CORON

Coron is one of the most beautiful islands in the world. For only about $50 one way you can take a flight from MNL. There are a few carrier to choose from, such as Skyjet, AirAsia, Philippine Airlines, and Cebu Pacific Airlines.

The scene is typically foreigners from Australia, Asia, Europe or North America. You’ll also see a lot of Filipinos, but from all parts of the world. The best part about traveling to the Philippines is that English is very commonly used since the US occupied. Coron is mainly cash only, so I’d recommend bringing pesos in advance since there weren’t many ATMs.

I stayed at a hotel that was bundled with a tour, which was only $280 including the flight. If I were to do things differently, I would’ve stayed at the El Rio. My hotel was a prime location near the fountain, but it had no view and was a bit stuffy. As soon as you land into the USU airport, you’ll see people waiting outside with signs from all the hotels. El Rio’s was a beautiful wood sign in calligraphy-like lettering, and it made a great first impression because it shows they care about the details. It’s about $150 a night, so great for a couple. In terms of luxury hostels, I would’ve picked ABC because I saw great reviews on Hostelworld.com, which I’ve trusted for 3 international trips including Southeast Asia.

Where to eat:

• The first night I ate at Kamayan Grill, which is a seafood spot. It has a very cool vibe, with latterns and a Japanese-style sitting table. The food was so-so, but perhaps we ordered the wrong dishes. We got the seafood platter and crab, which was good, but it was missing distinctive Filipino flavors. I’d recommend ordering the fish if you do go.

• The second night we ate at the Lolo Nonoys, which is a bustling restaurant serving traditional Filipino dishes. We ordered way too much food, but the highlights were the beef tapas, shrimp sinigang, and pork BBQ. I wish I had room to try the lecho flan.

Outdoor land activities:

• We visited Mount Tambyas, which is where the Coron sign is. It’s quite a hike of stairs, roughly 700 steep steps up. I’d recommend visiting during the sunset for a beautiful view of the entire city.

• We went for a night swim at the hot springs at ABC. It was a perfect end to the night because the weather had already cooled down, and the hot water loosened up any tense muscles from the hike.

Outdoor water activities:

• We went island hopping on a traditional Filipino boat. It’s incredible how fast the boat crew were able to navigate using nothing but ropes and a motor. It’s posted on top of bamboo logs, which are commonly used for rafts and even for a dance called Tinikling. You can rent water shoes for 150 pesos that cover your entire foot. This is a must as there are a ton of sea urchins in the snorkeling areas in Coron. For all those uni lovers, it’s illegal for them to hunt for sea urchins due to the risk of its poison. In terms of safety, the main things to worry about is paying attention when you’re snorkeling so you don’t cross paths of any boats. In terms of Mother Nature, it’s mainly ocean’s current, sea urchins, and sea snakes. You’re required to wear a life jacket in certain areas such as ABC. A foreigner tried to free dive there in the past and landed into rocks, so diving is off limits.

• In terms of lounging on beaches, there aren’t as many as Boracay. But if you love water activities, you’ll love Coron.

Souvenirs:

• Your home currency is likely significantly stronger than the Philippine peso. This will go a long way in Coron. It’s quite underdeveloped and a much less populated than Boracay.

How to get around:

• The best way to get around is by tricycles or walking. It’s about 10 pesos for a 5 min tricycle ride. It can fit about 3 people per ride.