CORON ISLAND HOPPING (Ultimate Island Hopping)

TRAVEL DATE: JULY 2014
PLACE: CORON, PALAWAN

Despite having “no goodnight sleep” I was able to wake up at 5:30am and prepare myself to hike the Mt. Tapyas. My trek started at 6:15am

I thought I couldn’t make it, because my feet is already trembling and the rain is about to pour out, but I keep on telling myself that I can do it. 20 more step to reach the top, the rain poured out and I shiver but was able to take some shots.

I had no umbrella with me and so I just allowed myself to be soaked in rain, and praying that God will protect me from sickness like fever.

After my Mt. Tapyas, I scouted for Breakfast and drink a paracetamol tablet. My feet is still sore and I cannot walk straight because of pain.

The Restaurant that I spotted was just one block away from the Lodge paid P110.00 for Cornsilog. It took them 40 minutes before they serve my food because they cooked wrong order and because I am in rush, I just asked them the available food that they could serve me.

The moment I went back to the lodge, Mamita informed me that the tour guide will pick me up for the island hopping, so I rush to my room and picked my things few minutes they are already calling me hahahaha.

Because I have a limited stay in Coron I choose the Ultimate tour for P1,500.00 that includes everything plus 100.00 snorkel mask.

We are only three persons in the boat and I asked them if they will resume the tour they said yes and I commend them for that because in EL Nido, if the boat did not reach the minimum 6 person they will just cancel the island hopping considering they don’t pay any entrances of each island.

When my two companion came (married couple), I came to know that the girl is my school mate and the guy is from bicol. We talk a lot about our Alma matter and to our surprise, we both know some people, see it’s a small world right, I am not alone anymore. Elsbeth and I become close buddy hopping that day.

Ultimate island Consist of the following:

1. CYC ISLAND – According to our guide this island was been donated to the Coron Youth Community, the only island that has no entrance fee, we did photo opts here swim, but to my dismay I didn’t enjoy the underwater maybe because it is cloudy, after 30 minutes we headed to…

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2. Skeleton Island – P100.00 Entrance Fee, but our guide says that this is their marine sanctuary, but then again, I don’t find the corals alive, blame it to the cloudy weather, I felt some chill so I decided to go back to the boat.

The pictures that I've taken on these place was blurred because of rain shower and the water is too shallow.

3. Shipwreck  - I really wanted to see the shipwreck but again, due to the strong wave I wasn’t able to see it. Too bad, but at least these fishes came as if welcoming us to their sanctuary, we didn’t last there and we ask our guide to go to our next destination

**No clear pictures here too because of strong wave, we were also had a bad situation wherein we cant swim and so we asked the boatman to proceed on our next destination

4. Smith Island – P100.00 Entrance Fee - This is where we had our lunch but this time the sun shows up and it keep us warm a little, the boatman keeps on saying that God listened to my prayers for good weather  J

5. Twin Lagoon – P100.00 entrance fee - This is a mix of fresh and salt water, warm and cold, as much as we wanted to take the entrance and swim the tide didn’t allowed us, so we choose to climb on these manmade ladder. We just relax our body in this lagoon, seems like we owned the place. We had a jump here but sadly Joel our guide has no good shot using the gopro.

6. Kayangan Lake – P200.00 entrance fee I’m living in the post card! I didn’t know that you need to climb for 150 steps to get it here, I was already complaining because my legs are sores and I don’t know if I can make it to the top, but thank God I did.

Kayangan Lake

After the photo opts in kayangan lake, we went down to the lagoon, another 150 steps down, here I rested and met some foreign tourist, everyone has a smile in their faces and keeps on saying “this is beautiful” and I answered them “of course, this is Philippines, the Paradise island” and they all laugh.

Elsbeth and her Hubby choose to swim at the lagoon while I’m taking my nap, I really felt so tired that day, I know I need it if I wanted to go back alive in our boat because we still need another 150 steps to climb up again and additional 150 steps back down to our boat.

After few minutes more tourists came and I know I cannot rest anymore so I decided to join them and entered the “Cathedral”, the water in this lagoon is also mix with fresh and salt water. Maybe the effect of a little nap made my mood change, I just snorkel in the lagoon and enjoy the underwater living creatures, but sadly I only saw few colorful fishes its more on stones.

I made many stop when we started to climb up and down back to our boat, and right now, I don’t know what will happened to my legs because I can feel the cramps.

Back to the boat, all of us felt so famished good thing I have my water and few pieces of biscuits to feed our hungry stomach, each one share a bite of my “strawberry oreo”.

7.  Siete Picados – My excitement subsided when we reach our last stop, maybe because of the weather, it started to rain again, and I can feel headache and my legs are also in pain, and I really feel so sleepy, but I still force myself to dive and see why our guide boast this island to be the snorkeling spot, I wanted to stay more minutes to this island and witness the underwater world when I saw a sea snakes, I got scared and immediately fall back, I don’t want to continue anymore, I lasted for 10 minutes and decided to go back to our boat.

All in All the island tour was okey, maybe I just have a high expectation from what I read or maybe because of my mood and the weather that’s why I cannot appreciate this island hopping. For me El Nido and Coron are same in some ways but has its own uniqueness, El Nido is still my bet for island hopping. But I promised myself that I will be back here next year Holy week to see it beauty again and Visit the Malcapuya and Banana Island.

Back to the lodge, I immediately took a bath, wash my clothes and rest for about 30 minutes, after taking some coffee; I scouted some restaurant through tripadvisor. Thanks for the Help of Ms. Jacqueline, (she also stays at Momita’s Lodge) she share her ideas about the Quennies, thanks for the fast wifi that time I was able to locate the place.

I had my dinner at Queenies, their servings are huge, I love the shakes and the seafood curry (but I still love the seafood curry in Squidos El Nido).

After dinner I went back to Momitas’ Lodge and pack my things for early check out next day.

That night I prayed and give thanks to God for the protection and strength that He gave me to survive all the activities though my legs are really in pain, I asked the Lord to give me a peaceful sleep and He granted my request.

Coron Airport

Actual Expenses

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