Althea's Adventures

Coron has been one of the destinations in the Philippines that I’ve been eyeing to go to for a long time now. I have been to Puerto Princesa, El Nido and Port Barton, Palawan but still find Coron really interesting. I always check for Coron dates every time there’s a seat sale, however, it’s always sold out. One day in March, while browsing through my GetGo app, I noticed that I already have 5,400 points. I tried and booked for Coron with my 5,400 GetGo points, and I only paid PHP 6,600 for two! To think that I booked it for the same month, it was a great deal! But, you can definitely book a round trip airfare as low as PHP 800 if you score a Cebu Pacific piso fare. For seat sale tips you may check my blog – Airfare Seat Sale Tips.

As always, I plan and book our itinerary ahead of time. We don’t have much time to spend since we only went during my rest day at work – which is just the weekend. We left 9:35 AM on Saturday and back in Manila on Monday at 4:00 PM. Yep, then 2 hours of sleep and straight to work. That’s how I roll! LOL. Anyway, since we only have 2 days to spend, I squeezed in everything so that we can still enjoy Coron.

Day 1: Island Hopping

If you have a full day, I highly recommend for you to book the Coron Ultimate Tour via Klook. You’ll be visiting Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon, Siete Pescados, Marine Park/Skeleton Wreck, Coral Garden, lunch at Smith Beach and CYC Beach, all for PHP 1,600 per person. Our arrival at Coron is 11:00 AM, so we didn’t get to do that. What I did was hire a private boat from JimVer Coron Island Tour. A private boat is much expensive, it’s PHP 2,700 for 1-4 persons but worth it since you manage your own time. Plus, the boatmen and guides were nice and helpful! You’ll need to pay for your own entrance fee in the islands. We went straight to the island tour from the airport.

We only have 4 hours to visit the best islands in Coron. I chose Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon and Siete Pecados.

On the way to Kayangan lake, we took the time to take photos a.k.a photoshoot haha!

Kayangan Lake is one of two lakes in Coron island that are open to public. Entrance fee if you’re not on a tour is PHP 300 per person

There is a steep uphill climb of approximately 367 steps towards the lake

Once you get to the top, there is a view deck overlooking the lagoon. It was breathtaking!

We were fortunate that there’s not a lot of people in the lake. I really enjoyed the view!

You can swim in the lake but they require you to wear a life vest. I’m so proud of Kyle, this is actually his first time to swim with no help from us. He enjoyed his snorkeling gears from Decathlon.

Twin Lagoon is one of the most must-see destination in the Coron Island Tour. The first lagoon is where the boats dock, while the second lagoon is where you can swim however it is hidden. We didn’t get off the boat as the boatmen told us that most tourists go there to only see the view. So, we just took pictures from our boat. Entrance fee if you’re going to swim and go to the second lagoon is PHP 200 per person. 

Siete Pecados is a marine sanctuary composed of seven islets and its surrounding waters. It’s recommended for snorkeling as the corals are so colorful and such a joy to experience. The entrance fee if you’re going to snorkel is PHP 100 per person.

We also saw some jack fish, I tried to chase them but they were fast!

After our island tour, we went to the hotel to check in. We were told by the driver that Pearl Vista de Coron was one of the best hotel resort in Coron. I actually didn’t know that when I booked it. I’ll let the photos speak for itself!

We had dinner at Island Boy. They serve mostly grilled and seafood, they usually have a band at night. Grilled/BBQ meal starts at PHP 180.

That’s the band at Kaeser’s back

Day 2: Coron Calauit Safari and Beach Tour

We have free breakfast in hotel, so we ate before the tour van picked us up.

I also booked out Calauit Safari tour via Klook. For everyone’s information, this is not a paid ad. I always book via Klook and pay for it. I just love how convenient it is to book from them, even with my out of country travels. This tour costs PHP 2,450 per person which includes round trip transportation (van and boat), Calauit Safari, lunch, and North Cay island.

Calauit Safari Park is a game reserve and wildlife sanctuary located in Calauit Island. It is a 3,700 hectare island in the Calamian Islands chain that lies off the coast of Palawan. It is most famous for the giraffe feeding. 

