#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Philippine Forum >  >  Cruising in Coron

## katie23

Hi all, this will be about my recent trip to Coron in Busuanga island, province of Palawan. I went there last weekend with some friends. This will be my first time to make a pic thread from phone, so please bear with me. As most of you know, my net is &$@%. We landed at Francisco Reyes airport in Busuanga island. Busuanga island has 2 municipalities: Busuanga & Coron. They both belong to the province of Palawan, Region 4B (MiMaRoPa). To give an idea of the location, here's a map.

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## Luigi

> Hi all, this will be about my recent trip to Coron in Busuanga island, province of Palawan. I went there last weekend with some friends. This will be my first time to make a pic thread from phone, so please bear with me. As most of you know, my net is &$@%. We landed at Francisco Reyes airport in Busuanga island. Busuanga island has 2 municipalities: Busuanga & Coron. They both belong to the province of Palawan, Region 4B (MiMaRoPa). To give an idea of the location, here's a map.


Very nice.

I sense a super thread.  :Smile:

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## katie23

Thanks Luigi for reposting the pics! Btw, I'm collaborating w/ Luigi on this thread. He's promised to help me repost the pics. Salamat!  :Smile:

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## Davis Knowlton

^Ain't he wunnerful.......................

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## katie23

^Yeah, Luigi is great.  :Smile:  This was the way I thought of posting the pics from phone with my net issues. I want to make the thread soon, bcos if I put it off, I'll be buried in paperwork & forget the details, as well as my impressions of the place.

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## katie23

My group took off from Clark Airport. Was my first time there, so it was interesting. According to my sis who used Clark ~10 years ago, there was no a/c & no ceiling - you could see the iron beams. Now there's A/c, proper ceiling & establishments outside the airport (including hotels), not just farmlands. 

Clark Airport

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## Luigi

> My group took off from Clark Airport. Was my first time there, so it was interesting. According to my sis who used Clark ~10 years ago, there was no a/c & no ceiling - you could see the iron beams. Now there's A/c, proper ceiling & establishments outside the airport (including hotels), not just farmlands. 
> 
> Clark Airport


 :tumbs:

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## katie23

From the plane window. Most of the mountains were still so green - no sign yet of human habitation.

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## Luigi

> From the plane window. Most of the mountains were still so green - no sign yet of human habitation.


.....

nice

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## katie23

Francisco Reyes airport in Busuanga. Our plane was a Bombardier Q400, 4 seats per row. Was my first time to ride in a plane that small.

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## katie23

Francisco Reyes airport in Busuanga. Our plane was a Bombardier Q400, 4 seats per row. Was my first time to ride in a plane that small.

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## Luigi

> Francisco Reyes airport in Busuanga. Our plane was a Bombardier Q400, 4 seats per row. Was my first time to ride in a plane that small.


.....

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## katie23

Grr. Sorry for double post - net issues.

Road from airport to town proper (~30 min drive). We were picked up by a driver/ minivan from the guesthouse. Some years ago, this road was not yet paved.

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## Luigi

> Grr. Sorry for double post - net issues.
> 
> Road from airport to town proper (~30 min drive). We were picked up by a driver/ minivan from the guesthouse. Some years ago, this road was not yet paved.


.......

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## Luigi

^ Looks very nice. Kinda like a lush Thailand.

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## katie23

^thanks for the re-posts, Luigi.  :Smile: 

My group stayed at NCB Home stay, which are budget accoms, ~26 USD for a family room (good for 4 pax). They have a sister hotel (higher end), pics later. 

Exterior


breakfast area

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## katie23

This is the sister resort, Mountain View Garden Inn Coron. It's higher end, with a pool, ~50 USD/night. I'm giving them publicity, since they had very good service. 

Pics taken from their FB page.

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## katie23

Vicinity of NCB Homestay. The town proper & pier are ~15 min drive away.

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## Luigi

Welcome.




> ^thanks for the re-posts, Luigi. 
> 
> My group stayed at NCB Home stay, which are budget accoms, ~26 USD for a family room (good for 4 pax). They have a sister hotel (higher end), pics later. 
> 
> Exterior
> 
> 
> breakfast area





> This is the sister resort, Mountain View Garden Inn Coron. It's higher end, with a pool, ~50 USD/night. I'm giving them publicity, since they had very good service. 
> 
> Pics taken from their FB page.





> Vicinity of NCB Homestay. The town proper & pier are ~15 min drive away.

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## Neo

direct flight from Clark... good to know  :Wink:

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## OhOh

> I'm collaborating w/ Luigi on this thread


I presume he's in the deluxe suite?

Be careful taking photos near mirrors "katie23".

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## katie23

^heh - Luigi wasn't anywhere near the vicinity. He's very kindly agreed to repost the pics. 

Maybe Neverna was hiding in some hibiscus bushes, though.  :Smile: 

@neo - yes, there are flights from Clark - Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific.

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## katie23

Dinner @ Lobster King. It's been featured in a local TV show, Ang Pinaka (The Most). 



sorry, the crabs were gone when I thought of taking pix

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## Luigi

> Dinner @ Lobster King. It's been featured in a local TV show, Ang Pinaka (The Most). 
> 
> 
> 
> sorry, the crabs were gone when I thought of taking pix


.....

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## katie23

Start of island hopping tour the next day. The pier.

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## Luigi

> Start of island hopping tour the next day. The pier.


That's one cool sidecar/bike/boat thing.  :Smile:

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## katie23

We were on a tour package, so we were picked up at the GH and dropped off at the pier, where another agent was waiting for us. Very organized group. 

The agency used was JY Travel and Tours. They're also the owner of the GH, so it was convenient. Contact details to follow later. 

Day 1 was Tour A, which was 6 destinations. Start of boat ride. 


similar to Ha Long Bay in Vn, there are limestone karsts

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## David48atTD

> Start of island hopping tour the next day. The pier.


That boat/bike ...  classic  :Smile:

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## Luigi

> We were on a tour package, so we were picked up at the GH and dropped off at the pier, where another agent was waiting for us. Very organized group. 
> 
> The agency used was JY Travel and Tours. They're also the owner of the GH, so it was convenient. Contact details to follow later. 
> 
> Day 1 was Tour A, which was 6 destinations. Start of boat ride. 
> 
> 
> similar to Ha Long Bay in Vn, there are limestone karsts


.....

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## jabir

Saved the day, some pics didn't show.

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## katie23

Contact details of the agency, JY Travel & Tours. Highly recommended, was very satisfied with their service.  :Smile: 

If you don't like tour groups, you can go to Coron by yourself. At the airport, there are lots of touts giving out brochures for various agencies. You can also go to the town proper near the pier by tricycle, where there are offices of tour agencies (but you don't get hotel pick up & drop off). If your group is small, you'll be "joiners" on a large tour boat, which holds ~ 20 pax. Whether it's DIY or tour agency, up to you.  :Wink: 





my group did Tours A, B, C1 & town tour. One USD ~ 50 pesos. 53 at the moment, but I use 1:50 for easy conversion.

