My favorite beach in Coron. White soft sand, clean, secluded, water was just the right temperature…read moreand just lovely. It was one of our stops during our boat excursion and the place where we had lunch. Afterwards, my niece and I swam, hung out and just relaxed. I will definitely come back here with my family.

I love this beach! The warm turquoise water and fine white sand with coconut trees lined up along…read morethe pathway for a picture perfect experience. However, it"s busy and there are rarely sunbeds available so it's anything goes. This is probably because Filipinos do not like tanning so there are no carved out location for laying out unless you're at a five star resort. So I recommend going, even though it's a bit of a task especially if you're with an elderly relative, but I will definitely stay at a big resort foregoing the convenience of being steps away from the water.

When paradise is talked about, it's Boracay. There are beaches all around the island but White…read moreBeach is one of the main beaches. It's considered one of the best beaches in the world(by whatever metric is used). I prefer mountains over beaches but Boracay is legit. I loved it! White Beach is split into 3 stations (Stations 1, 2, and 3). Most people say that station 1 is the busiest and less busy the further south towards station 3 you go. People, sure but the beach is good and I never felt it was crowded anywhere on the beach. There is a landmark that's a bit busy in station 1 and a spot near station 3 where touristy things(boat load ups, etc etc) make it busy but those are easy things to walk around. We spent early morning, mid-day, evenings, and late nights on the beach. We even found our favorite tree/spot to lay our blanket down and chill out. It didn't take long to figure out why this is one of the best beaches in the world. And talk about clean! The locals and tourists alike do a great job of keeping it clean. There are fines for not disposing of your coconuts. No glass allowed on the beach(big fines). Everyone is very mindful of how magical this place is. I was trying to think of why and I think it's because you have the extra step of taking a boat to get to the island. That limits disrespectful people from visiting. The only thing I didn't like which is more of a peeve were some of the locals. It became obvious that the local kids ran around asking tourists for a few pesos. There were usually a couple each day. Some of the kids already have the Filipino hustle instilled in them... they'd at least be creative with it wanting to take your picture or be your guide or give you info. It's so night and day from American kids act in that 5-10 age range. The other issue and I hope locals see this. I don't mind people coming around with their homemade food(because I want to eat it!), but this one old lady had a basket of bananacue. I wanted some. It was cheap enough. Unfortunately, her basket of them was incredibly dry. I couldn't eat it. I compare most beaches to Cocoa Beach and Miami Beach in America. Those beaches are fine but White Beach and Boracay are the clear winners. The beaches in America seem to be missing palm trees on the beach. Boracay has trees built in so it's easy to find shade while being a few steps from the water. No need for big umbrellas to clutter and block out the sun here. White Beach = Incredible.

Of the many beaches in Boracay, this is probably my least favorite. It's on the east side of the…read moreisland so it catches all the wind. Bigger wind. Bigger waves. I think it's important to note that Ilig-Iligan is long so you're going to have different experiences depending on which part you visit. It is a little more empty than other beaches but you're not going to find your normal beach activities here. It was one of the stops on a tour we went on. Go there to catch the sun, take great pictures, swim, and hang out. The bad thing about this beach? The northern side of Boracay is the part of the island where the rich have flushed out their money. You'll find your all-inclusive/never-leave resorts. Some of those resorts even have their own private beaches. In other words, if you're visiting Boracay and staying on the north side of the island, you're not visiting Boracay. They've even branded it... calling parts of it Newcoast. With all the developed resorts on the north side of the island, I was surprised by all the new resorts going up. Every half a mile, a new resort was being worked on. If you find yourself here, it'd be worth it to ride around to check it out before the other developments take it over. The current resorts and beaches are there but the areas, beaches, and roads are still fairly empty... for now.

On the north end of Boracay Island, someone who owns a huge track of land is turning it into a…read moregated community, and even if Ilig-Iligan Beach is a public beach you need permission to enter the area in order to enjoy it. I saw only a few swimmers here, boats or other activities are not allowed. It is another example of how people of wealth use it to semi-privatize a beach area that is public by limiting access.

Got here super early (before 6am) since I was awake already. There was nobody here except for the…read morelocals. I'm not sure if it's because I was too early, but this is probably the most calm area and best beach in Boracay, especially compared to White Sand Beach.

