Coron Accommodation: Zuric Pension Coron

Our PAL flight to Cebu from Busuanga was cancelled and we were housed at Zuric Pension Coron. The pension house is in the center of town, just across Centro Coron, and is therefore also walking distance from Mt. Tapyas, the market, and the port.

On the outside Zuric Pension Coron looks like a simple three-storey building. We walk in to a simple, barely furnished lobby. Up the stairs and we discover that the building was added/attached to a house (which is now part of the pension house). Our room is in the "house" part of the pension house.

Zuric Pension Coron (Photo by Brennan of Baktin Corporation)

Super deluxe room, good for 4 pax (Photo by Brennan of Baktin Corporation)

The room for four (Php 3000) with ensuite toilet and shower was spacious and clean. The room had an air conditioning unit, a wall fan, and a TV. Towels and toilet paper were provided. Breakfast though is not included. Meals can be ordered through the reception and it will be served at the common dining area.

Zuric Pension Coron has WiFi but it was either very weak or nonexistent at our room which was at the back end of the third floor.

The best thing about this pension house is the very kind and friendly owner, Mary Ann. While we were waiting for the van to pick us up and take us to the airport, she spent some time talking with us and sharing about her life. By the time the van arrived, she had finished her life story and it felt like we were old friends.

Zuric Pension Coron
National Highway, Brgy. 3, Poblacion, Coron, Palawan
0999 916 4520 / 0936 923 4557
zuricpensioncoron@gmail.com
facebook page



Coron 2017
Coron Accommodation: Centro Coron
Starry Starry Night at Kingfisher Park
Coron Ultimate Tour with Calamianes Expeditions and Ecotours (DON'T!)
Coron Island Escapade Tour
Isla Culion Historic Tour and Snorkeling with Kawil Tours
Coron Accommodation: Zuric Pension Coron (you're here!)

Isla Culion Historic Tour and Snorkeling with Kawil Tours

In 2009, my friend and I did a DIY tour of Culion Island: we took the public boat from Coron to Culion and just roamed around the town by ourselves, without any guide. We only knew that Culion Island was once a leper colony and that the church we visited was really old.

This time the walking tour around Culion Island was more rewarding, thanks to our local guide, Elee of Kawil Tours, who knew a lot about the island and its history and who shared stories of days gone by not mentioned in the markers around town (I don't remember seeing these markers in 2009). We visited the Culion Church, the bastion (with canons) beside the church, the little plaza with a statue of Major General Leonard Wood, and buildings of historic significance around town. (We did not get to visit the museum because it was closed on a Saturday.) It was supposed to be a walking tour, but the unrelenting summer sun forced us to take a tricycle (paid for by Kawil Tours) for the rest of the tour. (Kawil Tours also paid for the bottles of water and the halo-halo that we craved for during the scorching summer walk around town.)

Culion Island

La Immaculada Concepcion Church

The people of Culion looked up to Major General Leonard Wood

After leaving Culion Island, we dropped by Crowning Glory Reef, just a few minutes' boat ride from Culion Island, for snorkeling. Crowning Glory Reef is a Marine Protected Area and, wow, were the corals magnificent! I am the laziest person alive and do not like to exercise but the fierce current gave me a great workout (without my breaking a sweat haha!) and I had an awesome time doing so (I thought I'd never say this in relation to exercising!). Tip: If you know how to use and are comfortable using fins/flippers, bring and use them in case nature gives you the same challenge it gave us.

Crowning Glory Reef

Much as we wanted to stay and snorkel some more at Crowning Glory Reef, our strength ran low and we accepted defeat and went to our next and last stop: Lusong Gunboat Wreck. The wreck is in shallow waters and is clearly visible and perfect for snorkeling (no diving required!). Corals have grown on the wreck all the more making it a pretty site for snorkeling.

Lusong Gunboat Wreck

Dennis, one of the guides, freediving at Lusong Gunboat Wreck

Private Tour or Join In Tour? Join-in Culion Historical Tours through tour operators based in Coron will go from Php1200 to Php1800 per person inclusive of boat, guide, lifevest, and lunch. These join-in tours will visit Culion Island (Culion Church, Culion Museum, and other historical landmarks) and will drop by a marine park for some snorkeling. For our Culion tour, although quite expensive at Php11,600 for 5 pax (inclusive of boat, guides, lifevest, lunch, snorkel and mask, and other expenses at Culion Island such as tricycle rides, water, snacks), we opted to go on a private tour with the only tour operator based in Culion.

