Magical Coron & Busuanga Islands

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Coron & Busuanga islands are located in the Palawan province, in the Philippines. To get there from Singapore, the best option is to fly to Manila (Cebu Pacific) and get a connecting flight to Coron. The second leg of the trip is a very pleasant ATR flight above the pristine, crystal clear waters of the visayas and palawan provinces. Coron itself is a rather inhabited island, with lush vegetation, and hundreds of small islands all around! There is only one main town (Coron Town) where the cheaper accommodation is. All trips can be booked from there (Boat trips, diving, fishing, trekking and so on). It is also possible to book several-days boat trips, where you basically visit numerous islands, camp in deserted islands and enjoy BBQ-Sunsets!

The classic activities (and where you'll be seeing the most tourists) are Kayangan Lake, Barracuda Lake and the Twin Lagoon, However, if you're in for a treat, there are quite a number of excellent hotels with fantastic views and facilities. If that's what you're looking for, I strongly recommend the Busuanga Lodge. It is secluded and a bit far from everything, but the staff is really nice & friendly, drinks are cheap & good, and the infinity pool on the spectacular bay is just amazing! The hotel is clearly more expensive than standard Filipino hotel, but if it is a private break away from civilization that you're after, Busuanga Bay Lodge is the place to go!

From the hotel, we organized boat trips to visit the legendary under-water paradise of the island. Snorkeling in the coral gardens is a spectacular experience, with thousands of shiny corals of all colors. During the 2nd world war, Japanese warships tried to hide in Busuanga Bay, but got ambushed by the US Navy, who managed to sink a large number of these ships. It is now possible to dive or snorkel at the location of these shipwrecks, some of them only a few meters under water!

The boat trips usually include snorkeling in 3-4 different spots, before going to a small island to enjoy the sun and white-sand beaches! On that day, we were not the only one enjoying the beach!

 

Another great destination to check-out (although a bit far from Coron) is the surreal Calauit Park, maintained by its awesome ranger/guide. Coron is located in a very particular area were the weather is hot and dry virtually all year round, a climate that seems to suit very well some very particular animals that roam in the Park: Giraffes and Zebras! These animals were imported some dozens of years back from Kenya, along with 5 other African species. Although not all species survived, the Giraffes, Antelopes and Zebras strive in the Park, and reproduced as in the wild! Arriving to this place is magical with beautiful smooth waters, lush mangrove, and savanna-shaped trees (handy work of the Giraffes of course!)

The boat trip takes about 1hour and a half, and is a little expensive, but the landscapes, the hundreds of islands every where are worth it!

One the way back, make sure you stop on Black island! This desert island with black limestone, a small cave, and fantastic beach & corals is a paradise!