It has been almost 3 years since I visited this paradise but I can still clearly remember how much we enjoyed this beautiful, ravishing, extraordinary, perfect, stunning, lovely, magnificent, exquisite place named Coron. Too many good words to describe it, seriously. After college graduation, my friends and I initially wanted to go to Hong Kong to celebrate before we all become "professional" citizens of the world. But due to the bird flu scare, we were forced to find another place to visit. My friend, Maan, insisted that we go visit Coron. We wanted to go out of the country but the heavens probably wanted us to explore more of the Philippines before we head somewhere else. This 5D/4N Coron trip turned out to be my best trip yet.
What's after the jump:
1. 5D/4N Itinerary and cost breakdown
2. Ms. Gigi and Gran Vista
3. Places to see
4. Tons of pictures!! :)
What's after the jump:
1. 5D/4N Itinerary and cost breakdown
2. Ms. Gigi and Gran Vista
3. Places to see
4. Tons of pictures!! :)
5D/4N Coron Itinerary With Expense Breakdown
This is based on our trip last May 24-28, 2009. We were 5 in the group and we stayed in Gran Vista Hotel. Ms. Gigi, the owner of the resort, arranged everything for us. If you're the backpacker type, this kind of trip may not be for you. As for our group, we were very much pampered - the food, tourist guides, boat, trips have been arranged and provided for us. We just had to pay Ms. Gigi on our last day. All prices are in PHP (USD 1 = PHP 42). All prices are per pax aside from the boat and tour guide fees, which are already fixed.
Day 1 (Sunday) 10:30PM Arrival in NAIA Terminal 3. Taxi from Quezon City 12:15PM Departure from Manila to Busuanga, Coron. Airfare + terminal fee 02:00PM Arrival in Busuanga airport (delayed flight!). Van to Coron town 03:00PM Arrival in Gran Vista hotel, unpack, rest. Town tour tricycle rental 03:30PM Hike to Mt. Tapyas, 700+ steps or approx. 1 hour. No entrance fee 04:30PM Exlporing Mt. Tapyas, picture taking, etc. 06:00PM Arrival in Makinit Hot Spring, which is 10 mins. from Mt. Tapyas. 07:00PM Dinner c/o Ms. Gigi (included in the package) 08:30PM Back to Gran Vista Hotel Day 2 (Monday) 07:00AM Breakfast in Gran Vista 08:00AM Departure to town. Tricycle fare: 08:10AM Snorkeling mask rental 08:20AM Tour guide fee 08:20AM Coordination fee charged by Ms. Gigi 08:30AM Arrival in Coron wharf. Boat fee for the Coron loop tour: 09:30AM Arrival in Barracuda Lake. Entrance fee: 11:00AM Departure to Banul Beach 11:30AM Arrival in Banul Beach. Beach bumming. Entrance fee: 12:00PM Lunch 01:30PM Departure to Skeleton wreck site 01:45PM Arrival in Skeleton wreck site. Snorkeling & fish feeding. 02:45PM Departure to Kayangan Lake 03:00PM Arrival in Kayangan Lake. Hike to the lake. Entrance fee: 04:00PM Departure to Siete Pecados marine park 04:30PM Arrival in Siete Pecados. Snorkeling. Entrance fee: 06:00PM Arrival in Coron town wharf. Tricycle fare to Gran Vista: 06:30PM Arrival in Gran Vista Hotel. Rest, rinse, prepare for dinner 07:30PM Dinner in Gran Vista Day 3 (Tuesday) 07:00AM Breakfast in Gran Vista 08:00AM Departure to town. Tricycle fare: 08:10AM Snorkeling mask rental 08:20AM Tour guide fee 08:20AM Coordination fee charged by Ms. Gigi 