It’s been 5 years when we explored Coron in Palawan after our wedding in the Philippines. Coron is really an amazing destination for holidays. Coron belongs to the Calamaines Group of Islands and is located in the Northern part of Palawan, Philippines’ southwestern border.  This place is really blessed with beautiful islands and white beaches, limestone cliffs, and wonderful people.

Coron is protected by the Tagbanua Tribe Community which is a good way to preserve the beauty of this beautiful island as one of the most beautiful islands in the World. This place has been widely known as one of the highly recommended tourist attractions in the country.

Straight from Busuanga Airport, we were sent to our hotel through a shuttle service which took about an hour. On the way to the hotel, we had passed by a semi set-up of New Zealand farm setting of cows in the green fields. Our tour guides were very accommodating. The locals are simple and humble. They treated us as if we were part of the community.

Since it was our first day, we did not have scheduled activities yet, so we just hang around the town as we were booked in a hotel that was just walking distance away from their small town. We explored the town night market and experienced their local cuisine and street foods.

For first-timers, the main mode of transportation on this island is the tricycle – a motorbike with an installed sidecar. The riders are friendly and they can speak to you in English.

We experienced Maquinit Hot Spring which is blissfully warm and salty spring water. The experience was soothing and relaxing, especially at night. This place is usually visited during night time as it intends to relax the body after having a long day in the different islands having underwater exploration.

Mt Tapyas is also a challenging exploration as you are required to encounter 700 steps above sea level to experience the sunset and sunrise view at the top of the hill. The set-up of this adventure is commendable as the developer ensured the steps were wide and provided resting stations for visitors to rest once in a while.

Coron is always known for numerous islands such as the Twin Lagoon, Siete Pecados where you can encounter marine life, abundant corals, fishes of varied colors and species, Isla Bulungan was also known as Calachuhci Beach, Kayangan Lake, Malcapuya  Island and a lot more.

We also got the chance to explore one of the eleven World War II Japanese shipwrecks are now a breeding ground of marine fishes on this beautiful island. We had to snorkel in order to view the ship under clear seawater.

Coron is really an amazing island which I can recommend visiting, especially for family trips.  And before I forget, I highly recommend you to buy Coron pearls, either seawater or freshwater pearls, because the prices here are relatively cheap compared to buying in the cities or within Manila.

By the way, here are some traveling tips:

Bring light, loose and comfortable clothing because this town has a tropical climate. Make sure to bring your goggles and aqua shoes. Renting here is standardized on a daily basis (PHP 150.00 per day, per outfit, and not per set).

Ensure to have a full battery of your camera or phone to capture the beautiful scenery of the islands and other adventures.

Bring some extra money during exploration as some tour guides require you to pay conservation fees being imposed by Marine Park Management, Tagbanua Tribes of Coron Island, and other private tourist destinations.

Abide by the rules and listen to safety instructions, especially during underwater exploration.

Remember to bring mosquito repellent and other first-aid medicine with you. Bring drinking water with you, especially during island hopping. Sunblock with SPF 130 is recommended to avoid sunburn.

Wear your life jacket during island hopping or snorkeling for safety purposes. There are also friendly tour guides who assist you to snorkel under a crystal clear seawater.

For food trips, I recommend you to try the following:

I am able to have the chance to try this stingray sisig or locally known as “pagi sisig”. I only found out about this menu when I saw a small eatery on one of the corners in the town. I was just curious by those food wrapped in plastic displayed in front of the eatery. 

I approached the place and found out that they are selling this dish. It was so nice. Unfortunately, the store owner said this menu is seasonal and not all restaurants serve this meal.

You can also try their pork sisig. It is a combination of crispy pork meat, spices, and eggs. It's yummy and it’s one of a kind. Other dishes we tried were the "papaitan" (a combination of beef spare parts) from Lolo Nonoy’s restaurant, and crocodile sisig (a bit expensive).

One can also try the pork barbecue (a street food which is served in the night market within the town area). Puto bumbong (ube flavor). So far this is the best puto bumbong that I have tried. The owner is only open every afternoon situated nearby a school and located beside the place where I bought the pork barbecue.

Note: This article was published by the writer on another site on March 30, 2016

Disclaimer: With the ongoing impact of Covid19 worldwide, please be advised that traveling this time is not advisable. Please check your travel agency for any updates when you plan to take holidays to this destination.