Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Calamian Isles… Heaven on Earth (Coron and Busuanga, Palawan) Part 1 of 7

 
Visit these related articles


I thought I died and gone to heaven, waking up not recalling where I was just a moment ago. Imagine (with my eyes barely open) the sun in all its glory, azure skies all around me, turquoise waters almost kissing my feet, laying on sand white as snow, not a soul in sight, just the sound of stillness with a calm splash for intermission.  I thought to myself, I must’ve done something good to have landed on this place. No exaggeration, until I felt my leathery burnt skin ouch to stretch that pulled me back to reality and my senses.  Yet the piece of heaven I just described remained and now with eyes wide open it was even more divine.  I then realized my so-called piece of heaven was Banol Beach in the Calamian Isles of panoramic Palawan.

The two hues of sunset in Coron

Rewind. One night, I stared at my Philippine map posted on the refrigerator door and like pinning the needle on the donkey I let my fingers decide my next deliberate misadventure. Lo and behold it landed on an empty blue space, which was no good unless I was a pirate, so I zoomed in to where my finger was closest to and that was the Calamian Group of Islands. I knew little of its existence and my fascination has catapulted to a thirst for adventure. Only heard of once from my marine biologist friend who was just euphoric about marine life there, this uncharted territory on my map shanghaied my curious nature there was no time to waste.  Calamian Isles, ready or not here I come!

Can’t put a finger on it?
Let me point on geography first. Calamian Isles is a group of islands in remote Palawan in the south-western part of the Philippines. Palawan is a large archipelago consisting of 1,780 islands and islets and could take months to forever to indulge in all it has in store.  I’ve been back and forth and I still haven’t explored its other surprises. Calamian Group of Isles alone has Busuanga, Coron and Culion for major islands and 98 more islands scattered all over.  The numbers of islands are overwhelming and I recommend that if you only have 4-6 days to spare it would be best to focus on the major islands first. It would be more of a bummer if you tried to squeeze-in a lot of places in your itinerary to maximize your expenses but would prove to be a waste as you would hurry and scurry not enjoying your every destination.

--------------

Side Bar:
Domestic Airlines with flights to Busuanga
Zest Air: www.zestair.com.ph
Tickets and reservations: (632)855-3333

Cebu Pacific: www.cebupacificair.com
Tickets and reservations: (632)702-0888

Seair: www.flyseair.com
Tickets and reservations: (632)849-0100

Tours and Accommodations
Dive Link Resort: www.divelink.com.ph
Telephone numbers: (632) 376-2048; (632) 387-2019
Mobile: 0918-9072577; 0918-9261545; 0918-9261547
Coron office: 0918-9261546; 0917-858-1799
Seadive Resort: www.seadiveresort.com.ph          
Telephone numbers: (63)048-7230293                                                
Mobile numbers: 0918-400-0448; 0920-945-8714
Coral Bay Beach Resort: www.coralbay.ph   
Telephone number: (63)048-7230301
Sangat Island Reserve: www.sangat.com.ph                                                                       
Coron Office: (63)918-4051557 
Sangat Island Office: (63)919-2050198
Club Paradise: www.clubparadisepalawan.com       
Telephone Number: (632)838-4956-60

Essentials
1. First aid kit, vitamins, medicines, insect repellants, ointments (pharmacies rare)
2. Dive Gear/Snorkeling Gear if your finicky using your very own gear though rentals are readily available
3. Sunblock with high SPF a must
4. Rash guard, cap and a windbreaker
5. Cash – ATMs are not regularly on-line and are not easily accessible specially when you’re billeted on another island
6. Ready your dslr's or point and shoots, batteries and extras
7. Power bars and bottled water
8. Trash bag- bring your own be responsible with your trash to show discipline and respect
9. Cell phones (coverage is good) and a flashlight
10. An open itinerary, a positive approach to adventure and bring legs of steel!


Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake
A Chronicle by at 10:37 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Calamian Isles… Heaven on Earth (Coron and Busuanga, Palawan) Part 2 of 7




Visit these related articles


Brimming Busuanga
The island of Busuanga is the most prominent island and it is considered as the main point to get to the rest of the Calamian group of Islands. 


