BORACAY/PUERTO PRINCESA/EL NIDO/CORON

OVERVIEW

• When: 23 December 2025 – 3 January, 2026
• Where (accommodations): Boracay: The Lind Boracay; Puerto Princesa: Four Points by Sheraton Palawan Puerto Princesa; El Nido: Piece Lio from Japan; Coron: Zuri Resort
• Transportation: Cathay Pacific Airlines from Hong Kong (HKK) to Manila (MNL), Philippine Airlines from Manila (MNL) to Caticlan (Boracay) (MPH), Cebu Pacific (operated by AirSwift) from Boracay (MPH) to El Nido (ENI), ground transportation with Diskubre Travel Palawan ( +63 963 216 0905) from El Nido to Puerto Princesa (5hr round trip), Montenegro Shipping Lines Ferry from El Nido to Coron, Philippine Airlines from Coron (USU) to Clark (CRK)
• Sights/attractions: Boracay: White Beach, Willy’s Rock; Puerto Princesa: Subterranean River; El Nido: Lio Beach, Tour A (Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Seven Commando Beach), Tour C (Helicopter Island, Hidden Beach, Secret Beach, Talisay 1, Matinloc Shrine)- both arranged through hotel ; Coron: Pickapearl, Coron Super Ultimate Island tour (Kayangan Lake, Barracuda Lake, Twin Lagoon, Skeleton Wreck, Malwawey Beach, White Sand Picnic Beach, Coral Garden, CYC Beach) and Coron Escapade Tour (Coco Beach, Ditaytayan Island Sandbar, Bulog Dos Island, Malcapuya Island) both tours arranged through Neptune M.H Travel & Tours Whatsaap +63 969 610 7849, Maquinit Hot Spring
• Food/drinks: El Nido: Saboria Kitchen & Lounge, L’Assiette El Nido; Coron: Amihan Bistro, Bitter Bean Caffeine Cabana

The Philippines trip was not a typical tropical destination that we are used to. In our 10 years of traveling together, we faced many challenges, but this country truly tested our resilience. It was not a bad trip by any means, but it was not perfect, that’s for sure.

First challenge (this one is fun!) is to decide where in the Philippines is best to visit. There are over 7000 islands, one more beautiful than the next. I did a lot of research, asked people who have been, and narrowed it down to four locations- Boracay, Puerto Princesa (Palawan), El Nido, and Coron. 12 days, 4 hotels- seems pretty reasonable, right? Well…

The good news is that no visas are required for American or Lithuanian passport holders. We had to fill out an online arrival form a few days before landing, and that was it from a documentation perspective.

Our flight from Hong Kong landed at Terminal 3 in the capital, Manila. I’ve heard horror stories about this airport and the city’s traffic. Many online forums advised spending the night at the airport hotel before any connecting flights through Manila. Well, we don’t have time to waste, so we are definitely not staying the night in the city we don’t care to see.

We had 3.5 hours to clear customs and get from Terminal 3, where Cathay Pacific landed, to Terminal 2, where we would board the Philippines Airlines flight to Caticlan (Boracay). Just how bad could it possibly be?! Oh, it’s BAD! Terminals are not connected, so you need to leave the airport, get a taxi, grab an Uber-whatever mode of transportation, weave into the city traffic, and THAT is the only way to reach the next terminal. We knew this, but we were definitely not ready for the actual scene. First of all, the sheer number of people greeting their family or friends at arrivals was insane. It was like we opened the door into a massive crowd. Well, obviously that crowd had to get there and disperse, which means…drum roll- TRAFFIC.

Sean downloaded the Grab app ahead of time, and we ordered it as soon as we cleared customs (which was very fast, I have to say). And then we waited. And waited. It was SO many cars cutting each other off, parking randomly, and blocking the way- we started to worry we won’t make the connection, but then our driver showed up, and we made it to Terminal 2 with some time to spare. So yes, whoever says Manila traffic is bad- they are not lying. If our incoming flight were delayed, our 3.5-hour connection would not have been sufficient. But we made it, and we are off to the first beachy island- Boracay!

BORACAY

Adventure continues. We thought landing on a small island would mean fewer crowds. Small, yes- the airport had one belt for the suitcases. But five planes landed minutes from each other, and EVERYONE crowded around that one small belt waiting for their bag to show up. At this point, we were just- ‘go with the flow, we came during the busiest holiday season, and we deserve this’ 🙂 .

Bag eventually arrived and hotel representavive was waiting for us outside- life is good, let’s go to paradise!

