Coron is the largest town on Busuanga Island in the province of Palawan. Its dive sites, stunning white-sand beaches, towering limestone cliffs, well-preserved shipwrecks, and clean lakes are just some of its attractions that had been raving about by thrill-seeker adventurers. And what is so surprising, the indigenous tribe “Tagbanuas” is still on hand in managing and protecting the island.

My love for Palawan started when I saw a stunning picture of El Nido island when I was a third-year high school. Then I saw another,  Amanpulo then another, Coron. Indeed, Palawan is blessed with amazing islands and beaches.

Among the three, Coron is the most affordable to visit and promises a lot of adventure. And that what brought us to this beautiful island after our Bantayan Island escapade in 2009.

We booked a Manila-Busuanga round trip at Cebu Pacific for two persons (P6,905.00). Our kumpareng Froi and wife Marie joined us on this exciting tour. Since it isn’t summer yet, we were confident that we could get a lodge of our choice even without reservation (either Dayanora or Krystal Lodge).

We landed at Francisco B. Reyes Airport around 10:30 am, pleased to see plenty of green mountains. The airport was small but the runway was well-paved. As we headed at the back of the airport, a man approached us and offered his van going to Coron town for P150 per head. He didn’t wait for another passenger, so we had the trip exclusively for us. As we went along, all our eyes were wide awake, amused by the green scenery and those cows grazing on the grass (45 minutes travel time).

Kuya was so kind for letting us visit Krystal Lodge. From the main road, we walked in a small alley then into a wooden bridge above murky waters. Then we reached the main entrance where we saw wooden huts on stilts above the sea. The caretaker allowed us to see the last available hut. It has a bed downstairs and another on the loft, with an electric fan and a comfort room. There was no table or chair inside. The little porch outside offers a good relaxation. Feeling a bit of inconvenience, we thanked the caretaker and rushed off to see Dayanora’s Lodge, our second choice.

It was nearing twelve high noon and all of us were famished. Seeing our tired faces, Kuya mentioned Birang Guest House, its location, and good accommodation. We did not visit Dayanora’s Lodge anymore so off we went with him. In a few minutes we were in Barangay Tagumpay near the port. The guest house was a medium-built house with 6 rooms. Just like Krystal Lodge, it was also situated above the water, but the latter’s structure was made of concrete materials painted in color orange.

What awed me so much was the porch fronting the vast expanse of the stunning blue sea. It had one long dining table and a small wrought iron table and chairs, perfect for dining or just simply sitting around savoring the warm breeze from the sea. We met the owner, Ate Viring and told us that there was an available room in the attic but is good for two persons only. We all agreed to squeeze on it.

The attic has two air-conditioned rooms, with a common comfort room and a small reception area. The other room was occupied by two foreign ladies. Barely, our room had one double bed only with a small window fronting the sea. Ate Viring gave us an extra mattress for no extra charge. She was so accommodating that we instantly felt the homey atmosphere. We hurriedly dropped our bags in our room and proceeded to the balcony on the second floor to feast our eyes on the stunning sea view.

The blue water with the unobstructed view of the mountain was indeed a magnificent sight to behold. It was breathtaking. I was so overwhelmed and at the same time, I was thankful to our Lord for this wonderful vacation. I just can’t sustain the happiness in my heart as I was looking here, there and everywhere. What a good start for an exhilarating Coron adventure.

There were two rooms on the second floor; both were reserved for Indian nationals who will arrive in the afternoon. Two rooms on the ground floor were also occupied by foreigners, one is from France and the other is from Hungary. According to Ate Viring, they extended their stay because they fell in love with Palawan.

Ate Viring offered us a cooking service, basically with charge.  Either they will cook for us or we will cook in their kitchen. But we decided to start exploring Coron so we went outside the guest house to look for an eatery or restaurant for our lunch.

The mode of transportation in Coron is their 9-seater tricycle with a fare of P9/head. Froi was a big man so his right leg was extended outside the trike. Hahaha!

Our first lunch is in Pinili ko Restaurant in Coron town.  It was a Filipino restaurant with a wooden native structure. It has colorful native stuff inside. Surprisingly, the food was very affordable.

We took a stroll around the town after we were satiatied. It was stifling hot but we don’t mind mingling with the locals. We kept on walking until we saw a souvenir shop and initially we bought souvenir items like key chains and fish magnets. We ended up buying bread, mineral water, vodka ice and junk foods in a bakery for our afternoon snack.

For three days we will leave a while our hurried life in Manila for a wonderful escape to Paradise. I’m so excited for our initial adventure by 4:00 pm which is a trek to Mt. Tapyas and a dip at Maquinit Hot Spring.  We went back to the guest house to take some rest.

It’s adventure time!  Yehey!

 In Getting There:

From Manila, Coron is accessible by air through Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines with a travel time of around one hour.  From the airport, there are vans going to Coron town, approximately forty-five minutes with fare P150.