08:30AM Arrival in Coron wharf. Boat fee for the Malcapuya loop tour: 10:30AM Arrival in Malcapuya island. Beach bumming. Entrance fee: 12:00NN Lunch in Malcapuya 01:00PM Departure to Banana Island 01:45PM Arrival in Banana Island. Beach bumming. Entrance fee: 03:00PM Departure to Bulog Dos Sand bar 03:30PM Arrival in Bulog Dos. Beach bumming. Entrance fee: 04:15PM Departure to Coron town wharf 06:00PM Arrival in Coron town. Tricycle fare to Gran Vista: 06:30PM Arrival in Gran Vista Hotel. Rest, rinse, prepare for dinner 07:30PM Dinner in Gran Vista Day 4 (Wednesday) 07:00AM Breakfast in Gran Vista 08:00AM Departure to town. Tricycle fare: 08:10AM Snorkeling mask rental 08:20AM Tour guide fee 08:20AM Coordination fee charged by Ms. Gigi 08:30AM Arrival in Coron wharf. Boat fee for the Calumbuyan loop tour: 10:30AM Arrival in Calumbuyan island. Beach bumming. Entrance fee: 12:00PM Lunch 01:00PM Side trip to Lunsungan Boat island. Entrance is free 02:00PM Arrival in Coral Garden. Snorkeling galore! Fee: 04:00PM Arrival in ship wreck site. No fee 04:30PM Departure to Coron town wharf 06:00PM Arrival in Coron town. Tricycle fare to Gran Vista: 06:30PM Arrival in Gran Vista Hotel. Rest, rinse, prepare for dinner 07:30PM Dinner in Kawayanan Grill Day 5 (Thursday) 07:00AM Breakfast in Gran Vista 08:00AM Departure to town for pasalubong shopping. Tricycle rental: xx:xxAM Pasalubong like cashew nut, keychains, t-shirts, etc. (approx. cost) 10:00AM Back to Gran Vista. Pack things. Prepare for departure. 10:30AM Departure to Busuanga airport by van 11:30AM Arrival in the airport. Terminal fee: 12:45PM Departure to Manila. Airfare: 02:00PM Arrival in NAIA Terminal 3. Additional Expenses Accommodation in Gran Vista Hotel P300.00/pax/day Ms. Gigi's service charge for pampering us ;) Service charge = 5% of total cost except for accommodation, tricycle rental, terminal fee and airfare Total Cost: | Cost per person 50.00 1,500.00 150.00 200.00 150.00 200.00 120.00 20.00 150.00 100.00 30.00 400.00 100.00 100.00 200.00 100.00 200.00 100.00 20.00 200.00 120.00 20.00 150.00 100.00 30.00 800.00 200.00 200.00 150.00 100.00 20.00 200.00 120.00 20.00 150.00 100.00 30.00 800.00 200.00 200.00 150.00 20.00 250.00 120.00 100.00 500.00 150.00 20.00 1,300.00 1,200.00 500.00 P13,010.00 | Cost for 5 pax 250.00 7,500.00 750.00 1,000.00 750.00 1,000.00 600.00 100.00 750.00 500.00 150.00 2,000.00 500.00 500.00 1,000.00 500.00 1,000.00 500.00 100.00 1,000.00 600.00 100.00 750.00 500.00 150.00 4,000.00 1,000.00 1,000.00 750.00 500.00 100.00 1,000.00 600.00 100.00 750.00 500.00 150.00 4,000.00 1,000.00 1,000.00 750.00 100.00 1,250.00 600.00 500.00 2,500.00 750.00 100.00 6,500.00 6,000.00 2,500.00 P65,050.00 |
Ms. Gigi's Tour Package: Overcharging?
At first glance, the total cost may look really high and I must admit that we splurged a little bit for this trip. This was quite an unplanned trip because we originally wanted to go to HK. We only contacted Ms. Gigi 3 weeks before our trip. She was recommended to us by our orgmate. We let her do the planning and preparation. We didn't know what to expect but we trusted her because our orgmate only had good things to say about their Coron trip, which was arranged by Ms. Gigi.
