Day 3! (and the last part of my Coron series…)
We started our third day much like the same. We had our breakfast at the resort, didn’t bother to shower as this day will be more time to lie around the sand and bathe in the beach. We’re ready with our swim wears on! Let’s go!
We rode the boat and passed the line of houses along the seashore, farther away, until our eyes could barely see them. The wind is fresh and cool, it felt like my entire body system has been cleansed from all the toxic it accumulated in the city.
We were told that we’re going to Malcapuya and I thought it’s somewhere near, I was surprised that the trip took more than one and a half hour! It was so far that we kidded around, what if we run out of gas and get stuck in the middle of the ocean? I guess, it would take a month of swimming before one could get back to the resort. And for non-swimmers like me, it could take forever! :)
MALCAPUYA ISLAND
With its crystal clear blue-green water, fine white sands, verdant grasslands around, and wooden huts along the coast, Malcapuya is hailed as the “Boracay of Palawan”. It’s very serene and such an eye-candy, I imagine an afternoon in a hammock, waiting for the sun to retire with a good book in my hand would really be great.
Our tour guide told us that this island was also the setting to Robin Padilla and Judy Ann Santos’ teleserye ending, Basta’t Kasama Kita. There were already plans to reconstruct this place to a high-end vacation resort. So better visit this place now before it becomes expensive for budget travelers.
Besides us, I think there were two other groups who were also spending a day there but the island was big enough it felt like we had it for ourselves. Thus, I found it easy and comfortable to wear a two-piece swim wear. Malcapuya is so inviting and charming; it would be a shame to the island if I hadn’t done so. It was my first time to take lots of shots and poses underwater.
Everything in Coron is worth it. Even Malcapuya is worth the long journey and I wouldn’t mind spending another half-and-an-hour boat ride to get here again.
Fee: P150 (included in our package)
BANANA ISLAND
Just a few minutes boat ride from Malcapuya is Banana Island, our second destination for the day. It’s just a small island but it’s complete with nipa huts, hammocks, basketball court and volleyball net along the shore.
The water was not that deep and swarms of fishes that seem unafraid of people can already be seen close by, perfect for those who are just learning to swim or snorkel. But I had so much sun in Malcapuya, I opted to lay back in one of the seats in front while listening to the soft melody of the ocean waves. In less than a minute, I hadn’t notice, I fell asleep. :)
This island looks like those cozy dream rest houses I see on TV but not too built-up. And since it’s smaller than Malcapuya, it feels more intimate and friendly. I daydream of owning this someday. LOL.
Fee: P200 (included in our package)
BULOG DOS ISLAND
A little later in the afternoon, our tour guide called us to go on board so we can move to our last destination, Bulog Dos Island, which is also just a few minutes away. It’s the smallest island among the three, and there’s only one hut standing in the shore so it’s pretty much deserted. On the end side, there’s a sandbar that appears during low tide and connects to another larger island. Unlike Banana Island, you won’t see much fishes when you snorkel here. You have to go further in the water to get something good. Also, the sea floor is pretty weak and sinks down quickly when stepped on.
This island looks cozy as well. Paired with a golden sunset, or the glam natural lights of the moon and stars, this could be a perfect romantic island getaway anyone could dream of. In fact, we were told that lots of proposals happened here already. With the artsy rocky formations and a few trees situated in the right spots, the island is also great news for landscape and seascape photographers.
Fee: P100 (included in our package)
That concludes our short trip to cloud nine; the next day was our flight back to Manila. A weekend is definitely not enough to see everything Coron has to offer, but what we had was enough to see the best and get the same feeling of charm over this God-given paradise.
As the cliché goes, time definitely flies by when you’re having so much fun. Until we see each other again, CORON!
