The Coron Ultimate Adventure

It's summer! And the best way to fight the excruciating heat is to head to the beaches. One of the most popular summer destinations here in the Philippines is the Palawan group of islands. One of the these islands is Coron.

Coron is a first class municipality of the province of Palawan. It is part of Busuanga island. Busuanga is an hour's flight from Metro Manila. From the Busuanga airport (official name is Francisco B. Reyes), it takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour by van to get to the Coron town proper.

Here is an account of what we did in Coron, July of last year. 

What to do in Coron?

There are a lot of things to do in Coron, Palawan. Since it's an island, most of what you would be doing are water activities. To get the most of the island experience, you have to sign up for the Coron Ultimate tour package.  The tour will include the most popular and must-see sites. 

• Blue/Green Lagoon. This is usually the first stop. We were the first and the only boat in the lagoon. It was so clear and the water is green. The temperature of the water rapidly changes from cool to warm and vice versa due to thermocline. The lagoon is enclosed by small rock-islands on almost all sides. There's only one opening for going in and out of the lagoon. It's name came from the constantly changing color of the lagoon. It was green when we were there. We were with two Canadians in the tour boat and they were really good swimmers so they went exploring the surroundings. Unfortunately, one of them stepped on a group of sea urchins on one of the rocks. 

Swimming in the Blue/Green Lagoon.

Boat entering the blue lagoon. It was raining due to on incoming storm, our boat crew wearing his company-issued raincoat.

• CYC Beach. CYC Beach is being maintained by the Senior Citizens of Coron, hence the name Coron Youth Club. The name of the beach has always been a standing joke repeatedly told by the tour guides. It's a really small island with a sand bar which makes it good for swimming. A few meters to the left of CYC is a good snorkeling area. A lot of Nemo (clown fish) and Dory's (tang fish) cousins and other fishes.

The Japanese who was on our tour. Boat is about to dock on CYC beach. 

Improvised fins used by tour guides in Coron. Made out of thin plywood and rubber straps to keep the feet in place. Photo taken while snorkeling  a few meters off CYC Beach.

• Twin Lagoon. As its name suggest, there are two lagoons. The other one can be reached by swimming underwater for about a minute or climbing up a makeshift ladder. This was packed when were there. Good thing we were one of the first boats to arrive so we were able to climb up the ladder and not have to line up to wait for our turn. We opted to climb the ladder than swim underwater because we are floaters. If you are a floater, you will have a hard time getting underwater, though it's only for a minute, but it's dangerous if you hit the large stone cliff that separates the two lagoon. The second lagoon is totally enclosed by big rock-islands which look like towering cliffs inside the second lagoon. 

First lagoon in the background where the boats dock. I was at the top of  makeshift ladder going to the other lagoon.

The second lagoon. My two friends are already in the water waiting for me.

• Atwayan Beach. This is where we had lunch which was included in the tour package. The beach is lined with cottages which are reached by the tides during high tide. Since it was just a day after the storm has passed, the waves were a bit big and it was high tide. We have to hold on to the benches to not get washed out to sea. Our tour guide and boat crew prepared our grillled fish, ensaladang talong (eggplant salad), liempo (grilled pork belly) and banana, complete with plating and creative presentation. While waiting for our food to be ready, we went swimming and took pictures. We ate our lunch with the water brushing our legs.

Swimming and taking pictures while waiting for our lunch.

The cottages behind me is where lunch is served.

• Quinn Reef. Right in front of Atwayan Beach, just a few meters away is the Quinn Reef. It is also a very good spot for snorkeling. The waves were too strong for us to go exploring on our own. I can swim but I am not a strong swimmer, so in the interest of safety, we opted to hold on to one of life jackets and then our tour guide will just tow us back if we get too far out. It would have been a lot fun if the weather was calm. There were a lot of fishes and very nice corals. 

Corals and fishes in Quinn Reef.

• Skeleton Wreck. This part is deeper but the water was calm compared to that in Quinn Reef. There is no danger of being hit or stepping on any coral or sea urchin since the bottom is way way down. The visibility was not very good but you can still see the fishing boat. It felt eerie looking down and my imagination started running. The best part was swimming side by side with the fishes. There are other shipwrecks that you can explore but some would require scuba equipment. I think this is the only shipwreck accessible by snorkeling.

Remains of Chinese fishing boat that capsized.