I'm a fan of this beach. It's not near the main beaches and even for the side beaches, it's a…read morelittle out of the way. We didn't originally plan to stop at Puka Beach but it was part of a land tour. The two immediate things I noticed were how windy it was(I hear it's the norm for that side of the island) and it'd be a blast if you wanted to swim with the waves. The waves were big and plentiful on this side of the island. Walking up and from the beach, there are dozens of vendors ready to sell you smoothies, other desserts, food, and souvenirs. It wasn't as crowded as other beaches on the island. It'd be a great place to watch the sunrise. On the beach itself were quite a few sit-down places to eat. Our guide was back at the trike waiting for us else I might've invited him and we would've had lunch together. Although it's part of it, I still felt weird taking too much time with someone waiting. Next time, I'm going to fit Puka into the plans and head back to see what kind of food I can devour. One end of the beach also has what appears to be a place where you can either rent boats or have someone take you. There are a couple of places around the island that you can only get to by water. I believe that was one of the places. It's near the north end of the beach. I'd say it's unique but a must-visit? I don't think it's a must-visit. If you're trying to relax on the beach and have different scenery than the other beaches around the island, make it a stop. Otherwise, it's kind of just for eating and photo opportunities.

Tropical island in the Philippines [PALAWAN Philippines]…read more We dedicated a whole day island-hopping in Coron Palawan. It is one of the most amazing islands in the Philippines, with massive limestone peaks, multicolored lagoons, and great water activities like kayaking, snorkeling or scuba diving. We rented a private boat for a day tour. There were nine of us. Coron town is authentic, rural and cheap! Perfect town with a great balance of delicious Filipino food, shopping, and cheap transport. We used tricycle rides to get around. All the restaurants we dined in had live music entertainment. Filipinos love to sing. We stayed in Bacău Bay Resort for four nights. It was peaceful since it was away from the main town. Our room was spacious and comfortable with modern amenities. Buffet brunch was included with the room. The locals were friendly and felt safe in the island. I absolutely loved shopping here too. Review #3369

What an amazing experience to visit a place that I've only seen in travel brochures. Palawan is…read moregorgeous with clear, blue water; coral reefs teeming with sea life and ship wrecks; white sand beaches; hidden lagoons and numerous islets to explore. My niece was able to get us a cheap 3 day package deal which included airfare, transportation to and from the airport, hotel accommodations with free breakfast, and one full day of island hopping with lunch included. It was an hour flight from Clark International airport and a 30 minute car ride from the Busuanga airport. The road to Coron Town Proper was long and winding. Since we arrived earlier than our check in time, we had lunch at the hotel's restaurant. Afterwards, we bought essentials at the convenience store on the first floor, then walked across the street to get water shoes (a necessity to protect your feet from the corals and to ensure your footing on slippery surfaces), a waterproof cover for our phones, hubby's swim trunks and my niece's sunglasses. My nieces and nephew were so excited to go snorkeling that they spoke to some locals. They introduced them to a boat captain who agreed to take us on a half day tour of Barracuda Lake, Hidden Lagoon and Smith Beach. My favorite spot was Smith beach which had white sand, lots of HUGE starfish and two friendly cats. The sun was setting which gave us gorgeous lighting for our pictures to capture our first day in paradise. The next day on our island hopping tour we went to Twin Lagoons, CYC Beach, Skeleton Shipwreck, Green Lagoon, Kayangan Lake, and Siete Pecados. Hubby's favorite spot was Skeleton Shipwreck with it's many colorful corals, exotic tropical fish, and of course, a 25 meter long Japanese ship that sunk during WWII. My favorite site, however, was the Twin Lagoons. It's best to go there early in the day when the tide is low, because you can kayak through a tunnel beneath the limestone mountain. We had to bend over backwards to be able to pass through, which gave us an opportunity to examine the interesting rock formations above us (please see video). On our last day, before heading home, my cousin and I climbed the looooong staircase to the top of Mount Tapyas. It took us about an hour for us to climb up and then down the 700+ steps. We took multiple stops to rest and take pictures. It was a nice climb, most of which was shaded by trees; it was an ideal spot to take in the width and breadth of Coron. Sadly, we must say our goodbyes. What I'm most grateful about this trip is the time spent with loved ones, and the opportunity to enjoy the simple things in life: the warmth of the sun on my skin, the wind through my hair, waves lapping at my feet, the gorgeous colors of the sunset and the welcoming rays of the sunrise. Life is good! Amen

