Date Budget: PhP 3400Actual Spend: PhP 3400
Quality: 2/5
Service: 1/5
Accessibility: 3/5
Fun Factor: 4/5
Overall Experience: 3/5
Highlights
- Huge rock formations
- Crystal-clear Kayangan Lake
- Fresh seafood for lunch
- Great snorkeling sites
- Relaxing swim at Twin Lagoons
The Experience
Prior to our trip, we booked an island hopping tour and Calauit Safari package with RNOne21 Travel Agency at Ortigas in coordination with Micasa Coron. We ended up re-booking the Calauit tour with another (much more reliable) operator Corong Galeri. Our island hopping tour though did push through.
The boat ride was not really the most comfortable as we faced the scourging heat of the sun. We were seated atop the boat's deck/engine cover while the tourists we seated comfortably in the shade. It was a bit disappointing but the great view of the Silvana-like rocky hills made up for it.
Our first destination was Coron Island. Coron Island is different from Coron Town (which is located in Busuanga Island). Coron Island is around 20 minutes away from town by boat and is partially inhabited by the native Tagbanuas.
The first part of the tour was a hike to a high point of the island where you can see the famous view of the Coron rock formations. The hike was tiring but the postcard-worthy view was worth it!
Near the view deck was a small cave which also draws some tourist attention.
After experiencing the great view of Coron rocks, we went down to the other side to get to Kayangan Lake.
Kayangan is a fresh water crystal-clear lake within Coron Island. It's a great place for a cool relaxing swim. The water is so clear that you can see the rocks at the bottom of the lake
We then went to another island (forgot the name) to have lunch in a kubo attached to one of the big rocks.
Lunch was simple but good. We were expecting more but the fresh grilled fish (matangbaka) and seaweeds (lato/sea grapes) matched the relaxing sea breeze.
We had some grilled pork on the table but it vanished in seconds after one of our companions hoarded most of it.
After lunch, we waded through clear waters at the beach going to our boat.
We went to a few more islands (Twin Peeks, etc.) to snorkel. The waves were getting hard and the sun was shining high so we decided to stay in the boat.
We also went to the famous Twin Lagoons though we failed to take some snaps as we were not willing to risk getting our camera wet. The two lagoons are connected by a hole that goes underwater on high tide. It was a relaxing swim. Now I think it's really high time to invest on a waterproof cam!
Supposedly, Maquinit Hot Spring is part of the tour we paid for. However, the local operator (Micasa Coron) advised us that is not included in their standard tour so we went there on our own. The day was full of disappointments but we still managed to somehow enjoy the experience and of course each other's company.
We do not intend to say bad things of tour operators or any other business but we as bloggers have the responsibility to keep future travelers informed. We would like to think that RNOne21 and Micasa learned their lesson from this as much as we did. They were actually kind enough to give us a reasonable partial refund.
However, we would strongly recommend transacting with another more established tour operator. The best we know is Corong Galeri, just a few steps away from Villa Hermosa which operates a similar (more accurately described) island tour for less than half the price (PhP650/person). Aside from better rates, they also provide great service and good food as we had during our Calauit Safari.
Spend Breakdown
| Coron Island Hopping (1.7k/pax) | 3400 |
| Actual Spend | 3400 |
How to get there
- Ride a boat from the boat terminal at Coron Town (near Sea Dive Hotel). If you have a big group and would like to go DIY, you may rent your own boat and choose the islands you want to visit. See above image for the rates.
Landmarks: Coron Island, Busuanga Island, rock formations
Address:
Coron Island, Calamian
Palawan, Philippines
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