Travel

Coron, Palawan: Travel Requirements, Where to Stay and Places to Visit

December 29, 2021 Ruth Dela Cruz

After almost 2 years, I got to ride a plane again and traveled to the most beautiful island in the Philippines – Palawan. I am so happy and kilig to be traveling and embracing new experiences again, especially since it was an invitation by the Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines.

(I will save all my personal stories on a separate blog, so please indulge me). 😊

In this blog, I will share with you the travel requirements to Palawan, where to stay, and things to do, as well as helpful tips and trivia for your next travel.

When I first started traveling, Coron, Palawan was one of the first Philippine destinations that my friends and I visited. Palawan is where I get to experience and see the colorful marine life, clear lakes, and beautiful limestone cliffs. It is one of the travel destinations that I would never get tired of visiting. It is nice to have learned new things about the island and even explored Culion (I will share more about this island on a separate blog).

Palawan is part of the MIMAROPA, formerly known as Southwestern Tagalog Region which consists of provinces Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan.

From Manila, you can travel to Palawan via airplane (Francisco Reyes Airport – Busuanga) which usually takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes (so I learned that the airport is named after the town it is located in, but the airport is actually part of the Coron Town).

Coron, Palawan Travel Requirements

Fully vaccinated individuals from NCR and other LGUs in the Philippines can travel to Coron, Palawan. You must need to prepare and accomplish the following requirements:

Approved S-Pass Travel Application https://s-pass.ph/ (make sure that you choose Coron, Palawan so the request would be routed to the correrct LGU). You will be required to upload 3 documents, and I suggest you upload:
- ID
- Negative Antigen Result
- Vax Certificate
Negative Antigen Test Result (test should have been conducted 48 hours before flight/boarding airplane).

Vax Certificate https://vaxcert.doh.gov.ph/ (just enter the date of your vaccination and city where these were facilitated).
Confirmed hotel/accommodation booking

*The Travel Promotions Board partnered with Philippine Children’s Medical Hospital for the fully subsidized RT-PCR Test for qualified domestic travelers. You may check out this site for more information: https://www.tpb.gov.ph/rtpcrphtravel/

Where to Stay in Coron, Palawan

Coron, Palawan has hotels / accommodations that cater to the different guests’ lifestyles, purposes and interests. During our recent travel to Coron, Palawan, we got to visit DOT – accredited accommodations:

Sunlight Guest Hotel Coron

Sunlight Guest Hotel Coron has been our home for 3 days in the Coron Town. It is the perfect hotel to come home to after a day of exploration – comfortable bed, spacious room, well-maintained facilities, and good food!

It has pool, KTV rooms, gym and function rooms to accommodate business conferences or parties.

My room has access to veranda that has a view of the pool, sea and Mt Tapyas. It is a beautiful sight to see every morning. The room is complete with facilities like hot and cold shower, TV with cable, WIFI, mini-bar, safety box and toilteries. For those who need to press their clothes, you can borrow flat iron from housekeeping.

The buffet spread and food that they served us are superb! I love the fresh seafood and desserts that the resident chef has served us during our stay.

SkyLodge Resort

SkyLodge Resort is a great choice of accommodation with a pool and viewing deck that is facing the scenic Mt Tapyas. It is strategically located near the town proper and offers facilities comparable to luxury hotels like Wi-Fi in all rooms, 24-hour room service, daily housekeeping, 24-hour front desk, and restaurant.. They also offer recreational activities for guests. My favorite part of the hotel is the friendly dog that welcomed us when we arrived.

Tag Resort, Palawan

Tag Resort is like an island on its own, that offers luxurious getaway to couples, families or friends traveling in Palawan. The property has rooms and casitas, lagoon pool, poolside lounge, the iconic Tree of Light, convention center and ballroom that can accommodate up to 500 guests.

The beautiful interior and displays are crafted by designer Kublai Millan complement the eco-friendly details of the hotel. Tag Resort defines green hotel in a luxurious way.

The Funny Lion

I got the opportunity to stay in Funny Lion during our travel to Coron, Palawan in 2016. It is nice to visit the Funny Lion again and see that the hotel is still very much well-maintained.

The Funny Lion is a boutique hotel in Coron Town that offers contemporary design, modern facilities and peaceful stay.

Thank you @txcjosh for all the drone photos!

