October 11, 2009

Coron, Palawan 4 days Vacation

Got to travel to Coron, Palawan! This was a memorable trip for me and my friends. The week we went to Coron is the week that typhoon Ondoy struck. We were stranded for an extra day and with little cash left. But we were still lucky that the rain was scattered and most of the day it was sunny. We arrived at Busuanga Coron from Manila Terminal 3 Airport in just less than 45 minutes via Cebu Pacific. When we got off the plane it was bright and sunny. We were walking to the terminal when it suddenly rained!  


Cebu Pacific Air Arriving at Busuanga, Palawan
While walking to Francisco Reyes Airport, it suddenly rained
Stuck at Francisco Reyes Airport for few minutes while waiting for the rain to stop. 
Arrived at Coron Village Lodge with Our Rented Van
After it stop raining we rented a van to Coron Village Lodge, where we stayed for the trip. We spent most of our days island hopping and snorkeling. But because of typhoon Ondoy, we didn't see all of the islands we were supposed to go to. The sea water wasn't that clear to see fishes due to the weather.  
Boat Usually Used for Island Hopping or Transportation
Coron offers some unique island qualities like Twin Lagoon which has hot and cold water at the same time. We visited Barracuda Lake which has an amazing deep water view that makes you feel like you're flying on air. We dropped by Kayangan Lake, which is said to be the cleanest and freshest lake in the Philippines. Lastly we went to Malcapuya beach. White sand and very clean. we were the only people there at that time and it felt great having the whole island for ourselves. We played Patintero and frisbee. More on our Island Hopping
We encountered heavy rainfalls while snorkeling at sea
We also had a chance to try a saltwater hot-spring. This hot spring is one of the world’s only three saltwater hot springs.
Coron Palawan Saltwater Hot Spring
We also visited a neighboring town called Culion Island, which for me was boring. There was nothing to do there and going there took a long time. 
Culion General Hospital Emblem on Culion Island
The next day we were ready to go home. Upon arriving at the airport, we were informed that our flight was cancelled due to bad weather. We even saw a PAL airplane wobbling when landing. Was a scary thing to see. We were asked to come back tomorrow and reschedule. 
PAL Airplane that looked like it almost crash landed at Francisco Reyes Airport
With little money left we looked for a cheaper place to stay. We found Princess of Coron Austrian Resort and Lodging House which we were able to haggle the price as we explained that it was an emergency. While both Coron Village and Princess of Coron are affordable and very clean, I liked Princess of Coron better. 
Princess of Coron Austrian Resort and Lodging House
With an extra day to spend, we walked to Mount Tapyas. It's a tiring walk and involved a lot of steps. Once on top you would see an amazing view of the town and surrounding islands. Mount Tapyas has a iconic steel cross on top of it. 
Notice how high Mount Tapyas is
At the peak or summit you would see a steel cross
Stairs we climb to reach the summit of Mount Tapyas
Nice View of Coron and Surrounding Islands
The next day we finally got a chance passenger flight to Manila. It was still raining when we got to the airport. We were worried that our flight would be cancelled again, but thankfully it didn't. 
Cebu Pacific Air Flight Back to Manila From Busuanga

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