The Lind Boracay

There are many hotels on this very popular island, but if you are planning a trip during the busy season, book MONTHS in advance. We wanted to be right on White Beach, named #1 Best Beach in the World by Condé Nast Traveler (US). The Lind Boracay is in Section 1 of this 4km beach, and the location could not have been more perfect. There are three stations: Station 1 is the quieter end with more expensive hotels; Station 2 is closer to town, and accommodations are less luxurious; and Station 3 is the busiest, where most local people hang out.

From the airport, there was a short ride to the port, then a quick boat ride, followed by another car ride. Transfer is included with the stay, and we were very happy that we didn’t have to figure it out on our own.

We talked to the other family coming to the same hotel, and they said they have stayed at Shangri-La and other luxury hotels on this island, but for the past few years have been coming to The Lind because they found it the best. This was great confirmation, since we’ve heard mixed reviews about the beach being super crowded.

By the time we reached The Lind it was already dark, but we walked the beach, got dinner at one of the many hotel’s restaurants and finally felt like we are on vacation!

Hotels next door were all ready for Christmas, and there were no crowds or loud music anywhere. I think we came to the right place!

White Beach and Willy’s Rock

The true beauty was revealed in the morning. Just opening the curtains and seeing the beach was magical.

It is Christmas Eve, and we brought our Santa hats (which have been to many countries), so of course we did a little beach photo shoot.

The sand is incredibly white and powdery soft. In fact, it’s so white that it reflects the light and never gets really hot. We walked all throughout the day and never had a feeling that our feet were burning!

Also, we got extremely lucky with the weather. Apparently, it rained for three days straight right before we arrived. We only had two nights (one full day) on this island. I am sure the beach is still nice, but it would not have been this beautiful in the rain. A few days after we left, I saw the photos of this same beach covered in seaweed! I don’t know what the weather pattern is, but do your research before coming here, because this clear water is not guaranteed.

The purpose of Boracay was to simply relax, so we had no excursions planned and just walked the beach, swam, read, swam again in the hotel’s rooftop pool – it was truly magical.

Only a few minutes walk from The Lind, there is a famous Willy’s Rock – named after old Willy’s Beach Club. There is a Virgin Mary’s statue on top of it and depending on the tide the rock is either surrounded by water or is on the sand.

White Sand Beach is perfect for sunset- we witnessed the most magical sunset in the Philippines here.

We had Christmas Eve dinner booked at the hotel, but we wanted to walk along the beach a bit and then check out the town center. There was a drum circle happening on the beach, around Section 2, so we enjoyed that for a bit.

The walk was longer than expected, so eventually we took a tuk-tuk and explored the cute town until I started feeling that something was not right…

My stomach started to feel queasy and we decided to go back to the hotel. By the time we returned, I was 100% sure I wasn’t going to eat the Christmas Eve dinner. Just the thought of food was making me nauseous. Poor Sean did not want to eat alone, so we cancelled it, and he ordered some room service while I took a bath in hopes to feel better.

Well, that’s where the merry and bright Christmas story ends. I jumped out of the bath and ran to the bathroom, throwing up. Of course, that made me feel better for a while, and I went to bed. Just to wake up about every hour with diarrhea. I was severely dehydrated, and at this point, I was in no condition to get up and get ready to travel to our next destination. This would involve a car ride to the port, a boat ride, another car ride to the airport, an hour flight, and a 5-hour car ride to the next hotel.

We called the hotel reception, and they sent their nurse, who confirmed that there is a clinic I could go to (cheaper) or they can call a doctor to come to the hotel (please, do so ASAP!). On a Christmas morning, the nurse and the doctor showed up, put an IV with fluids and antibiotics, took my blood, urine, and stool sample, and two hours later returned with results. A massive number of bacteria does not rule out amebiasis, but the samples they collected showed no parasite.

They provided two types of antibiotics, probiotics, anti- nausea medication and a stool former- all instructions written out, email with results and invoice – no need to go to a pharmacy- it was incredible. All for just over 400 USD (which I think was somewhat inflated after they learned that we have travel insurance). We were amazed at the speed and the service- none of which we could get in the USA given similar circumstances.

After two hours of IV fluids, I felt somewhat better, and throwing up stopped. But the diarrhea continued. Soon, we would have to check out (luckily, the flight was in the afternoon) and make our move. I was not sure I was going to make it. A thought crossed my mind that day that maybe we should just cancel the next part of the trip, stay longer in Boracay, and catch up with the rest of the stops later. But it’s Christmas Day; flights and hotels are sold out, and trying to book something last-minute would most likely result in a very bad outcome. So I put an adult diaper on (yes, I know) and off we went. It was the longest travel day of my life, and I am still amazed I managed to keep going. Ready or not, Puerto Princesa, we are coming (or should I say crawling?) to see you!

