Walang Basagan ng Trip na Trip: Coron Adventure

 

During our stay in Coron, Palawan, we made a parody of the ABSCBN travel program "Trip na Trip." We call it "Walang Basagan ng Trip na Trip." I was the one holding the camera and shouting "Cut!!" rather loudly. Mark was the one who edited the whole video.

Click below for details about our Coron adventure:

Reminiscing Paradise: Our Way to Coron

Looking Around Town: Coron City Tour

Coron's Waterworld: Coron Island Hopping Tour

Beauty and Ruins: Coron Island Hopping Part 2

Beauty and Ruins: Coron Island Hopping Tour

 The sea hath no king but God alone.

~Dante Gabriel Rossetti, The White Ship

CALUMBUYAN ISLAND ECO TOUR (TOUR-C)

Destinations: Calumbuyan Island, Lusong Gunboat Shipwreck, Coral Gardens (Php990/person)

Additional Destination: Smith Beach (Php100/person)

Me and my roommates woke up early again in time for a long breakfast and a beautiful sunrise. We only had to wait for Capt. Benjie and Rommel at the Seadive port so we took the opportunity to leech on the free coffee. 

By the time our boat arrived, the Seadive lounge was filled with foreigners and tourists who were waiting for their boats to Puerto Princessa and El Nido. Because we were an almost all-girl group (9 girls and only 1 boy), we spotted one cute foreigner (Spanish? British? American? We didn’t know) who we called Miguel.

Paparazzi shot of "Miguel."

After we giggled and tried to get more stolen shots, we finally made our way to our first destination: the Lusong Gunboat shipwreck.

The sunken ship is visible during a low tide.

Another pride of Coron, aside from the 0% crime rate and the forests of corals, are the Japanese gunboat shipwrecks which attract divers from all over the world. These gunboats hold Japanese artillery during the World War II and, after the war, are sunk by the Americans. Now, it is a ground for more corals to grow on and home to many seafood—I mean, marine life. 

It was early morning so the tide was low and we were able to see the wreck without diving. We swam around for about 30-45 minutes, ogling at the fishes which came near us even though we didn’t have any food. One even bit my friend’s finger! 

Rommel swimming under us.

Capt. Benjie said there were skeletons inside the wreck but we had to be a merman like Rommel to be able to see it. Rommel, who accompanied us around the wreck, tried pointing the skeletons but it was far too deep to see from the surface.

After we had our fill of underwater shots and rusty metal, we climbed back to the boat to go to another middle-of-the-sea coral garden. As usual, the corals did not disappoint. The life the coral gardens Capt. Benjie and Rommel showed us could not compare to the recovering gardens of Puerto Prinsesa. So, if you’re going to Coron and are afraid of water, try to conquer your fear! You might miss the chance to appreciate the beauty a few leagues under the sea.

Lunch time finally arrived and so did we in what, for me, was the best island in our tour: Calumbuyan Island.

The island was larger than the ones we previously visited. There was a store that sells toiletries and alcohol. There was even a clean toilet for those who (like me) believed their pee would kill the fishes. Picnic tables and hammocks lined near the beach so we took the opportunity to relax.

The sand was not as fine or white as Banol beach but we enjoyed taking pictures nonetheless. The water suddenly goes deep a few meters from the shore so, without wearing life vests, one can snorkel and observe corals from a close distance. It is also a good place to kayak.

While we were enjoying the beach, Rommel was preparing our lunch of grilled pork, crabs, and cucumber for side dish. After an hour, he set the food on one of the tables and we dug in.

There was a cute dog there which we called Chichi (our boss’ nickname—yes, we love him this much). We met him when he sat on the hole my friend was digging for herself. I followed him around and took pictures of him while he was trying to catch some fishes (and ultimately failed).

When we were eating, I gave him the skin part of my pork. After gulping it down, he sprinted away. We all thought he left for good but he returned with a huge dried leaf on his mouth. When I just looked at him, he pawed me and put the leaf on my hand. It was so cute that I gave him another part of my pork. Again, he sprinted and return with another dried gift. Unfortunately for him, I was still hungry.

After we ate, we used the leftover rice and banana to attract fishes and get as much underwater shot as possible.

Using a piece of banana as bait.

The fishes are chasing her!

We went to another coral garden after our long lunch in Calumbuyan Island. This one is also a pearl farm so it is guarded by a local to prevent tourists from diving for treasures. We were getting a hang of swimming with life vests on so we didn’t need Rommel’s help to drag us along. But I had no choice but to cling to him when we swam on top of a very large dark blue coral. It was really huge I believed it housed a baby lochness monster. And remember I’m scared of fishes?

On our way to the beach.