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## Luigi

> Contact details of the agency, JY Travel & Tours. Highly recommended, was very satisfied with their service. 
> 
> If you don't like tour groups, you can go to Coron by yourself. At the airport, there are lots of touts giving out brochures for various agencies. You can also go to the town proper near the pier, where there are offices of tour agencies (but you don't get hotel pick up & drop off). If your group is small, you'll be "joiners" on a large tour boat, which holds ~ 20 pax. Whether it's DIY or tour agency, up to you. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> my group did Tours A, B, C1 & town tour.


.....

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## katie23

Salamat Luigi! Thanks also to those who've sent greens.  :Smile: 

Approaching Kayangan Lake, 1st stop of Tour A


Docking area for boats

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## Luigi

> Salamat Luigi! Thanks also to those who've sent greens. 
> 
> Approaching Kayangan Lake, 1st stop of Tour A
> 
> 
> Docking area for boats


.....

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## katie23

You'll have to walk on some planks


The water was so clear

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## Luigi

> You'll have to walk on some planks
> 
> 
> The water was so clear


.....

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## katie23

After the planks, you'll have to wade through this


Then climb this, ~350 steps.

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## Luigi

> After the planks, you'll have to wade through this
> 
> 
> Then climb this, ~350 steps.


.....

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## katie23

View after ~160 steps up 


There's also a cave which can be explored

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## Luigi

> View after ~160 steps up 
> 
> 
> There's also a cave which can be explored


.....

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## katie23

I'm posting only 2 pics at a time bcos it takes ages to load them from my phone - so bear w/ me.  :Smile: 

If you're not a good swimmer, you're advised to wear life vest while swimming. Entering the lake...


The water in the lake is ~70% fresh water & 30% salt water. Lots of tourists that day - it was a long weekend due to Eid Al Fitr (end of Ramadan).

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## Luigi

> I'm posting only 2 pics at a time bcos it takes ages to load them from my phone - so bear w/ me. 
> 
> If you're not a good swimmer, you're advised to wear life vest while swimming. Entering the lake...
> 
> 
> The water in the lake is ~70% fresh water & 30% salt water. Lots of tourists that day - it was a long weekend due to Eid Al Fitr (end of Ramadan).


.....

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## katie23

After ~1H at the lake, we were told by our guide to return to the boat. 


another boat sailing away

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## Luigi

> After ~1H at the lake, we were told by our guide to return to the boat. 
> 
> 
> another boat sailing away


.....

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## katie23

Boat trip to the next island for lunch, which is included in the tour package. The boat crew prepares lunch while the clients swim or explore the island.

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## katie23

Approaching Sunset Beach for lunch in one of the huts


Sunset Beach

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## Luigi

> Boat trip to the next island for lunch, which is included in the tour package. The boat crew prepares lunch while the clients swim or explore the island.





> Approaching Sunset Beach for lunch in one of the huts
> 
> 
> Sunset Beach


.....

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## katie23

Lunch, Day 1: chicken adobo, pinakbet veggies & fish


Sea grape salad, cucumbers & rice


sea grape, a.k.a green caviar, a.k.a. Lato (Tagalog) & Ar Arusip (Ilokano). I first tasted it in a trip to the Ilocos region (north) years ago, and I liked it. Thanks to Google, it's a.k.a. Caulerpa lentillifera.

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## OhOh

What is the mix of nationalities taking these organised trips?

Thanks for you notes and photos.

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## katie23

^for Day 1, Tour A, we were ~ 20 pax in the boat, 9 from my group & the other group was an extended family. All Filipinos. 

For Day 2, Tour B, still ~ 20 pax. Four foreigners, the rest Filipinos. The 4 foreigners were: British guy, Indian girl (w/ US accent) = they were a couple. Russian girl & Swiss-French guy. Swiss French (Swiss but from French speaking part) guy has been travelling around PI for a year now. Russian girl works in Vietnam, but has 1 month holiday & is spending that month to travel around PI. She's going to the north (Sagada or Banaue) to see the rice terraces next. All the foreigners are in their 20s- early 30s. I saw the boat manifest. Lol. The rest of the ppl included my group plus some "joiners". 

For Day 3, Tour C1, we had a smaller boat (good for 10 pax) and we had it to ourselves - all Pinoys.

Before you land on an island, the tour guide has a short speech about the island - some trivia, history, etc, and how much time you have to swim or explore in that area. Then when it's time to leave, he reminds you to check your belongings, cellphones, etc, and to check your seat mate! Very nice & organized crew. We (my group) gave the crew a tip after each day - they divide the amount among themselves. I think per boat, it's five crew members, including the guide, who speaks English. When there were foreigners in our boat, he spoke English the whole time.

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## Luigi

> Lunch, Day 1: chicken adobo, pinakbet veggies & fish
> 
> 
> Sea grape salad, cucumbers & rice
> 
> 
> sea grape, a.k.a green caviar, a.k.a. Lato (Tagalog) & Ar Arusip (Ilokano). I first tasted it in a trip to the Ilocos region (north) years ago, and I liked it. Thanks to Google, it's a.k.a. Caulerpa lentillifera.


.....

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## OhOh

> ^for Day 1, Tour A, we were


Thanks for the info, appreciated.

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## katie23

^You're welcome. 

After lunch & some swimming, we set off for another island. 

Next stop was CYC Beach (CYC = Coron Youth Club) and Quin Reef. You can go ashore & explore the beach, or swim, kayak or snorkel. My group rented a kayak (P1,000/day or ~20 USD) and we took turns in kayaking. Snorkel masks can be rented from your hotel/GH or from one of the shops at the pier. I had my own swim goggles & didn't rent a snorkel mask - just surfaced for air once in a while. I can swim but I am not a strong swimmer, so I always wore my life vest in deep waters. Sometimes, I pitied the non-swimmers in my group bcos they were afraid to take a dip, even if they wore life vests. During those times that they didn't swim, they just took pics, chatted or relaxed on the boat. In each destination, you'll stay for ~30 min to 1H, depending on the remaining time. It takes ~15-30 min to get from one destination to another. 

In terms of island tours, I found it easier (and cheaper) in Coron than in Boracay or Puerto Galera. In Bora or PG, you'll have to rent the whole boat if you want to go island hopping. So if you have a big group (~10 ppl), it turns out cheaper per pax. Boat rental in Bora was P 2000/ half day, or ~ 40 USD. That was low season ( Sept 2015), so I imagine they charge more during high season. In PG, it's the same - you have to hire the whole boat. So if you're only 2, it costs more. 

In Coron (and also in El Nido in Palawan island, Accdg to my friends), the tours are organized into Tours A, B, C, etc, and you pay a fixed price for the tour (which includes a simple lunch). So if you're a solo traveler or a couple/quartet on a budget, you can choose a tour from one of the agencies and you'll pay a fixed price - no more haggling. You'll be "joiners" in one of the big boats. 

If you want to give a tip to the crew, it's up to you. They have a tip box in the boat, or you can give it directly to one of them. My group always gave tips, because we know that their job is seasonal and there are lean times with no/few tourists. Or there could be typhoons = no flights or boat tours, as the coast guard wouldn't allow it. 

It's also possible to hire a private boat for your group (if $$$ is not a worry). If doing so, it's best to  tell your hotel/agency the day before, so that they can arrange it. They have a to arrange a crew & one has to go to market to buy food for your party. 

According to our guide, most of the boats in Coron are now tour boats & not fishing boats anymore. They have to "import" fish from Mindoro, the neighboring island. 