PUERTO PRINCESA, PALAWAN

The only reason we were going to Puerto Princesa (well, actually 1.5 hours past the city) was to see the UNESCO site: the Subterranean River National Park. One of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, this river is the world’s longest navigable underground river (8.2km).

There is an airport in Puerto Princesa, so in theory it should be easy to get to. But of course, coming from Boracay, there are no direct flights. It would involve flying to Manila (and we know how that airport traffic is), changing planes, and then flying to Puerto Princesa. To then still need to drive for 1.5 hours to be close to the Underground River. So we did the math and figured it made more sense to take a short 1-hour flight to El Nido and then have a private driver take us 5 hours to the hotel. Well, that seemed all perfect on paper when I was not violently sick and was comfortably planning this itinerary at home. In reality, those 5 hours on the dark winding road felt like eternity. We stopped once for a bathroom and a dinner break for the driver (I got some rice, my main meal for the next 5 days), then continued on.

I’ll tell you, I was never happier to finally get out of the car and see the hotel bed as I was that evening.

Four Points by Sheraton Palawan

We only realized how nice the hotel grounds and the beach are when we woke up the next morning. I felt better and was determined to go on the Subterranean River tour (after all, that’s why we are here!).

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park

Access to the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is controlled and limited. We arranged the tour through our hotel and were informed that it is weather- and sea-condition-dependent. There is a boat ride involved before reaching the river (not a long ride, but if the sea is too wavy, it’s too dangerous). The only other way to reach the river would be a 3-hour, strenuous hike. I was physically ok to take the quick boat, but if I needed to hike, that would’ve been out of the question.

Luckily, we woke up to a gorgeous day and calm sea. We also started at 9am, so there weren’t many people, and the tour was well organized and structured.

Everyone was required to wear life vests at all times, which was another reason the earlier-morning tour is better. It would not be very comfortable in the midday sun for sure.

Based on the number of life vest we were divided into groups and boarded our canoes when our turn came. Everyone got a headset with a prerecorded voice-over tour, and the guides made sure to start everyone’s devices so we all heard the same information at the same time. We were actually very impressed with the organization and the respect for nature. We were instructed to remain quiet during the time in the cave (45 minutes), and everyone, at least in our boat, respected that. It was so that the bats, birds, and any other creatures living in the cave would not be scared and disrupted.

The entire Underground River is much longer than the tour; parts of it are not yet accessible or explored, but we saw enough in 45 minutes and really enjoyed this New Wonder of the World. I am SO grateful and glad we were able to make it, given my physical state the day before. After the tour, we even got some wild animal sightings – what a great bonus!

We were back before noon and spent the rest of the day enjoying the hotel, beach, and getting massages – it was so nice not to feel like I was dying!

EL NIDO

The following morning, we woke up to cloudy skies and a very wavy sea. Once again, we felt very lucky. We were actually debating whether to postpone the tour until today in case I wasn’t feeling well, but I am glad we didn’t.

We didn’t have any other plans in the area, so we had breakfast at the hotel and got back in the same van for another 5-hour drive back to El Nido. At least there is no need to fly this time, and the drive is in the daylight. It was 100 times better to see where we are going- it didn’t feel as ‘forever’ long as the trip before.

Piece Lio from Japan

This hotel is not in El Nido town, but it is very close to Lio Beach and El Nido Airport. In fact you can watch the planes land from the beach and it almost looks like they will land on the sand.

As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by a very friendly staff and a ginger kitty! Actually, there were three kitties living in this hotel- we fell in love with the place immediately!

The downside – no dinner service at the hotel, but the upside- plenty of nice restaurants right on Lio beach a few steps away.

Lio Beach

After dropping off our bags, we needed to stretch our legs – the drive had one rest stop, but still, it was a long day in a seated position. Instead of taking a shuttle to town, we decided to walk on the beach and have dinner there.

Sean even played volleyball with the kids while I relaxed under the palm tree. We really liked this area in comparison to the town center, which we had driven through. Lio Beach was classy, not crowded, quiet- a perfect place to just chill.

El Nido Tour A

The tours in El Nido are set, and that’s how the coast guard knows how many boats are going where. The main tours are A, B, C, and D. I spent considerable time deciding which tours to take during the two days we had in El Nido. The most popular options seem to be A and C (also the most likely to be crowded), but I didn’t want to miss the area’s highlights, so I booked those two. Because we were traveling around Christmas/New Year and knew it was high season, I pre-booked them through the hotel.

