Coron Island Tour on a Rainy Day

Nikki and I were in a play-by-ear mode on this trip. We never booked any activity beforehand 'coz we just wanted to relax and do nothing on the beach. But then...

huma - Hollywood

When we arrived at Club Paradise Resort, they showed us some of the possible tours that they offer. Amongst all of those, we trimmed everything down to Scuba diving, Calauit safari tour and the Coron Island tour. And Nikki chose the Coron Island tour because there were 8 persons who signed up already for the next day and you know the drill - more persons = cheaper rates. So we booked it and our call time was 7 a.m. It was 3,000 pesos a piece which included everything from the land/boat transfers, entrance fees, tour guide and the food (check here for discounted tours, transportation and activities in Palawan).

ulan - araw - ulan - araw

It took us almost 2 hours to reach Coron town (the jump-off point) because of the occasional rain showers. Up until we went inside the boat, it was raining. Raining hard. It seemed like impossible for the tour to push through but still we went on. I kept my big camera and opted to "break in" my 2-day old underwater camera - besides, it was drizzling/raining at that time. I haven't read the manual and I'm all out with experiential learning. Oh well, my shots weren't that great but it was fun having an all weather camera (it fell a few times and it' still working). I wish though that it was sunny when we went there for nicer photos.

"You can see Coron group of islands on your left..." - saan kuya Noel?

In spite of the rain, we weren't disheartened. We were still laughing because our tour guide Noel (shirtless at that time), was doing his standard spiel while it was raining really hard. He goes, "You can see Coron group of islands on your left...", and we all said, "It's foggy Noel, we can't see anything!". Then everyone burst into laughter. What we love about the Club Paradise staff is that they provide everything just before you need it (or realize that you need it). An example was that when it was raining hard, Noel gave each one of us a towel and put our stuff on big plastic bags so that it won't get wet. Good job!

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FIRST STOP was the Barracuda Lake. We just spent a few minutes there and didn't dip in. There were some divers at that time. The water was clear even if the sun's not out that day - nobody complained about the weather, everybody was seizing the moment and enjoying the tour. 

usok galing sa mga nag-iihaw

klaro?

peep peep!

NEXT was the Kayangan Lake. Noel told us to put on some mosquito repellant. Apparently, mosquitoes there were huge and they bite everyone like it's there's no tomorrow. And so we trekked in a muddy trail. It's really best to go here during dry season. We were greeted by some people who were coming back. They told us that we were getting near and the trek (and mosquitoes) was worth when we get to see the lake. And so we reached the lake. It was beautiful and peaceful. The drizzling stopped and off we went to snorkel on the lake.

mosquito madness

the only creature I saw

On our way back to the boat, we were told that we're going to have our lunch on a hut there. The night before, we were given two options about the lunch - we can order a la carte or their "standard meal" for every tour. All of them chose the "standard meal" - they had some salad, rice, shrimps, crabs, vegetables, and some fruits. Also included were a soda and a liter of mineral water. While Nikki ordered a pizza and I got a BLT sandwich.

BLT sandwich

cold pizza yum!

Next was Siete Pecados. It's very famous for its amazing underwater scene. We were the only ones on the site (who would be on a rainy day) and we owned the huge area. We weren't allowed by Noel to feed the fish so as to "maintain" their natural environment. And maybe also for them to not depend on people for their own food. 

At first, I was so frustrated because I can't get a perfect underwater shot. So what I did was, I went on with snorkeling and forgot about getting some underwater shots. It was awesome! The corals were great and the different underwater creatures seemed like playing with us. I especially loved the pawikans and the striking blue fish (still don't know what it was called). 

gusto mo ng vest? - Noel

oh ikaw na ang naka lip balm...

Last stop was the Maquinit Hot Spring. When we got there, we saw some European guys who were enjoying the water. The place smelled like someone's boiling an egg somewhere (egg as in egg not someone's egg yah know). Nikki got into the water first and she seemed to enjoy it. 

And then when I tried it, I screamed so loud that everyone looked at me in a weird way. I've been to different hot springs and boy this one was really hot. I took a couple of deep breaths and then I jumped in. It took sometime for me to acclimatized and when I did I felt relaxed. It was a very spa-like experience. Much better than a jacuzzi. Nikki felt like her body defrosted from the coldness last winter. 

really warm, ay hot pala

We went into 4 stunning Coron spots. I know it wasn't even close to 10 percent of Coron's beauty but hey we had fun considering the not-so-predictable weather. Nikki had fun and I promised myself to go back to Coron - making sure that it will be sunny. But then again, In a tropical country like ours wherein it rains during dry season and it can be really sunny during rainy season, who can be so sure. Basta I'll be back Coron. Hopefully soon. 

define love when you're in your 50s :)

Check Coron, Palawan accommodations here