Beach!

lifes a

coron
www.two2travel.com

coron
To experience all the goodness of Coron, you have to get wet, because all the action happens underneath.

coron

is part of Two2Travels Lifes a Beach series.

An isLAnd north of mainland Palawan, Coron is a known shipwreck diving site. diving enthusiasts rave over the World War ii shipwrecks underneath its waters, but its rich marine lifeone of the most diverse in the Philippinesgives inexperienced swimmers a chance at a blockbuster underwater experience all the same. Add to this enchanting boat rides that take you through towering karsts and islands with beautiful white sand beaches, all of which make you wish you could live here forever, as one Hollywood star recently remarked, referring to one of Palawans equally beguiling islands.

Beach!
lifes a

www.two2travel.com

Getting There
Fly directly from Manila to Busuanga through any of the four major Philippine airline companies: Airphil Express, Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, and Zest Airways. Hop on a van from the Busuanga Airport to Coron town proper 30 minutes away. standard fare is P150 each. Enjoy sweeping landscapes along the way, enough to encourage you to rent a motorcycle and go back to some of its most scenic spots, just like we did.

Getting Around
BY MOTORBiKE navigate through the towns hilly terrains and through the countryside, enjoying infinite expanses of green and blue, plus rolling hills all around for P500. BY TRiCYCLE Palawans tricycles can comfortably fit five passengers. Ask your friendly trike driver to take you to nearby spots for P10 each. BY FOOT Once youre in Corons town proper, getting around the establishments by foot, from restaurants to souvenir shops to the market, would be easy. There are also several banks with ATMs as well as courier services for emergency needs.

Beach!
lifes a

Beach!
lifes a

Hopping on a motorcycle gives you rewards like this: a deserted road with only the mountains and the occasional cow for company.

Beach!
lifes a

Most hotels offer town package tours. ditch that and go to your own non-guided tour for P500 and see how far your wanderlust can take you.

Beach!
lifes a

Climbing Mount Tapyas is no easy feat. At more than 700 steps, this isnt for the faint-hearted. Going down with shaking knees isnt a walk in the park either.

start climbing just before sunset, and this view will greet you when you reach the peak.

for the main course.

Beach!
lifes a

And now,

You cant have gone to Coron and not have snorkeled. Thats like going to Boracay without swimming at White Beach, or going to Cebu without at least tasting lechon.

sAMPLE OnE-dAY isLAnd HOPPinG ROuTE: Kayangan Lake, Twin Peaks, Atwayan Beach, CYC Beach, & Twin Lagoon

island hopping need not be on the steep side. You can have a whole days dose of sun, sand, and sea for P750, and meet other like-minded travelers along the way.

kayangan lake
The cleanest lake in the country, Kayangan is a 10-minute hike up a limestone cliff, which means youre going to be swimming on top of one of these huge stone wonders that have become synonymous to Palawan itself.

The view that graces most Coron postcards is found halfway through the climb to Kayangan Lake.

atwayan beach
A small island with an inviting beach thats also good for snorkeling, Atwayan is your perfect pit stop for a whole day of island hopping. it has a spot for beach volleyball and several cottages for that perfect seaside lunch. drooling yet?

atwayan beach

cyc beach
You can leave your life and walk the 10 meters leading to this tiny which is also home to a who appeared to be the vests on the boat of shallow water patch of beach, monkey and a cat, best of friends.

swim while surrounded with towering karsts in one of the two lagoons, accessible via a crevice or a pair of makeshift ladders during high tide.

twin lagoon

icing on the cake

word from the wise: completely optional

Beach!
lifes a

and more.

if you think zoos are overrated, this is one exception.

THE Calauit island Game Preserve & Wildlife sanctuary is home to giraffes, zebras, wild boars, the endemic Calamian deer, and other species of animals, all of which are free-range. Having been transported from Kenya in the 1970s to save their diminishing population, these animals have since died out in the island, but not after giving birth to those freely roaming around the 220-hectare game preserve today. As one of the caretakers would put it, the animals in Calauit today are all African-Pinoy. P.s. its not a zoo.

Getting There

ROuTE: COROn - BuLuAnG - CALAuiT

BOAT. Travel time: 2 hours Cost: P2,600* per person for a minimum of 5 VAN. Travel time: 2 hours Cost: P2,300* per person for a minimum of 5 BUS. Travel time: 3 hours Cost: P150 per way MOTORCYCLE. Travel time: at least 2 hours Cost: P500 for rental; P500 for fuel *rates are based on Coron Galeris package tours, where we availed of our island hopping package. For more info, visit www.corongaleri.com.ph. TIPS Take the boat if you want scenic views of mangroves and limestone cliffs. Public buses leave for new Busuanga at 11 AM and 2 PM from Coron. From new Busuanga, hire a habal-habal or motorcycle to take you to Buluang some 15 minutes away.

Take the motorbike if youre the adventurous type with ample experience riding a bike through steep slopes. Hire a motorbike from Boyets (simply ask around Coron where his shop is. Everybody knows everyone so its not difficult to look for him). if youre taking the motorbike, you need to gas up (full tank) at least twice to cover the roundtrip route. Fuel up in Coron, salvacion, and new Busuanga. dont take off at night on your own since the roads final stretch has the steepest slopes, with no houses nor lampposts. Bring a map, or make sure your GPs is working offline (no cellphone signal throughout the route).

The best time to be in Calauit is 5:30 to 7 AM, where animals come out to graze in the open. Later than 7 AM, they all retreat to the shades, but you can always spot a pack or two even as late as 11 AM.

Boat from Buluang to Calauit Travel time: 5 minutes Cost: P400 round trip per boat Entrance fees (as of Feb 2012) P100

Optional: Tour truck hire (great if youre a big group; can accommodate 20 people): P1000 Camping fee (theres a dorm-type accommodation in the island. This is the best way to go if you want to be up and about early in the morning to see the animals grazing): P350 up to 7 people. P100 for every person in excess

Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it. Cesare Pavese

To the people who had helped us get back to our feet--literally--and carried our load when we most needed during this trip, thank you for being such a blessing. May the Universe reward your kind hearts a thousand times over. March 2012

coron & calauit

busuanga island, palawan, philippines

Beach!
lifes a
is a project of

www.two2travel.com

This photo e-book is strictly intended for non-commercial purposes. All materials found in this e-book are the original creations of sherwin G. Ballesteros & Pauline nikka A. Corsino.