After further consideration, we decided to book private tours rather than group ones. And pay literally nearly 10 times more. While a large-group tour costs about 25 USD per person, our private tour was over 250 USD. We couldn’t get a speedboat because the company the hotel arranged the tours with didn’t have one. My one ask was to start as early as possible so we could beat the crowds, but it didn’t go exactly as expected.

From our hotel to the El Nido town center, where the tour agency was located, we needed a shuttle ride. The hotel shuttle leaves at the top of the hour, but some guests were late, and instead of 8am, we left around 8.15 am. We reached the agency around 8.30, then went to the port and waited for our private boat to come closer to shore. The boats do not actually reach the sand- you have to walk through the waves (possibly getting wet all the way up to your waist) to board the boat. Well, our boat was on the smaller side, it took them longer to arrive, and we watched the large group tour boats depart one after another…

I am not going to lie-we were frustrated. We paid A LOT more, so that we could leave earlier, without the crowds and to reach the same stops that most of the other boats are going to earlier.

Well, finally, we were on board and decided to relax and just go with the flow. That is probably the #1 rule for travel in the Philippines. Not everything will be on time or go as expected. And once you let go of expectations, it all works out.

Our boat was definitely going a lot slower than some others, but somehow, when we reached the first stop- The Big Lagoon, it was not yet fully crowded. To kayak in the Big Lagoon (and trust me, you DO want to do that), we had to rent the kayaks (an additional small fee).

Luckily, there were kayaks available, and our guide quickly brought them to us. When we were done with this activity (about an hour later), there were no kayaks for rent, the lagoon was full of people, and boats fully loaded with tourists were waiting for someone to leave. The guide said the wait can be an hour or longer!

Now, we were very glad we had a private tour and were not with the crowd waiting to enjoy this lagoon! Also, make sure explore the lagoon beyond just the entrance. Most people seemed too lazy to paddle farther, so the biggest concentration was at the entrance. Once you get past that bottleneck, it looks like you are all alone, surrounded by water and majestic cliffs. There is a secret passage to the left of the main body of water- it was very cool to paddle between the rocks and come out on the other side.

Next stop- Secret Lagoon. Except the secret is out, and everyone goes there next if they booked tour A 🙂 . We somehow made it before the crowds again and had only a short wait to slip through the narrow cave opening and see this well-known “secret”.

Funny enough, the beautiful beach where you disembark to walk to the Secret Lagoon was completely ignored by everyone. It was better than the actual lagoon in my opinion.

Now it was time for lunch, and the guide led us to a beautiful beach with a name I don’t know. We had a simple but delicious meal, enjoying the view.

Last but not least- Seven Commandos Beach. Once again, we arrived at a fairly empty beach, relaxed, swam, and decided to leave when a lot of people got unloaded from the group tours.

We also stopped for some snorkeling, but it was not that great, so we spent little time doing that on Tour A.

As the day went on, we had a very clear confirmation that the private tour was well worth the investment. We could not control the locations (except perhaps a small island could be substituted for a lunch spot), but we controlled the time and pace. Not having to wait for anyone and being able to spend more time where we wanted to was priceless.

For dinner, we returned to Lio Beach and ate at Saboria Kitchen & Lounge. I was still easing into the meals, and they had a very good soup that warmed my soul.

We walked the beach and had an early night, because the next morning we have Tour C!

El Nido Tour C

Our second day of island hopping started a lot better. The hotel shuttle left right at 8am, which brought us to the port by 8.15. Even the hotel kitty jumped into the shuttle (not once, but twice!) and wanted to go with us.

We also got a much larger (and in turn faster) boat today! Not sure if that was always the plan, because today’s tour was going further out to sea, or the guide heard our displeasure about how slow the small boat was going, but we were very happy today! We left the port EXACTLY at 8.30am, with the first wave of boats (no one can leave earlier, per the Coast Guard). This instantly put us at an advantage. This boat was moving fast, and we reached the first stop, Helicopter Island, with no crowds around.

Gorgeous beach all to ourselves! As soon as more people arrived, we got back on our boat and set sail for the next destination. Private tour IS the way to go.

Hidden Beach was next. When we arrived, and we set the anchor, it looked like we were parked near the rock wall. No beach was visible near or far. We had to swim a bit to reach shallow water – MAKE SURE to bring water shoes and the waterproof bag for your camera.

As soon as we turned the corner behind the rocks, a beautiful white-sand beach appeared. Voila! It truly is ‘hidden’.