The plane ride roughly 60 minutes from Manila went like a breeze. The first whiff of air going down the plane gave me a sense of freedom and my feet just got so excited to gallivant and for a moment I thought it had a mind of its own.  On the way out of the airport a number of “agents” will welcome you.  Take your time on deciding on whom you’d want to whisk you away to their resort, don’t feel pressured to go with the first one who approaches or barks loudest. If you already have a hotel/resort transfer waiting, you won’t miss them.  I on the other hand, first wanted to check out some places in Coron town. Tedious task but it’s one of the things I get excited about, the challenge of finding a great place that won’t cost me an arm and a leg whilst not compromising my convenience even on a budget. So I hopped on board a jeepney which was bound for Coron town with some locals, 2 Americans and 2 French nationals, and baskets of produce and some chicken condos with live chickens clacking like crazy.  It took P150 and 50 minutes of refreshing rural scenery from Busuanga airport to get to Coron town.
Coron town is the mecca for finding accommodations, good food and good finds.  Coron town is a riot of native pride, trade excitement and bustling action. Walking about would be perfect but I wasn’t ready to walk aimlessly just yet so I hired a tricycle for P200 to take me to a few resort offices which he is familiar with on commission. Barely an hour I found my accommodation on a great location and on an even greater discount.


Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake 
A Chronicle by at 11:25 PM 2 comments

Calamian Isles… Heaven on Earth (Coron and Busuanga, Palawan) Part 3 of 7

Visit these related articles


Coron Town Public Market Alive and Kicking
Coron town is a haven for food enthusiasts like me. I scoured the streets and it was a delight to see how food was celebrated in every nook and cranny. In the thick of it all was the lively Coron town market that displayed abundance of the freshest catch and produce, where every ingredient for these food hawkers could be found.
   
Coron dock with Mt. Tapyas in the background

It was in its own charm very titillating and had me for an audience. It was also connected to the docks where boat taxis were parked ready to shuttle you to and from your resort and practically anywhere in the Calamian group.
 
The sight and smell of food made me very eager to land some on my tummy. I chanced upon a quaint grill house “Kawayanan Grill” just a block from the market prepping their menu for the day.  The sound of the sizzle on the grill made me stay and chill with an ice cold cocktail at hand while having a nice conversation with a local. I learned that this unassuming grill house by day was “the hotspot” at night.  The great grilled and sizzled meals and chilled cocktails by the pitcher were frequented and revisited.  Seafood allergy and all didn’t stop me from having those succulent crabs in spicy coconut sauce, a chicken platter grilled to perfection, a sizzling plate of native sisig and the most refreshing margarita that quenched my soul.

Nuts over cashew!

Thanks to my new friend Beverly, she pointed me to some interesting places in their town and I decided to burn those sinful calories on my trek before checking –in.  I began my Coron town adventure en route to the famous kasoy (cashew) factory “Coron Harvest” ran by the ever accommodating and generous Tita Lita Escarda. 

L-R: Lita Escarda in her elements - preparing cashews. Portrait of a seasoned cashew expert.

She educated me about cashews, the business and the pains that come with it. I’ve always wondered why cashews were so expensive. Question answered as I got first hand education from the Cashew queen herself. It only takes a few seconds to gorge on a packet of cashews but it takes a long process and on rare instances a dismembered finger to be able to fill a packet. Going through the process as Tita Lita taught me, I have new appreciation for those halved nuts and respect for her whole-hearted passion for cashews.

Rustic Charm
Not a pound lighter after my hefty lunch and short trip to the cashew factory I trekked on to just walk the streets.  Little surprises of rustic charm here and there have endeared the place to me. 


I found a wet market that sprung to action just as a big boat that seemed like Jack Sparrows Black Pearl emerged from near the shore with crates of fresh catch from prawns, yellow fins to octopus. 


Nearby, a group of youngsters were playing with a stick and an old bicycle wheel for entertainment. Looking on were teenagers amused to see this city slicker show some stunts of my own using the kid’s old school toy. A group of girls were tasked to salt and dry up a large number of fish, I couldn’t believe the multitude of fish sprawled on beds under the sun that sold like pancakes.


Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake Coron Busuanga Palawan Tapyas Siete Pecados Twin Lagoon Banol Kayangan Cove Kayangan Lake


A Chronicle by at 10:50 PM 0 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)