Got another chance recently to visit some beautiful beaches in
the country. After attending two meetings in Manila, I took the opportunity to go on a side trip and this
time it was to Coron in Palawan. Just this
year they have upgraded the airport in Busuanga and there are now daily flights
by Cebu Pacific and PAL Express. There are also the two other airlines
servicing the place Zest Air and Sea Air. Hence there has been a jump in the
number of tourists going to Coron. Coron is one of the towns in the island of Busuanga which is north of Palawan. Busuanga is the biggest island in the
Calamian group of islands. The other town in Busuanga island is named also
Busuanga. When I told some people that I was planning to go to Busuanga, the
retort was quick: “Where is that?” For scuba divers around the world, the place
is widely known for it has one of the largest concentration of World War II
Japanese wrecks. Most of the foreigners who come to Coron are scuba divers.
Since there are still few Filipino enthusiasts in this sports, the local
tourists who flock to the islands come to visit the many beautiful lakes and
white beaches and coves amidsts a setting of limestones cliffs and boulders and
clear turquoise waters.
Since two of my friends happened to be already in Manila I invited them to join me in this trip. My other scuba diving
buddy, Ronnie had to fly in from Tacloban. The four of us Ronnie, Mark, and
Vincent took a Cebu Pacific flight to Busuanga. There were 50 passengers in
that 70 seater plane. There was a slight turbulence as we came out of Manila and it was cloudy but it all cleared up when we arrived
Busuanga. We took a van (150 fare per person) for the 23 kilometer ride to the
town ofCoron. The road from the airport to the town is being cemented already,
about 75% was already finished. We were told that the airport is part of the
Yulo cattle ranch sequestered by the government for being a cover for the
Marcoses. Since we did not have any reservations we asked the driver to bring
us to some of the resorts in the area. We went first to the L & M Pe Sea
Lodge which was right on the water near the market. We did not like it as the
vacant rooms were not single beds. We decided to take the Darayonan Lodge which
was also within the town proper. The room available had four beds. It was a
native room with amakan for walls and ceilings but it had aircon. The rate was
1,600 with free breakfast.
We took our lunch at the Sea Dive resort and restaurant which
was also sitting on top of the water by the sea. In the town proper of Coron
there are no beaches. The town is just the jump-off point for the beautiful
beaches that are found in the nearby islands. At the resort we met the
photographer featured in the latest issue of Smile magazine of Cebu Pacific, Al
Linsangan. He suggested that given our time, we just take the Maquinit hot
spring and climb the 750 steps Mt. Tapyas in the afternoon before going scuba diving and taking the
island hopping tour. While we were eating lunch we initially thought of going
to Culion island, the former leper colony but decided otherwise when we were
told that a special trip there would cost 4 thousand. So after lunch we decided
to take a siesta first while Ronnie went to an internet café to follow up his
business in Tacloban. By 3:30pm we started for the Maquinit Hot Springs. It is
a 5km ride to the hot spring and cost 150 pesos round trip fare for the
tricycle which just waited for us. The hot spring was just by the sea. Wonder
of wonders, the water in the hot spring is salty. Since it sits just by the
sea, the place could also be reached by boat. Day trippers would make it their
last stop. There were a good number of people bathing when we arrived. The big
circular pool had two smaller pools were the hot spring would gush forth. These
two smaller pools were hotter than the bigger one.
Gong back to town, we hiked the 750 steps up Mt. Tapyas. It had
a commanding view of the town and the islands in front. On top to the mountain
was a huge steel cross. We arrived there just after sunset as it was getting
dark.
We had our dinner at the La Sirenetta restaurant which was also
on the waters just like the Sea Dive resort. The colums of the restaurant were
carved with mermaids, hence the name. The owner we were told was a British
married to a Filipina and their chef was the daughter who studied in Italy. The
food was not bad and the price just a bit higher than the others.
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Some islands that could be seen from the air. |
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Along the road from the airport one can see this herd of cattle. |
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At the Sea Dive Resort and Restaurant where we took our lunch. It is one
the popular hang outs of tourists in Coron. |
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Ronnie showing the lobster he had for lunch |
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The road going to the Maquinit Hotspring |
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Maquinit Hot Spring |
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This hot spring although the source comes from the mountain is salty. |
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The Maquinit Hotspring is just outside of the town of Coron. |
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A grotto in the hotspring. |
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The waters from the hot spring flows right into the sea. |
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The parish church of Coron dedicated to St. Augustine |
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The altar of the church of Coron |
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The steel cross on top of Mt. Tapyas. |
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The town and nearby islands could be seen from on top the mountain. |
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Climbing the more than 700 steps to Mt. Tapyas was a test of stamina. Ronnie and Mark had to take a few rests before reaching the top of Mt. Tapyas.
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The view of the town of Coron from Mt. Tapyas. |
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