Blogs from Coron, Palawan, Philippines, Asia - page 2

It was with a heavy heart that we set sail from the port of El Nido for supposedley the 6-7 hour boat journey to the island of Coron, which is famous for it's Japanese wrecks and diving. The journey started well enough; we quickly bagged a space on the open air top deck and got talking to a nice Canadian couple (Kevin and Brandie) and a girl from America (Frieda) and just relaxed in the sun. After an hour or so, passing some of the most breathtaking landscapes we have seen to date, we were served a basic lunch of noodles/spaghetti and soft drinks. We were informed that as there was a fairly strong current the journey would take a further 8 hours, although this was not a problem as we were enjoying the ride - ... read more

After I missed my Coron tour last January 2011, I finally got a chance to visit it last Sept 2012. The trip lasts for 3d/2n and one of the places we stayed was Coron Cast Away. This is the sister accomodation of Gran Vista. We stayed there in our 2nd night. Coron Cast Away was on an island, and by the time we visited there, we are the only guest. So technically, my friend and I are the only ones there with the care takers (a husband & wife) and a dog. I was wondering why the place was called "Cast Away" and when I saw it, it was really cast away. If you're the type of person tired from the buzz of the city, this is your place. But I got to warn you that ... read more

30. April – 5. May 2012 (Slovenian version below) It was finally time to see the Philippinian paradise islands and have a dip with the schools of fish! After some »minor« complications with our transport (instead of soaking in a lovely pool and travelling for 4 hours we spent 18h on a bus + extra 4h for the flight) we were finally on the paradise islands – first stop island of Coron. The third largest island in the Calamian islands, Coron is known for several Japanese shipwrecks of World War II and therefore a paradise for those who enjoy wreck diving. Even though we have never done that, we said we'll give it a go – it was definitely something of a kind, cool and full of adrenalin. I do prefer ... read more

Well. I’ve been sitting here drinking icy cold beers for the last few hours just trying to work out how I could possibly describe the last five days. Pictures will barely do it justice, let alone my feeble attempt at putting the experience into words. My fellow travellers and I ran out of superlatives in the first few hours of our five day trip and resorted to ecstatic grins, satisfied sighs and genial shrugs of the shoulders for the rest of our journey. I mean, I couldn't even come up with an interesting and creative title. But here goes anyway… I flew out of Dumaguete at sunrise and after two flights and a cramped and knee-shattering van ride, I arrived in the little village of El Nido sixteen hours later. The real delights of El Nido ... read more

It’s lovely to be here in Palawan, but we’re underwhelmed by Coron town. We’re surrounded by islands harbouring secret lagoons and coral reefs, but the town is hot and dusty and noisy. We’re frazzled from dragging Elliot on and off planes, in and out of vans, up and down stairs. Our view from the Coron Gateway Hotel is of the jeepney station, a dusty square littered with metal destination signs, dogs rutting and a huge Christmas tree. It shimmers with heat. The next day, our perspective changes. Skimming over the waters, the bothers of our travel days slough off. We’ve got a boat called Katrina Dea. Our captain, Lar, has ‘sailor’ tattooed on his left bicep. Boatman-cum-babysitter, Ern, has a body is roped with sinew and tight bulges of muscle, skin dark and lined from the ... read more