• Kayangan Lake. This is dubbed as the cleanest lake in Asia. And this is a freshwater lake, not salt water. You have to wear mosquito repellent lotion before going into the island as you will have to take a 5-10 minute walk among bushes and trees which housed a lot of mosquitos. There is a vantage point looking out into the sea and the backdrop is one of the rock islands and is Coron's official picture in it's tourism ads. Once you get to the lake, there is a boardwalk and you can jump off from there and splash into the lake or not. But we did, but not too eagerly. No need to use snorkels here as we did not see any fishes. It was also a bit scary, looking down into this one big rock formation down below, it seemed like it could tear you apart. But it's only near the boardwalk. Further out, it is clear and wide open. You can swim until your arms are numb.

The view at the top of the trail to Kayangan lake. This is same view of the famous ad for Coron.

Clear waters of the Kayangan Lake.

Standing on the boardwalk, behind me is the entrance to the lake. The boardwalk goes around a quarter of the lake.

• Siete Pecados. Its name is derived from a legend of the seven evil sisters. It was said that these sisters did not listen to their mother and they drowned. Later, seven islets rose and thus were named. This is the best snorkeling site in the whole of Coron. This was the last site in the tour since it is just near the main Coron island. It was already past 5pm when we got there and we only get to see the fishes and very colorful corals for about 10 minutes since it was already getting dark. As I said earlier, this was a day after the storm so Mr. Sun was still too shy. During calm days, 6pm is still bright enough to see and enjoy the wonders at Siete Pecados. This area is a bit shallow, so be careful on stepping on any corals or any other sea creatures. Some may be poisonous like the stone fish. Unfortunately, I was not able to take pictures since my battery has died. We just enjoyed the corals in different colors (pink, green and blue) and the variety of fishes which I could not name.

Other sites in Coron town

•  Mt. Tapyas. The tallest spot in Coron. You need to climb 742 steps to get to the top which is 210 meters above sea level. It overlooked the whole of Coron and the 360-view is very stunning. There is a very large cross at the top and the cross can be seen when you are roaming Coron town. 

Mt. Tapyas

• Coron town proper. Explore the town on a tricycle, motorbike or on foot. Visit their municipal hall, church, popular restaurants, souvenir shops, etc.  Coron is famous for cashew nuts.

Traffic in the main highway of Coron due to a school parade.

• Maquinit Spring. This is a hot seawater spring. Yes, it's saltwater. It's a good place to relax and ease your tired muscles especially after climbing Mt. Tapyas. Be sure to stay in the hot spring for 30 minutes only as long exposure is not advisable. You can sit back in the cottages or explore the area and soak back in again. There are three pools you can choose from with varying temperature. There is no specified swimming attire so you can wear your two-piece (short and shirt :)), rash guard or swimsuit. The hot spring is right beside the sea so can also enjoy the cool seawater if you want to. It is advised to spend a total of 2 hours submerged in the hot spring. 

Maquinit spring in the early part of the day. 

Maquinit spring in the late afternoon. Hanging lamps are all over the place.

A walkway that goes into the sea, surrounded by mangroves. Some boats dock here to unload their passengers for the Maquinit Hot Spring.

 To be able to maximize your time in Coron, make sure to book your tours ahead. There are only two major tour companies in Coron with their own boats so book with any of the two. One of these two is J&Y Tours which was the one booked for by our contact from one of the other smaller tour companies. We were on a 4D3N tour but our second day was cut short due to a storm. We were able to visit two sites (Blue Lagoon, CYC) and snorkelled near CYC but was instructed by the Coast Guard to return to the main island because of the storm. Frustratingly, there's nothing else you can do in Coron. We decided to head back to the hot spring to soak our grumpy spirits. On our third day, the storm has passed and the wind has died down but the sky was still a little overcast. It was safe to venture into the sea but not too far out.We went on to continue our tour and because of yesterday's debacle we got an upgrade, hence the ultimate tour. Our third day was supposed to be a tour to two other islands which are further out but we were advised not to as the conditions are still not that ideal.

Coron is a great place for snorkeling and I would love to go back to do just that. It's also great for diving. I still need to learn how and that's next on my bucket list.