There were a few people here, but nothing compared to yesterday’s tour A. We enjoyed this for a bit, then walked back through another ‘hidden passage’ to reach the boat.

So far, we are loving Tour C!

The next stop was not guaranteed. To reach the Secret Beach, you have to swim through the hole in the rocks, and it’s sometimes completely underwater. The guide warned us that if the waves are too strong or the tide is high, we might not be able to see this spot and would have to find something else.

When we arrived, no other boats were present, but the waves were pretty big. The guide offered to take our camera, swim up there, take photos, and return. But that is kind of cheating, right? We want to see it with our own eyes! So we braved the sea and went. The guide helped us by guiding when to slow down and wait for the wave to pass, so that we don’t crash into the rocks and pulled us through.

And here we are! The ONLY people in this beautiful place. We felt such explorers! Of course, a boat full of passengers arrived soon after, and our guide even helped them to get through the cave, but the magic was gone- time to move to the next destination. We were so glad we arrived here early.

What we did not realize (until 24 hours later!) was that Sean lost his wedding ring while swimming to this beach. He realized it already at the next hotel, but then we looked through the photos and clearly saw- the ring is there at the Hidden Beach, but no more ring at this Secret Beach…I guess that was the price to pay for access to this gorgeous place. But now I started to think that some bad juju is happening. First, I get the worst food poisoning in my entire life, now Sean loses the ring he had on his finger for 8 years!

Well, we decided that because we took 2 seashells from Boracay Island (you are not allowed to take shells in the Philippines), this was our karma. The shells were not even nice, but I found them on the first beach and put them in the beach bag without thinking. Only later did I see the signs that shell removal from the island is illegal! So now we are in El Nido, I dig through my bag, find those shells, and we return them to the ocean! We even apologized to the sea that evening and dropped them off at Lio Beach, asking for forgiveness 🙂 Hopefully, from now on, we have more success!

But I got sidetracked. Back to Tour C! It is time for lunch, and the guide picked Talisay 1 as a perfect spot. I think normally it’s Talisay 2 beach, but because that one looked busy we came to this perfect, empty paradise.

Again, the entire place is ours! We relaxed, did some snorkeling, and ate a filling lunch.

What an incredible day!

Matinloc Island (and Matinloc Shrine) was our last scheduled Tour C stop.

There is a small fee to enter the island, and when we pulled up, we saw two little girls swimming in the sea ALL BY THEMSELVES. I asked the guide to ask their ages. 3 and 5! No supervision, not a single adult around- they were playing in the waves and diving like little fish. The guide was completely unfazed- he said his daughter swims since she was 1.5!

The shrine for the Virgin Mary was built in the 1980s alongside the now-abandoned hotel. There are various stories surrounding the island- some say that there were sightings of the Virgin Mary here, some say that people found the treasure and therefore purchased the island, so that they could dig for it.

Either way, it is a worthy stop on the tour! There are a few steps to climb to reach the viewpoint, but our guide (who took my phone) climbed the rocks barefoot for an even higher point and took more pictures and videos for us!

Since we were moving pretty fast, we still had time, so the guide gave us one extra stop on this tour. We wanted to just lay down and relax on the beach, so we found one that had no boats and parked there.

Here, Sean found the coolest, smoothest shell. The kind that would be SO perfect for our shell collection. But, as mentioned earlier, shell collection and removal from the islands is not permitted (and we don’t want any more bad luck), so we gave it to our guide 🙂 .

For the last dinner in El Nido we went to Lio Beach again and tried another restaurant – L’Assiette El Nido. It was cozy, and the food was delicious! It’s nice to be able to eat more than just plain rice!

Our stay at Piece Lio Japan would not be complete without petting and saying goodbye to all three kitties.

We loved this hotel and its hospitality. On our last morning, we even got a little stuffed toy to remember them by.

And now we are off to our final destination in the Philippines, where we will greet the New Year 2026- Coron!

CORON

Even though Coron is in Palawan, just like El Nido, it’s a different island and pretty far away. When planning the trip, I saw that there are direct flights from El Nido, but the price was exorbitant – over 400 USD per person. So we chose a 5-hour Montenegro Shipping Lines ferry instead.

As the day was approaching, and my stomach was not yet fully recovered, I was reading more about this ferry. And I wish I hadn’t. There were so many bad reviews! People throwing up, the ferry taking a lot longer, and even the ferry cancelling at the last minute. I went back to search for a flight, but, of course, everything was sold out over a week in advance. We have no other option, ferry it is!