One afternoon, upon returning to the GH, we were able to talk to the owner of the GH and tour agency. He came from humble beginnings - he started out as tour guide and driver. He was given a loan by his first white customer (married to a Filipina), and he was told to buy a boat. He bought a boat, acted as both tour guide and captain. He later repaid his loan. The white guy said that among all those that he lent money to (including relatives of his wife),  he (the boat owner) was the only one who repaid the loan. (Bad Filipinos. Tsk Tsk!) 

Then Typhoon Yolanda/ Haiyan (category 4) came in Nov 2013 and wiped out his boats, so he had to start anew. He was able to rebuild, and now he has 18 or 19 boats, plus the tour agency, the GH and higher end resort. He said he meets his staff once a month to give them pep talks, reminders, etc. He said he told his staff to be honest and work hard, as it will pay off in the end. He's relatively young - 45 y.o, and has accomplished a lot. Very inspiring story. 

If you don't like reading the stories, just skip the text. I'll put pics in another post. I just want to tell the stories while they're fresh in my mind.

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## katie23

This was CYC Beach & Quin Reef. We did some swimming, snorkelling & kayaking. Kayak rental was P1,000/day or 20 USD.

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## katie23

Next stop was Las Islas de Coral and Green Lagoon. The latter is named as such because of its color (heh!).  :Smile:  We did more swimming, snorkelling & picture taking. 

Green Lagoon
Attachment 15427

Las Islas de Coral
Attachment 15428

everywhere we went to, the waters were so clear  :Smile:

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## PAG

> Next stop was Las Islas de Coral and Green Lagoon. The latter is named as such because of its color (heh!).  We did more swimming, snorkelling & picture taking. 
> 
> Green Lagoon
> 
> 
> Las Islas de Coral
> 
> 
> everywhere we went to, the waters were so clear


Nothing appears when you click on these two links Katie.

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## Davis Knowlton

^That's because Mao hasn't put them up for her yet.

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## katie23

^^thanks PAG for reposting the pics.  :Smile:  

My collaborator Luigi is still prolly sleeping off a hang over. I'm an early bird, so I prefer to post pics early - the net is also relatively faster. I'm browsing TD in between doing housework. 

Cheers & happy Sunday to everyone!  :Smile:

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## Luigi

> This was CYC Beach & Quin Reef. We did some swimming, snorkelling & kayaking. Kayak rental was P1,000/day or 20 USD.





> Next stop was Las Islas de Coral and Green Lagoon. The latter is named as such because of its color (heh!).  We did more swimming, snorkelling & picture taking. 
> 
> Green Lagoon
> 
> 
> Las Islas de Coral
> 
> 
> everywhere we went to, the waters were so clear


.....

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## katie23

After Green Lagoon, it was time to go back to the pier. There were some large hotels (4 storey) which had seaside views. 


Some thoughts: 

The disadvantage of Coron (over El Nido or Boracay) is that you can't get a hotel/resort which is beach side. You'd have to go to an island hopping tour for the beaches, or stay in another part of the island, like probably in Busuanga town. But you can get seaside or mountainside views, depending on your hotel.

There are no international hotel chains yet like Marriot, Hilton, etc, and I hope it stays that way at the moment. A colleague said that in 2012, there was no large hotels (4-5 storey) yet. Tourism is still relatively new.

My sis went to Coron in the 90s, for a uni tour wherein they observed the marine & wild life. She said that during that time, it was a small fishing town and there was no electricity. They stayed in a local's home, and the host cooked their meals. They slept on mats or matresses on the floor - very basic accoms. Now, in the town proper, there are lots of shops, some restos & bars, tour agencies, and variety of resorts, guesthouses & 4-5 storey hotels. The waters were so clear everywhere too. 

My advice to anyone interested in visiting, is to visit within the next 5 years. I already saw some signs of mass tourism - Koreans, Chinese, Japanese groups, as well as white foreigners (mostly backpacker age). There were also a few older whites, most of them had Filipina GFs/ wives or partners. 

According to a friend who's a good swimmer & went far away from the boat in one of the sites, he saw some empty plastic bottles lodged in some corals. He wanted to get them but he wasn't that confident to dive & he was alone. My reaction was, Tsk Tsk - oh no.... I also saw (and heard) some Chinese tour groups at the airport while waiting for the plane back...and it was another "oh no" moment. But to be fair, some Pinoys throw trash indiscriminately too, and aren't responsible travelers. 

If you really want an isolated island resort, my group went to 1 small island (Bulog Uno) on the 3rd day. It has a small beach, white sand, totally isolated. Simple rooms with A/C cost P1,500 per night or ~30 USD. It's good for lovers or those who want solitude. I don't have the contact details, but you could probably ask JY Travel if interested, and they'll find out for you. You'd also have to hire a boat (1.5H travel) to get to that island. 

Advantage: you'd be totally isolated. Disadvantage: if there's a typhoon, you'd be marooned on a small island with probably limited supplies. 

There were also some bungalows/ cottages (which looked nice) on another isolated island far from shore. It was said to be owned by a Chinese person - prolly via dummy wife, partner or corporation.  :Wink:  I didn't take pics, as I was camera weary (and sleepy) by then. 

Pics to come of Bulog Uno (the small isolated island) later.

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## katie23

Thanks Luigi for reposting the pics.  :Smile: 

Some pics of the boat ride back to the pier


These are the 4-storey hotels w/ seaside views

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## katie23

View of the pier & Mount Tapyas. If you try to look closely, there's a cross on top of the hill. My group went there on our 3rd day, 700+ steps. Pics of the climb later.

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## PAG



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## PAG

> Thanks Luigi for reposting the pics. 
> 
> Some pics of the boat ride back to the pier
> 
> 
> These are the 4-storey hotels w/ seaside views

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## Luigi

They'll show up just by quoting the post Pag, no need to actually re-post them yourself, as you then get a double set of the same photos in the post.

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## Luigi

The water and beaches at those islands look bladdy sublime K-Pop. 


Yours enviously, Lulu.  :Smile:

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## katie23

^^^thanks again, PAG.  :Smile: 

After a day tour, you'll get back to the pier between 4-6 pm, depending on your activities & the waves. There's no place to wash up in the small islands. Sometimes there were roving boat salesmen, selling chips, iced candy, drinks (soda & beer). Then it's back to hotel, wash up, prepare for dinner. If you're in a tour package, dinner is not included in the price; only breakfast and lunch are. 

Since we stayed in budget accoms, there was only 1 type of breakfast available - the Pinoy "silog" breakfast, consisting of rice, egg & something (sweet pork tocino, longganisa sausage, beef tapa, corned beef, dried fish, etc). Maybe in the higher end hotels, they'll have American or continental breakfast on offer. 

Prolly no English brekky - sorry to the Poms.  :Smile: 

Re: footwear during island trips, it's more advisable to wear sandals than flip flops, as sometimes you have to wade in water. Up to you if you want to wear socks with your sandals.  :Smile:   Or some ppl wore "aqua" shoes. There was also a site with lots of sea urchins (the guide warned us about them), so be careful not to step on  them. There was also one site which had jellyfish - thankfully no one in our boat was stung. 