After the coral garden, we went to Smith Beach—another beach not included in our itinerary but was recommended for its great sunset view. Well, it should have a great sunset view since it’s just beside Banol beach. 

Here, we took more pictures and drank shots of gin to celebrate our vacation. We kept asking Capt. Benjie and Rommel to join us but they refused because it was against their law for tour guides to drink during work. We also took a group picture with our tour guides.

Group picture with Captain Benjie and Rommel

We used the mangrove route again on our way back. The darkness did not scare us now so we tried to take some pictures.

The way through the mangroves

Being our last night in Coron, we opted to look around for souvenirs first before we take our dinner. While looking around at a shop that sells shirts, mugs, and whatnots, I heard this weird yet oddly comforting sound coming from an opening at the other side of the street. Leaving my friends behind, I checked it out and discovered this amazing shop:

Kuweba (Cave)

By this time, my financial resources were almost depleted. Our budget for the whole trip (even before we saw the tour prices at the Galeri) was P10,000. We were so happy that we got great deals for our accommodation and tours that we spent so much on food. In short, we splurge on our dinners.

But, since I was so amazed with the shop, I bought an anklet worth P350. It costs a lot but it is handmade and one of a kind so it is worth it. Until now, I’m still wearing it and only remove it when it gets in the way of my boots. 

We also bought cloth bags with shell accents worth P250. But since me and another friend already bought an anklet and a bracelet, and since we were loitering in the shop for far too long asking about their tattoos and the bar they were planning to set up, they gave us a discount. We got the bag for P200. 

We had dinner at Coron lounge then went back to our rooms and had our last sleep in Coron.

The next day, we settled our bills at the hotel then waited for Kuya Bong. He drove us back to the airport and we paid him for his services (the airport-town transport is not included in the package) which amounted to P3k including our tip for his friendliness (and for allowing us to bother him at his sari-sari store at 10 in the evening during our first night). And finally, we’re back to Manila.

That's me, snorkeling around the Lusong Gunboat shipwreck.

Until now, our trip to Coron is still the best I have had. I always recommend the place to people who are looking for adventures or just to relax. I also recommend it to people who need to be reminded of the beauty of the Philippines. Recently, a new resort opened—the Balinsasayaw—which is a few minutes away from the port. From the video I saw in ABSCBN’s Trip na Trip, the room looks very nice and clean. They also have a restaurant and their own beach. But for those who want to walk around town during night, I suggest Seadive Resort or Coron Villa.

Coron Villa offers an apartment-type room with your own kitchen and a couple of bedrooms and bathrooms. 

Seadive is very convenient if you’re a diver or if your tour includes lots of island hopping. Since their lounge is also a port, you can sit there and have coffee while waiting for your tour boat to arrive.

There are also a lot of agencies offering tour packages around Coron town. If not in Coron Galeri, you can walk around and look for the agency that offers the tour packages you want. The price, of course, differs but it’s not as expensive as booking a tour from Manila. So I recommend going to Coron first then planning your tour there.

Unfortunately, I don’t know any good shops that sell quality souvenirs. When we went around town, most of the shops were already closed so we had no choice but to buy from the one nearest our hotel. Of course you can go to that amazing shop we found and buy handmade accessories. Their bar is probably open now so you can also check it out. They said they would be offering local drinks so try it try it try it!

Here are some more of the photos we took on our last day in Coron:

I took this while taking a smoke at the back of the boat.

A silhouette shot at the Smith beach

Silhouette shot with the sun almost down

This was shot while we were among the mangroves.

A vase of sorts sold at Kuweba.

I love Coron!

• Reminscing Paradise: Our way to Coron

• Looking Around Town: Coron City Tour

• Coron's Waterworld: Island Hopping Part 1

Coron's Waterworld: Coron Island Hopping Tour

The true peace of God begins at any spot a thousand miles from the nearest land. 

~Joseph Conrad

CORON ISLAND TOUR (TOUR B-1)
Destinations: Kayangan Lake, Twin Peaks Reef, Twin Lagoons, CYC Island, Atwayan Beach, Coral Gardens (Php650/person)
Additional Destination: Banol Beach (Php100/person) 

A morning view of Coron sea.

My roommates and I were always the one to get up early. So we were always leeching on the free coffee and watching the sun rise while waiting for our breakfast to get done.

We were so excited to begin our tour that we forgot that we were to meet our tour guide in the port so we walked all the way back to the Galeri. Good thing May and Al were already up at 6am or we wouldn’t be able to know which boat was ours.

 

Captain Benjie and his assistant Rommel were our tour guides. He showed us where our tour would bring us today and also suggested some other places we could go if we wanted the best sunset view in Coron.

Capt. Benjie showing our day's itinerary.

