Let's be honest, Manila is a mess. With its traffic, its unbearable heat and overpopulation, going out of town is a welcome escape. Don't get me wrong, I love my Manila. It's my home and I wouldn't trade it for anything despite my eternal search for new places. After my stint in the U.S for almost two months, there was nowhere else I'd rather be but home. After reuniting with friends and family and after my pores have opened because of the heat, I was ready to proceed with another adventure. My friends and I have been talking about going to Coron months before our flight, but we decided on our lodging and confirming our booking for the tour package just a couple of weeks before. We were set to fly out on April 20 then return on April 23. This was enough for me to forget the snow in New York and New Jersey and welcome the summer heat together with the sandy beaches and clear waters of my own country.
Coron Island is part of the Calamian Group of Islands located at the northern part of Palawan. It is separate from the main island where Puerto Princessa is located. We landed in Busuanga airport at around 10:30 AM and were immediately picked up by our van c/o Darayonan Lodge. The trip from Busuanga to Coron took us about 30 to 40 minutes--just enough time for Jim to doze off again and for me to take pictures of the scenery from the airport to our inn. Upon arriving at Darayonan, I immediately changed into my bikini and prepared my beach and snorkeling essentials: Sunblock, goggles, towel, frisbee disc and my phone and money tightly zipped into a makeshift waterproof container a.k.a. Ziploc.
First Day:
We rode the tricycle to the Coron Port and boarded the bangka to our first destination: Smith's Point Beach where we were welcomed by a hearty lunch of crabs, adobo and ensaladang talong. This was part of our package with Darayonan, which was super convenient because we didn't have to worry about buying our meals and instead simply enjoy our activities for the day. The beach is surrounded by rock formations which reminded me of one of the beaches in Guimaras. The white sand and clear waters were nothing short of breathtaking and though it may be just the first stop, I felt like I could stay there and still be happy. Quota na! Ang sarap mabuhay! Sulit agad! Perhaps it's the fresh tomatoes, grilled eggplant and crabmeat in my satisfied belly (no longer ready for a bikini shot, I might add) that made me so happy, but apparently, our tour was only beginning and we haven't scratched the surface of Coron's jewels.
We proceeded with the tour and swam at The Twin Lagoon which was nestled in a large rock formation called The Callis mountain. Sadly, our tour guide Ate Badet didn't allow us to take our cameras with us (unless they're waterproof) as we parked the bangka on the cove. The swimming area boasted of clear blue waters which was separated by a limestone wall. You have to swim across a two and a half meter wide hole to get to the inner lagoon. The outer lagoon where our boats were parked showed off rock formations and corals at the bottom while the inner lagoon which was deeper and more serene required us to dive further down to see the bottom. We were surrounded by towering limestones and trees, and it felt like being transported to another world. It was breathtaking and in the middle of it all, I was struck by this conundrum: TEKA, ANO ANG DIFFERENCE NG LAGOON SA LAKE?! *facepalm*
Okay, for you people who are smarter than 5th graders, you don't need to read this. But for those of you who don't know any better, a lagoon is a body of water formed from the ocean leading to a beach while a lake is a body of water completely surrounded by land which may be fed into a river. In short, completely separate ang lake from the ocean while the lagoon is a smaller, more shallow basin of water which is still connected to the sea. Odiba, now I feel less stupid!
After ooohing and aaahing over the beautiful waters of the twin lagoon, our next stop was Kayangan Lake. This stop required us to do a short trek. My balikbayan friend Carmi set the pace as she gamely moved up the mountain trail. A quick tip to those clad in havaianas, be sure of your footing as the rocks can be slippery at times. Before heading down to the lake, we made a quick detour to a small cave where we found this breathtaking view of the sea. While taking group photos and selfies, Ate Badet gave us an inside scoop about celebrities that she toured with. A certain ubiquitous artista is apparently a real diva and another celebrity who was rumored to be a bitch turned out to be nice pala.
As we went down the trail, we were greeted by another glimpse of sparkling turquoise waters. This never gets old, I swear. Destination after destination, Coron just keeps on getting better. The lake welcomed us as if to say, go ahead and take a plunge! And take a plunge, we did.
What I love about the Kayangan lake and the other secluded bodies of water in Coron is that the sun didn't smother us with its light too much. The mountains and rocks blocked enough sun but it still let in enough light to highlight the beauty of the rocks underneath. It was just the perfect amount of sunlihgt and summer beam. I was surprised that after three days in Coron, my tan lines weren't too obvious and I wasn't as fried as I had expected.