It has 32 spacious rooms with complete amenities for a comfortable stay, a swimming pool, on-site restaurant (that serves Tagbanua coffee), and a roof deck with a jacuzzi and view of the sunset.

Darayonan Lodge

Darayonan Lodge offers a comfortable accommodation that gives guests the feeling of just staying home in a relatives’ place. The lodging place has rest house with pools, a poolside bar, coffee shop and a restaurant.

Rooms are air-conditioned with a writing desk, cable TV, hot and cold shower, and a veranda making it a perfect accommodation for those who are traveling for leisure or business.

Places to Visit in Coron, Palawan

Being one of the top island destinations (and hailed as the most beautiful island) Coron, Palawan can truly amaze visitors with its clear waters, beautiful limestone formations, white-sand beaches, and island resorts.

Even for someone who has been on the island a few times, I still feel enchanted and refreshed by its beauty. Be it on the ground, or underwater – Coron, Palawan has a colorful history and tourist destinations.

Kayangan Lake

When you do a quick search on Google about Coron Palawan, images of the Kayangan Lake will show up on your search result. For first timers, you would need to do a quick hike to the hill before you go down to Kayangan Lake. Make sure to do a quick stop at the hill and take photos on the iconic spot.

When you head down to the lake, you would be welcomed into a paradise. Kayangan Lake is still as beautiful as the first time I saw it in 2010 – turquoise waters where you can see the fish swimming and coral reefs underwater.

Barracuda Lake

For a first-time visitor of Barracuda Lake, I was in for a great adventure. The entrance to the lake is big jagged rocks (with wood steps), that welcomed me to a clear lake with beautiful limestone formations. I am pretty sure that the world underwater is a lot more beautiful. They say it is a paradise for divers (although, there are no longer sightings of Barracuda in the lake).

Twin Lagoon

Another popular and must-see destination in Coron, Palawan is the Twin Lagoon. I remember visiting the lake when I was still very young and light, and I didn’t worry about climbing up rocks and diving. But every time I visit Coron, I make sure I joined into the Twin Lagoon adventure.

with new friends from MIMAROPA and Paxner, @paxieness

To get to the inner lagoon, you have to swim under the rock formation (or climb up and dive). Inside the lagoon, you would feel the cool water in the surface, then suddenly warm water would embrace you that is coming from a hot spring! It is truly an experience.

Mt. Tapyas

Around 700+ steps to reach the peak of the famous Mt. Tapyas in Coron, Palawan. It is a relaxed hike with a paved staircase leading to the top. There are also benches in between staircases where you can sit and rest while enjoying the view of the town.

It is recommended to go there in the sunrise or early afternoon to catch the sunset. Make sure that you wear comfortable clothes and bring water. Depending on the level of fitness, it can take you around 15 to 30 minutes to reach the peak.

Maquinit Hot Spring

After the hike, it is recommended to visit the Maquinit Hot Spring to relax and soothe your legs/body. It is one of the few saltwater hot springs in the world. Please go on a full-body hot spring experience. It is really soothing and relaxing, and I love that its visuals have improved with tables and chairs where you can just sit and relax (or take photos).

Malbato Church

If you are heading to Calauit to visit the Safari Zoo, you might want to include a stop at Malbato Church. It is a quaint church above the hill made of stones. A solemn place tucked in high grass and staircase with bamboo railings.

AVT Bambuhay Handicrafts

A small family-owned handicrafts shop that showcases pieces made of Bamboo. I really love the variety of products that they offer, and most are uniquely designed with intricate details and good workmanship. Do drop by the store for good quality pasalubongs to your family and friends, or for handicraft pieces you can add on your collection at home.

Coron Souvenir Shop

Imagine us screaming when we realized that we were in the same Souvenir Shop that BTS had visited during their Palawan stay in 2017! Yes, the store carries souvenirs and gifts from t-shirts, accessories, home displays, dream catcher, and even the famous, Kasuy. The store accepts cash and GCash payments.

I love that my first trip after the lockdown is on the beautiful island of Palawan. Every travel really brings new experiences and fun travel memories, no matter if it is the same destination. We encountered challenges during our visit because of the typhoon Odette, but I am thankful for the team who made sure that we are safe while following safety guidelines. We were able to visit and experience the best of Coron and Culion, Palawan.

I am looking forward to the next one!