Where did we book our private Culion Tour?
Kawil Tours
book@kawiltours.com
facebook page

Would I recommend this tour operator? Yes. A big resounding yes. Especially if you are interested in the history of Culion, once a leper colony. Kawil Tours is based in Culion with owners/guides who grew up in Culion, and could therefore share accurate stories of the island. On top of that, the owners/guides are very accommodating and will really look after their guests. And although they are based in Culion, a 1.5-hour boatride from Coron, they came to pick us up at Coron Town on time.



Coron 2017
Coron Accommodation: Centro Coron
Starry Starry Night at Kingfisher Park
Coron Ultimate Tour with Calamianes Expeditions and Ecotours (DON'T!)
Coron Island Escapade Tour
Isla Culion Historic Tour and Snorkeling with Kawil Tours (you're here!)
Coron Accommodation: Zuric Pension Coron

Coron Island Escapade Tour

Though it's my third time in Coron,  I have never done the Coron Island Escapade Tour. The first time I was in Coron, in 2009, the day we decided to do to Coron Island Escapade Tour, the weather wasn't cooperating and no boats were allowed to sail. My second visit, in 2012, was too short and we could only do the Coron Ultimate Tour. For this trip, I demanded we reserve one day for this! Yes, demanded! I could not miss it the third time!!!

The long boat ride (1.5 hours) to these islands was worth it. The first stop was Malcapuya Island. We docked our boat on the back side of the island and made the short walk to the opposite side where the long stretch of white sand of Malcapuya and different shades of blue of the sea and sky made me want to stop time.

What's there to do in Malcapuya Island? The guide said there is a snorkeling area but I did not dare go as it looked too far and the waves a bit strong. My friends and I just settled under the shade of coconut trees (some took a nap in a hut), and after a bit heeded the call of the sea for a swim, while waiting for the guides to prepare lunch.

Malcapuya Island

The next stop, just a 10-minute boat ride from Malcapuya Island, was Banana Island, named so not because there were lots of banana trees (there were none) but because of the shape of the island. People were scattered under coconut trees and huts, some on hammocks, some cooling off in the sea, others busy floating face down looking at fish in the snorkeling area. (Tip: If you plan to go snorkeling in Banana Island, bring aqua shoes. The rocks along the shore of the snorkeling area are torture to bare feet.)

Banana Island

Another 10-minute boatride and we were in Bulog Dos, the third and last stop for the Coron Island Escapade Tour. My friends and I settled in the shallow water by the sandbar and just soaked without a care in the world for the duration of the stay.

Bulog Dos

Private tour or Join In tour? We knew the islands to be visited in the Coron Island Escapade Tour would be a ways away (1.5 hours by boat) and would be an expensive private tour, thus we decided to sign up for a join-in tour for Php1200 per person inclusive of boat, guides, lifejackets, lunch, and entrance fees. (Separate fee of Php 150 for snorkel and mask.)

Where did we book our join-in Coron Island Escapade Tour?

JY Travel and Tours
19 Real Street, Coron, Palawan
yong_cj@yahoo.com

Would I recommend this tour operator? Yes. The guides are enthusiastic and the tour leaves on time.

Any downside with a join-in tour? The itinerary is fixed and you cannot dictate how long you want to stay on each island. You'll just have to make the most of the time allotted by the guide for each island. But, private or join-in tour, the time to head back to the town of Coron is strictly followed as the Coast Guard is very strict.



Coron 2017
Coron Accommodation: Centro Coron
Starry Starry Night at Kingfisher Park
Coron Ultimate Tour with Calamianes Expeditions and Ecotours (DON'T!)
Coron Island Escapade Tour (you're here!)
Isla Culion Historic Tour and Snorkeling with Kawil Tours
Coron Accommodation: Zuric Pension Coron

Coron Ultimate Tour with Calamianes Expeditions and Ecotours (DON'T!)

