“Is it possible to stop at Onok Island?” That was my major concern when I first contacted Kuya Fidel to inquire of his services for a Balabac island hopping tour. After he gave me a positive answer, it was a done deal, no fuss whatsoever.
Palawan
Oh, Balabac! After long hours spent on reading guide after guide, daydreaming about those pristine white sand beaches and super clear turquoise waters, I had finally reached the most distant municipality in the province of Palawan.
I have been traveling solo to distant places for quite some time but whenever I do, there is a part of me that still gets anxious. The fear of the unknown always lingers at the back of my mind but I normally overcome it with ease however, the road to Balabac was the one trip that got me so edgy. As soon as I got out of Puerto Princesa Airport, I hopped on a tricycle going to San Jose Terminal to catch a van bound for Rio Tuba.
My Bataraza, Palawan experience did not just stop in discovering Lalatuan Falls because apparently, it has one more awesome site waiting for me that day and that is Kapangyan Falls.
Tucked in the forests of Barangay Malihud in Bataraza, the southernmost municipality of mainland Palawan are two of its precious wonders, Kapangyan Falls and Lalatuan Falls. However, there were very little information about Kapangyan Falls and Lalatuan Falls online that’s why finding an article about the hidden gems of Bataraza was a huge step forward in making my DIY solo side trip to Bataraza possible.
Huge raindrops started to fall, I ran down to the nearest covered stopover and in no time the whole town was already drenched in rain water. As much as I wanted to go all the way down, I could not risk the gadgets that I have in my bag getting wet, so I have decided to stay put to wait the rain out. That was when my not so ordinary travel story at Mt. Tapyas in Coron all started.
I was thrilled to go island hopping and see more of Coron's prized wonders. We were to stop at CYC Beach, Siete Pecados Marine Park, Hidden Lagoon, Calachuchi Beach, Calachuchi Coral Eden, and Kayangan Lake. More sites tantamount to less time spent in each location but that was a not a problem, the more the merrier!
Having read tons of blogs and good reviews about Coron in Palawan and having seen those nothing but alluring photographs posted by those who have been to the paradise, made me more envious to go there and experience it firsthand. And so I did. Yes!
Since most island hopping tours start in the morning, I have nothing booked for my first day. I was looking for a bike rental shop that I read on an article but unfortunately the shop had already moved someplace else. The locals told me that there was a new bike rental shop near the hospital so I headed there.
I know that it’s not that easy to plan a trip and it’s not at all CHEAP to travel. Airfare would consume a huge chunk in my budget, plus my accommodation, then I have to spend for the tours, of course I need to eat (A LOT!), and not to forget the souvenirs. But I have to start somewhere to make it happen…Coron seemed to be a great place to start.