WONDERFUL CORON! (Travel Blog, Itinerary and Expenses)

Palawan is one of the islands in the Philippines loaded with rich marine and sea life. One of the popular places at Palawan is Coron, and getting there to see the wonders of that island is truly a blessing. Coron is also rich in historical stories, and no wonder even the Spaniards were mesmerized by its natural beauty.


Earlier in 2017, we decided to achieve one of the places to go in our bucket list. It was actually sudden, as we were all thinking that going to Coron requires a lot of money and has to be planned well. Well, we pushed it through! 😁

We want to avoid the heavy crowd of summer so we decided to fly to Coron the first week of March. It was our first time flying around the country, so we were a little skeptical as if to just book an all in tour package or make a DIY itinerary. After long days of researching, we ended up booking for an all in tour, to avoid hassle and because it was our first time flying (first times are really special! 😂 ).

Searching over the internet, we found iFB Travel and Tours. We availed of their 3D/2N package for Php 3,000/head, which includes the whole day tour on Day 2, hotel accommodation for 3D/2N, roundtrip airport transfer and daily breakfast. We had to book a different city tour package from a different travel agency for Day 1, c/o Calamian Islands Travel & Tours. 

And unfortunately, airfare back then was on regular rates. We did not caught any promo. Sharing below our itinerary, expenses, and some tips that might help you in planning your Coron trip.


Day 1

7:40 AM    -  Departure Manila to Coron 
8:25 AM    -  Arrival at Busuanga Airport
10:30 AM  -  Hotel Check In (Centro Coron Bed & Breakfast)
12:00 NN   -  Lunch, free time
3:45 PM     -  Start of City Tour (Public Market, Town Plaza, San Agustin Church, Coron
                      Baywalk, Souvenir shop, Cashew Store, Mt. Tapyas Trekking, Maquinit Hot
                      Spring)
8:00PM      -  Back at the hotel


Day 2

6:00 AM    -  Wake up, breakfast, prepare for island hopping
8:00 AM    -  Start of island hopping (CYC Beach, Green Lagoon, Atwayan Beach, Twin Reef,
                      Coral Garden, Kayangan Lake), Lunch included
5:00 PM     -  Back at the hotel, free time


Day 3

7:00 AM    -  Breakfast
9:00 AM    -  Check out
11:00 AM  -  Departure Busuanga to Manila (but our flight was delayed about 30 minutes)
11:45 AM  -  Manila



Overlooking Mt. Tapyas from Coron Baywalk



The famous Mt. Tapyas Cross



The peak of Mt. Tapyas, after almost 750 steps going up



Maquinit Hotspring - a perfect relaxation for your tired muscles after Mt. Tapyas Trek!




Dinner at Carl's BBQ - their Sisig was one of the bests!



Green Lagoon, you amazed me! 



Atwayan Beach

Generous and delicious lunch at Atwayan Beach



CYC Beach

CYC Beach



Truly a hidden beauty! Hidden Lagoon



Kayangan Lake




Dinner at La Morena Cafe along Coron-Busuanga Road


Aramintas Arts and Crafts Souvenir Shop


EXPENSES:

Round trip airfare (via Skyjet) - Php 7,500/head (regular fare rate that time)
Day 1 Lunch and Dinner - Php 500/head
Day 2 Lunch and Dinner - Php 500/head
3D/2N Stay - Php 3,000/head (includes hotel, daily breakfast, day 2 island hopping with lunch, roundtrip airport transfer)
City Tour - Php 700/head (includes hotel pick up and drop off, merienda, entrance fees. I suggest you DIY your city tour. Everything in this tour is just nearby and you can rent a tricycle for a cheaper price)
Pasalubongs, Souvenir items - Php 500 

Total Expense - Php 12,700


TIPID TIPS:

*Always watch out for airfare promos! 60% of the travel expense goes to airfare.

*DIY in Coron is cheaper than booking ahead a tour package. There are many lodge and other hotels along the road (except for peak season, I think it is better to book a hotel ahead).

*Everything in Coron town proper is accessible. Stores, Coron Baywalk, hotels, and travel agency offices are literally everywhere where they offer different types of tour packages, and actually a lot cheaper!

*There are no malls, commercialised pharmacies, nor convenience stores in Coron but they do have lots of mini groceries run by locals and other stores that offers you like what malls offer! You can rent action cameras, buy clothes, swimming attires, snorkelling gadgets, and what actually made me happy is every store sells tampons! (yes girls, you can now enjoy even when our frienemy is here!😁)

*You can choose from different eateries and restaurants along the Coron-Busuanga road. I find their prices cheap with the generous serving they have, compared to Manila.

*If you love nightlife, Coron is perfect for you! 

*We find the city tour package we availed pricey. You can skip that, rent a tricycle which will obviously be cheaper. 

*Traveling in big group will always trim down the cost.

*Try traveling there off peak season. Always check for local weather update.


Hope this blog inspired and help you to pursue your Coron Trip! 😊

You can check out my short vlog of our Coron trip below. Click HD and full screen for better quality! 😊







THANK YOU FOR A SPLENDID AND WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE, CORON! 😍












Location: Coron, Philippines

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