Coron, Palawan

Welcome to my dream destination...

Coron, Palawan

Coron is a first class municipality of Palawan

and

considered to be one of the most beautiful islands of the world: 2016

There are 3 ways to reach this paradise:

1. Fly directly from Manila to Busuanga Airport through CebuPacific, PAL and SkyJet.

2. Take the ferry from Batangas to Coron through 2Go.

3. Fly from Manila to Puerto Prinsesa or El Nido then charter a boat to Coron.

I chose the first option.

I had my airline reservation through Air Asia.

(They don't serve this route anymore)

My flight departed Manila at 2 pm arriving Coron around 3 pm.

P2000, round trip. 

I booked it 2 weeks in advance.

There are available vans going to the town for P150.

It will take 20-30 minutes.

It's one of the cleanest and neat airport roads I've been to.

It's a small town with a mountain and hot spring.

I decided to climb the mountain for the sunset.

Mt. Tapyas has this cross at the center.

And some chocolate looking hill at the back.

The most beautiful sunset of my life.

The Maquinot Hot Spring.

After the tiring climb, I found myself in this hot spring near the ocean.

I met 2 lovely girls in the mountain that I shared the trike going here.

P100 each, 1 way.

We also asked the trike driver to wait for us.

It will take 15 minutes to get here.

The entrance fee is P100.

The Krystal Lodge

It was past 9 pm when we decided to go back to the town.

I didn't have a hotel reservation as I want to choose my accommodation.

It was not a peak season.

I just saw a couple going out of somewhere and was pointed to this lodge by the water.

P400 fan room, good for 2

or

 just good for me as I was travelling solo.

There are a lot of hotels and restaurants within this town. 

There are also beach resorts on the nearby island.

My new friends: Ann and Tin 

decided to have our dinner in some local restaurant on the hill.

I can't remember the name, as usual.

P100 for seafood sharing.

I woke up around 4 am with the heavy downpour and strong wind.

Did I tell you that a tropical storm just landed our country the previous days?

I waited until 5 am to find a restaurant to give me some good breakfast.

The only restaurant that was open that time was the Diver's Inn.
My breakfast for P150.

The Maquinit Hot Spring, by day.

All island hopping activities were cancelled.. urg! 

But, instead of crying myself with the storm I returned to the hot spring to keep calm.

I was with the lovely couple that I met in the airplane and another solo traveller.

We had lunch at the Diver's Inn.

Then, we rented a motorbike to go to the waterfalls.

P600 good for 2.

There are 2 waterfalls in this island:  one is near the airport

and the other one is 2 hours away.

We were given a paper map so we decided to take the farthest.

It was one of those most magical evenings I've seen.

There are fireflies in the waterfalls that brightened the entire forest.

*pctto

We also witnessed the first dance of a local wedding.

We had some pizza and shakes for dinner for P250.

Day 3.

The storm had passed.

I had my breakfast again at the Diver's Inn.

I met my other 2 new friends who did food adventure the other day.

They had contacted a boat man for the island hopping.

We had chosen 1 package for P1500, good for 3.

The Kayangan Lake.

It's an island with a huge salt lake inside.

It's also one of the cleanest lakes in the country.

Joy ride!

Solo travelling is so much of an adventure and finding new friends to cherished 

along the way or along the lake is an added bonus! 

The entrance is P40.

The Twin Lagoon.

It has a beautiful lagoon inside.

You can swim or ride the bamboo raft to get to the other side.

Entrance is P70.

Then, the Banol beach.

It has a white powdery sand and we stayed here to swim for some time.

I had to take my flight that late afternoon.

This is life.. never over until the last breath.

Airfare: P2000 round trip

Expenses: P5000.

Companion: Solo

Danao Adventure Park, Bohol

Welcome to Danao Adventure Park, Bohol

This is where my dreams came true and my fears died!

Day 2.

Please see my travel blog entry of Bohol day 1 and 3:

travel with life: Bohol 

I woke up at 6 am and prepared my things.

I had my full breakfast and checked out,

but

I instructed the front office guy that I will call if I cannot return.

I stayed in Nisa's Traveller's Inn.

I went to the other side of the street and ride the jeepney to Dau or Star City Mall. 

