5 Things We Miss About Coron This Rainy Season

It's been very chilly and the rain has been pouring non-stop since the month rolled by, and we're just dying to get a sliver of sun back so we can travel and hit the beach once again. 

Thoughts of the sun on our skin and the sand between our toes bring back fond memories of summertime. Add to that the breathtaking sceneries, the sparkling water, and the huge rock formations, and you've got the beautiful island of Coron.

Here are some things we miss about Coron, which is dubbed as one of the most beautiful islands in the world.

 

The chill lifestyle

Living the island life is a dream that many people want to live—and it's a life that Raul and Ichay Bulaon chose for themselves when they graduated from their duties as children. So they packed their bags, left everything, and relocated to the island of Coron, where serenity is paramount and the beach and water are just a heartbeat away.

 

 

For the very first episode of Metro Channel’s new travel show Beached, hosts Maggie Wilson and Marc Nelson sat down with Raul and Ichay to find out what the island life has been like for them ever since they moved to Coron. According to the couple, what they appreciate most is the peace that comes with island living. Raul says that there is no traffic to worry about, not too much noise from the throngs of people, the air is always fresh, and there are many limestone formations and islands to explore.

 

READ: Episode Highlights: Catch The Siargao Episode Of "Beached" On Metro Channel

 

 

Very fresh food

Ichay says that living in Coron takes a bit of an adjustment, especially when you're used to the city life. For one, there is no big supermarket in the whole island, so you'll have to finish your grocery shopping at the wet market. There’s nowhere to shop for clothes either, except for ukay-ukay stores.

 

 

This, however, comes with a tradeoff: the locals have access to the freshest and widest variety of seafood one can ever wish for. Ichay has set up her own store selling organic fruits and vegetables. Partnered with the fresh seafood, it's the kind of meal you'll never really get tired of.

 

READ: Coron, Palawan And Other Islands: The Philippines’s 6 Best Beaches

 

 

Stand up paddle boarding

Tourists would usually explore the mini islands of Coron using small boats or banka, but a true local would explore the island using stand up paddle boards. Stand up paddle boarding can get a bit tricky at the beginning, but it is one of the most practical ways to explore Coron for two reasons: one, is that it enables you to reach nooks and crannies of caves that you can then explore; and two, it makes for a full-body workout without you getting too tired (because you're too distracted by the beautiful sceneries to even notice).

 

 

Maggie tries stand up paddle boarding and says, “It's a more intimate way of seeing the island. There’s nothing but you, the board, the water, and honestly, it’s one of the most serene experiences ever.”

 

READ: Surf's Up! Check Out The Philippines' Hottest Surfer Girls We'd Love To Hang Out With At The Beach 

 

 

Secret beach

One of the best-kept secrets of locals in Coron is what they call the Secret Beach, a small hidden treasure that can only be reached if you explore the island using a stand up paddle board. The beach is hidden inside a tiny cove hidden among the stones, and features pearly white sands and intricate rock formations.

 

 

When Maggie entered the Secret Beach for the first time, she gushed at how it was literally just her set of footprints that's made on the sand, and no one else's.

 

READ: This Quiet Cove Is Baler At Its Most Idyllic

 

 

Shipwreck diving

Coron is home to a number of shipwreck dive spots as mementos from the sustained air-attacks on the Imperial Japanese Navy that took place on the Coron Bay in 1944.

One of the largest shipwreck spots under the Coron waters is the Morazan Maru, a 93-meter English freighter-liner seized by the Japanese. Marc explored the Morazan and was amazed by the nooks and passages that you can go through throughout the dive. Alongside the large boilers that still remain inside the shipwreck, Marc was also able to find a variety of sea creatures, including a lobster that was just frolicking at the surface of the hull.

 

 

At 25 meters down, he reaches the cargo where the water stops at a certain level that his head comes up the water. Divers, however, advise tourists not to remove their headgear since the air inside the cargo could be toxic.

 

 

For the full episode of Beached featuring Coron, check out Metro.Style on Youtube. You can also watch more Beached episodes with Maggie and Marc on Tuesdays and Saturdays on Metro Channel, channel 52 on Sky Cable and channel 174 on HD.

 

Banner photo: Moody 75/Flickr