Coron: Simply Enchanting!

For Windangan's 2011 travel (our third annual group travel), we opted for Coron, Busuanga, Palawan.  Who wouldn't want to see and experience this for real, right?



The famous Kayangan Lake:  Photo credit to my hubby

As the official travel organizer of the group (labor of love), I scouted for discounted air fares and tour packages. I was able to get tickets through Cebu Pacific.  Through blogs, I was able to meet Leidy Ocampo.  She quoted us P6,150.00 per person (for a group of 10 pax) for 4D/3N tour with hotel accomodation, breakfast, tour entrances, boat, lunch during island tour and airport transfers.  I'm so glad in choosing her since we were well taken care of during our vacation.  Since we are only young at heart, we always prefer a comfortable travel and vacation. 

Aerial view of one of Busuanga's islands: you can see that it is a green area with prestine white sands surrounding it.

see the pristine white sand???  i don't know if this is a private island...

so green.....not with envy but with life...

Coron from Busuanga is around one hour and 45 mins. only.  You will be welcomed by its lush green environment.  Upon reaching Coron, you will realize that it is a very small town and the people are friendly and accomodating.

ordinary site along the way...the cows are not even avoiding the vehicles...

Here's our itinerary during our 4-day stay:

Day 1 - Check-in, Town Tour, Mt. Tapyas, Souvenir shop and Maquinit Spring (we skipped the Cashew Candy Factory)

Here's are home away from home for 4 days.  The hotel is ok with clean and big rooms and clean CR.  They even provided a clothes rack to dry our wet clothes.  Outside the rooms is an open area with tables and chairs for chit chats but with free mosquito bites.  One thing that you should always bring when in Coron is the anti mosquito lotion or spray.

our room, this is good for 4 persons

The restaurant and reception area are located across the lodge. Our everyday breakfast here is a choice of danggit (must try!, I even brought home for pasalubong and everyone loved it), chorizo and tocino with egg and coffee or juice.  For lunch and dinner, I would recommend going to other diners as food here is just so-so.

After checking-in, we went to Aling Trining's carinderia for our lunch.  Food  being served here is cheaper than Manila but delicious.  After lunch, we started the town tour with Lualhati Park.  It's so hot in here!

Then the hard part of Day 1 - the Mt. Tapyas hike.  Reaching the mountain top involves taking the 700+ steps.  Good thing there is a cemented stairs with even steps and there are ready tour guides there with drinks on hand.  You just have to buy the drinks (tour guide - free).  Believe me, you will need at least 2 bottles of energy drink.

there's the town proper

we're going up there!

rest time...more stairs to climb

my hubby, exhausted upon reaching the 700th step

it's beginning to get dark

yipee!!! we reached it...but we have to go down...another 700+ steps again

breath taking sunset

To relieve our tired muscles, we ended our tour with Maquinit Hot Springs.  It is best to go here at night since the water is really hot.  Too bad, I was not able to take a nice picture of it.

Dinner is in Bistro Coron, the most recommended diner here. The place is quite jam packed but it's worth waiting for the food.  The food is great, particularly the pizza.  I met cerveza negra here. 

Day 2 - Siete Picados, Banol Beach, Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon and Ship Wreck Snorkel

We wake up early on this day for our first island tour. 

let's go to el nido...

the boat docking area...very near is the market

After Siete Picados, which consist of seven small islands, we headed to Kayangan Lake.  After this magnificent lake, we took our lunch on Banol Beach. After lunch, it was snorkeling on the ship wreck.  We ended the tour with Twin Lagoon.  I will have another post for these.

At night, I was stricken with slight fever and upset stomach. What a vacation spoiler!

Day 3 - Banana and Malcapuya Islands

The sea is not our side on our third day.  The waves are big and strong.  With a slight fever and upset stomach, this is adding insult to an injury.  We spent 2 hours at sea just to have a good timing to dock, enduring the strong waves. TG! I didn't puke.

We were not able to dock on Banana Island.  We spent the whole day in Malcapuya Island.  It is a very beautiful island.  It looked like unexploited Boracay.  There are only a very few of us tourists here.  It's like having your own island for the day.


yehey we're near Malcapuya

Going home, the sea is still so unforgiving.

TG! we went home safe despite of these big waves

We said goodbye to our ever dependable boat men.  One of them is Darwin.  He became our guide, assistant, cook and underwater photographer during our island tour.  They are so friendly.  I hope to see them again soon.

Darwin holding my wish camera

I was not able to join the group for dinner since I was flaming with fever then.  I was not able to stand up.  I just slept the whole night.  But I'm so glad on my friends' concern on me.  They brought me food, medicine and drinks.

Day 4 - Souvenir Shopping, San Augustin Church and Back to Manila

Waking up in the morning, I already have the energy to go shopping (or maybe the thought of going shopping cured me ; ) ).  I was able to buy ref magnets from the Coron Souvenir Shop.  Tin light houses, danggit and ref magnets were brought from Coron Village Shop.  But shopping didn't end here.  Hubby and I were able to visit an art shop at Darayongan Hotel.  It houses a lot of art works from different Coron artists.  My hubby was not able to control himself from buying a wood painting.

I would also like to recommend Darayongan Lodge.  The hotel is nice and with a swimming pool.  The keeper is kind, too.  Though Coron Village Lodge is quite ok, on my next visit I will stay in this Lodge.  BTW, the owners of these lodges are siblings.

the art shop where we spent all our baon....

some of the souvenirs that can be bought there....

Since we run out of money due to the cost of the painting, we went to an atm near San Augustin Church.  We passed by the church as well to say our prayers.

a small but lovely church

the church interiors

With a sad heart, it's time to leave Coron and it's beautiful lakes, islands and people.  I promised myself to return here.


the windangan group saying farewell to Coron

Our (with hubby) over-all expenses is around Php 21,000.00 excluding the souvenirs.  I know this is quite expensive since round trip ticket costs Php 3,200.00, but as I've said we prefer a comfortable vacation so this is ok with us.  If you want to spend less, just hire a boat on the docking area.  You can also bring your own food during the island tours.  There are also a lot of travel blogs that can help you for the contacts.

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