The fare was P10, 10 minutes travel.

The first bus schedules to leave 8 am to Sagbayan.

The second bus leaves at 9:30 am bound to Danao passing Sagbayan.

The fare was P90, 3 hours travel.

Sagbayan is another destination to see the Chocolate Hills.

Upon arriving Danao town, I rented a motorbike to take me to the adventure park.

The fare was P50, round trip for 15 minutes travel.

Danao Adventure Park.

The entrance fee is P25.

It has a restaurant and closed cottages for overnight accommodations.

There are a lot of activities:

 kayaking, spelunking, trekking, zip line and the plunge.

The plunge is P700.

Zip line is P300.

I had to sign a waiver for the activity.

They also awarded me a certificate for conquering my fear.

The feel of falling is one of my greatest fear and maybe dying, too.

I can't even hold my spoon during my lunch.

My lunch was P150.

The intensity of the experience is a must and the after shock is even more amazing.

It's all beautiful with green backdrop with the river streaming.

I returned that afternoon to Tagbilaran.

I took the van for P120. 4 hours travel.

It had a different route passing the port that service ships to Camiguin.

The total expenses are included in my Bohol travel entry.

 Companion: none

Bohol

Welcome to Bohol

This is a beautiful island with lots to offer:

The Chocolate hills
 The floating restaurant

The Tarsiers (smallest monkey)

The powdery sand of Panglao Island
and
The adventure parks

There are 2 ways to reach this destination;

1.  To fly from Manila to Tagbilaran through Cebu Pacific, PAL and AirAsia

2. To fly from Manila to Cebu then take the fast craft to Tagbilaran

I took the first option.

I flew from Manila, leaving at 9 am arriving 10 am through Air Asia.

P2000, round trip. 

The travel time is 1 hour.

From the airport, I rented a trike toDau Terminal or the Island City Mall.

The fare was 100.

Then, I took a jeepney going to Loboc River.

The fare was P17.

It's 45 minutes travel.

The entrance fee is P100 and lunch buffet is P300.

The cruise will take an hour and a half.

There is a waterfalls at the end of this cruise.

Then, from Loboc, I waited for the bus bound to the Tarsier Sanctuary.

I just tell the driver to drop me off the Sanctuary.

The fare was P10 for 30 minutes travel.

The entrance is P50.

After wandering around the sanctuary, I took another bus going to Carmen.

The fare was P50, 45 minutes travel.

It will also pass through the man-made forest.

I just tell the driver to drop me off the Chocolate Hills.

You may hire a motorbike going to the hill or you can walk for 10 minutes going up.

I did hire a motorbike going up for P20,

then, just walk down.

I stayed here for about half an hour.

The last bus going back to Tagbilaran passes by around 5  pm.

The time was 2 hours.

The fare was P100.

I did not book any hotel accommodation.

I just walked downtown and saw Nisa Traveler's Inn.

One fan room was P450, good for 2

with breakfast.

I had my dinner at Chowrie diner.

The trike was P20 ( I could have walk since it's near)

My dinner was P150.

I walked back to my hotel.

Day 2.
I packed my things and had my breakfast.

I checked out but told the front office guy that I might come back and I will call.

I went to the other side of the street and ride the jeepney to Dau or the Island City Mall.
The fare was P7, 10 minutes travel.

I missed the 8:30 am bus to Sagbayan so I took the 9:30 am schedule, instead.
which is better as it goes to Danao.

It's a 3 hour bus travel.
The fare was P90.

You may check my Plunge adventure at Danao:

 Danao Adventure Park

It was a terrifying one in lifetime experienced.

The plunge was P700.

(It is the same with bungee jumping)

The zip line was P300.

There are other activities like root climbing and river rafting.

They offer hotel accommodation for overnight stay

and they serve good food.

  

I took the van back.

The fare was P150.

It was 4 hours travel as we passed the other side, 

stopping over the port that service the Camiguin island.

I returned to Nisa Traveller's Inn and had my dinner at Payag's restaurant.

The trike was P4, round trip. 

My dinner was P150.

Day 3.

I packed my things, had my good breakfast and waived my good byes 

to the kind hotel owner and staff of Nisa.

