Raining in Coron
- Jong Caneja
- Aug 5, 2018
- 3 min read
Majestic. Otherworldly. Spectacular. Fitting words to describe the nature of Coron. My jaws dropped while getting near the rocky formations of the islands. My jaws dropped even more while touring the islands and swimming in the lakes this place has. You should visit this place.
How To Get There
Philippine Airlines, Skyjet and Cebu Pacific fly to and from Francisco Reyes airport (Busuanga). 2Go Travel (ship) dock in Coron proper too. For us, we booked last February 9 in Travel expo on Skyjet Airlines.
Where To Stay
We were a bit disappointed in the Hotel we stayed in. K-Heights Inn. has terrible rooms despite how glamorous you see it in pictures. We booked in travelbook.ph and payed almost PhP2,000 per night on half-lit room and corridors, leaky roof, slippery floors and occasional brownouts in the hotel. Their rooms look very old and cold. Even their wifi only covers the small reception area. The only good sides are their very accommodating staffs, a nice bed and it is a short walk to Mt. Tapyas. For the price we paid, we recommend staying in other hotels in the area like Coron Vista Lodge, One Averee Bay Hotel, or Coron Bancuang Mansion. Interestingly, average (for our taste) hotel price ranges around PhP1,500 per night in Coron.
What To Do
Marvel at how the rock formations meet the blue water. Be amazed in their lakes. I can say this is the production area of Gatorade! It is a must visit. We availed the Ultimate Tour which consists of Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon, Siete Pecados, Skeleton Wreck, Bali Beach, Coral Garden and CYC Beach. We availed JY Travel and Tours because they offer good price and is popular among travelers in Coron. Buffet lunch is included!
Mt. Tapyas. Seven hundred twenty-four steps. That was how I counted it. I almost fainted on this 210 meter above sea level view deck. Going down was even more challenging than going up.
Maquinit Hot Spring. This is new to me: Salt water hot spring. I almost did not bath here because I am a distant fan of 40+ degrees water. I soaked my feet for the first time in one minute and went up immediately. It was like I-can-make-a-coffee-with-this-water hot. But I got envious of the girlfriend so after a looong minutes, I decided to join her swimming in the hot spring. If your body can tolerate heat, this is for you. But some locals and foreign nationals aren't keen on swimming here.
Where to Eat
We would recommend three restaurants for you to try. Not because they served something so special but because these restaurants offer good and relaxing experience and will not poke a hole in your pocket. In other words: Bang for the buck.
Sinugba sa Balay. Easily the first among our recommendations. Good food, good ambiance and cheap prices! What more would you ask for?
Carl's BBQ. We like this restaurant because of its Rib Shack . I somewhat did not like here because the eating position we had in the hut was sitting. My belly suffered cramps! But the baby back ribs they served is delicious.
Lolo Nonoy's. This area is famous among the tourists so expect some waiting time. We felt so-so here because the food serving time was around 35 minutes. It was almost like riding the plane and going back to Manila! Plus they gave us the menu and said this and this and this are not available. I mean, what is available then?!
Where to buy Souvenirs
Of course, a Filipino trip will not be complete without buying each of whole barangay a souvenir. Head to Central to buy some gifts for the ones you left at home or office that covered your shift. A small token of gratitude for taking care of your house or ensuring the office still functions while you were on vacation.
How did it fare?
We spent approximately PhP19,000 for this 4D/3N trip and it was worth it.
PhP6600 - Round-trip Skyjet Airlines airfare (advanced booking)
PhP5000 - Hotel accommodation at K-Heights Inn for 4D/3N
PhP3500 - food for 4D/3N trip
PhP1500 - Souvenirs
Fares and entrances fees: (Rates are per person)
PhP 10 Average tricycle fare
PhP1400 Ultimate Tour (JY Travel and Tours)
PhP 200 Barracuda Lake entrance fee
PhP 200 Maquinit Hot Spring entrance fee
PhP 150 Round-trip average fare Town-Maquinit Hot Spring-Town
Tip:
July and August are particularly lean seasons for Coron because of Monsoon rains. We encountered light to heavy rains when we visited this place last July 15, 2018.
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