You can also sample the local restaurants. We had dinner on our first night at Balinsasayaw which was famous for the same soup (Nido soup). A soup made from the nest of the bird of the same name. We had lunch on the next day on Lolo Nonoy's which is a carenderia (eatery). We sampled very common dishes such as fried fish, sauteed vegetables, mongo, etc. The food was good and very affordable. Perfect for those on a shoestring budget. There are also a lot of barbecue stalls around. That was our dinner on our second night. We had our dinner after the ultimate tour at the Kawayanan Grill which is famous for their crocodile dishes which we did not sample. It was too exotic for our taste. We did try their seafood flatter, lapu-lapu escabeche, seafood kare-kare, and sizzling squid in a japanese style table setting.  We ate dinner with our new-found Bisaya friends (from Cebu and Bacolod) we met on the tour. 

Dinner Japanese style in Kawayanan Grill.

More Photos of Coron

I have more photos of Coron but unfortunately, my external hard drive is giving me an access error. It's also the reason why this post is delayed. So, here are the other photos I have saved on my phone.

This is what will greet you the moment you touchdown in Busuanga Airport. 

This is what countryside will look like on the way to Coron town proper.

The sleeping giant. View from the top of Mt. Tapyas.

View from Mt. Tapyas.

View from the terrace of our accommodations.

Famous Sites and Landmarks - New York City

I have thought myself so lucky for having been to New York City not once but twice. We were on training in the US and it so happened that the states we were in were in the East Coast. The first time I was in the US, we were in St. Louis, Missouri which is about a three-hour flight to New York City. We booked a promo flight through American Airlines from Lambert Airport to Laguardia. The flight was on Friday night and the return was on Sunday night also. It was winter and a week before that there was a snowstorm. I, with two of my friends, packed a backpack to spend a weekend in the city that never sleeps to get a bite of the Big Apple.

The second time, we were in Boston and we took a five-hour ride on a Greyhound bus to New York. We left Saturday afternoon and returned to Boston on a Sunday night.

Here are the famous places and sites we were able to see up close when we were there. For me, this has been the best thing that happened to me. New York is my favorite city in the world and finally I get to walk in the streets of Manhattan, rode in a yellow cab and tried not to be lost in the subways.

Central Park

Outskirts of Central Park in winter.

Did I mention that it was winter in New York? Yes, we were at Central Park but only in the outskirts, not where the fountain, skating rink, or the zoo is. No, I did not get to meet Alex the Lion. Too bad ha? Right! The only thing we saw were snow-covered walkways. The second time I was in New York was summer. Yes! But still, I never got the chance to go into Central Park. We did pass by the West Entrance though which is right across the Trump Tower.

I promise myself, next time I will be in New York, Central Park will be the first place I will go to.

Statue of Liberty 

I know of two ways to get to see the famous lady in the world - The Statue of Liberty. The first is to take a boat river cruise around East River which would cost around $30. The cruise would take you under the three famous bridges (BMW), Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Williamsburg Bridge. Along the way, the guide would point out famous buildings. The last stop of the tour is the Statue of Liberty. The tour doesn't drop you off at Liberty Island but it positions the boat very near it to get a very good view of the statue.

Statue of Liberty

The second time we went to New York, we were fortunate to have a cousin of my very close friend living in Brooklyn. She took us to see the lady via the Staten Island ferry which plies to and from Manhattan free of charge. The ferry passes by the statue on her way to Staten, so passengers, tourists and locals alike can take pictures of this renowned gift from the French.

 

The Empire State Building

Known  to  be the  tallest  building  in the  world  right  before

Petronas Twin Towers was built and Taipei 101. The view deck is on the 88th floor. Visitors who wished to go up to get a 360 view of Manhattan have to pay $20. We went up to the 88th floor and was met by blasting cold winter winds but the view was breathtaking. Even my friend who has a fear of heights forgot about her fear because of the excitement.

The Museum of Natural History

Remember Dumdum? The Native American statue who needs to be fed bubble gum in the movie The Nights at the Museum. I have seen the famous dinosaur skeleton also who greets every museum visitor at the entrance of the Museum. The museum is very vast and you have to spend a whole day or more just to be able to see all the exhibits.

Native American Statue, was called Dumdum in the movie Nights at the Museum

Dinosaur skeleton at the entrance of the Museum.

Brooklyn Bridge

Brooklyn Bridge

 This bridge is usually featured in most movies or tv shows set in New York. It is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge and is one of the oldest of either type in the US. It was completed in 1883 and connects Manhattan to Brooklyn spanning the East River.