Coron Ultimate Tour. The first time was in 2009, followed by 2012, and the third time when direct flights to Busuanga from Cebu have been brought back – 2017 (now). Why do this tour over and over and over again? Because it's beautiful.

The Coron Ultimate Tour visits Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon, Siete Pecados Marine Park, and one or two other spots (usually a beach for lunchtime) depending on the tour operator you have booked your tour with.

 Kayangan Lake

Kalachuchi Beach

 Kalachuchi Coral Eden

 Twin Lagoon

 Twin Lagoon: On the other side

 Siete Pecados Marine Park

What has changed over the years? The number of tourists!! It has definitely increased and I have noticed a good number of foreign tourists in this part of Palawan. (In Coron town, many hostels/guesthouses/pension houses and restaurants have also popped up.)

The path to Kayangan Lake is now made of concrete steps (it used to be just steps fashioned from rocks and soil). The viewdeck is still there but with a long tail of people queueing to have their photo taken. In Kayangan Lake itself, the boardwalk is longer, the lake still clear, but dotted with so many people forced to wear lifejackets (mandatory after two Czech tourists drowned while free diving in Kayangan Lake in March 2017) within the area allowed for swimming (no swimming beyond the roped area!).

The Twin Lagoon is still a fun place to swim as the area is wide. On one end is the sea where your boat can pick you up if you're too tired to go back to where you entered AND if you're willing to pay another fee! (Apparently you're only allowed to enter and exit where you had paid the entrance fee; in our case it was at the section where we either had to climb the steep wooden stairs or swim through the small opening to get to the other lagoon.)

Other than that, the water is still crystal clear and the spots still breathtaking (literally from all that swimming, and figuratively from its awesome beauty).

Private Tour or Join In Tour? Since we were just five in the group, a private tour (Php 2100 per person) would be more expensive than a join-in tour (Php 1500 per person). But still we opted for a private tour because we planned to leave early and go to Kayangan Lake first to avoid the crowds.

Where did we book our private Coron Ultimate Tour? Calamianes Expeditions and Ecotours.

Would I recommend this tour operator? No. N–O, NO! We booked the tour a day prior and made a 50% downpayment. They told us pick up time would be from 8AM to 830AM. We were already waiting by 8AM (we wanted to start early). After sending some text messages and making some calls, the van arrived at 830AM. Fine, it was still within the time frame they had set. The van took us to the port (a 5-minute walk from where we were staying!) where, when the van driver finally found the right boatman, the boatman asked us for the itinerary. We didn't have it. It's the tour operator's responsibility to inform and hand over the itinerary to the boatman, not us. We boarded the boat and were made to wait because the tour operator still had not delivered the food for lunch and the snorkeling gear. 10 minutes of waiting...20...30...more text messages sent and calls made. When one of our friends have had enough, she took over the call and talked to the owner of Calamianes Expeditions and Ecotours. My friend's anger fired up when the owner herself did not sound concerned and gave a lame reason that they had so many guests to attend to. (If they could not handle many guests they could have just declined the day we made the booking and we could have just booked through another tour operator–there are so many in Coron.) Many tour boats have already left and we were still at the port simmering. We left the port at around 930AM, after an hour of waiting.

Again, N–O, NO! Here's another tour group (two days after us) that had a terrible experience with Calamianes Expeditions and Ecotours (when I checked their facebook page again, they had already disabled and deleted all reviews).

Do go on the Coron Ultimate Tour, just NOT with Calamianes Expeditions and Ecotours. N–O, NO!



Coron 2017
Coron Accommodation: Centro Coron
Starry Starry Night at Kingfisher Park
Coron Ultimate Tour with Calamianes Expeditions and Ecotours (DON'T!) (you're here!)
Coron Island Escapade Tour
Isla Culion Historic Tour and Snorkeling with Kawil Tours
Coron Accommodation: Zuric Pension Coron

Starry Starry Night at Kingfisher Park

A 45-minute tricycle ride (Php 800 for 5 pax, roundtrip, arranged through Kingfisher Park) from Coron Town and we found ourselves at the gate of Kingfisher Park, where Ale (short for Alejandro), the park ranger, welcomed us.