Reasons why I think Ms. Gigi's tour package was worth every penny:
1. Sumptuous food everyday. If you're staying in the main part of town, you may find cheaper places to eat. P120/person for breakfast may sound expensive for budget-conscious people, but how can we complain? We were served with fresh food and the serving was big. As for lunch and dinner, we had lobsters, crabs, fresh fish and shrimps everyday. Getting up early in the morning to go to the market to buy food and cook our own food weren't part of our plan. We wanted to relax and enjoy our trip. Going to the market sounded like a big hassle and I thank Ms. Gigi and her staff for doing the dirty work for us ;)
Reasons why I think Ms. Gigi's tour package was worth every penny:
1. Sumptuous food everyday. If you're staying in the main part of town, you may find cheaper places to eat. P120/person for breakfast may sound expensive for budget-conscious people, but how can we complain? We were served with fresh food and the serving was big. As for lunch and dinner, we had lobsters, crabs, fresh fish and shrimps everyday. Getting up early in the morning to go to the market to buy food and cook our own food weren't part of our plan. We wanted to relax and enjoy our trip. Going to the market sounded like a big hassle and I thank Ms. Gigi and her staff for doing the dirty work for us ;)
2. Big boat and Kuya Dodoy. For our island hopping tours, Ms. Gigi gave us a big boat. It is naturally more expensive than the smaller boat. But we didn't like sharing the boat with strangers. I think the big boats are more expensive by P500.00. A small boat can accommodate up to 6 people, while a big boat can accommodate up to 20 people. We loved having the boat to ourselves. But if you're a very small group, i.e, 2-3 pax, and if you're conscious about the budget, it is advisable to share the boat with other groups. And Kuya Dodoy, how can we forget about him! He was a very kind boatman. We gave him tip and on our last day in Coron, he gave us kilos of daing for free! His way of saying thank you to us ♥
3. Kind tour guides. In general, I think people in Coron are really kind :) They know that tourism in Coron is booming but they are not taking advantage of it. I mean, I know business is business, but you can see how Coronians are proud of their town. They love sharing stories and legends about Coron. Another good thing about Ms. Gigi's tour guides is that they are working exclusively for her. Our tour guides were really helpful and extra accommodating.
4. We were treated like royalties ;) Ms. Gigi made sure that all our requests were granted. We wanted to try all the rooms in Gran Vista and so we experienced sleeping in the attic, in an open hut, and in their newer rooms without paying an additional fee. It was apparent that she was sincerely happy to accommodate our requests - anticipating all our needs and even going the extra mile to make sure we get the most of our Coron trip.
5. Gran Vista. Ms. Gigi's hotel is far from the main part of town, probably 10 to 15 minutes away. I loved how we had the whole area by ourselves :) Gran Vista is also a haven for nature lovers, with all the tall trees and plants surrounding the area. Gran Vista also has generators so there's electricity the whole day. I think in Coron electricity is only available until 06:00PM and resumes at 06:00AM the next day.
Gran Vista Hotel
Contact: Ms. Gigi or Ms. Jing Jing
Website: http://coron-castaway.com/gran_vista_infos
Mobile: +639157166435; +639085832294
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
4. We were treated like royalties ;) Ms. Gigi made sure that all our requests were granted. We wanted to try all the rooms in Gran Vista and so we experienced sleeping in the attic, in an open hut, and in their newer rooms without paying an additional fee. It was apparent that she was sincerely happy to accommodate our requests - anticipating all our needs and even going the extra mile to make sure we get the most of our Coron trip.
5. Gran Vista. Ms. Gigi's hotel is far from the main part of town, probably 10 to 15 minutes away. I loved how we had the whole area by ourselves :) Gran Vista is also a haven for nature lovers, with all the tall trees and plants surrounding the area. Gran Vista also has generators so there's electricity the whole day. I think in Coron electricity is only available until 06:00PM and resumes at 06:00AM the next day.