The Russian girl (day 2) had a Go Pro camera - probably got some great underwater footage. One from my group also had a Go Pro (borrowed from another friend) but I haven't seen the vids or pics. 

Snorkel mask rental was usually P150 or 3 USD. 

Cheers!  :Smile:

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## Headworx

> Or some ppl wore "aqua" shoes.


You probably mean Crocs?. Anyone who wears them - especially brightly coloured Crocs - should be held down and flogged with them while being told this hurts me more than it hurts you!. Nothing says _stupid tourist_ more than Crocs, besides Elephant pants obviously  :Smile:

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## katie23

^hey, I have elephant pants! I use them in my trips.  :Smile: 

No, the aqua shoes are more like the shoes worn by scuba divers. The one they use before putting the fins. I don't know how they're really called but my friends and our guide called them aqua shoes. Guide said that it's better to wear those, since your feet are fully covered even underwater. 

Some of my boat mates (the joiners) wore leggings for the swim. I think those are safer to wear in some places - less possible sting due to jellyfish & such. I wore shorts always and didn't think to bring leggings (though I have them). 

Some of the boat crew also wore leggings under their shorts, as well as long sleeved shirts, as protection.

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## bsnub

> If you're not a good swimmer, you're advised to wear life vest while swimming.


That's a lot of poor swimmers.  :Smile:

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## katie23

I've received some comments over repo of ppl interested in visiting, so I'll try to give more info. To go to Coron, you can fly from Clark or Manila airports. These are the airlines you can use: 

From Clark: Philippine Airlines & Cebu Pacific

From Manila: same as above, plus Skyjet airlines. 

The planes used are the twin propeller Bombardier Q400 ones, 4 seats per row. On the flight to Coron, the last 10 minutes were a bit rollercoaster-ish. There was some turbulence and the plane had to tilt a bit to avoid the mountains. I think most of the passengers prayed to their God/gods at that time.  :Smile: 

Since the trip was an all-in tour (5D/4N) inclusive of flights, accoms & boat tours, I don't know how much the flight exactly costs, as it depends on time & sometimes promos. 

I checked one website, and a one-way flight costs P3,500 or ~70 USD. 

For budget travellers, there's another way to reach Coron from Manila. It's via 2go ship/ferry. It's an overnight ship travel. It costs ~P2,000 or ~40 USD one way, to travel by ship (tourist class, with A/C). If you're a group or family, you can get the state room, which is good for 4 or 6 pax. The ship leaves Manila 2x a week, every Friday & Tuesday pm. I think the ship goes farther on to Puerto Princess in Palawan island. 

For more info, go to 2gotravel dot com.

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## OhOh

> If you don't like reading the stories, just skip the text


Keep them coming, they add so much more. 

An excellent intro to a Philippine holiday.  Stories, info and pictures. This post should be made a sticky for the Philippine thread.

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## Headworx

> That's a lot of poor swimmers.


For a nation made up of something like 7000 islands, it's amazing just how many Filipinos cannot swim!.

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## Davis Knowlton

> No, the aqua shoes are more like the shoes worn by scuba divers. The one they use before putting the fins.


Reef boots.

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## katie23

^thanks for the info, Davis. My friends called them aqua shoes. Some cheap ones are available at SM stores

@headworx - yeah, many Filipinos cannot swim. 

Btw, there are now 7,641 islands, not 7,107 anymore. New count is due to newer imaging technology & plate tectonics. More info: 

More islands, more fun in PH - CNN Philippines

will try to upload more pics later. Got stuff to do & my net is wonky.

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## katie23

These pics are not from this trip, but from one I made last December during the Xmas holidays. I traveled from Batangas port & got off at Caticlan port, then traveled by bus to Antique province in Panay island. 

I took the 2go travel overnight ferry. Fare in tourist class (with a/c, bunk bed) was ~ 40 USD. 

As I've mentioned in a former post, if on budget you can use this shipping company to go to Coron. Or you could fly one way, go by ship the other way.

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## Luigi

> These pics are not from this trip, but from one I made last December during the Xmas holidays. I traveled from Batangas port & got off at Caticlan port, then traveled by bus to Antique province in Panay island. 
> 
> I took the 2go travel overnight ferry. Fare in tourist class (with a/c, bunk bed) was ~ 40 USD. 
> 
> As I've mentioned in a former post, if on budget you can use this shipping company to go to Coron. Or you could fly one way, go by ship the other way.


.....

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## katie23

Ok, back to the Coron trip. 

For Day 2, we took Tour B. We were told by the GH receptionist to be ready by 8-8:30 am. Then we were again brought by van to the pier & boarded a large tour boat (~20 pax). You'll have to wait for ~30 min because you'll have to write your names & info on the boat manifest & waiver forms, then wait for coast guard clearance. If there are lots of tours that day, expect to wait longer for the CG clearance. 

First stop for that day was Luluyuan Lake, a.k.a Barracuda lake. It was called the latter because a large barracuda was supposedly seen there. 

Docking area for the boats


this was one cool rock

----------


## PAG

> Ok, back to the Coron trip. 
> 
> For Day 2, we took Tour B. We were told by the GH receptionist to be ready by 8-8:30 am. Then we were again brought by van to the pier & boarded a large tour boat (~20 pax). You'll have to wait for ~30 min because you'll have to write your names & info on the boat manifest & waiver forms, then wait for coast guard clearance. If there are lots of tours that day, expect to wait longer for the CG clearance. 
> 
> First stop for that day was Luluyuan Lake, a.k.a Barracuda lake. It was called the latter because a large barracuda was supposedly seen there. 
> 
> Docking area for the boats
> 
> 
> this was one cool rock


Forwarded.

----------


## katie23

Thanks Luigi!  :Smile: 

More limestone rock formations

----------


## Luigi

> Thanks Luigi! 
> 
> More limestone rock formations


.....

----------


## Luigi

Could do some nice rock jumping off those. Especially the bottom pic.  :Smile:

----------


## katie23

Thanks PAG!  :Smile: 

There's an area where you can take photos


then you'll have to go up & down some wooden steps and through that hole - it's bigger than it looks

----------


## Luigi

> Thanks PAG! 
> 
> There's an area where you can take photos
> 
> 
> then you'll have to go up & down some wooden steps and through that hole - it's bigger than it looks


.....

----------


## katie23

These are the wooden stairs


a friendly reminder  :Smile:

----------


## Luigi

> These are the wooden stairs
> 
> 
> a friendly reminder


.....

----------


## katie23

@Luigi - I didn't see anyone rock jumping. I think it's not allowed. Also, the water in that area seemed shallow, not deep enough for a cliff jump.

According to our guide, there have been some drones which have lost control or batteries and were lodged in those rocks. One drone owner (a foreigner) paid a local guy a big amount to climb those rocks and retrieve the drone. Others with lost  just left their drones up there.

----------


## SKkin

> These are the wooden stairs


Those look like they'd be slicker than monkey snot on a door knob...

----------


## katie23

Luluyuan Lake, a.k.a. Barracuda Lake. It's a deep lake enclosed by limestone karsts. It's also a mixture of salt & fresh water. 

Attachment 15469

Attachment 15470

----------


## Luigi

> Luluyuan Lake, a.k.a. Barracuda Lake. It's a deep lake enclosed by limestone karsts. It's also a mixture of salt & fresh water.