We had a day tour in Coron and part of the itinerary includes a beach side picnic lunch at Smith…read moreBeach. Smith beach is immaculate. Since the beach is small in size, there is a limited number of boats able to dock on site aiding in crowd reduction. The waters are crystal clear with white powdery sand. Like most of the terrain, you are surrounded by picturesque limestone cliffs dating roughly around 180 million years. For 30 pesos (USD 50 cents), I scored some fresh coconut juice from the locals to eat with my meal. It was the perfect drink to keep me hydrated on a warm day. The vibe is very tranquil. If relaxation is your thing you could spend hours just laying out, getting your tan on or reading beach side. The waters are relatively calm and most of all warm. Fish sightings for sure and thankfully we did not encounter sharks.

This was our last stop on our half day tour of Palawan. We were fortunate to be the only ones here…read moreon a Monday afternoon. As our outrigger boat approached, we saw the jagged limestone cliffs, clear blue water, small white sand beach and a few man-made huts. We enjoyed the warm water and saw many huge starfish. On the beach we played with the two sweet resident kitty cats. It was a relaxing way to end our first day in paradise. TIP - It's all about timing, don't come when it's crowded, especially the weekends. You can switch around the order of your tour, so you can go to the next stop if Smiths is crowded then come back later. It helps if you can get here early before the regularly scheduled tours start (around 9am), or make it your last stop.

Omg where do I start? This place is a hidden gem. It's pricey but it's sooooo worth it. We had a…read moretwo bedroom and it was right on the beach. From the moment you arrive you feel welcomed. They assign a person to look after you while you're there. Our person was Vans and he was just great. The room was amazing, spacious, beautiful view. They also have security 24/7. Our room was on the ground floor and I was able to go to sleep with my balcony door open. It's a quick walk to the dmall. The down side is the variety of food at the hotel restaurant. It's very limited but with the great staff they have it's not really a big deal. Issac was our waiter the first night and we wanted no one else. He remembered our drinks and was very attentive. Overall this is a great place to stay while you're in boracay!

Enjoyed our vacation despite the rush of people since we came during the Holidays (before NYE)…read more Touristy, expensive place, yet an amazing experience. It's an escape from the busy hustle of life and you forget about the worries. This paradise with white sand beaches and busy slew of people coming in and out of the island can also be a strain for this place. Although they charge fees to keep this island in clean and tiptop shape, there are still people that does not know how to clean up after themselves. It turned me off when used diapers and trash floated in the water. Yuck! As this place were big tourist spot, we we're always approached by people selling their business, day tours and restaurant offerings. It can be such an annoyance when you turn them away and yet, they'll still follow you to see if you change your mind. With that in mind, it was a beautiful vacation nonetheless and I'm glad I got to experience this island.

Magandang araw!…read more After reviewing all the individual places in Boracay, it's finally time to review the island as a whole. I do miss this place. We have plans to visit other islands when we're back but I feel like we'll have future visits to Boracay. I have two worries about Boracay; One is all the new developments going up on the north side of the island. Some could call it the rich people enclave... I call it the people without personalities in any substantial form enclave. Those developments will surely make it much more expensive and unbearable with tourists but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The other worry(and I haven't looked for an update in a while) but there was strong support/plans for a bridge between the islands. Part of the fun of Boracay is flying to the big island, trike to the boats, and then sailing to Boracay. With a stupid ugly bridge there, that's going to take away some of the experience along with make it more accessible. Aside from those two things, Boracay is an amazing place if there ever was one. I miss it daily. You could easily find yourself visiting, staying, and just never coming home. Plenty of restaurants(on the beach and inland). Plenty of beaches. Plenty of things to do. Also, plenty of things not to do because relaxation is top tier. And... it is the place of my proposal, so it'll hold a special place because of that. That's all for now. If you want my opinion on all the other places there, read the reviews. If you find yourself in that part of the world, this is one of the many places to visit.