Gran Vista Hotel
Contact: Ms. Gigi or Ms. Jing Jing
Website: http://coron-castaway.com/gran_vista_infos
Mobile: +639157166435; +639085832294
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Must-See Places
Day 1: Mt. Tapyas + Makinit Hot Spring
700+ steps to reach the peak! Make sure you bring water, towel and extra shirt (optional).
Makinit is really hot. Temperature is around 40 degrees Celsius.
700+ steps to reach the peak! Make sure you bring water, towel and extra shirt (optional).
Makinit is really hot. Temperature is around 40 degrees Celsius.
Day 2: Coron Loop Island Hopping Tour
1. Barracuda Lake - We didn't bring an underwater camera when we went to Coron :( It's certainly a must-bring! Activities: snorkeling and diving.
1. Barracuda Lake - We didn't bring an underwater camera when we went to Coron :( It's certainly a must-bring! Activities: snorkeling and diving.
2. Banol Beach. A short strip of white sand beach where we had lunch. Activities: beach bumming, snorkeling and eating.
3. Skeletal Wreck Site. I got seriously scared when I saw the wreck. It looked so eerie. But I got used to it and later on enjoyed the underwater scenery. Activities: snorkeling and fish feeding.
4. Kayangan Lake. Had to swim 100 feet to the shore because the tides were low and our boat might damage the corals. Therefore, the camera was left in our boat and we didn't have any picture of the lake :( Activity: Snorkeling and hiking.
5. Siete Pecados Marine Park. We arrived here late and the sun was almost down so the fish and the corals looked a little bit scary! A lot of people say that this is one of the best snorkeling sites in Coron. Too bad we stayed so long in the other places that it was already getting dark when we reached Siete Pecados. Activity: snorkeling.
Day 3: Malcapuya Loop Island Hopping Tour
1. Malcapuya Island. One of the best beaches I have ever been to. This is what Coron is all about. A lot of people visit this place but the tourist sites still remain fresh, almost untouched and there is very little trace of commercialization. Activities: beach bumming, lunch, endless sunbathing ;)
1. Malcapuya Island. One of the best beaches I have ever been to. This is what Coron is all about. A lot of people visit this place but the tourist sites still remain fresh, almost untouched and there is very little trace of commercialization. Activities: beach bumming, lunch, endless sunbathing ;)
2. Banana Island. I really enjoyed snorkeling here because the variety of fish is so damn high! ;) Very colorful and bountiful underwater scenery, I must say. Activities: snorkeling, meryenda, beach bumming.
3. Bulog Dos Sand Bar. When I saw the sand bar I told myself that the Philippines is indeed beautiful. The scene from the top of the hill in that little piece of land was breathtaking.
Day 4: Calumbuyan Loop Island Hopping Tour
1. Calumbuyan Island. Jelly fish! Lots of them in this island, especially the big ones. Spongebob will like it here XD
1. Calumbuyan Island. Jelly fish! Lots of them in this island, especially the big ones. Spongebob will like it here XD
2. Lunsungan Boat. This was just a side trip. We had free buko here :)
3. Coral Garden + Ship Wreck Site. This is truly a garden of colorful corals and schools of fish. We enjoyed this so much that our tour guide and boatmen had to remind us of the time XD I think we spent 2 hours of our time here. The ship wreck was, again, quite scary at first. Activities: snorkeling, snorkeling, meryenda, and some more snorkeling! :)
Will I Go Back to Coron?
YES! And I will go to Ms. Gigi again and let her arrange everything for us :) I'm sure there are a lot of good travel agencies and hotels in Coron but Ms. Gigi got me with her sincere hospitality. Also, I will bring an underwater camera next time so I can capture the awesome snorkeling sites in Coron.
For questions about my Coron experience, please don't hesitate to contact me ;)
Photos by Trialaland and Toto Luna. All rights reserved.
For questions about my Coron experience, please don't hesitate to contact me ;)
Photos by Trialaland and Toto Luna. All rights reserved.