Coron, Palawan 2014 [Coron Island Tour]

Coron's most famous tour destination is the Coron Island Tour or the Tour A. This includes the visit to the cleanest lake in Asia, the Kayangan Lake. Also included are the CYC island, Twin Peaks, Calachuchi Island, and Hidden Lagoon.

First stop: CYC (Coron Youth Club) Island

This is a small island with fairly white sand. It was low tide when we came there so we have to walk a bit far from the water to the island. There is really a nice view of the sea if you're in the island - a perfect view to pose for a photo.

Our bangkero told us that there are beautiful corals in the deeper part of the sea and so we put our snorkels and life vest on and searched for the fishes and corals. Not to far from the island, our eyes was filled with joy upon seeing these:

The island of Coron always has something to offer. Each island has hidden gems that one must discover. 

Second stop: Twin Peaks

If you really love to see bunch of fishes and you have limited time to go to Banana Island, this is the perfect place for you. The perfect clear water allowed us to see the fishes roaming around the moment we reached the place. 

By the way, the name speaks for itself. It was derived because of these two twin-like islands:

If you really want to see more fishes and interact with them nearer, jump off to the water with your snorkel (and lifevest if for safety) and you will sea how lovely it is under.

Third stop: Calachuchi Island

Named after the flower calachuchi which, according to our tour guide, were abundant in the island before, this place is where we had our lunch. The island is also surrounded by big rock formation. Since we thought that we already had a lot of interaction with fishes and corals on the first two destinations that we've been to, we just chose to roam around and took some photos while waiting for our lunch.

Fourth stop: Hidden Lagoon

Another must-see place in this island (or did I say this to all the places I mentioned?) is the Hidden Lagoon. It was named as "hidden lagoon" because it's located and hidden in the middle of high limestones and the boat must go in between those big rock formations for us to enjoy the clean and fresh water of this body of water.

Hidden beach has a brackish water with mangroves surrounding it. The bottom part of the water was warm because of the salty water while the top part of it was so cold because of the fresh water. The feeling of having sauna will make you not want to come out of the water because you will feel cold.

I will recommend that you just enjoy the place and swim around. Anyway, there are no fishes to see under because of the water temperature.

Fifth stop: Kayangan Lake

As the famous line goes, "Save the best for last." I am wanting to see this place the time I booked our flight few months ago. I was really excited to see how beautiful this place was. Imagine, it bested all the lakes in Asia and was hailed as the Cleanest Lake. 

Excitement went higher when I learned that we will be trekking because the lake where we will be swimming was located on the other side of the big limestone.

Around 40 to 50 steps up and we reached the peak which is the best spot to take a picture of the famous lake. Another steps down and we got to rub elbows with the lake. I am beyond words. That day's your was supposed to be our first but I am most thankful that it all turned around. 

My stay was complete that moment I saw the island's hidden treasures. 

Mandatory tourist photo :)

For dinner, we opted to go back to Corto del Mar because we were informed that they have promo every Sundays (Buy one pizza and get a free drink) and because I really missed their deliciously fresh pizza. 

Aside from pizza, we ordered pasta. Knowing me, I have this default order when it comes to pasta. 

Tadan! Carbonara! With lots of parmesan cheese on the side :)

I thought my stay was complete after the island tour but it is true that good things really come in package. Seriously, I almost cried upon tasting this. This. was. the. best, tasting. carbonara. I. have. tasted. so. far! I am very vocal that before I've tasted this, my favorite carbonara was that of Cafe Lidia's in Marikina but know it's Corto del Mar's!

I love the not-too-creamy sauce of the pasta. It was not too salty for me and the cheese! I could also say that the pasta was freshly made and every ingredient complements each other.

Okay, good places plus good food, two hand up for you, Coron! I just have one problem, you are too far for my craving! Haha!

We called it a day and prepared for our quick souvenir shopping and flight the next day. 

A big part of my heart will stay with you, Coron. You got me with your beautiful scenery, clear blue and torquoise water, variety of corals and fishes, cliffs, and of course, carbonara! 

One piece of advice, when travelling to Coron, if possible, book a longer stay. I knew that because we stayed 5 days and 4 nights and was able to see most of its wonders. If you could extend more than this, do it!

xoxo

Coron, Palawan 2014 [Las Islas Eco Tour]

If you loved the beaches of Coron, you will surely love this another tour that you may also try if you visit Coron, Palawan - the Las Islas Eco Tour. This tour package includes the Siete Pecados Marine Park, Barracuda Lake, Dimanglet Beach, Coral Garden and Lajala Cultural Village.

Let's proceed. 

First stop: Siete Pecados Marine Park

Siete Pecados literally means "seven peaks." It was named after the seven islets surrounding a magnificent marine park.

Our tour guide that day allowed us to see this marine park that Coron is boasting about. It did not surprise me upon seeing how wonderful the under water world is. There were lots of variety of fishes swimming in groups. Some will play around you and some were too shy that they just stay somewhere private. It just made me feel sad upon seeing some dead corals.

