DAY ONE:
I arrived into Coron about midday and decided to spend the afternoon working so headed for a Coffee shop with good Wifi – SUMMER Cafe & Bar is great for both!
The first night I spent at an Airbnb (listed below). It was 1000 peso (£14.50) per night this included a bedroom and private bathroom. This place also had breakfast and a swimming pool and was right in the centre so was perfect location for exploring the island.
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/27732818?s=51
TIP: If you book using my code: https://www.airbnb.co.uk/c/lydiac803?currency=GBP you can get money off your booking!
The Hot Springs
The Hot Springs are definitely worth checking out, we went in the day so they were super empty – the locals said they get really busy towards the evening as most of the time it’s too hot to enjoy in the midday heat. The pools temperature ranges from 39-41 degrees.
We then drove 10 minutes further down the road to Cabo Beach – more of a locals beach, usually really good for snorkelling but it was quite cloudy when we went.
By evening time the town is really busy with people eating out, so if you are able to book a restaurant, I’d definitely recommend doing so. We made a reservation at Winnies and the food was delicious. The guy that owns it is usually sitting outside the front with his friends – a character to say the least!
DAY THREE: Boat day exploring the Islands around Coron
We booked onto the Ultimate Boat Trip which explores 7 destinations in one day. Sounds a lot, right? It was but TOTALLY worth it. The price was 1200 Peso (£18) non-negotiable.
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The first destination was Kayangan Lake. If you’ve seen photographs from Coron and even the Philippines it was probably from this Lake. It is absolutely beautiful and well worth a visit.
The next stop was lunch at a super secluded Island, Atwayan Beach – the lunch was really tasty and the views were amazing. They cooked the food on the back of the boat on a BBQ and it definitely caters for all dietary requirements.
Next up was Skeleton Wreck – a Japanese shipwreck from WW2. Diving down to this wreck was seriously amazing, you can also book onto Scuba Diving this wreck on another trip but we didn’t have time to!
I was completely shocked with how beautiful The Philippines was, I’d seen a load of photographs online that looked like the water had been enhanced but it is so turquoise blue and crystal clear, it was a sight I really couldn’t get my head around. When it came to the next stop – The Reef – you can only imagine what swimming and diving with the fish and coral were like.
The sixth stop was CYC beach – a beautiful little island that you can Kayak around or lay on the beach and soak up the late afternoon sunshine.
The final and my favourite stop was Twin Lagoon, the boat ride into this magical part of the Philippines was amazing. It then moors up in the first lagoon and you are told you can swim under the rock or climb over via wooden stairs to the opening of the second lagoon. It is truly magical. Don’t forget to grab a snorkel and dive down to swim with the hundreds of fish in the water.
After a big boat day we decided to head to Tattian Altrove – an Italian restaurant that we had been to in El Nido (you can check out that blog post here). The food is seriously tasty and possibly the nicest Italian food I’ve tasted. Every night there is a queue outside so make sure you get there early or make a reservation.
DAY FOUR: Exploring Coron
I spent the morning getting some work and emails done before heading for lunch at Fika – really recommend coming here for breakfast or lunch – lots on the menu and you can sit on the balcony that overlooks the town below.
After refuelling, we decided to rent a moped for the afternoon to drive north of Coron and explore another part of the Island.
We drove for about an hour with no real plan or destination and discovered Conception Falls. Upon arrival, there is someone in a little shop where a donation box is to enter the falls. It’s a short walk down (10 minutes) through what feels like a few families back yard and farm. You then climb down a few steps with a bamboo handrail to the falls – we were lucky enough that there weren’t any other people there!
About a 1-hour drive back to the town of Coron, we decided to head to Bhajti – a vegetarian restaurant that I had read up on and heard lots of good things about. It definitely didn’t disappoint and I would really recommend checking this place out if you can. You can’t make reservations so maybe head for an early dinner at 5.30pm.
Coron is a beautiful part of the Philippines that is well worth a visit! I will definitely be back.
Stay tuned for my next blog post: Travelling the Philippines: Moalboal Itinerary.
L x