Rommel steering our boat away from the dock.

The islands of Coron are owned by indigenous families so one has to pay a fee to be able to stay in an island. The tour package we availed at the Galeri already included the fees for the islands and for the boatmen/tour guides. If, according to Capt. Benjie, we wanted to go to an island or beach that was not included in our package, we would only have to pay P100 per head to the local guarding the place.

Our first stop was the cleanest lake in the country: Kayangan Lake.

To reach the lake, we hiked our way up one of the mountains surrounding it. It was not a long hike, took us about 20 minutes including a short stop at the middle for some photo shoot opportunity.

And the trek begins!

My friend posing for a photo shoot a.k.a. taking a break from the trek.

After a 10-15 minutes, we finally saw the lake.

Kayangan Lake.

 

I personally can claim that Kayangan is indeed the cleanest lake in the country. Although the bamboo-made bridge connecting the hiking path to one side of the lake was littered with orange vests and tourists who were too afraid to jump in, the lake itself was pristine: blue water that turned white whenever the sun hit it. We could see the floor underneath the lake, making it look shallow. But do not be fooled! The lake is deep and, unless you are very confident in your swimming skills and endurance, don’t even try to jump in without a life vest.

Capt. Benjie and Rommel helped us into our vest. The former joined us as soon as we jumped into the lake then he guided us to the farthest part where we got the chance to take underwater shots.

 

The stones are sharp so we had to be very careful where you step. We were able to take off our vest because Capt. Benjie never left our side. He even pulled us back to the bamboo bridge when it was time to return (it was hard to move with the life vest on). We stayed for about one hour there then moved on to the Twin Lagoon.

 

True to its name, there were two lagoons. Al earlier explained to us that we would later learn of thermocline—the sudden change of temperature because of the mixture of fresh and salt water. 

Putting it in layman’s term, he said it would feel like you peed your pants.

Under the passage we go.

During low tide, swimmers can go to the inner lagoon by going under the small gap under the mountain enclosing one of the lagoon. On high tide, swimmers can still go under the small gap but they have to hold their breath and dive lower—the ceiling of the gap is filled with sharp stones. Another option is to climb the man-made platform in the middle of the peaks and either excitedly jump into the lagoon or calmly climb down from the platform.

We chose to go under the gap mainly because we were too lazy to climb all the way up. In the lagoon, some of us swam to the farthest side. They claimed there was a small hut and a bench there and it was very relaxing. Me and the others stayed behind for a photo op.

While floating our time away and relaxing in the "sometimes-warm-sometimes-cold" water of the lagoon, a large eagle flew past us and encircled once before disappearing into the trees. Unfortunately, the camera we had was not fast enough to catch it on photo. 

Passing islands upon islands, we sailed our way to Atwayan beach where we ate our seafood lunch. Aside from the national side dish—enseladang lato—we had a huge grilled fish and some bananas.

We tried taking more underwater photos and some jump shots but ultimately failed so we packed up and moved on.

Our next stop was in the middle of the ocean. 

Our boat stopped and Rommel tied it down to a buoy then asks us to put on our vests. We thought we were going to swim to the shore but that was the last thing he said we should do. The shore was filled with sea urchins and sharp rocks. So we put on our vests and our snorkeling gears, and jumped into the open ocean to see one of Coron’s pride: its underwater forest.

Violet, white, blue, yellow, pink, and even black—the corals were as techni-colored as a hippie’s shirt. There were a lot of fishes as well—so many Dories and so many Nemos. The only con to this adventure was the waves that made it difficult to swim where we wanted to go. Rommel accompanied us this time and he dove and swam underneath us like a merman. He pointed to use corrals that were worth pointing at and pulled us back to the boat when the waves were becoming too much to handle.

Our next stop was the CYC Island.

It was a free admission beach, meaning there was a lot of people. The beach itself was not that great. The sand was rough and the water was a bit hazy (probably because there were too many people, the sand wouldn't settle down). Since our underwater shots were all doomed to fail, we just enjoyed using the kayak boat which came with our tour boat.

At exactly 4pm, we made our way to Banol beach. It was not in our itinerary but Capt. Benjie recommended this beach for its great sunset view. The beach was empty save for the local guarding the place. The first thing we saw was the white sand then the white calachuchi tree drooling its flowers to the water.

Here, we took pictures until the sun disappeared behind the mountains.

We love Coron!

On our way back, our boat took the darker, quieter route among the mangroves because the waves were becoming stronger. It was so dark that we didn’t stop talking for fear that one of us would fall to the sea unnoticed. The boat docked in front of Seadive so all we had to do was thank the guides and walk back to our rooms to change.