The small hut at the gate was lit by a single lightbulb and all the rest of the park was lit by moonlight. Even in the dark, we immediately knew we'd like this place. Or maybe it's our age and wanting to get away from crowds (we were the only guests at Kingfisher Park that night).

Blurry, blurry, starry, starry night. (Sorry, I had no tripod!)

Before starting the Starry Starry Night Tour (Php 300 per pax), the name of their one-hour firefly watching kayak tour, Ale took us to the boardwalk where we happily conversed in Visayan, telling us about himself and about the park, looking at constellations and trying out his newly installed constellation app. It was a good 15 minutes of free flowing conversation in our native tongues and staring at the moonlit surroundings before we had to go back to the shore to don lifevests, meet our guides, and start the tour.

Since none of us were experienced kayakers, we requested to have a guide per kayak. We were on three tandem kayaks and one three-seater kayak. And off we went gliding on the water with our guides doing all the paddling. Oh, what lazy bums we were! (If you'd like to paddle on your own, that is most welcome!)

Into the night we go

The guides shared bits and pieces about fireflies, taking us to trees where there were twinkling little fireflies. When my guide found out we were all Bisaya and when we all found out our guides (except for one) were Bisaya, that's when the serenity of the park was shattered. It was a big relief to speak in our own dialect! That's how the guides must have felt too for from then on they were on a roll with their jokes.

Don't know how to take photos of fireflies but, honest, there are fireflies in those trees!

Yes, we saw fireflies. And planktons too! It was an enjoyable night and we wish to go back to Kingfisher Park to try their daylight activities (hiking on Lunes Santo, kayaking through the mangroves, bird watching, and trekking to Kaluluwang Falls), camp, and enjoy the nature, peace and quiet, and blanket of stars that surround it.

Kingfisher Park
Kingfisher Park Road, Malbato, Coron, Palawan
Alejandro (Ale) 0921 716 2391 / 0916 489 8040
facebook page

To book (advance booking is required) any of the activities in Kingfisher Park, contact them at the numbers posted above. Transportation to and from the park can also be arranged through them.



Coron 2017
Coron Accommodation: Centro Coron
Starry Starry Night at Kingfisher Park (you're here!)
Coron Ultimate Tour with Calamianes Expeditions and Ecotours (DON'T!)
Coron Island Escapade Tour
Isla Culion Historic Tour and Snorkeling with Kawil Tours
Coron Accommodation: Zuric Pension Coron

Coron Accommodation: Centro Coron

Six years, red paint, some Chinese characters, and Centro Coron doesn't look anything like the photo I saw in their facebook page. Nevertheless, I was glad to find that it was indeed in the center of the town of Coron, just walking distance to Mt Tapyas, the market, and the port.

Centro Coron

We booked their room for 5 persons for Php 3000 a night, with free breakfast and airport transfers. (Full payment through BPI deposit is required to confirm the booking.) They let us check in when we arrived a little after 10AM and the room was already prepared and cool (AC was already on).

Centro Coron's rooms are simple and clean. Towels, toilet paper, and hangers were readily available. The room for 5 persons did not feel cramped. The room also had an electric fan (though we never used it because the airconditioning unit did its job well) and flat screen TV. Centro Coron also has WiFi.

 Room for 5 pax

Breakfast is served from 6AM to 10AM, but we found that it is best to place your orders early as it takes their undermanned restaurant (I only saw 2 waitstaff and 1 cook) quite a long time to prepare the food. For the free breakfast you can choose from any of the below-Php100-priced breakfast items (only the pancakes come with free coffee). I recommend their daingsilog.

Breakfast menu. Click to enlarge.

I'd like to commend Angelica, Centro Coron's receptionist, for being very helpful when we needed to go to the airport earlier than scheduled. When most vans had already left and we couldn't wait for our schedule, she found us a ride. Thank you very much Angelica!

