Coron, Palawan, Phillipines

For inter-country travel, my options were Philippines Airlines or Cebu and I took both to travel to and from Coron. On the way to Coron, I flew on Philippines Airlines. Prices aren't that cheap but the timing was good. For some reason, the flight was pretty popular because the check-in counter agent was trying to convince us to take another flight to Coron via Cebu with promises of cash and airline vouchers. It was a tempting offer but opted to stay on the plain and get into Coron faster. In hindsight, I don't think it would have been a bad idea except it was unlikely I would be in the country within a year to take advantage of a free "domestic" flight.

After landing in Francisco Reyes Airport, took a hotel transport to Sophia's Garden Resort. I will say that this is by far THE smallest airport I have ever flown into. One terminal, one gate, and the baggage claim is manual meaning that the airport crew carries the luggage from the plane into the building for you to pick up.

Double beds is the norm for this 8 room hotel

Modern bathroom at Sophia's Garden

Upon arriving at the resort, headed to the pool and relaxed most of the day. "Resort" is a bit misleading, it is essentially an eight room bed and breakfast type of place. After speaking with the staff, the resort is expanding to an additional 24 room but this is the "first phase" of hotel construction. I found the staff very friendly and helpful during the three day stay. The rooms were clean and adequate and the staff can book any tours or arrange trips into town at a moment's notice. They will come out to the pool area and see if you want food and "room service" was available anywhere within the property. The wireless internet isn't very strong except in the lobby office.

BBQ chicken at KT's

In the afternoon, went out to lunch at KT's Sinugba Sa Balay in San Agustin St., Barangay 4, Coron, Palawan, Palawan 5316 for some Filipino bbq chicken in town. Ended up eating chicken and stingray curry. Never had stingray, I was not sure what to expect but I will say that there are a lot of cartilage/bones in the meat. The chicken was great. Afterwards, walked around the town to check out the locals and grabbed halo halo at Ice Valley. The best part of eating at Ice Valley was the internet. The halo halo was ok but well worth its price to get onto the shop's internet and it gave me the opportunity to get some mangoes in my food. The hotel isn't far from the town, maybe a 20 minute walk but most people take the tricycles to navigate. Fairly inexpensive, it was interesting to see how people outfitted these motorbikes into mini-taxis. The cost was cheaper than a bus fare in the US.

Not what I was expecting for halo halo

The next day, went out on a boat tour to Lusong Gunboat wreck, Calumbuyan Island, and Coral Gardens. The corals in Coral Gardens were amazing. The experience was slightly marred by the fellow tourists on the boat as well as the guides on this tour. As expected, most people ignored the statement about not touching the corals as well as the amateur experiences of snorkeling amongst the group. I know that the corals are a tourist attraction and helps the economy of this local town but I can't help but think that there is a need for protection in this area or else it will be eventually destroyed.

The Lusong Gunboat wreck was cool to look at and the only shipwreck that can be snorkeled. Most of the area's wrecks are too deep for snorkeling. Unfortunately, with the cloudy weather and intermittent rains, it was difficult to see the ship clearly.

The mollusk opened and closed depending on if I got close or not

Lunch during snorkeling tour

The tour included a simple fish and chicken lunch at Calumbuyan Island. I think that the tour includes this island so that tourists can chill at the beach and rest. Unfortunately, it started to rain in the middle of lunch and didn't leave anyone the desire to "hang out" on the beach. The sands were nice and I could see this beach as a fun spot for sunbathing.

After such a long day, opted to eat at the resort's restaurant. The food isn't amazing but I liked the bbq chicken.

With the weather being rather sketchy, spent the next day resting at the resort. Went out in the afternoon back into town and had food at KT's again. This time, I had moray eel. I wasn't sure if moray eel would taste like regular eel that I typically have in Japanese restaurants. The meat seemed meatier and there were a lot of bones in this particular entrée. It took a bit but I figured out how to eat it by the end of the meal. Afterwards, went by Julie's bakery to taste some of the local breads and did some minor grocery shopping at the market. I also headed back to Ice Valley for another halo halo and internet access.