Philippines Travel Portal

The beautiful island of Coron, Palawan boasts if it’s very rich natural resources. There are lots of small islands accesible from this island’s port. That is why one thing you should never miss is island hopping in Coron.

You can reach Coron by flying from Manila to Busuanga, Palawan, a trip that would roughly be 45 minutes in length. Busuanga Domestic Airport is small so only smaller planes land here. You can choose among Pal Express, Cebu Pacific and Zest Air to get here. Once in Busunga, you would have to travel for at least an hour of rugged dirt road via SUV’s or vans that are waiting just infront of the aiport. This usually costs 150 pesos per passenger. You can of course arrange with your resort (no hotels in these place yet), to have someone pick you up at the airport although most drivers know usual places where people stay at.

Island hopping in Coron is offered by a lot of resorts. If you’re lucky enough to find other people to go with, you can all split the cost of private motorized bancas. The fee for the boat, packed lunch and boatman and a crew falls from 700 to 3500 per person depending on how many people there are (not more than 8 usually). The whole trip usually lasts 8 hours, that’s 8 hours of living in the sea, pure heaven.

The trip starts of at Siete Pecados, a marine sanctuary with abundant species of fishes. You could see a lot of different colored fishes in their natural habitat. This is quite shallow, about 7 feet so be careful with the sea urchins. Don’t forget your snorkles as there are a whole lot of beauty underwater.

Next stop is Kayangan Lake, a hidden treasure that you won’t see that easy. When you docked at the island where Kayangan Lake is, you still have to hike a step path. Be sure to bring your water, you’d need it during the climb. Well, beauty comes to those who wait, as after the 10 to 15 minutes trekk, a natural unspolied beauty that is all yours (or your group’s) is what you’ll be seeing. A vast lake surrounded by mountains, so green and so breathtaking. The lake is pretty deep. You have just a few smooth plane rocks on the side to stand on to before you dive in deep cold water.

If you are not tired enough from the climb and the swimming at Kayangan Lake, then take the plunge as a similarly beautiful Barracuda Lake. You have to climb a mount of rocks to get to this place. A very dangerous, steep, spikey path that is pretty short compared to the previous location. Be very careful when going here and make sure your footware is not slippery.

Next, you can get some well deserved rest and of course lunch. By this time, I am sure you’d need it. Banol Beach, a white sandy beach with a few huts is your next stop. This is like your very own private beach resort since not a lot of people are here. The water is great and the wild treat of nature would surely surprise you. Watch out for the wild lizards and animals around.

Skeleton Wreck is where you’d go next. A snorling site where you can feed fishes. They would literaly jump above the water to get some piece of your bread. Don’t worry; they are not harmful at all. You’d also get a peak of a Japanese warship, capsized in this area during the WWII.

And lastly, the Twin Lagoon. This is where fresh water meets the salt water from the sea. You would get off your boat a few meters away from a small opening. You have to swim through that (there is a space to breathe, I assure you so no special diving skills required) to enter the beautiful lagoon. The water here is warm below and cold on the surface.

With all these beauty I discovered in Palawan, I am sure you would enjoy it. So never miss out on an island hopping in Coron.