Lovin' Coron
DAY 1After an endless search for an affordable but nice place to stay in Coron, we ended up not having any reservation when we got there. Here we go again..doing it backpacking style..but what the heck, this is a part of the adventure anyway.
By the time we arrived the airport, Kuya Richard of Mt. Tapyas Hotel offered us a ride to the town. We asked him to drop us off at Coron Village Lodge or Darayonan, two of the inns that we researched from the net. Good thing these two resorts are next to each other and offer rooms at a reasonable price. We chose to stay at Coron Village Lodge for price of Php 750/room/night with AC and cable TV.
Since we’re still not sure whether we’ll hike Mt. Tapyas or go swimming at the Maquinit Hotspring, we decided to just start our activities the next day and just plan things over dinner at one of the recommended restaurants in Coron – the Kawayanan Grill. There’s really nothing to rave about the grilled food of this place. The Php6 bbq infront of Seadive is way tastier than Kawayanan’s Php 120 liempo. The Bicol Express is a surprise though. Instead of using meat, they used finely chopped squid which tasted good.
After eating early dinner, we went around town to look for Al Linsangan, the guy that Kuya Richard said was offering the cheapest island hopping packages. But we weren’t able to see him or his shop, and instead met Kuya Allan and his wife Ate Vangie. For a price of Php5k, he offered us a Coron Island Hopping Tour and a Malcapuya-Banana Island tour and we agreed.
The only thing we have to pray hard for is a GOOD WEATHER. A sunny one would be perfect. Pepeng go away!
DAY 2
It was raining hard last night and we really thought that the rain won’t stop for the whole day. But at around 8am, God blessed us with a bright and sunny weather woot woot! We bought packed lunch at Binalot and headed off to our Coron Island Hopping trip. I was so excited to see the crystal clear waters of Palawan’s beaches and lakes which I only get to see in postcards before.
Our itinerary for the day was:
1st stop – snorkeling fun at Skeleton Wreck
2nd stop – photo op at Atuaya beach
3rd stop – passing by Blue Lagoon
4th stop – lazing around the amazing Kayangan Lake
5th stop - passing by Siete Pecados
6th stop – relaxing afternoon at Maquinit Hotspring
It was a blissful and tiring day for us and we’re definitely looking forward to another exciting day in Coron. We had dinner at a nearby carienderia and bought cheap barbeque infront of Seadive and a melon Zagu.
White sand beaches for tomorrow at Banana Island and Malcapuya Island!
Day 3
October 4, 2009. For the second part of our island hopping adventure, we headed off to the island of Malcapuya, a secluded white sand beach about an hour and a half away from Coron pier. But before departure, Kuya Allan dropped us off at the market to eat breakfast and buy all the needed rekados for our lunch. With a budget of 400php, we were able to purchase half a kilo of liempo, a large tuna, a kilo of banana, softdrinks, ice, charcoal, and eating utensils.
There were no other people except us and the caretakers when we arrived in Malcapuya Beach at 9:30am. From the long stretch of white sand beach to the crystal blue water with shells and corals in abundance in the shallows, it’s a slice of paradise. We spent our time there sunbathing, swimming and walking around the scenic island.
Our final stop was Banana Island Resort, just a few minutes away from Malcapuya. This small island beach is called as such because it’s shaped like a banana. Entrance fee costs 200php.
We did nothing but relax and rest in the hammocks. Come lunch time, we had a sumptuous feast of grilled tuna and liempo, itlog na maalat, tomatoes and onions, ice cold softdrinks, and bananas for desert. Thanks to Kuya Allan who prepared everything!