Centro Coron Bed and Breakfast
RV Rogers Building, Brgy 4, Poblacion, Coron, Palawan
Khimmar dela Torre 0927 745 4625
kimdelatorre@yahoo.com



Coron 2017
Coron Accommodation: Centro Coron (you're here!)
Starry Starry Night at Kingfisher Park
Coron Ultimate Tour with Calamianes Expeditions and Ecotours (DON'T!)
Coron Island Escapade Tour
Isla Culion Historic Tour and Snorkeling with Kawil Tours
Coron Accommodation: Zuric Pension Coron

Seven Questions and Two Brains for Coron

Brennan of Baktin Corporation has been trying to get me to cooperate in something blog related. He suggested an interview. No way! How about be part of his 7–Questions blog entry? Uhh… I gave many excuses to not be part of any blog entry where I have to answer his (or anyone’s) questions—I am allergic to interviews, including job interviews; it makes my mustache droop.

A month later I receive an email from Brennan with seven questions about Coron (in Northern Palawan). And a deadline. The deadline became an imaginary gun poking my brain. With mustache drooping, I type my answers as fast as I possibly could and here's the outcome...

Why go to Coron?
[Brennan] My quick answer to this is that you can embark on a variety of adventures at Coron: beach bumming, island hopping, shipwreck diving, among many others. But despite the many activities that the island has to offer, it still exudes a charming and laidback feel. It doesn’t pretend to be the next Boracay. And I do hope that it stays that way as well. 
[Mustachio] My quicker answer to this is: Why not? :D

How do you get there, and how do you get around the town?
[Mustachio] Grow wings or gills! Impossible? Then grab a ride on something with wings, like a plane. Cebu Pacific and PAL Express fly to Busuanga (Coron) from Manila and Cebu. Or if you’re coming from El Nido and don’t mind floating around for eight hours, take the boat! There are daily boat trips to and from El Nido for Php1500 per person. In Coron, you can get around in three ways: walk (if you have a lot of time on your legs), hire a tricycle, or hire a van. 
[Brennan] Coron town is small, so everything is just within ‘walking distance.’ ;)

What can you do there?

[Brennan]  Don’t leave Coron if you haven’t experienced the Coron island loop tour, climbed Mt. Tapyas to catch the sunset, and dropped by Nanay Lita Escarda’s backyard cashew factory. You can book your adventures through your hotel/inn or the many tour providers by the town center. The fees, including the bangka (outrigger boat) and trike rental, are fixed so you would not feel ripped off in any way. For backpackers, you can also form/join a tour group through Owen Ferrer’s DIY site. It has all the information (tour packages and travel advisories) that you would need in finalizing your itinerary. 
[Mustachio] I am sure you will get sore muscles from Brennan’s suggestions (too much swimming during the island loop tour plus climbing the 700+ steps of Mt. Tapyas). Loosen up those muscles with a good soak in Maquinit Hot Spring and you'll be up and running the next day for more adventures: get a tan in the surrounding islands (Malcapuya, Banana, Calumbuyan), check out the former leper colony in Culion Island, or see zebras and giraffes in Calauit Island.

The view from Mt. Tapyas

Where can you spend the night?
[Mustachio] Depending on the ability of your wallet to spew money, there are many options from high end ones to really cheap ones. I stayed in Patrik and Tezz Guesthouse, a simple place that serves my purpose, a place to sleep in. The guesthouse has only four rooms (Php500-600/room/2 pax) and all four share two bathrooms. Tours can also be arranged through the guesthouse.
[Brennan] I highly recommend Mommita's Lodge, a residence-turned-backpacking-friendly-lodge owned by the very motherly Mrs. Esther Reyes. It is located right along the national road and is just a few meters away from the wharf and Mt. Tapyas.

What food stops should you not miss? 

[Brennan] I’ll name three: 

♦ Try the pitik (slipper lobsters) that are offered in various restaurants in town. It is cheaper compared to the usual lobsters but you can save some more if you can request your hotel/inn to cook some for you. 
♦ Danggit lamayo, for me is the ultimate Pinoy breakfast. It is the product of the curious marriage between marinating and then drying danggit (rabbitfish). You can have one at Foodtrip, an open-air eatery near the public market. 
♦ Savor on Filipino dishes at Kawayanan Grill Station, whose interiors are largely made out of bamboo. The incessant playing of an album from Tribu Calamianen, a local band, completes its semi-exotic vibe.

[Mustachio] May I suggest a shopping stop? Don’t forget to visit the market and buy some danggit lamayo to send to me when you get back. Thank you.

What would you do differently, next time?

[Mustachio] Definitely stay longer.