.....

----------


## katie23

> Those look like they'd be slicker than monkey snot on a door knob...


Lol. Yeah those stairs are slippery when wet, so exercise caution when using them.  :Smile: 

IMHO, sea urchin tastes like snot (nose mucous). But a friend said that for her, it tastes like oysters. Diff strokes for diff folks.  :Wink:

----------


## katie23

Barracuda lake is a deep lake, with some parts more than 30 meters. While my group was there, we saw a large Japanese scuba diving group who surfaced as we were taking a dip. Then there other groups diving below - I saw them while snorkelling.  There were some cool stripey fish, and nice rock formations on the walls of the lake. 

I found this diving blog while searching for info about this lake. The author said that at some point, there's a thermocline, where freshwater (28 degrees C) meets salt water (38 degrees). Made for interesting reading. 

Tales of the Odd & the Ugly While Diving Barracuda Lake - Bold Travel

edit - based on the map that I've seen in the above blog, there are beaches in Coron town, but they're a bit far from the pier and town proper. I also don't know if there are resorts near those beaches - probably yes.

More pics next time - past my bedtime.  :Wink:

----------


## bsnub

> it's amazing just how many Filipinos cannot swim!.





> yeah, many Filipinos cannot swim.


Kind of sad really being an archipelago nation. I started learning how to swim when I was a toddler thanks to my mom taking me for swim lessons.

----------


## katie23

^yes, it's sad. Somehow it's due to proximity - not all places are near the sea. Some people live in the mountains or plains. Sometimes they're too poor to have swimming lessons. Many of the ppl that I know who live near the sea can swim. 

My dad was one. He grew up poor and his hometown was one side mountain, the other side the sea. He swam in rivers and the sea with his cousins. He said that he learned how to swim when one of his older cousins pushed him into the river, and he had to either sink or swim - no formal lessons. I learned how to swim from him. We weren't rich but when we were kids, he sometimes brought us to a local pool and taught us himself. So many good memories with him - RIP Dad....

*****

Yesterday afternoon, I learned that one of my friends (from the Coron trip) was rushed to the hospital due to a minor stroke. He has hypertension and diabetes. He has maintenance meds, but sometimes his eating is uncontrolled and lacks exercise. I noticed that he ate a lot of rice & seafood during the trip - high sugar & cholesterol.  :Sad:  He's now in ICU and in stable condition. Some friends and I visited him yesterday evening. I'm positive that he will recover, but needs to make lifestyle changes. The fragility of life...

----------


## David48atTD

> yeah, many Filipinos cannot swim.





> I started learning how to swim when I was a toddler thanks to my mom taking me for swim lessons.


Being a toddler, most likely those swimming lessons were conducted in a Swimming pool, most likely indoor.
Unlikely to take a toddler swimming lesson/class in the open ocean.

More difficult in the Phillipines as not so many swimming pools amongst the masses.

Credit to your parents for teaching you young *bsnub*, swimming is a vital skill.

My niece was a swimming teacher, my nephew is a lifeguard.

---

*Katie*, can you swim?

Presuming so, how/when did you learn?

----------


## katie23

So to continue, here are more pics. 

I think this was called Reef Garden. The clients were in a sort of conga line and their guide led them around. We swam & snorkelled here a bit. 



Pic as we left Barracuda Lake


thanks to anyone who will repost the pics...

----------


## happynz

> 


.....

----------


## katie23

@david48 - yes, I can swim, but am not a strong swimmer. I sometimes say that I can probably save myself, but not others. During the trip, in deep waters I always wore my life vest. 

I first learned to swim from my dad as a kid - he sometimes brought us to the pool during weekends and taught us himself. It wasn't too often, bcos the pool entry fee cost $$ too, and money was tight. But I was able to swim (breast stroke) by age 11 or so. I didn't grow up near the sea or rivers, so no natural body of water to practice on. 

Later on, I was admitted to a high school which had swimming as one of its PE classes. Swimming is not compulsory in PI schools, bcos it depends on the school's facilities. In my 2nd year of HS, we were taught how to swim - 1 quarter each (~2 months) for freestyle, breast stroke, back stroke and treading. By then, I already knew the basics of swimming, so I wasn't afraid of the water - some of my classmates were.  The quarterly exam was to swim a length of the pool, using that particular stroke. For treading, we had to jump from the diving board (pool at deep end was 12 feet), then tread water for 1 minute. 

Now, my primary style when I swim is breast stroke (it was the first style that I learned). I can still do freestyle and back stroke, but with difficulty. Needs practice.

Edit - will try to upload pics later. Net is getting &%$ and I need to earn my keep....

Thanks to happynz for the repost!  :Smile:

----------


## bsnub

> My dad was one. He grew up poor and his hometown was one side mountain, the other side the sea. He swam in rivers and the sea with his cousins. He said that he learned how to swim when one of his older cousins pushed him into the river, and he had to either sink or swim - no formal lessons. I learned how to swim from him. We weren't rich but when we were kids, he sometimes brought us to a local pool and taught us himself. So many good memories with him - RIP Dad....


Thanks for sharing that Katie. My father is gone as well I am glad you have those moments to remember. 




> Being a toddler, most likely those swimming lessons were conducted in a Swimming pool, most likely indoor.
> Unlikely to take a toddler swimming lesson/class in the open ocean.


Yes of course it was a swimming pool being a toddler I do not remember but my mother told me she would be in the water holding me while the instructor guided us through exercises. As I got older I moved into more and more advanced classes. So swimming is instinctual for me even if I have not been in the water for sometime. Sometimes I forget and think it is the same for everyone. Then I see things like that picture and realize I am one of the lucky ones. 




> More difficult in the Phillipines as not so many swimming pools amongst the masses.


This problem exists in the American south as well. Another uniquely American first world problem. 




> Credit to your parents for teaching you young bsnub, swimming is a vital skill.


My mom is the one who deserves credit for that  :Smile:

----------


## Switch

I was lucky, in a way. My primary school paid for weekly lessons at the local outdoor council pool. I managed to get my 25 yard certificate by the time I was 10 years old. Bloody cold in spring and autumn. Pool closed in winter.
I paid for lessons for my 3 lads as soon as they were old enough. Lucky again because one of my uni friends was their instructor. They went on to swimming distances beyond 1500 m and life saving awards.
 They are now aware and confident in open water.

----------


## Topper

> I first learned to swim from my dad as a kid  .....


My wife can't swim at all.....it always made me wonder, "You grew up on an island, but you can't swim?"

----------


## OhOh

^Buddha is always there to save the true believers.

----------


## katie23

^Csffan's wife is a Filipina and I assume she's Christian. 

As mentioned by others, the inability of most Filipinos to swim is due to lack of access to swimming pools/lessons and poverty. Not everyone lives near the sea or bodies of water, and not everyone has parents who have the time, inclination or skill to reach their kids to swim. Some parents were too busy earning a living - either within the country or abroad. I had many classmates whose parents were in Saudi or Middle East (we were the Saudi generation). I was somehow lucky that I grew up in a town with swimming pools (some small towns don't), and was admitted to a high school with swim classes. Many of my friends and colleagues now can't swim.

Thanks to snubby & switch for sharing your stories.

----------


## katie23

Back to the pics...

