Oh Coron!

You are such a beauty!

To start an amazing year, we (my friends, Vlad, and I) decided to go to Coron, Palawan. Actually, we planned it, really planned it like we booked our ticket and created the itinerary almost a year ahead. :)

Coron is always on top of the list from numerous websites as one of the best tourist destinations in the Philippines. Since most of us have not visited the place and we have a little bit of cash to spend, we booked for 4 days and 3 nights to explore the place right after the 2013 New Year.

We stayed at Asia Grand View Hotel. The hotel name says it all, having a stunning view of greenery and of course, the sea. The rooms are quite big, super clean, and cozy. They also have their own restaurant with a relaxing entertainment at night.

Scenery from Asia Grand View's restaurant

Coron Island is comprised of small islets which can be found in the eastern part of the largest island in the province of Palawan called Busuanga. Along with our stay, we also booked town, island, and escapade tours within the area.

The town tour is like an hour and a half of driving between famous landmarks such as Coron public market, San Agustin church, Coron baywalk, town plaza, harbour center, cashew harvest factory and some souvenir shops. The best part of this tour is the Mt. Tapyas trek which is about 2000 feet above sea level. Don't get so excited because this trek is simply just climbing a lot of stairs but when you get to the top, a breathtaking view awaits you!

Sunset taken on top of Mt. Tapyas

What's the point of going to a tropical place without soaking up the warmth of the sun and diving into beautiful pristine beach, eh? Well, that's what we did most of the time we spent there! We went island hopping, snorkeling, and feeding our eyes with majestic sceneries. We've seen different types of lagoons, lakes, white sandy beaches, caves, colorful and diverse corals, and islands. Beautiful is the overused word here. This place made us feel astonished, rising into awe whenever and wherever we set our gaze literally anywhere!

Kayangan Lake

Banana Island

In summary, Coron, a real natural wonder, definitely deserves in the top rank of tourist destinations in the Philippines. I surely can attest to that. More of my 2014 adventures in the next post. Toodles!

Where did my money go? Philippine Airlines return ticket Php 4,872, Accommodation for 4 days (inclusive of breakfasts, transfers, and tours) Php 11,250