Here’s the updated rates if you plan to do DIY

There’s a 5 minute boat ride to get to Calauit island. From the registration area, you need to walk 100 meters to see the giraffes. Or you can ride this shuttle for PHP 125 per person. We walked!

We saw this while walking, our tour guide doesn’t know what this plant it but it’s shaped as a flower. She said one of her foreigner guest brought this home.

We saw some deer first, there’s just two of them

As we walk towards the feeding area, we saw this giraffe under the tree. His name is Jimcard.

The Zebras

This one’s name is Anilao. I’m so amazed by them! They’re so beautiful!

Look at those pretty eyes!

Feeding time!

Funny story, while our guide was taking photos of us three, this giraffe tried to eat my hair. Look at our reaction! Haha!

After the feeding, we went to the mini zoo. We saw some turtles, fresh water crocodile, monkey, snake, civet cat, and porcupine.

This is the camouflage tree, can only be seen here

Our free lunch was at Buluang fishpond

North Cay Nature Island is a small island that is close to the famous Huma Island Resort. There are rooms available if you want to spend the night, but they only have salt water in their rest rooms.

My beach essentials

After our island tour, we went back to hotel to change for dinner. We had dinner at Lolo Nonoy’s Food Station and bought dessert at Mat’s Shakes & Snacks.

And, because it was our last night, we went for a night swim…

Day 3: Chill at the hotel

Kaeser’s flight was 9:00 AM via Skyjet and our flight was 2:40 PM via Cebu Pacific. Since we have different flight schedule, I didn’t plan anything for our last day. This is also the reason why I booked at Pearl Vista de Coron, because they have a nice pool. Kyle loves swimming and I wanted him to enjoy our last day.

Ready to go home! We’re so happy to start our summer in Coron. We miss Kuya Kern though.

Took some snaps of the islands from the airplane

You may watch our whole experience in Coron here:

Transportation:

• From the airport, you’ll see vans that can bring you to your hotel/destination. One way fare is PHP 150 per person. You may contact them if you want a pick from your hotel to the airport too
• Tricycle is PHP 25 per person if you’re going to the restaurants from your hotel
• They also have motorcycles for rent – PHP 600 for 24 hours. Most of the foreigners rent motorcycles there

Where To Eat:

• Sinugba Sa Balay
• Island Boy
• Lolo Nonoy’s Food Station
• Winnie’s Restaurant
• Altrove Restaurant
• Blue Moon Resto Bar
• Bistro Coron
• Brujita Restaurant

Other Things To Do:

• Hike Mt. Tapyas – PHP 200 entrance fee
• Relax at Maquinit Hot Springs – PHP 200 entrance fee
• Firefly watching – usually PHP 950
• Chill and swim at Malcapuya Island
• Go scubadiving or freediving at Barracuda lake and ship wrecks

Our Coron trip was not really a budget travel because our hotel was a bit expensive. One night in a standard room is PHP 4,320 via Agoda. At first, I was trying to book for a guest house or hostel, but I thought of what we’ll do on our 3rd day especially that I have Kyle alone with me. So, I ended up booking at Pearl Vista de Coron and it was the best decision ever! But for you guys, I created a suggested expenses for 3 days and 2 nights that can fit your budget! I excluded the airfare here because it really depends on how much you’ll book it.

Coron Budget Tips:

• If you can’t find a promo fare or cheap flights going to Coron, you may opt to ride a ferry via 2Go Travel. One way fare is around PHP 1,500 per person
• For accommodation, I saw fan rooms in Agoda for as low as PHP 300 per night for two. To name a few – Busuanga Seadive Resort, Casa Montemar Express, Luis Bay Travellers Lodge
• The Coron Ultimate Tour and Safari Tour via Klook already includes lunch. So if you have breakfast at the hotel, all you have to do is buy dinner. Saves you food budget
• Meal price in restaurants ranges from PHP 180 and up, buy you can find a cheaper meal at a carinderia for PHP 60

Here’s  a suggested itinerary for your 3 days and 2 nights in Coron:

I finally checked this island off my bucket list! So, there goes my Coron travel guide, I hope it helps, especially for those who are planning for their summer vacation! For more of my adventures, follow me on Facebook and Instagram. Happy travels!