Sunset Beach, lunch venue for Day 2




thanks to anyone who will repost the pics!

----------


## katie23

Lunch for Day 2

Attachment 15565

Attachment 15566

^After lunch, we swam a bit and took pics. I saw this lil girl having tantrums - prolly wanted to stay more in the water but parents said that they had to go.  :Smile:

----------


## katie23

Onward to the next destination - Sunken Skeleton Ship (SSS). Accdg to the guide, there's an old Chinese ship which sank there. 





^the area with many ppl - that's where the sunken ship was. We snorkelled around this area and I was a bit saddened to see the effects of human-induced climate change - some of the corals were bleached.  :Sad:

----------


## katie23

Last destination for Day 2: Twin Lagoon. The first lagoon is where boats dock. The 2nd lagoon, you'll have to climb some stairs to reach it. An alternative was to swim/dive under the rocks, since it was high tide. According to a friend who swam under, it was a short dive, 2-3 meters. 





thanks to anyone who will repost the pics.

----------


## katie23

- double post, net issues....

----------


## bsnub

> Back to the pics...
> 
> Sunset Beach, lunch venue for Day 2
> 
> 
> 
> 
> thanks to anyone who will repost the pics!


Very nice!

----------


## bsnub

> Lunch for Day 2
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ^After lunch, we swam a bit and took pics. I saw this lil girl having tantrums - prolly wanted to stay more in the water but parents said that they had to go.


These are broken.

----------


## bsnub

> Onward to the next destination - Sunken Skeleton Ship (SSS). Accdg to the guide, there's an old Chinese ship which sank there. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ^the area with many ppl - that's where the sunken ship was. We snorkelled around this area and I was a bit saddened to see the effects of human-induced climate change - some of the corals were bleached.


Yes coral is dying all over the pacific sadly.

----------


## bsnub

> Last destination for Day 2: Twin Lagoon. The first lagoon is where boats dock. The 2nd lagoon, you'll have to climb some stairs to reach it. An alternative was to swim/dive under the rocks, since it was high tide. According to a friend who swam under, it was a short dive, 2-3 meters. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> thanks to anyone who will repost the pics.


Love it!

----------


## Luigi

Damn that looks nice. If only it could be free of people.

----------


## Davis Knowlton

> My wife can't swim at all.....it always made me wonder, "You grew up on an island, but you can't swim?"


I think much of it, other than what Katie has pointed out, comes from "white is good, dark means poor" sun aversion. Flippers hate going out in the sun for fear of getting darker, which happens very quickly. We have a beautiful, Olympic pool here in the complex. Empty until the sun starts going down - I am often the ony person there during the day. I took the twins there for swimming lessons when they were young - a hour or two with goggles on and they'd look like raccoons for a day or two. Around 5:30, folks start to appear on the streets here - walking dogs, visiting - streets are empty during the day other than maids. My wife and kids can swim, but going to the pool just isn't on their list.

----------


## TizMe

My GF could swim when we met, but not very well.

We have a 25 metre pool here in our condo, so we swim lunch time 4 days per week (pool is closed for cleaning on Monday, and just too many kids on Saturday & Sunday)

She has improved immensely over the last couple of months.
As well as asking me for advice, she also watches a lot of YouTube videos that demonstrate stroke improvement.

depending on how much time we have, I swim somewhere between 20 and 50 laps usually and she'll do between 15 & 30.

----------


## Davis Knowlton

^Interesting. I have never seen a Filipino swimming laps.

----------


## katie23

^that's kinda limiting, Davis. I have some friends who swim laps, and my sis and I do too, when we're in a pool. 

Re: the aversion to darker skin, yes I agree. I have many friends and colleagues who don't want to get dark. So they put lots of sunblock or wear long sleeved shirts or swimming attire. 

When I was younger, I used to be bothered by my brown skin - everyone wanted to be light skinned. I even used papaya soaps to lighten my skin for a time. I learned to love myself and my skin, when I lived in farangland and my friends admired my skin because I got tanned easily. 

Now I'm a bit darker than before because of the Coron trip, but I don't care. I have more melanin and it's protection against the sun.  :Smile:

----------


## Luigi

^ A picture paints a thousand words, K-Pop.  :Smile:

----------


## Davis Knowlton

> ^that's kinda limiting, Davis. I have some friends who swim laps, and my sis and I do too, when we're in a pool.


Wasn't meant to be, Katie. I've just never seen it here other than during the kids' summer swimming school lessons.

----------


## bsnub

The funny thing is that in America women spend a fortune to go to the tanning salon to get the skin tone that flippers have naturally. Funny how it is reversed there.

----------


## Davis Knowlton

> The funny thing is that in America women spend a fortune to go to the tanning salon to get the skin tone that flippers have naturally. Funny how it is reversed there.


There, the time and money to obtain a good tan generally means a certain amount of money and leisure time. Here, dark skin means the opposite.

----------


## bsnub

^ Ya I got that. But I tend to think that most of the women who frequent the tanning salons are more shallow and less intelligent in general.

----------


## Davis Knowlton

> ^ Ya I got that. But I tend to think that most of the women who frequent the tanning salons are more shallow and less intelligent in general.


Wouldn't know......never seen a tanning salon.

----------


## TizMe

> ^Interesting. I have never seen a Filipino swimming laps.


Quite a few of the Filipinos that I work with are very fit, competing in both Triathlons and the recent Philippines Ironman competition.
Thats way more laps in training than I do.

Many of the others swim as part of keeping fit, without the competitions.

----------


## Davis Knowlton

^Might just be the demographics of my 300+ home development.....lot of older, retired folks.

----------


## TizMe

I also worked with quite a few Filipinos when I was in Singapore.

https://www.metasport.com/sugarcane-triathlon-club/

They formed the Sugarcane Triathlon Club,  evolving from members of a swimming club.

----------


## katie23

Interesting discussion about swimming...

Here are some still shots from the GoPro vids of a friend - these pics are not mine. 

From Day 2, Barracuda Lake - some divers




nice rock formation at the side


thanks to anyone who will repost!

----------


## katie23

More GoPro still shots - Reef Garden, Day 2


Las Islas de Coral, Day 1. Lots of sea urchins


again, thanks to anyone for reposting

----------


## katie23

Some pics on the way back to port


there were buoys along the way


thanks for reposting.  :Smile:

----------


## David48atTD

> Interesting discussion about swimming...
> 
> Here are some still shots from the GoPro vids of a friend - these pics are not mine. 
> 
> From Day 2, Barracuda Lake - some divers
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...


.....

----------


## David48atTD

> More GoPro still shots - Reef Garden, Day 2
> 
> 
> Las Islas de Coral, Day 1. Lots of sea urchins
> 
> 
> again, thanks to anyone for reposting


.....

----------


## David48atTD

> Some pics on the way back to port
> 
> 
> there were buoys along the way
> 
> 
> thanks for reposting.


I've never dived ... but I'm getting inspired.

----------


## katie23

Thanks david48 for the reposts.  :Smile:  

I don't dive either. Those underwater shots were taken while snorkelling. I enjoyed snorkelling this time, by just using my swim goggles and surfacing once in a while.  Last time I tried snorkelling, I used a snorkelling mouthpiece, and couldn't get the hang of it. A friend brought a full face mask snorkel and I tried it for a time - I liked using that better. You just look like one of Darth Vader's soldiers in pics.  :Smile:  It's also a bit bulky to bring and I like to travel light, so I'll stick to my swim goggles.

