<p>The Palawan Project from Discover Palawan on Vimeo.</p>
Locations:
Coron, Busuanga Island
Culion Island, Calamines
Street Fair, Puerto Princessa City
<p>The Palawan Project from Discover Palawan on Vimeo.</p>
Locations:
Coron, Busuanga Island
Culion Island, Calamines
Street Fair, Puerto Princessa City
On a banca boat in Coron.
Once a remote island used primarily as a leper colony, Culion is a place with a historical background. We were lucky to have met someone in Coron who knew a local, who offered to guide us around town for a day. So we decided to take a day trip to visit present Culion and learn a little about it's facsinating past. We took a banca boat approx. 2500-3000Php from Coron to Culion.
We also visited the Leperosy Musem (Culion Sanitarium) and learned about all the medical advances that helped cure the disease and how life was inside the colony. The museum contains rare artifacts from the early 1900's that were used with patients. We also watched a short film about the history of the island. We found out that there are still people living next door in the hospital that were once leper patients, but have since been cured of the disease. Museum cost is 250Php for foreigners, 50Php for locals.
We realized that depiste some limited tourist resources, Culion is a very special place with a lot of growth potential, simply a gem waiting to be discovered.
View of the pier at sunset in Coron, Palawan.
Kelly enjoying a nice stroll on the beach during our island hopping in El Nido.
After a few days of exploring the caves and white sand beaches of El Nido, it was time to head north and seek out our next adventure. We bought a ferry ticket on The Princess Welia for 2,200 pesos (Approx. $48 USD) and took the 7 hour ride to the town of Coron on Busuanga Island. Coron is a quaint costal town with remnants of Spanish-European influence in the layout and architecture. To divers, it's known for the twelve WWII Japanese ship wrecks that sunk around the islands near Busuanga. When we arrived, the Princess Welia pulled right up to the front steps of Seadive Resort, where we easily booked a room for the next few days. (A cool tip: One of the staff moved us to room #209 upstairs where we had an outdoor patio that overlooked the port. It was one of the most comfortable places we stayed in on our trip. The staff member also mentioned to us that it was her favorite room.)
Day One: We took our cameras and hiked up to Mt. Tapyas, where the most prominent landmark The Cross, is displayed in Coron. However, we soon realized that climbing the 717 cement steps to the top is no easy feat! So we recommend bringing plenty of water and allowing a good 30 to 45 minutes before sunset to reaching the top. Once you're there, you'll realize your sore leg muscles are a small price to pay for the spectacular sunset view. Remember to stretch and rest well for the next day's journey ahead!
Day Two: We decided to book a diving day with Coron Divers to explore the famous diving in the area. The first dive of the day started in Barracuda Lake, a hot thermal lake actually located inside a Volcano crater. The lake is a mix of freshwater/saltwater with a thermocline, and tempertures can soar between 30-38 degrees Celsius. No dive suit needed! To get to the lake, we needed to climb some wooden steps (with all our dive gear) between the limestone formations. Though the visibility underwater was somewhat darker than expected (as opposed to the surface), you can see saltwater creatures that somehow survive the water's high temperatures. Legend has it that the lake is named after a particularly large barracuda living in the vicinity. Despite not seeing any barracudas along the way, it was definitely one of the most fascinating dives we have ever encountered.
Next stop...Culion! Stay tuned for more...
The road leading to top of Mount Tapyas, Coron, Palawan.
We saw this bull grazing on the side of the road near the Iwahig Penal Colony and jumped out of the motorcar for a few quick shots.