48 Hours in Coron, Palawan: A 'Biyahe ni Drew' itinerary

When it comes to island-hopping, nothing beats Coron. The island municipality in the northern tip of Palawan is home to clear lagoons guarded by greying cliffs, Japanese-era shipwrecks, and plenty of fish and corals for swimmers to enjoy.

Plan your trip to Coron with Drew Arellano’s itinerary from the GMA News TV program ‘Biyahe ni Drew’:

How to get there
By plane: Busuanga, the neighboring town, is 30 to 45 minutes from Manila. To save on airfare, book your flight with budget airline Cebu Pacific Air. Seats run out fast, so be sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter!

From Busuanga, it’s a 45-minute drive to Coron.

Tour packages
For our trip, the ‘Biyahe’ team booked an all-in package with Seafarers Tours, a locally accredited tour agency. Booking a tour is strategic for places like Coron, where island-hopping and changing accommodations is a logistics nightmare—better to leave it to the experts and keep your trip hassle-free.

All-in packages cost around P5,000 per person for a three-days-two-nights tour, while a four-days-three-nights tour goes for around P10,000 per person. This includes:

Lodge/Apartelle Type of Accommodations. A/C and private bath with wifi access; twin, triple or quad sharing.
Full board. Three meals and one snack a day.
Island-hopping tour. Private boat and tricycle rental, plus all entrance fees.
Welcome Drink
Services of a Licensed Guide
Round-trip, air-conditioned airport transfer. Groups below ten people will join other passengers in a van. A private van may be requested.
Island-hopping day tours are also available. These cover boat rental, environmental fees, lunch, snacks and the services of a guide. Naturally, accommodations are not included. Expect to pay between P2,000 and P1,200 per person—the larger your group, the cheaper it is!

Where to stay
If accommodations are not included in your tour, we recommend staying at the Sea Coral Lodge, a mid-range hotel. A room good for six to eight people costs P4,950 a night, while a room for two goes for P1,300 a night. Nothing too fancy: It has air conditioning, a flat-screen TV and a private (but small) bathroom. “Simple lang, ‘yun lang naman kailangan eh,” says Drew.

Where to eat
Lolo Nonoy’s Food
National Road, Barangay Poblacion 3 • Price range: P60 to 280 per person

This simple turo-turo style restaurant’s specialty: dishes with gata (coconut milk), prepared by their Bicolano cook. They also serve calamares, nilagang baka and other Filipino dishes. Drew especially enjoyed their sweet and sour shrimps.

Tita Esh Eatery
Barangay Poblacion 2, Coron

Merienda time! Try their pansit and halo-halo. A filling snack for four costs between P70 and  P150.

Santino’s Grill
National Road, Barangay Tagumpay, Coron

“From the outside, iisipin mong turo-turo o sari-sari store,” says Drew. “Pero pagpasok mo, simple pero maganda ang design. Pagdating naman sa pagkain, hindi ito sobrang fine dining pero maganda ang presentation.”

Try their baby back ribs, sweet chili crabs, chicken satay, and crab and vegetable soup. “Two thumbs up—kung pwede nga, three thumbs up,” adds Drew.

What to see and do
Mt. Tapyas
Barangay 4, Coron

Mt. Tapyas, with over 700 steps leading to the peak, is a site for The Stations of the Cross during Holy Week. It makes sense: the climb is no joke, and we can see why the grueling task would make one repent. Drew jokes, “From now on, I’ll call this ‘Mt. Basa-Ang-Kili-kili!””

But you know what? It’s worth it. From the peak, you can see the smaller islands surrounding Coron—islands that you’ll visit later when you go island-hopping. “Naiintindihan ko na kung bakit umaakyat ang mga tao,” says Drew. “Napakaganda ng view.”

Maquinit Hot Springs
Barangay Tagumpay, Coron • Entrance fee: P150, inclusive of cottage rental

If you aren’t in the mood for the beach, Maquinit is the place to be. The only caveat: you can’t bring in your own food, so all drinks and snacks need to be bought inside the resort.

Island-hopping highlights

“Ito talaga ‘yung binabalik-balikan sa Palawan. Ang linaw ng tubig!” says Drew. “Kahit gaanong kalalim, kita mo ‘yung corals.” The entrance fees listed below only apply if you aren’t part of a guided tour:

Banol Beach • Entrance fee: P100 per person

Powdery white sand, a simple kubo for picnicking—what else can you ask for? Come early to avoid the crowds.

Skeleton Wreck (also known as Skeleton Reef) • Entrance fee: P100 per person

The Skeleton Wreck isn’t part of the Japanese warships that sank during the 1940s, but this barter ship that went down in the 1950s is still a must-see for skin divers. The ruins have become home to many corals and fish, giving a second life to a thing of the past.

Twin Lagoon • Entrance fee: P100 per person

You can easily climb over the rocks separating the two pools, but if you’re a good swimmer, you can cross over using an underwater tunnel. Here, freshwater meets saltwater, something that makes for shifting temperatures and currents.

CYC Beach • Entrance fee: None

This white sand beach is open to the public. It’s crowded during weekends, though.

Kayangan Lake • Entrance fee: P200 per person

“Kahit ito na ‘yung pinakamahal na entrance fee, tiyak mag-e-enjoy kayo—for sure!” says Drew. Kayangan sweeps awards for the cleanest lakes, so much so that it’s no longer allowed to enter some competitions. Instead, Kayangan gets a spot in the hall of fame.

Siete Pecados • Entrance fee: P100 per person

Siete Pecados is a snorkeling site highly recommended by local guides. The clear water lets you enjoy the up-close views of Coron’s rich marine life. In fact, the water is so clean that even though the ‘Biyahe’ team went snorkeling in the rain, we still got a clear view of the corals and fish.

Barracuda Lake • Entrance fee: P100 per person

Scuba divers love this spot because of the underwater rock formations, but if you’re a good swimmer like Drew, skin diving works, too!

What to buy for pasalubong
Kasuy

Whether as snack or pasalubong, don’t pass up the chance to try Palawan’s cashews. The trees grow all over Busuanga and Coron, and shops selling the crunchy nuts are on almost every corner. Half a kilo costs P60 to P70, while a full kilo goes for P150 to P300. —Cristina Tantengco/CM, GMA News