Palawan represents our archipelagic riches: My Coron Travelogue* (Part I)

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     After my Palawan vacation together with my parents, cousin and friends, I decided that it is indeed the ultimate destination that represents our archipelagic riches, with her string of islands, fine white sand stretches of beaches, giant karsts, cool caves, different corals, colorful fishes, lush mangroves, and infinite series of blue waters. Added to that riches is our signature Filipino smile which can easily be found everywhere in Palawan, from the tour guides, the boatmen and often, the Visayan-speaking pedestrians.



Our day started with a meeting at the airport. My cousin Cooky with her two friends Sharon and Marissa emerged in the airport fresh from their respective hectic nursing duty at St. Luke's Medical Center, and two more friends of hers, Jo and Jess, a mother and daughter tandem, came from Iloilo City while I and my parents and family friend Nida, came in the airport in travel lite mode. And the fun began!

TWO DAYS IN CORON TOWN AND CORON ISLAND




We were so enamored with Coron Town in Busuanga. The little town perches the Maquinit Hot Spring, the 700-steps Tapyas Mountain, the wet market filled with fresh catches, cashew nuts and some dried fishes as well as the wharf for boats plying different destinations, including the Coron Island loop.



On our first day tour, our first stop was Siete Pecados, a site teeming with fishes and corals. It was such a lucky day for us as when we stopped by, there are no other tourist boats so that we were spared of hurried snorkeling and swimming. We also enjoyed feeding the fishes.

After Siete Pecados, we went to the most picturesque part of the Coron Island Loop, Kayangan Island. We went up the rocky and hilly Kayangan Island then stopped midway to visit a cave and to take breathtaking shots of the most popular Karst of Coron Island. From there, we descended the rocky cliff and trailed the steps along the Kayangan Lake. We sampled the bracky waters of the lack and swam towards the small cave. There are majority of non-swimmers but the invitation to to swim (with the assurance of the life vest and our guides) is irresistible. We swam along the stick fishes which abounds the lake.



We had lunch at Banol Beach then went to Skeleton Wreck to snorkel and observe the most visible wreck in Coron Island (there are a lot of them!) and feed some hungry and not-so hungry fishes and capped the day with a swim to the Twin Lagoon where one has to pass by a crevice that serves as entry to the other lagoon.

After some rest, the group headed to Mt. Tapyas after almost climbing the 700 steps. The cross on top of the mountain can be seen from the shore and all around the town. When one is already on top, one can see  the bird's eye view of the town, the islands and the waters plus the breathtaking sunset!


*Published in June 4, 2013 issue of Sunstar - Bacolod  and at the Sunstar website: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/lifestyle/2013/06/03/my-coron-el-nido-and-puerto-princesa-travelogue-285566


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