Coron, Palawan

We arrived in Manila and met up with Lyndal's ADFA classmate and friend, Kyle, who is in the Philippines Navy, along with nine other Filipino friends from ADFA. We all travelled to Coron, on Busuanga Island, in Palawan Province. We stayed at a beaut little 'resort', which consisted of a series of grass and bamboo huts set in a large, shady garden.


We explored Coron town a bit, then the next day Lyndal and I hired a bangka, or canoe with outriggers (see photo above). We spent the day 'island hopping'. It was magical.


Our first stop was Twin Lagoons, which are two crystal-clear lagoons joined by a partially-submerged natural tunnel through which one can swim. The temperature was brilliant and we swam and snorkelled while exploring the lagoons. Lyndal's grandparents had recently given her a waterproof camera for a birthday-graduation-Christmas present, and she put it to very good use throughout our time in Palawan.


Our next stop was Skeleton Wreck, which is a shipwreck in shallow water, so it has been well-plundered and is now just a skeleton. The fish life was amazing and we spent quite a while snorkelling there. We then went to a secluded beach with beautiful white sand, overhanging trees and a couple of grass huts (see photo right). This is where our boatman cooked us a mouthwatering meal of yellowfin tuna and salad. The fish came just grilled with a bit of salt - it was fantastic. We explored the little beach, saw some starfish and little crabs, then went to Kawasan Lake.

Kawasan Lake is billed as the cleanest lake in the Philippines and the water clarity is amazing. The only problem is that there is not much to see underwater - just a lot of stalacmites. The photo shows me diving into the lake - you can see how clear the water is, and some of the structures below the surface.


Finally, we went snorkelling where the hot springs on Busuanga discharge into the sea. The fishlife and coral were incredible, but sadly the battery of Lyndal's brilliant underwater camera ran out, so we only got a few shots. Here is one of them, which shows a spotted eel freaking out the little coral fish as they swin by.