We bought the tickets online, but before boarding the ferry, you had to check in at the Montenegro Shipping Lines office. The hotel shuttle brought us there; we picked up the physical paper, and then they took us to the port. Since we arrived early, we got seats in the air-conditioned waiting area, where the dog sniffed suitcases for fruit and seashells! I am so glad we resisted the urge to keep that big, beautiful shell!

Ferry boarding was pretty quick, but they waited for a late passenger, so we left about 15-20 min late. Not bad for the ferry that is famous for cancelling at the last minute! And then they distributed the barf bags. Uhh ohh. It was wavy, but we sat by the window in back and, surprisingly, felt well enough to watch Emily in Paris on our iPad. Some of the other passengers did not do so well. There were a lot of them running to the bathroom, and I even gave the anti-nausea pill to one very pale and turning green lady. I guess my food poisoning and recently acquired pharmacy stash came in handy! It definitely took longer than initially predicted, but still under 6 hours, which I think was a win. All in all, we had a good experience and saved a lot of money by using this ferry instead of flying.

Zuri Resort

We had a completely different resort booked in Coron, and only a few weeks before the trip, we realized how far it was from the port. Besides that, it was on another island. So we would’ve had to arrive at the main port of Coron, get a ride to the airport (over 40 min away), and then the resort would pick us up. Except- last pick up was by 4pm and there was no chance in the world we would arrive by ferry and then by ground on time.

So we started scrambling to find a decent place to stay for four nights over New Year’s, with most hotels fully sold out. Zuri Resort had amazing reviews but showed as sold out on every platform except Agoda. So we took the chance and ended up getting a reservation! With two beds instead of one king, but a sea view room, and at the resort that was so well rated!

We liked it right away- in a nice and quiet area but close to walking to Coron center, multiple pools, and friendly staff. Great place to spend the last four nights in the Philippines.

However, it was here that Sean realized he was missing his wedding ring. He obviously didn’t lose it here, but it was a shocking realization regardless.

Pickapearl

We haven’t shopped in the Philippines yet; it’s time to rectify this matter. Sean’s uncle is married to a lovely lady from the Philippines, and she always wears the nicest pearl jewelry that she said she got in her home country. I looked up the shops in Coron; Pickapearl came up highly rated and was close to Zuri Resort. After a quick dinner at the hotel, we went to do some damage (to Sean’s wallet, of course!).

There are pre-made jewelry options, you can even do a sort of a gamble- pick an oyster and see what pearl you will find. There were also buckets of pearls, some with smaller, some with bigger imperfections, where you could close your eyes and blindly choose one (cheaper option). But I wanted to pick the pearls that I liked, with minimal imperfections, and then get the rings made right there. It was more expensive, but they turned out beautifully and were done super quick!

Here we also met up with our guide for tomorrow’s tour. I booked it via WhatsApp, based on a recommendation from a Polish guy I follow on Instagram. We were a bit worried the company might be fake, but no payment was requested before we arrived, and the guide only asked for a partial fee so he could buy our lunch for the tour. He also turned out to be a history teacher of one of the girls working at the pearl shop! She confirmed he is a good guy and we were looking forward to the tour!

Super Ultimate Island tour

I booked the tour with Neptune M.H Travel & Tours, and the Super Ultimate Island tour covered the sights I wanted to visit. It was significantly cheaper than El Nido, so we booked the private option again. I guess when you are used to a good thing, it’s hard to go back to the crowded group tours 🙂 .

Paul picked us up in the morning at the hotel in a tuk-tuk driven by his cousin, then brought us to the port. He was not feeling well, so he didn’t go with us, but instructed the boat captain to take care of us.

This tour reminded me a bit of Tour A in El Nido. Same popular spots, with many people visiting. Kayangan Lake was our first stop, and we had to wear mandatory life vests again.

Except instead of kayaking, here we went swimming.

It was nice to cool off, but slowly climbing back up the stairs and waiting in line for the viewpoint wasn’t the most fun. Our captain’s assistant did not speak great English, and he was not as skilled a photographer as the guide in El Nido, who was doing a ‘human drone’ video for us. But it was fine. The line moved, and we reached the beautiful viewpoint.

While standing in line, we chatted with people and found out why there was such a big crowd- most of them were there from the cruise ship that docked that morning! Ship was leaving in the afternoon, so we hoped some other tour spots will be less busy.

We did a little kayaking in the area, though there wasn’t much to see. Except for the blue water and the rocks, of course! I think we got used to the beauty of El Nido, so we’re not as impressed when we arrived in Coron.