Before the day ended, our group took a dip in Maquinit Hot Springs, the last stop in our itinerary for our Day 1 in Coron. To be honest, I'm not really a big fan of hot springs. I mean, it's already hot in the Philippines to begin with, why would I torture myself even more? I loved hot baths in cold weather countries, but here in the Philippines, I think not. I bandwagoned nonetheless and dipped slowly feet first then let out a yelp each time I submerge my body into the water, inch by inch. You see, there are hot springs, and there are salt water hotsprings. Maquinit is apparently the only known salt water hotspring in the Philippines which makes it a unique place to let go of the body tensions brought about by a day of hiking and swimming. After my whole body was dipped into the water, I actually felt comfortable and relaxed. Our group was exchanging stories and doing playbacks of what had happened during the day. I was praying silently and thanking God for the lovely day I just had. For certain, we were already inlove with Coron, but the trip is not even halfway done.
Special thanks to Darayonan Lodge for this tour package and for the lovely service!
Darayonan Lodge is located at 132 National Highway, Bgy. Pob. 1,5316 Coron, Palawan
First Day:
We rode the tricycle to the Coron Port and boarded the bangka to our first destination: Smith's Point Beach where we were welcomed by a hearty lunch of crabs, adobo and ensaladang talong. This was part of our package with Darayonan, which was super convenient because we didn't have to worry about buying our meals and instead simply enjoy our activities for the day. The beach is surrounded by rock formations which reminded me of one of the beaches in Guimaras. The white sand and clear waters were nothing short of breathtaking and though it may be just the first stop, I felt like I could stay there and still be happy. Quota na! Ang sarap mabuhay! Sulit agad! Perhaps it's the fresh tomatoes, grilled eggplant and crabmeat in my satisfied belly (no longer ready for a bikini shot, I might add) that made me so happy, but apparently, our tour was only beginning and we haven't scratched the surface of Coron's jewels.
We proceeded with the tour and swam at The Twin Lagoon which was nestled in a large rock formation called The Callis mountain. Sadly, our tour guide Ate Badet didn't allow us to take our cameras with us (unless they're waterproof) as we parked the bangka on the cove. The swimming area boasted of clear blue waters which was separated by a limestone wall. You have to swim across a two and a half meter wide hole to get to the inner lagoon. The outer lagoon where our boats were parked showed off rock formations and corals at the bottom while the inner lagoon which was deeper and more serene required us to dive further down to see the bottom. We were surrounded by towering limestones and trees, and it felt like being transported to another world. It was breathtaking and in the middle of it all, I was struck by this conundrum: TEKA, ANO ANG DIFFERENCE NG LAGOON SA LAKE?! *facepalm*
Okay, for you people who are smarter than 5th graders, you don't need to read this. But for those of you who don't know any better, a lagoon is a body of water formed from the ocean leading to a beach while a lake is a body of water completely surrounded by land which may be fed into a river. In short, completely separate ang lake from the ocean while the lagoon is a smaller, more shallow basin of water which is still connected to the sea. Odiba, now I feel less stupid!
After ooohing and aaahing over the beautiful waters of the twin lagoon, our next stop was Kayangan Lake. This stop required us to do a short trek. My balikbayan friend Carmi set the pace as she gamely moved up the mountain trail. A quick tip to those clad in havaianas, be sure of your footing as the rocks can be slippery at times. Before heading down to the lake, we made a quick detour to a small cave where we found this breathtaking view of the sea. While taking group photos and selfies, Ate Badet gave us an inside scoop about celebrities that she toured with. A certain ubiquitous artista is apparently a real diva and another celebrity who was rumored to be a bitch turned out to be nice pala.
As we went down the trail, we were greeted by another glimpse of sparkling turquoise waters. This never gets old, I swear. Destination after destination, Coron just keeps on getting better. The lake welcomed us as if to say, go ahead and take a plunge! And take a plunge, we did.
What I love about the Kayangan lake and the other secluded bodies of water in Coron is that the sun didn't smother us with its light too much. The mountains and rocks blocked enough sun but it still let in enough light to highlight the beauty of the rocks underneath. It was just the perfect amount of sunlihgt and summer beam. I was surprised that after three days in Coron, my tan lines weren't too obvious and I wasn't as fried as I had expected.
Before the day ended, our group took a dip in Maquinit Hot Springs, the last stop in our itinerary for our Day 1 in Coron. To be honest, I'm not really a big fan of hot springs. I mean, it's already hot in the Philippines to begin with, why would I torture myself even more? I loved hot baths in cold weather countries, but here in the Philippines, I think not. I bandwagoned nonetheless and dipped slowly feet first then let out a yelp each time I submerge my body into the water, inch by inch. You see, there are hot springs, and there are salt water hotsprings. Maquinit is apparently the only known salt water hotspring in the Philippines which makes it a unique place to let go of the body tensions brought about by a day of hiking and swimming. After my whole body was dipped into the water, I actually felt comfortable and relaxed. Our group was exchanging stories and doing playbacks of what had happened during the day. I was praying silently and thanking God for the lovely day I just had. For certain, we were already inlove with Coron, but the trip is not even halfway done.
Special thanks to Darayonan Lodge for this tour package and for the lovely service!
Darayonan Lodge is located at 132 National Highway, Bgy. Pob. 1,5316 Coron, Palawan
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