Island Hopping Fun in Coron, Palawan

We visited Coron back in 2012. Rates may have changed, also policies in doing Island hopping. Plus, please bear in mind that Coron was also affected by typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), they just didn't make a lot of fuss about it.

Coron is a small island in Palawan known for it's beautiful small islets and thriving coral reefs. It can be reached via a 45minute plane ride from Manila or you can opt to ride the overnight ferries also coming from Manila.

We stayed at Lilian's homestay  ( now known as Seaview Pension house). The rates are really affordable, plus since it only has a few rooms with a balcony fronting the sea, it gives you that homey feel. Plus, the balcony will give you great photo opportunities of the sunset.

I arrived a day early since my other wanderlust friend still had work to do. I arrived at around 1pm and on the Airport parking lot you will see a lot of vans that will take you to the town. Since I was staying at Ate Lillians, I had a assigned driver and I had the whole van to myself.

I spent my first afternoon exploring the town. Lillian's homestay is also near the public market, fish port and restaurants. I'm not sure if it's still the same, but bring a flashlight with you. During our stay, there were power outages during the night and we needed to go to the market to buy food.

Another plus factor with staying at Tita Lilian's is that she knows boatmen that can give you fair prices for the island hopping adventure. When we visited in 2012, when my wanderlust friend arrived from Manila we just shelled out P1400 for the whole day island hopping tour. We did have to pay an extra P200 each for the Kayangan Lake entrance, but still the rate she gave us for the the tour was way lower in comparison to those offered on the island.

Our island hop adventure covered seven tourist spots or hops. We were only able to finish six because we were so tired after staying in Kayangan Lake.

1st stop was the Twin Lagoons

2nd stop Skeleton wreck

3rd stop Banol beach. This was where we had our lunch. There are huts on the beach that they rent out from P100-250.

4th stop Coral Garden

5th stop, the wonderful Kayangan Lake. This is the cleanest lake in the Philippines. The water is so clear that you'd be fooled into thinking those rocks are near the surface but when I dove in, and I'm a tall girl, my feet never touched those rocks.

Our last stop was at Twin peaks. The current is a little strong on this area that my friend stayed in the water for just a few minutes and she was tired.

There was a recent headline of a tourist who died after stepping on the corals in Coron. I don't remember our guides telling us to step on the corals, since they know it takes years, decades to grow these corals. On some shallow parts they would even turn off the boat's motor so that they don't damage the corals. And they reminded us to wear aqua shoes or slippers, never barefoot. I wish that recent incident doesn't hamper anyone's desire to visit this lovely town. In our culture when we go to places we don't know or are familiar with, we always say "Tabi tabi po" or roughly translated "excuse me" as a sign of respect to whatever entity is residing in that place. There must be a reason why our ancestors taught us this.

The Wonders Behind the walls of San Agustin Church

San Agustin Church in Intramuros is the oldest church here in the Philippines. It is also one of the four baroque churches declared as a UNESCO heritage site. Founded in 1571 by the Agustinian friars, this church remarkably has withstood numerous earthquakes and is one of the building spared by World War II bombings.

The Church is located in Gen. Luna St. in Intramuros. The cobbled stone courtyard has remained unchanged. I wasn't able to take a picture of the facade because of the crowd. It used to have two bell towers adorning its facade but an earthquake in 1880 damaged the left tower. Restoration was done, but the tower was removed.

The trompe l'oiel adorned ceiling is a wonder to behold. It also adorns the columns and wall within the church. The altar is a simple one, but beautiful. The 14 side altars also serves as the resting place of priests and the elite of the Spanish period, such as Miguel Lopez de Legazpi the founder of Manila. Juan Luna's remains can also be found in the church's crypt. The crypt is also said to be haunted, and some other parts of the church since it served as a prison and garrison during World War II.

Entrance fee to the museum is P100 for adults. Museum hours are from 8am-12nn, and 1pm-6pm. The museum closes for lunch but you can come back as long as you have paid for the entrance fees. How to get there? If commuting, ride jeeps or FX taxis bound for Mabini (Ermita). They will pass by the Intramuros gate near PLM (Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila). From the gate, just walk straight a few blocks down and you will see the church. After touring the church, one can proceed to either Fort Santiago, Manila Cathedral or just walk the parapets of Intramuros' walls. Or you can simply stay in Father Blanco's gardens within San Agustin Church, providing it doesn't rain or it's not too hot and humid.

Traveler tip: wear comfortable shoes since you will be walking a lot. The streets are narrow, and there is vehicle traffic so watch out for manic drivers who will run you down. For foreign tourists, be cautious of pedicab drivers or people coming up to you offering to tour you around Intramuros. Intramuros is part of Manila, so don't flash your expensive cameras around or make them your necklace.