Travel Bits: Coron, Palawan (Day 2)

(Click here for our Day 1 in Coron!)

We were ready and excited for our second day in Coron. We had a delicious complimentary breakfast and then took our showers. Our agenda for the day was to go island hopping and snorkeling. 

From the resort, we rode our service tricycle and went to town proper, where we then transferred to the rented boat that would take us island hopping. This was a group tour, and there were other tourists already waiting when we arrived. We waited for a couple more, then off we went to our first spot: the Kayangan Lake. And boy, what a sight to see!

Before we got to the beauteous  lake, we first had to complete a steep climb. As I mentioned in my previous blog, I haven't had exercise in years so it was really tough for me to do it. I kept stopping to catch my breath, and let other people go ahead of me. I eventually reached the top though, and it offered a breathtaking view of the sea. We stopped for photos, and then went down to the other side of the rocks, where Kayangan Lake was. 

And the minute you see the lake, you'd forget you're in the Philippines. The clearest water and most picturesque view I have ever seen in person. It was like discovering a hidden gem, and I smiled because it was right in my own country! How lucky are we?

I am a water baby, and I couldn't wait to jump in. Our tour guide was quick to say that we needed to wear our life vests at all times. I'm a good swimmer but I was afraid of getting cramps and causing trouble, so I wore my vest then excitedly went in. Aaaaah. I was home. 

Our tour guide let us into a cave, and then he told us to practice breathing with our snorkels there because there was still no current. We went snorkeling for about half an hour before we left. We were just on our first destination and I was already elated with everything I saw! 

We then proceeded to another island, for more awesome sea treasures. Corals of all colors imaginable (even neon ones), schools of fish, sea urchins, starfishes, sea weeds, and other things. Sigh. You can't help but marvel at God's hand. Nature is a gift that keeps on giving. I wish I had an underwater camera so I could show you photos of all the beauty we saw.

We had our picnic lunch at Banol Beach. It was a little island with coarse white sand and rock formations. Our lunch was another seafood feast, with large fish, squid, and lots of lato (seaweed) salad. We also had pork liempo and grilled chicken. The foreigner tourists asked us about the lato, and one of the Russian ladies brought out her baon of red chili or siling labuyo and passed the little plastic bag around. I'm not a fan of spicy food, so I passed.

After a heavy lunch, we were allowed to explore the island and of course, take lots of pictures! It was the middle of noon so the sun was blazing. I think this was why we got sunburned. Or also because we only applied sunblock once, haha!

More island hopping ensued. By the the time we were through, we were all tired and ready to sleep! We got back to the town proper before six pm, but we didn't get out of the boat. We were to be sent to Castaway, another remote island where we will spend the night. Sounds exciting, yes? Stay tuned for my review of Castaway in another entry!

We had arranged for our dinner the previous night, and we were served crabs! Believe me, one of the best things about this trip is the food. Such a fun night, eating crabs and fish with our hands, dining under the moonlight with the sea breeze cooling our sunburned skin. 

After chatting a bit, I turned in early and fell asleep. I drifted in and out of sleep and heard Niña and Jay talking, and then they were complaining that the generator has shut down and there were no lights! We were told the generator would shut down at midnight, but that was only 10:30pm. That forced them to fall asleep! 

Stay tuned for my last post about our Coron trip. :)

Travel Bits: Coron, Palawan (Day 1)

Summer came early for me this year. Last month, I went to one of the country's most beautiful islands, together with my boyfriend Jay and my good friend Niña. We spent four days in Coron, Palawan!

Jay and I have been to Hong Kong and Singapore, but we were with my mom and her best friend, Tita Yolly. This was our first trip together (within the country) with no "chaperones." This was also my first out-of-town trip with Niña, who has been my friend since high school. Yes, if it's not yet too obvious, I have a strict family. Hehe. 

I love beaches, and I know Palawan has some of the best ones in the country, if not the world. I haven't been to the beach since 2011 so I was really looking forward to this trip.

Our airfare was booked during one of Cebu Pacific's airfare promos. For our accommodations, a friend recommended Villa Khadine Grandvista Resort. Our 4-day/3-night stay included daily breakfasts, daily tours, 2-day picnic lunch, entrance fees, tour transport (boats and tricycle), and airport transfers. 

With my high school friend Niña

Niña and I had a noon flight and we had to wait for Jay's afternoon flight to come in at the Busuanga Airport. Because Cebu Pacific has no free in-flight meals, we had our late lunch in one of the eateries outside the airport. It was the most expensive carinderia meal I have ever eaten. One saucer-sized ulam cost P45! And one cup of rice cost P15 (the same price fast food joints charge for their rice). Later on, we learned that it's because the soil in Coron is not fit for agriculture and they need to have their rice, vegetables, and meat rationed from all over the country. But they do have abundant seafood, so stuff yourself with those when in Coron. :)

Our meal with really small servings

When Jay arrived, we waited for the van that would take us to our hotel/resort. Coron has concrete roads so it was a smooth ride from the airport. After half an hour, we were at Villa Khadine (I will do a separate post on the resort's amenities). We were welcomed by Ate Jing-Jing, who's the sister of the owner, and was very patient with all my inquiries and requests. 

We freshened up and took a short nap, then we proceeded with our tour. Because we arrived late in the day, we only had two destinations: Mt. Tapyas and the Maquinit Hot Springs. 

There are mixed information about the total number of steps going up to Mt. Tapyas (some say 718, some say 750), but it's safe to say it's around 700 steps. It wouldn't matter anyway because either number would result to the same thing: you getting exhausted. But the view at the top and the cool sea breeze make it all worth the hard climb. We arrived quite late, and missed the sunset, so these were the only photos we were able to take. By the way, going up to Mt. Tapyas is free!

Next up was Maquinit Hot Springs. It was about a 20-minute trike ride from Mt. Tapyas, and you should be prepared for rough roads. We were told that the hot springs are located in a privately-owned land, so I guess the owners haven't developed it yet. During the ride, Jay and I kept looking up at the sky. The road to the hot springs was really dark so the sky was littered with stars big and small. Seriously, I haven't seen so much stars in my life!

It's best to visit Maquinit Hot Springs at night because the water is really hot. Imagine going there in the middle of the day, I don't think you'd enjoy it. The hot springs are huge, with several small areas similar to a hot tub. They also have several cottages/huts, where you can leave your belongings or have your picnic meals. Just be sure to keep an eye on your stuff while swimming. Our entrance fee (around P150) was already included in our tour package, but we learned that there's another fee if you're going to take a shower there. So since we were roughing it, we air-dried ourselves and took a shower back at the resort (Shhh!).

Before going back to Villa Khadine, we had dinner at the town proper. After asking around, we decided to try the Kawayanan Grill Station. I loved their bamboo huts, it provided instant privacy from other diners! The food was great, but the service was really slow. The restaurant has an unlimited rice promo until 10pm, so I suggest you take advantage of that especially if you're dining with a group.

We had squid, lato (seaweed), fish, liempo, iced tea, and unlimited rice!

Happy and full on our first day in Coron!

After a satisfying meal and buying toiletries, we were back at the resort. We made arrangements for the next day, took our showers, and turned in for the night. 

Stay tuned for my Day 2 & 3 posts! :)