I feel obligated to be honest with you guys, Palawan will not actually be my first stop in the Philippines. I will be flying into Manilla from Bali and will likely spend at least one day wandering around the city. However, after my initial adjustment period, I will be hopping a quick one hour flight from Manilla to Coron. Coron is a relatively undeveloped town on Busuanga Island in Palawan. I will be using it as a jumping off point to explore Coron Island which is home to great lakes, hikes, and of course beaches.
The food here is simple and rustic and will give me an idea of what people in the Philippines have been eating since the beginning of time. One dish that I am dying to try is Kinilaw. This is essentially the Asian version of ceviche, which I consider my signature dish. I am interested to see the difference between the Central American style ceviche that I make at home and this authentic Philippine dish.
Many of you are probably wondering if I will be sick of sitting on the beach by this point in my trip, as most of my previous destinations have been islands. How long can you really spend drinking fruity rum drinks out of coconuts, you ask? The answer to that question is that I really don’t know. Maybe I will be sick of the heat, the salt water drying out my skin, and not being able to get the sand out of everything I own. Maybe I will get a heat rash during my first week and want to go home right away. Who knows? However, from where I sit now, I don’t think I could ever get sick of waking up to views like this.
As with most of my journey up to this point, one of the main draws to Palawan and specifically Coron Island, is the diving opportunities. I have watched a number of videos about people setting out on multi-day diving adventures to see the numerous Japanese WWII ship wrecks that rest below the surface. Ship wrecks are incredibly fascinating to me. I don’t know why, maybe it’s the history, mystery or simply the challenge, but the interest is undeniable. The last draw to Coron Island, for me, was Maquinit Hot Springs. This is one of the only salt water hot springs in the world. If you have been following my blog for awhile, you will know that I am a huge fan of places that claim to be the best, biggest, or only anything.
I have a marketing degree, so I nerd out about that stuff. The locals say that the best time to visit the hot springs is after a trek to the top of Mt. Tapyas, the second tallest peak on Coron Island. The 40 degree Celsius water will leave your tired muscles breathing a sigh of relief. Out of all the hikes and treks I have taken in my life, my favorites are those that end with a dip in a lake or hot spring. From looking at these photos alone, I do not expect my trek to Mt. Tapyas, and my visit to Maquinit Hot Springs to disappoint.
