of Boracay. Don't get me wrong, I love Boracay. It's just that I'm not a party animal making me feel like I don't belong. Hehe.

This summer, one of my good friends who I met online more than a decade ago is back in the Philippines for some good old r&r. Jed wanted to visit new places and one of them is Coron. My parents allowed me to join (like a week before our travel dates, booking was hella expensive!) but must be accompanied by a chaperone that goes by the name Isha Mariano. That lucky brat! LOL. Just kidding, Ma! #MamaReadsMyBlog


Waiting for our boat in the port of Coron.

We only had two days and my friend Rap suggested that we skip the town tours which was totally fine since I prefer to just swim, relax and enjoy the views that Coron has to offer. ;) On our first day, we signed up for Nice in Paradise's Coron Nxtcapade that covers Malcapuya Island, Banana Island and Isla Bulog.


Meet our tour guide Kuya Larry with my chaperone sister Isha and my friend Jed.

The tour costs ₱1,200 each and requires a minimum of 5 pax. It's inclusive of roundtrip boat transfers, entrance fees, life vests, lunch (buffet style), drinks and snacks. Kuya Larry is an awesome tour guide. There was never a dull moment with him, very bibo si kuya. Ask for him if you plan to get the tours with Nice in Paradise.


Our lunch was prepared onboard by the other boat man. Si Captain very chillax lang o!


Our lunch is da bomb! Fellow travelers/honeymooners Deb and Jay will agree. They served us grilled squid, grilled chicken, two huge grilled parrotfish, a tray of sweet-chilli crabs, cucumber salad and a ton of rice with watermelon for dessert. Now I know what buffet style means. Hehe. Nabusog kami ng sobra!

I'm ending my post for now but watch out for my review of Coron EcoLodge as well as the remaining tours we had during our stay. :) I love you Coron!

Today's blog title is a quote from famous American photographer, Diane Arbus.
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