Edit: the full face snorkel mask was bought via Lazada, was ~20 USD.

Btw, I saw dive courses available in Puerto Galera. During that time, a one week course was 16k pesos or a bit over 300 USD.

----------


## TizMe

> Edit: the full face snorkel mask was bought via Lazada, was ~20 USD.


We bought a couple of those full face snorkel masks, but didn't like using them.

I now just use a TYR HYDROVISION GOGGLE.

Slightly larger than the tiny swim goggles, but still small enough to take up no room while travelling light, and also provide better peripheral vision.

----------


## OhOh

> I now just use a TYR HYDROVISION GOGGLE.


I think may have been, putting the tube in her mouth, biting down and sucking, that was confusing. :Smile: 




> I used a snorkelling mouthpiece, and couldn't get the hang of it.

----------


## katie23

^heh. 

That's why it's best to always be careful of what you say/write here on TD, because it can be taken against you later on.  :Smile: 

@tizme - those goggles look interesting, and yes they'd provide better peripheral vision. Cheers.

----------


## katie23

Back to the pics. For Day 3, my group had a smaller boat (max 10 ppl), and we had it to ourselves. So yay, no joiners! 

Saw these 2 ships: a cruise ship and the 2go passenger/freight ship. 



saw another buoy


thanks to anyone for reposting

----------


## katie23

Btw, how do you guys pronounce "buoy"? 

I've always pronounced it in the same way as "boy" because of the soap Lifebuoy. Then I heard it pronounced in a docu as "boo-wee". 

Is it a US/UK thing, similar to "to-may-to" and "to-mah-to"? I pronounce it as to-may-to, 'cos I'd be given weird looks here if I said it as to-mah-to.  :Smile:

----------


## katie23

For Day 3, we took Tour C1 and it was just to 3 destinations, but which were farther away. It took 1.5 hours to reach the first island in the tour. The boat crew...



this island was inhabited by villagers, not for tourism

----------


## PAG

> For Day 3, we took Tour C1 and it was just to 3 destinations, but which were farther away. It took 1.5 hours to reach the first island in the tour. The boat crew...
> 
> 
> 
> this island was inhabited by villagers, not for tourism


Reposted.

----------


## katie23

Approaching Malcapuya island



The boats dock on one side of the island. Then you'll have to take a short walk to the other side, where the nice beach is.

----------


## katie23

Thanks PAG. Posts 139 and 141 too, if you please.  :Smile:

----------


## katie23

Docking on Malcapuya Island


short walk to other side, saw a solar panel



thanks for reposting...

----------


## PAG

> Back to the pics. For Day 3, my group had a smaller boat (max 10 ppl), and we had it to ourselves. So yay, no joiners! 
> 
> Saw these 2 ships: a cruise ship and the 2go passenger/freight ship. 
> 
> 
> 
> saw another buoy
> 
> 
> thanks to anyone for reposting


Reposting

----------


## PAG

> Approaching Malcapuya island
> 
> 
> 
> The boats dock on one side of the island. Then you'll have to take a short walk to the other side, where the nice beach is.


Reposting.

----------


## PAG

> Docking on Malcapuya Island
> 
> 
> short walk to other side, saw a solar panel
> 
> 
> 
> thanks for reposting...


Reposting.

----------


## katie23

Then saw this at Malcapuya Island




powdery white sand, clear water, few ppl - what more could you ask for?  :Smile: 

thanks for the reposts PAG. I'm off for the day. TGIF! Yay!

----------


## PAG

> Then saw this at Malcapuya Island
> 
> 
> 
> 
> powdery white sand, few ppl - what more could you ask for?


Reposting.

----------


## Headworx

> Btw, how do you guys pronounce "buoy"? 
> 
> I've always pronounced it in the same way as "boy" because of the soap Lifebuoy. Then I heard it pronounced in a docu as "boo-wee". 
> 
> Is it a US/UK thing, similar to "to-may-to" and "to-mah-to"? I pronounce it as to-may-to, 'cos I'd be given weird looks here if I said it as to-mah-to.


I use _Boy_ because I worked on quite a few ships and that was what most Captains called them. To be fair, a few of them also said _boo-we_ though. It's just one if those words like _Caribbean_ where it's not uncommon to hear it said 2 different ways, though I'd like to hear from someone who's been to the Caribbean on how the locals pronounce it...

----------


## TizMe

I always thought the boo-ee was just used in America, and the real world pronounced it boy.

----------


## Luigi

Always heard it pronounced 'Boy'.

Presumably it comes from the words buoyancy or buoyant.


Which I'm sure even Americans can't massively mispronounce.  :Smile:

----------


## Luigi

btw that sea (beaches) look amazing.

----------


## katie23

Buoy = boy or boo-wee, same-same, innit?  :Smile: 

More beach pics from Malcapuya Island...

^I liked that pic bcos of the dog & diff colors of the sea...



we stayed in that island for an hour or so...
thanks to anyone who will repost

----------


## David48atTD

> Buoy = boy or boo-wee, same-same, innit? 
> 
> More beach pics from Malcapuya Island...
> 
> ^I liked that pic bcos of the dog & diff colors of the sea...
> 
> 
> 
> thanks to anyone who will repost


Looks great, Kate  :Smile:

----------


## katie23

Next stop was Cocos Island, for lunch
Attachment 15762

Attachment 15763

thanks for reposting...

----------


## katie23

^thanks D48. Good morn, looks like you're an early bird too.  :Smile: 

More pics of Cocos Island

----------


## David48atTD

> Next stop was Cocos Island, for lunch
> 
> 
> 
> 
> thanks for reposting...


Did you upload or copy and paste?

----------


## Chittychangchang

Cool pics Katie..







One of them hammocks has my name onit :Smile:

----------


## katie23

@d48 - I upload pics directly from my phone. I've noticed that sometimes, my net prolly goes very slow and the upload doesn't go well and others don't see it. It appears on my phone screen as "attachment12345" versus P_2018xxxx (file name from my phone). I'll try to fix the links later as net is %&$ again. I can only upload pics until ~6:30 am. The rest of the time, my net is so &%$!

@chitty - yes, those hammocks were very comfy. Had a short nap there. 

If anyone will go to Coron, I would recommend Tour A or B for 1 day (5-6 destinations), then Tour C (3 destinations only) if you want to relax. Tour C1 also has the nicest beaches. However, if you have only 1 day, then you can do the Ultimate Island tour, which has 7 destinations - but you be a bit hurried from 1 stop to another.  

If ever anyone needs a driver & vehicle and you intend to do a day trip in Manila or surrounds (lots of waterfalls in surrounding provinces), send me a PM. I can refer you to some trustworthy drivers - they're husbands of friends. One drives for Grab (SUV type) and another drives a taxi (sedan), but also has access to a van (for large groups). I've ridden in their vehicles and can vouch for them.  :Smile:

----------


## PAG

> Next stop was Cocos Island, for lunch
> 
> 
> 
> 
> thanks for reposting...


Posted.

----------


## katie23

Repost of Cocos Island pics (post 155) - can't edit anymore. 




