Postcard picture perfect. Kayangan lake was part of our tour and it requires moderate hiking up a…read moresignificant number of stairs. The hike up is guaranteed to challenge your cardio. The view from the cliff seems to be a hot spot with long lines forming during peak times for photo ops. The line moves quickly but if there is a large group taking group photos expect a significant wait. After you take your photo, you climb down the stairs on the opposite side to get to the lake. Visiting Kayangan, like many other attractions in Coron, will require coming earlier in the day to avoid the crowds. Everyone on tour is required to wear their life vests when entering the lake. Unless you are a strong swimmer, you can remove the life vest but you're going under the conditions of swimming at your own risk.

There are 2 lakes in Coron that if you take the 'island-hopping' tour, will take you to these…read morelakes. We did this lake before we did Barracuda Lake. I will point out a harsh reality about this particular lake experience that some will not mind but could be a deal breaker for others. This lake is quite tucked in one of the smaller non inhabited islands. There is some serious trekking to do in order to get to the lake itself. You have to climb about 160 steps up and 200 steps down to get to the lake. The initial climb is brutal, steep with big steps. And the tropical heat can suck the endurance out of you...it did me. I had to stop once to take a breather and my legs were starting to quiver. But a few more steps I was there at the top but only half way there. At that halfway mark and cuz you are now perched over a mountain, there is a vista point where almost everyone will snap a pic (God Bless Social Media). Your tour guide will control your group and actually snap your pics to how ever many poses you want. So this can take a while but in our out only 1 tour group was in front of ours. I usually pass on this kind of bs but damn is this view worth it. I gave in shamelessly. After the photo op shoot you now descend onto the lake which is easy. But guess what when you're done with swimming in that lake you gotta do it over again. But the consolation is the climb back isn't as steep or hard as the one in the front. YAY. The lake is super refreshing once you take the plunge after running your body into exhaustion. The water is a perfect temp that you could float in it until you prune up. The color is amazing as well, I've never seen a lake of this color, kinda deep greenish/blue. And very clear. I actually liked this lake better than Barracuda Lake but to get here is some serious work for the weather conditions. But ya know what...I'd do it again. The exhilarating dip and reward of memories was worth it.

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

Angel, Tinadoy, Ryan, and I'm forgetting the rest of the crew who helped us on the Dennis One on…read more3/3/25. This crew was simply the BEST. Very wholesome, funny, easy-going crew that put our experience above ALL. Please ensure you reciprocate with a review as this helps them out tremendously. Also - if Calamian Islands is reading this, could you please somehow ensure the rest of the unnamed crew gets recognized? They embodied the soul of the Philippines of enjoying life together and its something that brought the entire boat together as a group. The waves were a bit rocky on one of the snorkel spots, and Angel was able to pull 3 of the others along with him. The crew and some of us were making fun of how exhausted he was but its all in good teasing. But that just shows how much care they have for us and each other. This is a very extensive physical journey so please be prepared for that. Bring swimming shoes but you can do the whole thing in slides/slippers. Also, I don't have a good control on my stomach so look to purchase Lomotil for this trip if you can. This is an excursion I will remember for the rest of my life. And its simply the top one I was excited for when visiting Busanga/Coron; and it simply lived beyond those expectations. Imagine a day full of swimming and at the end, you cap it off with a sunset and some turon (Filipino deep fried sweet banana dessert) You know what you like. Adventurous? Do it. Swipe and figure it out later.

Calamianes Expedition Tours is one of the tour sign up places here in Coron Town. Pick a package,…read moresign up, the next morning, show up bright and early at their office. Make sure you're ready for an adventure because you're definitely in for a darn good time. We signed up for their one day, 5 to 6 spots for snorkeling, swimming and a bit of hiking even. Everything that you'll be needing can be rented at their office where everybody first meets at bright and early in the morning. If you don't already have one in hand, you may rent snorkels and or water shoes. Then your they'll take you to the boats where there you meet your crew and your guide. I'd also like to mention our group that day was awesome. We all connected right in the beginning when we all met for free complimentary. Americans, Local Filipinos, Czech, Germans,, all interacting and having a darn good time. Coral Gardens, CYC beach, Twin Cove, Hidden Lagoon then Last but not the least, Kayangan Lake. All of the spots that we went to were very beautiful. The corals were all lively and had tons of colorful fishies swimming around. The CYC beach was really cool as well, swim out from the boat into the beach and enjoy the whole island by yourselves. Twin cove was really nice, our guide says that a Napoleon fish frequents that spot, and if we're lucky we get to see it swimming around. This is where we had our picnic in the boat as well. It was a really nice buffet style lunch, came with bottled water. After lunch we did some diving off the roof of the boat. That was some good fun. Then hidden lagoon to experience some Thermaclimb. Kayangan lake was definitely a fitting end to a wonderful day snorkeling and island hopping. Thank you very much Calamianes Expeditions for a wonderful experience. You really know how to put together a great Coron Snorkeling experience. You guys are definitely one of the best tour experiences here in Coron Town Proper.