What’s new in Coron? 5 reasons to Return!

When we revealed on Facebook that we would be hitting Coron for the fourth time, somebody asked in the comments section why — provided that the Philippines has over 7600 islands — we kept on returning to this Palawan tourist town. Our response is quite simple: Coron has so much to offer. as well as we’re not bullsh*tting you when we state that. (Last updated: 2018)

Coron as well as its neighboring towns as well as islands offer a wide variety of attractions as well as activities, as well as they’re oh-so-diverse. You can check out Coron Island’s lakes as well as lagoons on one day, as well as then go beach-hopping the next, as well as then diving dive the day after. There’s a saltwater hotspring (Maquinit!), a perspective atop a mountain (Tapyas), as well as world war II shipwrecks scattered around the region! There’s even a former leper colony (Culion!) and, believe it or not, an African safari (Calauit). We’ve visited four times now, however it feels like we haven’t seen enough!

Before our trip a few weeks ago, the last time we were in Culion was in 2013, as well as boy were we blown away by exactly how much the town has changed. Tourists seem to have more than doubled, as well as advancement seemed to have worked overtime while we were away. The costs have likewise gone up considerably, particularly of restaurant meals. tour as well as boat rental rates have increased, too. however it wasn’t all poor news. There is LTE signal even in the islands! more hotels as well as transportation choices have opened. as well as the very best of all, there are new attractions that can make every repeater’s see feel like their first-time. right here are a few of them!

1. new Resort: Coron Soleil

Over the past few years, Coron has seen the increase of a number of hotels as well as resorts catering to all kinds of tourists. one of them is Coron Soleil, which held us in our recent stay. since it opened in September 2016, it is still in its infancy, which means whatever looks as well as feels brand new!

Touted as a first-of-its-kind holiday lodging complex, it harbors Coron Soleil garden Resort, a 4-star resort, as well as the more pocket-friendly Coron Soleil Express, a 3-star budget plan hotel. Coron Soleil garden resort has 27 Filipino-inspired rooms, 8 poolside villas, as well as 5 poolside suites, as well as a 288sqm psychedelic-colored swimming pool as its centerpiece. There are plans of building way of life stores as well as even a supermarket as part of the complex in the future.

Coron Soleil garden Resort
This psychedelic pool is the centerpiece of the resort.
Inside the Poolside Villa
Each booking includes free buffet breakfast.
Coron Soleil is tucked away from the hectic town center however is still on the primary island (Busuanga), which means that while it offers a relaxing hideaway, the town appropriate as well as the flight terminal stay accessible. We might quickly go inspect out close-by attractions as well as other restaurants, something that would prove difficult if you’re staying at a resort on one more island. many of the guests that we talked to during our see lazed by the pool as well as checked out a book in the morning, as well as then explored the town in the afternoon. (Best to arrange a tricycle trip at the reception in advance, though.)

As mentioned, they likewise have a 3-star no-frills budget plan hotel within the vicinity. staying right here would provide one gain access to to the resort too.

Coron Soleil garden Resort

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Coron Soleil reveal Hotel

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For more information, see the Coron Soleil website.

2. new Tour: Fireflies night Tour

If you’ve been to Puerto Princesa or Bohol, you may be thinking, “Ugh, one more firefly watching tour.” however it is different.

Calling it a Firefly watching tour is a disservice to the genuine stars of the night: the bioluminescent plankton. Sure, there were countless fireflies swirling around mangrove branches, however the shimmering plankton stole the show!

The evening began with a buffet dinner on a floating restaurant near the mangroves, after which we hopped onto a 3-person kayak. On the method to the mangroves, our guide explained what would be waiting on us in our destination. The focus was the fireflies from the get-go. however then he stated something like, “Oh by the way, there’s plankton in the water as well as they glow!” He then advised us to dip our hands in the calm water as well as it glittered! My good friend Tonet as well as I were blown away! however it didn’t stop there.

Our guide stopped paddling for a short moment as well as made a gentle tap on the sides of our kayak with his fist. the most fantastic thing happened! The water beneath us glowed as well as the lights spread out across the water! It was so magical! If I didn’t hold my jaws in place, they would have dropped into the water. We tried taking photos as well as videos of it, however we failed to catch just exactly how wonderful it was! It’s something that we would absolutely suggest to anyone! I’m still not over it!

Since we don’t have any type of decent picture or footage of the tour, I rummaged with YouTube for something that looks close to it as well as discovered the video below. It’s not precisely like it, however extremely similar.

The tour is new. It started operating in February 2017!

Cost: P950 per person
Package includes: Buffet dinner, hotel transfers, guide fee, as well as kayak fee
Pick-up at 6pm, tour ends at 9:30pm

3. new Trek: Mt. Darala

It’s not truly new. Mountaineers have long conquered Mt. Darala, the tallest peak on the island of Busuanga, bit it’s only over the past couple of years that it is ending up being prominent among laid-back travelers. We weren’t able to climb since it rained on the very first few days of our visit, however locals stated there are two methods to reach its summit: Mabentangen path as well as Balinsungan Trail, with the latter being more difficult. Although they state it’s a minor climb, both tracks get steep towards the end. From the coastline to the summit, the whole trip takes around 3 hours (one-way).

Here’s what the view appears like from the summit, as caught by YouTuber Jero Rafols.

4. new Cafes: Fika Indulgence, Coffee Kong, as well as La Morena Cafe

On my very first see to Coron, I might not assist comparing it with El Nido, as well as I keep in mind that while I liked the diversity of attractions as well as activities in Coron, the exact same cannot be stated about its food scene. El Nido just have a great deal more excellent choices in that department.

This time, however, I believe Coron is providing El Nido a run for its money. There are new restaurants everywhere, most of them specializing in grilled meat as well as seafood. however what I truly discovered delightful were the new cafes, which can be heaven-sent for digital nomads like me. I’m not sure just when these cafes opened, however I surely did not notice them before. There’s the cozy Korean-themed Coffee Kong serving their signature espresso, as well as perched on the second floor of the building right across it is Fika Indulgence Cafe, which likewise serves a rich choice of meals as well as desserts. Not as well far from these is La Morena cafe that offers a mix of Pinoy as well as Western dishes as well as giant servings of fruit shakes as well as smoothies.

We had lunch at La Morena Cafe. We ordered this seafood pasta as well as a huge glass of melon shake.
Inside Coffee Kong Coron

We enjoyed all three cafes. They’re all pricey, however there are not that many other choices around.

5. new method to get to El Nido from Coron!

Finally, a fast, effective method to get to El Nido from Coron. I haven’t tried this myself since I didn’t understand this exists up until I was already in Coron, however had I known, I would have organized for a longer stay as well as included El Nido in my itinerary instead. For the longest time, to get to El Nido, one would requirement to withstand an 8-hour sluggish boat trip or fly to Puerto Princesa as well as then take a 5-hour bus journey.

Thankfully, Montenegro Fastcraft introduced in September 2016 a new Coron-El Nido (and vice versa) route, which cuts the travel time to only 4 hours. as well as since it’s a bigger vessel, the trip should be more comfortable. Again, we haven’t tried this, however we’re sharing with you the details we grabbed from their Facebook account:

Other things that may catch your interest are the new e-trikes roaming the town, more countryside tours including Concepcion Falls, as well as standup paddle tours that are offered by travel agencies!

2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣9️⃣ • 6️⃣ • 2️⃣0️⃣ (updated)
2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣7️⃣ • 5️⃣ • 8️⃣ (first up)

More tips on YouTube ⬇️⬇️⬇️

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