Here are some more photos we took on our first island hopping day:

Eco, Al and May's dog, who followed us to the docks.

Coron boat docks.

A new park by the docks.

Our feast!

The white calachuchi tree on Banol beach.

Posing as sirens (and a syokoy!) on Banol beach.

• Beauty and Ruins: Coron Island Hopping Part 2

• Looking Around Town: Coron Town Tour

• Reminiscing Paradise: Our way to Coron

Looking Around Town: Coron City Tour

 Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory. ~ George S. Patton

CORON TOWN TOUR Half Day Tour (TOUR-A)
Destinations: Souvenir Shops, Cashew Nut Producers, Tapyas Viewdeck, Coron Baywalk, Maquinit Hot Springs (Php500/person)*

Thanks to my uncle working in San Miguel Corp., we got a travel agent who, unfortunately, we did not meet in the island. He did refer us to a tour agency in the town proper that offers one of the cheapest tour packages: Coron Galeri.

During our first afternoon in Coron, we ate at a small grill shop. It was not the best grill I had had but since it was a very late lunch, we ate like our life depended on it. Afterwards, we went to Coron Galeri and finally met the owners.

May Linsangan was the one who welcomed us and showed us the tour packages we could avail. The prizes could be as low as P600+ including lunch and could be as high as P2,500+ including lunch, depending on the destinations you wanted to go. They also offer diving and snorkeling gears for rent and they also sell cool shirts and mugs for souvenirs.

Al Linsangan, May’s husband and also owner of the Galeri, is a photographer. We saw some of his shots of Coron displayed in their house/office and these inspired me to take great photos during our stay in the island. Al gave us a brief orientation about the island, the environmental movement they were taking to preserve as much of the beauty as possible, and how we helped the indigenous residents of the island whenever we avail their tours. Actually, we didn’t need much convincing to book our tour in the Galeri after we saw how low the prices were. 

After paying for our tour and gears and after May confirmed our tour for tomorrow, we went with Kuya Bong who gave us our city tour.

 On our way to Mt. Tapyas.

Our first stop was Mt. Taypas—the highest grotto I had ever been.

We climbed 400+ steps up the mountain to reach the huge cross at the top (the cross was already visible on our way to the town proper). There were children at the foot of the mountain, each carrying coolers where they kept bottles of water, juice, and Gatorades cold. One we call “smaller Bong” accompanied me and two of my friends while another kid accompanied the other seven who had enough strength to go fast.

The climb itself was hard, probably because I was a heavy smoker then, but the scenery on the way was worth it. Whenever I get tired, I pretended to take pictures of random flowers and grass so that we would stop. My friends also pretended to pose on the benches on the way so that they could rest. We also interviewed “smaller Bong” about his life. 

 Me (in the middle) and my two friends—the laggers.

A view of Coron town.

Can you spot the sleeping giant?

Almost sunset.

It was almost dark when we reached the top so all we saw was the cross lighting up and the town twinkling with lights. We were still able to take our first group picture. I was surprised how knowledgeable the kids were in using dslr cameras. They were even better than me!

 Finally, a group picture with all of us in it!

 The descent to Mt. Tapyas was a breeze but the challenge was the darkness. After we paid the kids what we owe and gave something extra for the company, we got into the van again and made our way to the Maquinit hotspring.

To say the road to the hotspring was dark and rough would be an understatement. But, since we were trying to scare the hell out of each other, we dared to open the windows. It was a good thing that we did because we felt the cool breeze of Coron night. After 10-15 minutes, we arrived at the Maquinit hotspring.

My friends posing as beauty pageant contestants and, uh, the host?

 The hotspring was like any other hotspring—a huge crater-like pool filled with hot volcanic salt water. There was a grotto there but we were not able to see because it was already dark. We stayed for about an hour, massaging our sore legs and teaching one of our friends how to float on his back. Hungry and tired, we finally decided to return to Seadive.

After taking quick baths, we decided we want to roam the town. We first ate dinner at Kawayanan, a grill restaurant and bar Kuya Bong recommended to us. 

Say cheese before we order!

If you’re going to eat there, I highly recommend trying their enseladang lato (seaweed with tomatoes and onions usually with vinegar or shrimp paste/bagoong). Half of us went back to rest at the inn while half of us, including me, stayed for a pitcher of Coron sling—a local cocktail. After we had our fill of alcohol and gossip, we walked back to the inn (everything is walking distance in Coron town) and finally slept. 

*This is the available tour package at Coron Galeri. We did not avail this though and just paid Kuya Bong to bring us to Tapyas and Maquinit so we had to pay Php100/person entrance fee to the hotspring.

• Coron's Waterworld: Island Hopping Part 1

• Reminiscing Paradise: Our way to Coron