Coron, Palawan

19-22 March 2011

DAY 1 (BANANA and MALCAPUYA Island)

Summer or not, beach is one of the most  favorite destination for family travel. Since I'll be celebrating my nth birthday and my son's graduation day, I want it to be special. After several days of debate with my husband on which place to go, we've decided to visit one of Philippines  hidden treasure, Coron Palawan. 

As soon as we confirmed our son's graduation day, I booked our family ticket and arranged our hotel reservations. It's almost a perfect plan until my son, Jose Maria informed us of the sudden change of the graduation date.  To cut the story short, our much awaited family getaway is now impossible. Since our air ticket is non-refundable, me and my husband decided to go to Palawan even without the kids. 

Coron was a pleasant surprise for me. I have a little expectation on this place but I was wrong, there is much more to do here........

We arrived early at Francisco B. Reyes airport in Busuanga. Coron is the largest city in the Island of Busuanga, which is part of the Calamian group of islands in the province of Palawan. . I bought a few packs of cashew nuts before going to our first activity. Though the sun is out, the weather is a little bit windy, a not so perfect time to travel by water. We will be spending overnight in Banana and Malcapuya Island. 

 A small boat (bangka) will take you to the island about one and a half to two hours. Unfortunately,  strong winds welcomes us making our travel time for almost three hours. At first, it was fun. It's like were playing in the water. Me, hubby and our boatmen Ariel and Danny were happily telling each other's stories and the sightseeing was enjoyable. But as we go farther, the waves also becomes bigger and bigger and this time, it's not funny anymore. Ariel told us that we will be crossing the open sea so be prepared for more big waves. We started to get nervous. I keep safe all our belongings and tied my life vest properly. When we're about to cross the open water, a one meter wave is coming our way. Oh my God, I just prayed and closed my eyes, one big waves after another is coming. Prayer is very powerful, after hurdling the roller coaster waves, we finally reach the beautiful island.

   I found a cradle and took a rest right after we reach the island. It was very quiet and peaceful, seems nobody is around except me and hubby hahaha. 

At last we found one! I thought we were the only person in the island. We walked around and enjoyed the beautiful white fine sands. 

  All we can hear is the sound of the waves, that's like a music to our ears. We enjoyed watching the calmness of the sea, feel the silence of the surrounding while waiting for the sun to set. Of course, another perfect opportunity for great photographs haha.

Watching the sunset just can't be beat. We savored the moment. We lay down flat on our back and watch the clouds as they slowly form different shapes.....priceless moment you will treasure forever.

DAY 2 (Island Hopping)

 I had a very short sleep, maybe because I know that only few of us left in the island. A lot of crazy things played into my mind that night, that even if we shout until our last breath, nobody can hear us hahaha. Exactly six in the morning I was already outside our room and it's a little bit cold. Our boatmen were also up and started to arrange our things. 

Our second day is all set for island hopping. Honestly, I don't feel any excitement at all because I am still afraid of the waves. I asked my husband if there's any way we can get out of the island without taking the boat, he just smiled at me. My husband and the boatmen assured me that it's going to be different now, that I will enjoy our activity for today. 

Our itinerary for today will cover the six known islands of Coron - Banol beach, Skeleton Wreck, Twin Lagoon, Barracuda Lake, Kayangan Lake and Siete Pecados. Hmm Jonathan and the boatmen could be right, it's going to be a different journey now, I feel delighted and excited. 

Our first taste of the beautiful beach under the scorching sun. I left all my worries in Banana and Malcapuya Island. Now is the time to enjoy and have fun.

I started to love my new tan.....after only a few hours in the sun.

Of course, my husband's day will not be complete without a bottled cold beer. 

Coron is simply a paradise. 

The highlight of our island tour is the Kayangan Lake, dubbed as the cleanest lake in Asia. What more adjectives can I describe this place? I took this picture on top. There's an entrance fee and for all its worth, we paid P200.00. 

DAY 3 (Mt. Tapyas)

We had a blast on our island hopping and today is another activity that will surely burn our calories. For Jonathan, Mt. Tapyas is not his typical mountain with difficult trails up its rocky terrains. In fact,  there's not much needed to climb this mountain aside from some bottled water for refreshments and comfortable shoes/slippers.

The 724 steps up the peak of the mountain will take less than an hour for an experienced mountaineer but for me, I am proud to say that I reach the peak in less than two hours haha. I always stop on some  shaded areas to rest and of course to catch my breath. 

Have you seen the "Sleeping Giant" behind us?

Finally, we're on top! The cross structure stands over 2,000 feet above sea level. On top, you can see the panoramic view of the town of Coron and the surrounding islands offers a breathtaking sight to your eyes. Of course, we need another 724 steps going down to the city. This time it will be very tiring because of the heat of the sun. I know my husband is proud of my achievement this day haha. I thank him for making my birthday very memorable and full of adventure. 

We took our package on http://diycoron.wordpress.com/. They organized everything remarkably well given that it was a peak season. Make sure to bring several P100 notes because you have to pay entrance fees to almost all islands.