Palawan

Paradise is an island called

THERE were chickens walking around the tarmac in the airport, and a horse stable not too far off.

Coron is a unique place.

A small quiet town on the island of Palawan in the Philippines holds many hidden wonders of nature.

Right after my Vietnam trip last June, I jumped off to the Philippines to see this beautiful "untouched" island, untainted by touristy commercialism...yet. The locals are very welcoming to any visitors to the island.

My travel companion checked in Mommita's Lodge, a home-stay place conveniently located in the heart of Coron town. The owner, Mammita, made us feel at home the moment we stepped through her door and was full of suggestions of the best places to visit in Coron.

Refreshing change of pace

We spent the first day roaming around the small quiet town, where almost everything looks to be hand-made from bamboo...roofs, gates, boats, you name it. It feels really refreshing to be away from civilisation for a bit, to be free from all the demands and stress of the real world.

From any point in the town, you can see a huge cross standing at the top of a mountain. Mount Tapyas, literally and figuratively, took my breath away. To get to the top, we had to climb 700 long, and painful steps...by the time we reached 200 steps, I was out of breath, and was cussing my way to the top. Getting to the top was a huge accomplishment though, and we were rewarded with a stunning view overlooking all of Coron and the nearby islands.

Absolutely stunning!

Of course, being surrounded by islands, you can't miss island-hopping! I'm real sucker for unspoiled beautiful beaches...needless to say, I went all out kayaking and snorkelling from Siete Pecados, Twin Lagoon, Barracuda Lake and my favourite of all, Cayangan Lake.

Cayangan Lake

Cayangan Lake is a hidden treasure, because you have to hike through a steep path through the forest to get to the lake. After a 15-minute-ish hike, you get yourself an unspoiled natural beauty - a big lake surrounded by mountains topped with thick vegetation, a beautiful green and blue. The lake is rather deep, with some plane rocks on the side to stand on to before one dives into the deep cool water in a warm tropical weather.

Best spot to take a picture of Cayangan Lake is from the top of the hill just before getting to the lake. My old rusty camera literally poofed out smoke when I used the flash, but the picture is still an all-time favourite in my album.

Scuba diving

I had my first taste in scuba-diving right here in Coron. For a fun-dive to a shipwreck, which cost 2000PHP ($60), I think I had a great start with my diving experience. It was really nerve-wracking to go underwater at first, considering I'm a terrible swimmer. I wasn't used to breathing pure dry oxygen, and had to fight the urge to cough underwater because...how do you cough underwater? All the anxiety was taken away when I finally got to the bottom to see some marine life making a home out of a sunken ship. I was in a different world, being surrounded by amazing underwater life of different shapes and sizes. There was no sound but my own breathing through the regulator, it was very peaceful.

Maquinit Hot Spring

After a day of heavy activity, the perfect thing to do is visit the Maquinit Hot Spring where we only had to pay 100PHP ($3) each for entry and stay as long as I want. It's about half an hour away from the town centre and is located between a hill and a sea, which is lined with mangrove trees and floating bamboo cottages. I couldn't think of any better way to relax and rejuvenate than chilling at this hot spring and enjoying the view of the natural beauty around it.

With only a day left, and a buck short because we had to save for our next destination, my travel companion and I decided to check out of our hotel a day early. We left our luggage at a bus shuttle office, which would take us to the airport the next day, and spent the rest of the day roaming the small town. We ended up spending the night at a wharf, falling asleep to a bright full moon and a starry sky. And, of course, we also woke up to a few confused looks from locals who were passing by to get to their boats for another day of fishing.We spent the last two hours in Coron to pay Mount Tapyas afinal visit and see all of Coron for one last time before flying to our next destination. This time, I couldn't climb 700 steps. No way. I managed to get to 200 after being persuaded by my travel buddy. Even then, I could still see a glorious sight before me...the small sleepy island, all green and untouched with its magnificent mountains covered by the morning mist. Coron is easily the top on my list of places I've visited. The Brunei Times