There was a vendor floating on the kayak selling snacks, so we grabbed some before snorkeling. First stop was at the Skeleton Wreck and then Malwawey Coral Garden.

I have to say- we were not super impressed with snorkeling in El Nido, but snorkeling in Coron was amazing!

At Skeleton Wreck, we saw many fish circling the WWII Japanese ship frame that sank in 1944. It is one of several Japanese shipwrecks in the Philippines. Some are better seen scuba diving, while this one was easily spotted while snorkeling.

Coral Garden was beautiful and completely not crowded – we saw a lot of live and colorful coral and tons of fish.

All the walking and the swimming got us hungry, so we parked at one of the many beaches, and the crew made us lunch. Very similar to the other tour lunches- rice, chicken, and fruit. Simple but filling.

CYC Beach was the stop where I took a nap. There were local families on the beach, someone was singing Karaoke, I closed my eyes and was out : ) .

Two more stops on this Super Ultimate Tour today- Twin Lagoon and Barracuda Lake. Twin Lagoon is two small lakes separated by the rocks. You can swim or kayak; we chose to kayak here.

Initially, we saw only one lake and wondered why it’s called Twin Lagoon. But then noticed the steps going up the rocks and decided to check it out.

Our captain remained in the boat, and it was only the two of us in the kayak, so we couldn’t abandon it. Sean remained seated, and I climbed up the steps. And voila! On the other side of the rocks, the second lake opened up to my view! All empty with no people too. During the low tide, apparently, you can swim under the rocks from one lagoon to the other. We saw some of the guides carrying kayaks over the steps for someone as we were leaving. We didn’t want to drag it ourselves, so this was enough.

We liked the Twin Lagoon. It reminded us a bit of the Big Lagoon in El Nido.

Barracuda Lake was the last stop on the tour, and to be honest, we were kind of tired. You had to wear the life vests again. There were a lot of people, and we just came, saw it, and decided it was time to head back. You can swim here, and with an underwater camera, you could potentially get very cool photos, because you can see the rock walls underneath. But we didn’t bring our camera from the boat and were too tired and lazy to get back in the water.

Time to go back to the hotel and get ready for New Year’s! It’s been a wonderful last day of 2025.

Happy New Year!

Coron is not a large city, and we had no big expectations for New Year’s celebrations, so we decided to stay at the hotel. To close out 2025 in a relaxing manner, we booked a couples massage, and I put on my sparkly dress for dinner. Zuri Resort staff were setting up for the festivities all day and it turned out to be a lovely evening.

Lots of food, live band (no dancing though), and finally fireworks! We went to the fourth-floor terrace at the hotel and watched both the hotel fireworks and the city fireworks in the distance. It was shocking to see that Coron put on such a long fireworks show. It went on for over 20 minutes!

There was not much to do afterwards, so we went to bed by 1am. Chill and peaceful start to 2026.

We also had a tour scheduled in the morning, so were glad there is no wild party in the hotel disrupting our sleep.

Coron Escapade Tour

We had this tour planned for January 2nd, reasoning being that if we stay up late on New Year’s, we would want to sleep in and relax on January 1st. But looking at the weather forecast for the next few days, we saw rain increasing. So last minute we moved the tour up by a day and I am very glad we did.

Our guide came with us this time, and it was nice to chat with him about life in the Philippines and ask all of our questions since he spoke great English. Also, we really lucked out with the weather. Leaving Coron was complete overcast (and apparently rained most of the day), while the islands had perfect sunny weather.

This trip reminded me of the El Nido tour C. The islands were much further away than the most popular spots such as Kayangan Lake and potentially due to the distance we also had different weather than in Coron town.

It was over an hour-long boat ride until the first stop, Bulog Dos Island. Powdery white sand, turquoise water- great photo opportunities!

We started the tour somewhat late- at 10 am. By the time we reached the first stop and explored the island, it was time for lunch. We pulled up to Banana Island and had a similar lunch as on all other tours- rice, fish this time, and some fruit.

And the final stop (and our absolute favorite): Malcapuya Island. We did not want to leave this place, so we spent the rest of our time here.

It was a bit overcast at first, but then the clouds parted, and we had an incredible afternoon.

We also had a fun snorkeling experience here as well. There was a boat (not our boat) that, for a small fee, would drag you out over the coral garden and drag you back. It was a bit of a misunderstanding on my part as to what we were doing- I thought we would be dragged over, snorkel, and come back. But the idea was to enjoy the views on the way over and back, with no real time to free snorkel away from the shore. It was also pretty hard to hold the boat steady with one hand and record with the GoPro with the other, so I don’t have much footage, but it was worth it!