Manhattan Bridge

Manhattan Bridge

Is a suspension bridge connecting Lower Manhattan at Canal Street and Downtown Brooklyn at Flatbrush Avenue Extension. This also spans across the East River and is one of the four toll-free bridges in New York. It is said to be the forerunner of modern suspension bridges. It is also the first to use a Warren truss in its design. 

Williamsburg Bridge

Williamsburg Bridge

Is also a suspension bridge connecting the Lower East Side of Manhattan to the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. This is one of the toll-free crossings from Manhattan to Long Island. It once carried New York State Route 27A and was planned to carry Interstate 78, though the planned I-78 designation was aborted.

 

 

 

 

Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center

 

One of the tallest and famous buildings in New York City. It is also famous for its annual Christmas Tree. There is also a statue of Prometheus right outside the building facade and a big skating rink. The Rockefeller complex is composed of 19 commercial buildings between 48th and 51st streets and 5th and 6th Avenue. The current Center is a combination of two building complexes: the older and original 14 Art Deco office buildings from the 1930s, and a set of four International-style towers built along the west side of Avenue of the Americas (Radio City Music Hall) during the 1960s and 1970s (plus the Lehman Brothers Building). The Time-Life Building, McGraw-Hill, and News Corporation/Fox News Channel headquarters are part of the Rockefeller Center extension.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

This Roman Catholic Church is located right across Rockefeller Center specifically facing the statue of Atlas and Saks on Fifth on its left. The cathedral is a decorated Neo-Gothic style. This was not the original cathedral. This was built by Archbishop Joseph John Hughes to replace the old St. Patrick's Cathedral in downtown Manhattan. The church can accommodate up to 3,000 people. It is built of brick clad in marble, quarried in Massachusetts and New York. The cathedral was being renovated when we were there in 2013. The last time I was there, I bought a gold medal as souvenir which was sold for $3.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

  

Washington Square Park

Washington Square Arch

No, it's not Paris, it's the arch and the entrance to Washington Square Park which is modeled after the Arc the Triomphe. The arch and the fountain are the two famous landmarks and sites of the park along with the statues of George Washington, the Italian patriot and soldier Giuseppe Garibaldi and the talented American engineer who helped start the steel industry, Alexander Lyman Holley. This is the set for the movie August Rush. A lot of musicians and artists hangout in this park and is owned by the New York University.

 

 

 

Grand Central Station 

This is where Melman, Alex, Gloria and Marty got into a fight with an old lady while they were trying to board a train to Connecticut. It is a railroad terminal which has a total of 44 platforms which is more than any in the world.

Grand Central Station Main Concourse

 

Times Square

Times Square NY.

Neon lights, jumbotrons, billboards, people dressed in costumes, artists, peddlers, vendors and tourists converge in this famous avenue in Manhattan. This is probably the most visited part of New York. This is a major commercial intersection situated at the junction of Broadway and 7th Avenue. Formerly called Longacre Square, Times Square was renamed in 1904 after The New York Times moved its headquarters to the newly erected Times Building, the site of the annual ball drop on New Year's Eve. Times Square is also the hub of the Broadway Theater District.

Times Square NY at daytime.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Madam Tussaud's Wax Museum

I got to hug Brad Pitt, Bon Jovi and Michael Jordan, well almost! 

With the President and First Lady.

The wax museum houses a lot of life-like replicas of famous and influential celebrities and personalities from around the world. I got to stand beside the US President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle. I met my ex-boss Bill Gates too. Napoleon, Golda Mier, Gandhi and Pope John Paul II were there too. And I touched JLo's bum. Hehehe.

Hugging Bon Jovi

911 Groud Zero Memorial

This is probably the most eerie and weirdest experience I had. Standing at the memorial wall at ground zero of the 911 tragedy was very surreal. I had goosebumps all over and my stomach felt so cold and empty. It was like I felt what all the people who died and suffered during that unfaithful day.

A portion of the 911 Memorial Mural.

Today, the First World Trade Tower is done and another tower is going to rise up from the ashes of the destruction. 

First World Trade Tower completed in 2013.

There are a lot of things to do in New York City, from visiting museums to sampling the street food, walking through Times Square, watching a Broadway show or play, sitting and relaxing in Central Park and standing at the top of Empire State building with a mesmerizing view of the whole of Manhattan and the other boroughs, just make sure that you have enough time. One advice, be sure to plan your trip before going to the Big Apple to maximize your time and money. Try the subways as it is more fun and a lot cheaper than just getting on a yellow medallion taxi.

New York, New York, this is what dreams are made of.