[Brennan] Me too!!! I’ll also find a way to get to Cabugao Lake, the largest lake in Coron, without disrespecting the Calamian Tagbanuas who consider it as a sacred domain.  I would also like to stay with a Tagbanua family even for just a few days. I drool every time I read Jacob Maentz's stunning narrative of his encounter with them.

Rate your Coron experience.
[Brennan]  It’s 8/10 for me and that says a lot already considering that I am actually not a 'water person.' ;)

[Mustachio] 5/10 only because I haven’t seen the other half of it.

Just so you know, the town of Coron is in the island of Busuanga and not in Coron Island. Both islands are part of the Calamianes Group of Islands of Northern Palawan, which also include Calauit, Culion, Malcapuya, Banana, Calumbuyan, and some other smaller islands.

Brennan has consistently (and regretfully, or so he claims) declined my travel invitations. Maybe I did not invite him nicely. Next time I shall invite him oh so nicely with a gun poking his side. Or maybe not. Because if he gives in, it could result in another 7–Questions blog entry. And the cycle will never end.

Day 2: Coron Island

Day two. We woke up to a nice sunny day and got ready to spend our day cruising around on a boat. 

The view from the guesthouse (left) and mode of transportation for the day (right)

What's up for today? Snorkeling at Siete Pecados Marine Park, and stopping at three different areas of Coron Island: Kayangan Lake, 91 Beach, and Twin Lagoon.

 Map from wikimapia

Siete Pecados Marine Park

Entrance fee: Php 100

Activity: Snorkeling

What's the story behind the marine park's name? Story goes that seven sisters swam from the mainland and drowned in the area. The seven islets sprouted and are said to be the seven sisters.

Were there really seven islets? Can't say. I didn't bother counting. I was too busy putting on my snorkel and mask, too excited to jump in the water.
 

PS. Try this while you're at Siete Pecados: Float. Stare at the fish. Don't move a muscle. Tell me if you get jolted by a bite on your leg.

Kayangan Lake

Entrance fee: Php 200

Activities: Hiking and swimming

Boat stops here. Must pay the fee then hike to the lake.

The lake is higher up the mountain and this is where the hiking activity comes in. Not to worry, it's just a short hike. The hike will be worth it.

Hup, two, three, four!

The most photographed view in Coron

 

The path to the lake

Kayangan Lake is said to be the cleanest lake in the Philippines. It is part of the ancestral domain of the Tagbanua tribe of Coron. The Tagbanua consider their lakes sacred. Of the many (some say seven, some say nine, some say thirteen) lakes that are part of their ancestral domain, only Kayangan and Barracuda Lakes are open to the public.

Satisfied with swimming in the lake, we go back to our boat and find that our boatmen have started grilling our lunch—on the boat. The boat has its own grill!

While we sail to our next stop: grilling on the go

Random photo on the way to our next stop

91 Beach
Entrance fee: none
Activities: Lunch, swimming, spotting monitor lizards

At 91 Beach, we had lunch, took photos, slept, lazed around. What else was there to do at the beach? Oh, we stared at monitor lizards, too.

Our own little beach

Lunch is ready

Twin Lagoon

Entrance fee: Php 100

Activity: Swimming

The Twin Lagoon was our last stop. To get to the other half of the twin, we had to swim through a hole in the limestone (it was low tide; the hole was visible). When the tide is high, you can get to the other side by climbing the wooden stairs.

The lagoon on the other side is called Linunggangan (according to the small sign I saw on the far end of the lagoon). If you have your mask or goggles on while swimming through the hole, you'd think it all got fogged up or your eyes were failing—wrong! It's just the brackish water playing tricks on you.

Careful now, the fish here bite. While a fish bit my leg, my camera bit the dust. (Or should I say, bit the salty water?) Our last stop was also my camera's last stop. Rest in rusty piece, camera.

Spot the entrance (hole and wooden stairs)

In the twin lagoon: my camera's last breath

The Calamian Group of Islands is composed of the islands of Busuanga, Coron, Calauit, Culion, and several small islands. The time we spent there—a day and a half (day one was basically just half a day)—was definitely too short. I want to see the smaller islands and its beaches. Next time I visit, I will spend more days. More days, more islands, more expenses—almost all of the spots in the islands of Calamian have an entrance fee. For now, I will start saving and wait for the next promo fare.

