Kayangan Lake
Our tour guide had a brand new puppy that joined us for the day! Meet sweet little Tom!
Twin Lagoon. Cannot wait to edit the drone footage we got of this place!
The Philippines has been on our travel list since my little brother lived there for some time. The biggest question was which part of the country do we spend some time in? EVERYONE suggested we visit Palawan so the research began! The most popular of travel destinations in the Palawan region is El Nido. It’s become a bit of a tourist destination in the last couple of years so we opted to see Coron instead. The two destinations are SO SIMILAR that is was a difficult choice, but in the end Coron was magical!
Where to stay:
We stayed at the Coron Westown Resort but there are a ton of options out there! If it’s in your budget, The Funny Lion or the Two Seasons Resort both have excellent reviews! The benefit of staying at a hotel is they will organize airport transportation as well as daily tours. Our hotel offered tours at the same or even cheaper rate than we found in town.
If a resort is not in your budget, there is a plethora of hostels and guest houses great for backpackers!
Where to eat:
This is the one thing I’d say Coron is really lacking. Because it’s not as popular as El Nido the resturant scene is a little small. But never fear we did find a few gems! Generally the hotels have decent food but sadly our resort did not! So we branched out a bit. ALWAYS REMEMBER to drink only bottled water and stay away from street food. I know it’s tempting but it’s not worth spending your vacation bent over a toilet! Most restaurants will wash fruits and veggies with filtered water but if you are concerned just ask 🙂
Buzz Cafe: Once we found this place we ate there twice! Lots of healthier western menu items and a great breakfast spot.
Altrove Coron: Delicious authentic Italian pizza.
Brujita Bar and Restaurant: We didn’t get a chance to eat here but the reviews are awesome! Tasty Asian dishes!
What to Do/See:
Island Hopping
This is the whole reason why you go to Coron! Take a day trip with a local tour company to the remote surrounding Islands. IT IS SIMPLY STUNNING and not to be missed! The tour is about $35 per person and you can rent snorkel gear for dirt cheap if you need it! Our hotel organized the tour for us and there are shops all over town offering the same tours. Don’t forget to bring sunscreen and your camera because it is a full day in the sun hopping from one gorgeous island to the next.
Kayangan Lake
You can book a day tour to see Kayangan Lake. The lake is secluded (although can get quite busy with tourists) and is dubbed the cleanest lake in Asia. The water is crystal clear and you are surrounded by limestone cliffs.
That same day tour will include some other must-see spots:
Siete Pecados Marine Park
Beach 91 (this is where we had lunch on the tour)
Skeleton Wreck: Old Japanese ship wreck snorkeling area
Malwawey Coral Garden: Snorkeling
Twin Lagoon
I would recommend booking the Coron tour to see all the locations listed above. You have the option of hiring a boat to do so, but the price is much higher for a private tour.
Maquinit Hot Springs
Hire a trike to take you to the Maquinit Hot Springs. Natural hot springs that have been super well preserved and updated to be visitor friendly. There is another day tour that includes the springs but we decided to visit them on our own time. I’m so glad we did because there was hardly anyone there! Perfect activity after a morning at the spa.
Final Tips
The Philippines is known to get hit often with tropical storms. Even during the dry season. Be prepared for unexpected weather and go with the flow.
Bring cash! The hotels will accept credit card but the local businesses won’t. Exchange some money at a major airport before landing in Coron.
Pack bug spray, sun screen, and water shoes.
Be flexible! It’s the island lifestyle after all!
xoxo
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