We were told that those dead corals were caused by the typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) but it made me feel better when he informed us that they are doing ways to keep it back to life.

Second Stop: Barracuda Lake

According to some, it was named Barracuda Lake because of the barracuda fishes that were once living in this lake. True or not, I was so excited to see this lake since I always hear its name whenever Coron tour is being talked about. To see the lake, one must do a little trecking of around 30 to 40 steps.

The other side of the cliff is where the famous lake is located. Our bangkero/tour guide told us that it is perfect for divers because of its depth.

I was amazed with the clear water of this lake. If you look down, you might think that it is just 3 or 4 feet deep but it's actually more than 10 feet deep. Here, we just enjoyed the not-so-cold water while looking at the high cliffs surrounding it.

Third Stop: Dimanglet Beach

As part of the package, free lunch were always served by our bangkeros. We then proceeded to Dimanglet Beach to have our lunch.

It is a secluded white sand beach that I actually heard for the first time. Right after having our lunch in this calm beach, we rested for a while and then proceeded to our last destination for the day.

Fourth Stop: Lajala Cultural Village

Lajala Cultural Village is a small village that was devastated by typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) last year. As of the moment, the government is helping the people start a new life by constructing houses for them.

These houses were all being built by the people of Lajala with the guidance of the government. Instead of simple hallow blocks, they're using soil mixed with cement to create a brick-like material.

These bricks will then serve as the house's wall. Each house costs P150,000. P100,000 for materials and P50,000 for the labor. Another thumbs up for this Coron! As I've said, something is better than nothing. At least, people will not feel that they were left out after what happened. 

Each day is a new day to learn and on that day, walking around the place and seeing the people of Lajala smiling and cracking some jokes reminded me again of how grateful I must be with my life. And hey, whatever happens, we must not forget to smile!

For dinner, we ate again at Kawayanan Grill hoping to find lobsters which were really craving about for the past months. Sadly, there was none :( Instead, we ordered crabs and squid which are also good since all are fresh.

This tour made me appreciate this place more. From the beautiful lake, secluded beach, to the people who touched my heart, it's indeed another day well-spent in Coron! :)

xoxo

Never get tired of LOVING

“Love is the most wonderful thing one can ever feel.” We often hear this and I know we all believe in this. But as we know, love is more than a feeling – it is an experience.

In my almost 25 years of existence in this world, I cannot say that I know everything about love. I always believe that I have a lot to learn. Love for me came a little early and from then on, a lot has changed about my perception about it. Before, I always believe that when you love someone, you must be willing to give everything that can make her/him happy. Now, I still believe in that but I've learned that while you’re willing to give everyhting to make someone you love happy, you should be happy too. Making someone happy can be tiring but if you can feel the joy of doing it, it will never make you feel tired. 

True love is not easy to handle. We all know this reality. There is no such thing as smooth sailing love from the beginning 'til the end. True love may start with a storm. It may also be smooth in the start then gets rocky in the middle. You are two different persons from different families and values. There is no way everything will just fit in a snap of a finger or a blink of an eye. Arguments will occur and that is just fine. All you have to do is talk, try to understand where one is coming from, and compromise. Learning how to deal with personal differences is never easy but it is always worth it.

Love always comes with pain. Do you remember giving up the one you love because she/he is in love with someone else. At first, of course, we fight. (We know that we will all fight for the one we love, right?) We thought that fighting for the one we love is the right thing to do but sometimes it's not. So I guess, the right thing to say is: It is alright to fight but know when to stop. 

Love is like two persons pulling a rubber band. Nobody gets hurt if the two are just pulling it in balance but if one lets go of the pull, the other one will get hurt. What’s worse is that, the harder you pull, the more you will get hurt. 

Pain may always be part of love but we must also remember that pain must serve its purpose. Have you heard about the pain your mother has to suffer just to make sure you will be brought in this world safe? Remember how God died on the cross to save us from our sins? As for me, I realized that maybe, I was hurt because we needed to be happy. Letting go means no one will be suffering in a relationship where one cannot reciprocate the love of the other.  This will always be the story of love – of unconditional love. We sometimes have to choose pain over comfort to protect our loved ones or to save them from more pain.

God never forgets who loves truly. I know He never did because I once failed, twice broken, and thrice stood up – all for love. All those times, I felt Him there. I know because I asked and He answered, not in my time but in His. I know He was and will always be here telling me not to give up, reminding me not to lose hope for love. 

As one of my favorite bible verses states, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Through pain, we learn. We may all fail in love but true love will never fail. Count how many times you have failed and suffered in love, double it, and that’s how strong your heart is. Imagine how strong your heart will be if more pain has been suffered by it. The stronger your heart is, the more love you can give. 

I just trusted love and of course, God. Now, I’m reaping the fruit of all the patience I've invested for love. That’s why I’m telling you: NEVER, EVER GET TIRED OF LOVING.


xoxo