Last weekend, with the brute force planning of Dikky and a good friend, Ama, I was able to drag my ass out of bed to go on a flight to Coron via Busuanga. It was tempting to spend the long weekend resting at home but this trip had been planned for months already and I must say I was also excited to go. I’ve been eyeing this trip for years and finally, with a lot of political will, it has happened! After all, my ideal vacation has always been to spend it out at home with no additional expense. Yeah, I could be that boring at times. :)

Since we got to our hotel (Coron Village Lodge located in Coron Town, Busuanga Island) around mid-afternoon Friday, there wasn’t much left to do so we opted to visit the Maquinit saltwater hot springs north of where we were staying. We spent the rest of the afternoon there and started heading back slightly after dark, after which, we had a sumptuous home-cooked meal. Yes, our lodging had a good kitchen in it!

Early the next day, after filling up the chiller with fresh food, water, and beer from the Coron Public Market, we hopped on a boat to go around the Coron Island cluster itself. And that’s when we experienced the sheer awesomeness of what nature has laid out before us, from the interesting and towering granite formations of the island cluster to secluded white beaches, and of course, to the calm and really clear waters. The sights were simply captivating! While it’s okay to enjoy Coron from the surface, I believe, the real deal is when you dive into the water and experience for yourself the diverse marine life and shipwrecks beneath it, and if you don’t, you will just be short-changing yourself. :)

Before leaving Manila, I was contemplating on bringing my DSLR so I could be better “equipped” but decided against it and just brought a P&S so it won’t feel like “work.” The heft of the DSLR was also an issue so travelling light proved to be a better idea.

One would assume that I would have shot thousands of photos during this trip but you’d be mistaken. When Dikky and I got home and started organizing our photos, I soon realized that I only got to shoot a little over a hundred! Imagine my surprise and dismay! What was I thinking? What was I doing? Well, that’s what this paradise can do to you. It was just so breath-taking and peaceful you can get drawn to it easily. While I may not have lots of photos on this trip, I’m happy I still got a few keepers. Besides, what’s important was the total experience, right? It may have been disappointing at first but I realize this is another good enough reason to go back as this trip was definitely just a teaser. There’s just so much to experience in Coron! Of course, it was equally fun being with good friends from the other telco network so you could imagine ourselves bashing each other (in the spirit of fun) throughout the whole time. :)

I may not have been around much, as I have yet to see the rest of the Philippines, but I would tend to agree with what’s written on this funky tricycle we rode in on our way to the pier: There’s no place like Coron.

I’ve been spending the past two Holy Weeks in a lovely beach-front home in Dingalan Bay in the Aurora Province (Philippines). Here, I offer a collection of photographs I’ve taken while seeking temporary asylum from the noise and chaos of the city. It wouldn’t have been possible without the hospitality and care of the lovely Dimarucot-Magbanua family who surely made us feel we were also part of it. My gratitude is yours! :)

Dingalan Bay Moon Rise

Dingalan Bay Sunrise

You can see the rest of the photos in this gallery.