Hope they load. Thanks for reposting.

----------


## katie23

More of Cocos Island




thanks for reposting

----------


## katie23

This was lunch - we had metal untensils that day, what a luxury!  :Smile:  The past 2 days, we used plastic utensils. The boat crew also cleaned up after the meal. We tried to help them in cleaning up during the first day, but they told us to leave it to them because they might get castigated by their boss. 

Grilled fish and pork belly (liempo)

----------


## katie23

After lunch was siesta time - this was a Chinese group.

----------


## katie23

Siesta time  :Wink:

----------


## katie23

Turned out that the water had some jellyfish. Good that nobody in my group was stung. 



thanks for reposting

----------


## katie23

This was the group of bungalows that were supposedly Chinese owned. Turns out that I took pics of them - I thought I didn't. The boat crew didn't know the rental rates. 




^there was a sand bar connecting it to the next island. Sand bar disappears during high tide. 

Thanks for reposting.

----------


## David48atTD

> Repost of Cocos Island pics (post 155) - can't edit anymore. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hope they load. Thanks for reposting.


.....

----------


## David48atTD

> More of Cocos Island
> 
> 
> 
> 
> thanks for reposting


.....

----------


## David48atTD

> This was lunch - we had metal untensils that day, what a luxury!  The past 2 days, we used plastic utensils. The boat crew also cleaned up after the meal. We tried to help them in cleaning up during the first day, but they told us to leave it to them because they might get castigated by their boss. 
> 
> Grilled fish and pork belly (liempo)


Yum Yum  :Smile:

----------


## David48atTD

> After lunch was siesta time - this was a Chinese group.


Chinese group ...  :enough:

----------


## David48atTD

> Siesta time


Relax ...

----------


## David48atTD

> Turned out that the water had some jellyfish. Good that nobody in my group was stung. 
> 
> 
> 
> thanks for reposting


Thanks ...

----------


## David48atTD

> This was the group of bungalows that were supposedly Chinese owned. Turns out that I took pics of them - I thought I didn't. The boat crew didn't know the rental rates. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ^there was a sand bar connecting it to the next island. Sand bar disappears during high tide. 
> 
> Thanks for reposting.


Missed this one

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## katie23

Will try to add some pics again

This was the last island that we went to, Bulog Uno



^safety reminder for the tour guides to remind their   guests to wear life vests

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## katie23

Arrival at the island


Climbed these steps to get some views


thanks to anyone for reposting

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## katie23

Some views

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## katie23

Then it was back to the port. Was picked up by this   e-trike. Chuckled a bit at the trike company's name.  :Wink:

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## katie23

Coron town, as seen from the trike

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## katie23

Then went off to buy some souvenirs & gifts

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## katie23

Then went to climb the hill before it got dark, 720+ steps



^near the peak

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## katie23

Other Asian countries have their Buddha, PI has its crosses  :Smile: 


some views



^there's a path that can be explored, but we didn't since it was getting dark. There were some ppl down there.

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## katie23

Sunset views

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## katie23

Dinner at this place


shrimp sinigang (tamarind soup)


thanks to anyone who will repost

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## David48atTD

> Will try to add some pics again
> 
> This was the last island that we went to, Bulog Uno
> 
> 
> 
> ^safety reminder for the tour guides to remind their   guests to wear life vests


...  :Smile:

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## David48atTD

> Arrival at the island
> 
> 
> Climbed these steps to get some views
> 
> 
> thanks to anyone for reposting


...  :Razz:

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## David48atTD

> Some views


...  :bunny3:

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## David48atTD

> Then it was back to the port. Was picked up by this   e-trike. Chuckled a bit at the trike company's name.


...  :Drive:

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## David48atTD

> Coron town, as seen from the trike


 :Burnout:

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## David48atTD

> Then went off to buy some souvenirs & gifts

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## David48atTD

> Then went to climb the hill before it got dark, 720+ steps
> 
> 
> 
> ^near the peak

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## David48atTD

> Other Asian countries have their Buddha, PI has its crosses 
> 
> 
> some views
> 
> 
> 
> ^there's a path that can be explored, but we didn't since it was getting dark. There were some ppl down there.

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## David48atTD

> Sunset views

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## David48atTD

> Dinner at this place
> 
> 
> shrimp sinigang (tamarind soup)
> 
> 
> thanks to anyone who will repost

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## katie23

Thanks d48 for the reposts. Very nice smileys!  :Wink:

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## katie23

Some last pics from this trip... 

Road back to Coron Airport - day was sunny; previous days were cloudy (and it was very rainy in Manila & surrounds during that weekend)





thanks to anyone who will repost...

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## katie23

Coron Airport


the signage needs work - supposed to say: Francisco Reyes airport, Coron Is., Palawan

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## katie23

Some foreign backpackers


only 3 airlines flying to Coron

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## katie23

It's a small airport, no A/C

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## katie23

Arrival of passengers from Philippine Airlines - I liked their umbrellas  :Wink: 


This was my plane. There's only 1 runway.

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## katie23

Views from the plane... Goodbye Coron


Hello Manila!

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## katie23

That's it for this Coron thread. Hope you enjoyed!  :Smile: 



thanks to anyone for reposting...

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## happynz

Here ya go, Katie.

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## katie23

^thanks happynz! Could you repost the others too, starting from post 196. Thanks again!

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## happynz

# 197



> Coron Airport
> 
> 
> the signage needs work - supposed to say: Francisco Reyes airport, Coron Is., Palawan

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## happynz

#196 (_lo siento, a bit out of order)_




> Some last pics from this trip... 
> 
> Road back to Coron Airport - day was sunny; previous days were cloudy (and it was very rainy in Manila & surrounds during that weekend)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> thanks to anyone who will repost...

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## happynz

# 198 




> Some foreign backpackers
> 
> 
> only 3 airlines flying to Coron

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## happynz

# 199




> It's a small airport, no A/C

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## happynz

# 200




> Arrival of passengers from Philippine Airlines - I liked their umbrellas 
> 
> 
> This was my plane. There's only 1 runway.

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## happynz

Nice touch by the airline, especially a budget airline.

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## SKkin

> 


That's what I'm talking about...my kind of place. Pastoral and peaceful.

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## katie23

^Yes, it was very peaceful in other parts of that island. However, it may be too peaceful or isolated for others. 

For headworx, these are the dreaded elephant pants. Sorry for the fashion faux pas, but they are really comfy and good for traveling!  :Smile: 

One was taken in Tainan city, Taiwan, the other at Schwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar.  :Wink:

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## Luigi

> ^Yes, it was very peaceful in other parts of that island. However, it may be too peaceful or isolated for others. 
> 
> For headworx, these are the dreaded elephant pants. Sorry for the fashion faux pas, but they are really comfy and good for traveling! 
> 
> One was taken in Tainan city, Taiwan, the other at Schwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar.


 :Wank:

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## SKkin

The only way to make those pants look better would be to let me in them.  :Smile: 




 :Sorry1:

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## katie23

^^ & ^ heh and heh....  :Smile: 

@Luigi - I'm afraid your love life is too busy to accommodate another one. Besides, I think Ms. Bombatta will not approve...  :Very Happy:

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## Headworx



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## Luigi

It was worth a try.  :Smile:

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