Coron Town and Coron Island:
Day 1: Coron Town
Day 2: Coron Island (you're here!)

Day 1: Coron Town

Once upon a time—oh, it's not that bad; just six months ago really—Mustachio was invited to go on a trip to an island called Busuanga. He would complete the ten-person troop for this 3D/2N trip. Mustachio isn't really into traveling in packs, but being an easy boy (only when he has the resources called money), he agreed to join the pack.

 

October 2012. The pack flew over the hills of Busuanga and arrived at the tiny airport of the island. We were still 28km from the town of Coron. (Twenty-eight kilometers is a long way, so arrange your airport pickup through your hotel ahead of time or take the van, for Php 150 per person, from the airport to Coron town.)

The town of Coron is in Busuanga Island, not in Coron Island.

Photo from Google maps.

  

This was an easy breezy trip, everything had been arranged by the leader of the pack. We were to stay at Patrik & Tezz Guesthouse in the town of Coron and the tours would be arranged by the guesthouse. For Php2000 per person, it would include airport transfers, two nights accommodation with breakfast, and tours (including entrance fees and lunch during the boat tour). Good deal, I say.

Patrik & Tezz Guesthouse sits over the water. The guesthouse has four fan rooms: two rooms that can sleep four (each room has a double bed and a bunk bed), and two rooms that can sleep two. All four rooms share two bathrooms. The guesthouse has a generator in case of brownouts.

The guesthouse has two resident pets: Muche (the dog) and Daddy Cat (the very fluffy, duh, cat). Both are friendly to each other and to the guests.

The town is just a short walk from the guesthouse. There you will find restaurants (a bit pricey for a small town) and carenderias (also pricey for a carenderia). On our first day, we had lunch at Trining Bacsa's carenderia (it says "Restaurant" on the signboard) and spent more than a hundred each for lunch. Too expensive for a carenderia, don't you think?

Coron Town

Trining Bacsa Carenderia/Restaurant

We thought so. Thinking ahead (read: dinner), we decided to just buy from the market and have it cooked at the guesthouse.

With the dinner menu settled, we rested a bit and waited for the sun to turn down its heat. Climbing all 700+ steps to the top of Mt Tapyas at two in the afternoon will turn our armpits into faucets. And taking a dip in the hot spring while the sun is high up? Do you want to boil? No, we don't.

At 430PM, the van came by the guesthouse to take us to Mt Tapyas. At the bottom of the steps that would lead to the top of the mountain, we were greeted by kids selling cold drinks. We said, "No thank you. Not thirsty yet." One persistent guy—let's call him Sanbuko because of his gelled up SonGoku-ish hairstyle—followed us all the way to the top of the mountain. Wise kid, he knew we'd all be thirsty by then, and by then his drinks would cost 10 pesos more. He made money from half the group. Good job, Sanbuko!

600 steps more (left) and Sanbuko (right)

Taking a breather

Almost there

So what's the point of going up Mt Tapyas? To get some exercise, to see the town from 500 feet above sea level, and to give Maquinit Hot Spring something to work on afterwards: tired muscles.

180-degree view

We walked the same 700+ steps down, then we piled into the van and went to Maquinit Hot Spring, some five kilometers from town. Because the entrance fees for all the places we would be visiting were already included in the package, we breezed right through the gate (after our driver/guide paid for the group, of course). The entrance fee is Php150.

At Maquinit, there are cottages for a picnic or to deposit your things in while you dip in the hot spring's salty water. The place also has toilets and changing rooms.

Cottages at Maquinit

Loosen your muscles by dipping in the hot spring

The word maquinit means hot. Does Maquinit Hot Spring mean it's a very hot spring? The water's temperature is from 38 to 40°C. There are three pools and one of the pools is said to be the hottest. Confirmed. I tested it. Because it was night, we couldn't really see what's under the water, but we could feel rocks, pebbles, and moss under our feet. Was it worth the dip? Yes. Or maybe I just like hot springs.

Coron Town and Coron Island:
Day 1: Coron Town (you're here!)
Day 2: Coron Island