I went to the other side of the street.. again.

I had to asked several locals to find the bus terminal going to Panglao Island.

The travel time is 30 minutes ad the fare is P100.

I chose to stay in Dumaluan Beach to avoid the crowd of tourist.

The entrance fee is P25.

There are hotel cottages for P650, good for 2.

 You may rent an outrigger boat to do dolphin watching or do island hopping.

I chose to do nothing.

This beach has the finest white sand.

Of all the places I've been to in the country... this is one of my favorite beach.

I walked to the neighbouring resorts and found the Bohol Beach Club.

I had my seafood lunch for P150.

After chillin', I washed up to proceed to the port.

I took the van for P120.

I did not reserve any ticket, 

I just bought the ticket of the next ferry going to Cebu.

The fare was P500 for 2 hours travel.

From the port, I took the taxi to the city.

I had dinner with my long time friend who moved to Cebu.

Then, took a  taxi to Mactan Island to take my flight back to Manila.

  

Until my next adventure ♥

Airfare: 

Manila to Tagbilaran: P1500

Cebu to Manila: P1000

Fast craft:

Tagbilaran to Cebu: P500

+

Other Expenses: P5000

companion: None

Nagsasa Cove, Zambales

Welcome to Nagsasa Cove

This is one of my most exciting travels.

Have you ever been stranded on an island?

We were stuck on this cove wearing our wet clothes...

only sharing the heat of bonfire with the light of the sparkling constellation.

We left Manila around 8 pm arriving Olongapo City at 11 pm.

The travel time was 4 hours.

 It was heavy traffic in Manila and we were in EDSA for a very long time.

From Olongapo, we took the last bus bound to Zambales at 11:30 pm.

The travel time is another 2 hours.

 

There a lot of buses that goes to Zambales directly

You may check Victory Bus Liner schedule and fare for details.

The drop point of Nagsasa, Anawangin and Capones is San Antonio.

Once in the town of San Antonion, you can hire a trike to Pundaquit.

There a lot of hotel and beach resort accommodations in Pundaquit.

We stayed in Megan's resort for P1,500, AC and good for 3.

We plan to have a day tour in Nagsasava Cove.

After breakfast, we haggle for an out trigger boat for P1,500 good for 3-5 capacity.

There was a tropical storm that passed through the country few days ago.

The waves are higher and stronger than the usual.

The beatiful landscape along the way.

This is the same route going to Anawangin.

It's another destination which will take an hour travel.

I was here few years ago.

Welcome to Nagsasa Cove!

The Nagsasa Cove will take 2 hours travel.

The other option to get here is through the mountain.

 

You may hike from Pundaquit to get to this cove.

It will take 4-6 hours trek and mountain climbing.

There are open cottages in this place.

You may also set up your tent.

There is a source of water for bathing and clean toilets.

worth the high and dangerous boat ride...

this is at the back area of the cove.. 

we pass this going to the big waterfalls...

we supposedly will do beach bumming and lunch...

but we were offered to go to the waterfalls..

for 100 php per person for the tour guide fee...

the guy is our tour guide as the picture mention...

this is just a random picture taken while walking...

cute!

along the way...

It would take 2 hours to get to the waterfalls...

but we are taking a lot of pictures and stops...

and my friends are not really the adventurous types...

they only wanted a weekend get away...

and they travel with the wrong person! hahahaha

taking pictures with strangers...

i mean with the local people...

Aetas

simply stunning...

I can manage just fine... but my friends cannot!

Alas!

the great waterfalls...

we stayed here for a while...

and because of that... it was late to sail back...

and were stuck in the cove.. for a night!

that was unexpected! 

and we have no choice...

there is no hotel accommodation and electricity in the cove...

most travelers who stay here have their tent...

there is a store that you can purchase some canned food

and there is a toilet and sediment available

sometimes... we have to accept the unacceptable circumstances..

that's one lesson traveling taught me...

second is...

to enjoy every moment while it lasts..

so, here we are...

with our sunset love!

with the bonfire after...

and our simple dinner...

we travel back to the main land the next day...

and my friends though scared to death...

are still traveling with me until now! hahaha

total expenses: 2,000 php

companion: 2