Since it was a long ride back to Coron, we had to leave the island and head back to make it before dark. I wish we spent the entire day here; it was a perfect tropical spot to relax.

And that was our last excursion in the Philippines. Great day to end our island hopping adventures!

Coron Town

There isn’t much to see or do in the town itself, but we were bored with Filipino food and craved something different. Sean found a French restaurant, Amihan Bistro, and we loved it so much that we had dinner and lunch the following day at the same place!

On New Year’s Day, they had a special menu with foie gras and crème brûlée – we were in heaven! Even a gluten-free truffle pasta? No wonder we have returned back!

On the last morning in Coron, the weather turned out as predicted. I am SO glad we switched the tour to a previous day. It was pouring on and off, and I doubt it was different in the islands an hour away.

We started the day with a delicious breakfast at Bitter Bean Caffeine Cabana – cafe, a few minutes’ walk from the hotel. We loved the Zuri resort, but were not impressed with their breakfast, and didn’t want to eat there anymore.

All we wanted was a relaxing last day before several long flights home, but Philippine Airlines had another plan for us. I went to check in for the flight from Coron to Manila we had booked months earlier, scheduled for January 3rd. Just to find out that the airlines oversold the flight and bumped us to January 4th! We saw an email a few days prior asking for volunteers to change their flight date, but we never agreed to it. They decided to move us regardless!

Well, that poses a massive problem, because our Cathay Pacific flight from Manila to Hong Kong is scheduled for the evening of January 3rd. Followed by a Qatar Airways flight to Doha. None of the flights are connected, so if we miss one, we have to buy new tickets for the rest. And we are talking about thousands of dollars in expenses for last-minute travel after New Year’s.

We immediately started brainstorming ways to reach Manila from Coron- our guide mentioned that there is an overnight ferry that takes 12 hours or so. But what are the chances it will not be sold out? Or even cancelled with this rainy weather? First plan of action- see if the airlines can do something about this involuntary change. I called them and MIRACLE- they answered! I explained the situation and practically begged to put us back on the flight for the next day. ‘As a one-time courtesy,’ they moved us to an earlier Manila flight on January 3rd. I was so grateful I didn’t even feel annoyed by this ‘courtesy’ comment. We didn’t choose or ask to be bumped to a later day in the first place!

So happy and relieved that the crisis was averted, we resumed our breakfast until I got the boarding passes and realized the airport code we were flying to didn’t ring a bell. It’s supposed to be MNL for Manila, but now we are going into CRK- Clark International Airport. TWO HOURS away from Manila airport, where we need to board our next flight. You would think the airline’s representative would mention this when we spoke over the phone? Well, luck is on our side. Even with Manila traffic, we should be able to make it, as long as we can get an Uber or a taxi to drive us. We made the connection, and the airline paid in cash for part of the cost, so it worked out in the end. But this type of situation could have ended very badly (and with a lot of additional cost). I think the lesson here is to have a buffer between long flights and an overnight in Manila, as many travel forums have suggested.

Now that we sorted out logistics for the next day, we can REALLY enjoy our last day in the Philippines.

We walked around town a bit, visited the church, and bought delicious fresh buns from a local vendor. I still daydream about those buns from time to time. Also, ube ice cream! Ube is very popular in the Philippines and I liked ube matcha as well as the ice cream.

Maquinit Hot Spring

What to do during a gloomy and rainy day in Coron, when you don’t feel like your hotel pool is warm enough? Visit the natural saltwater hot springs, of course! Maquinit Hot Spring is one of the few of its kind in the world and the only one in the Philippines. Mineral-rich salt water is naturally heated by geothermal activity and reaches 37-41°C (98-106°F). It is surrounded by a mangrove forest that’s over 100 years old.

It takes about 20 minutes to reach it via tuk-tuk from the center of Coron. The ride isn’t the most pleasant; most of the road is unpaved and bumpy, but it was totally worth it. A rainy day served its purpose- it would be too hot to soak in these thermal waters if it were a hot sunny day.

CONCLUSION

What a trip, what an adventure! We’ve been in many places and had some small issues, but never this many big challenges as on this trip. I feel like we couldn’t fully appreciate the Philippines because of my food poisoning and the time it took to feel back to normal. Sean losing this wedding ring was another massive loss, and then the crazy flight change to finish off the ‘misfortunes’. But all is well that ends well, right? My health is great, we got rebooked on the flight, and Sean recovered money from the insurance for the ring. He now wears a silicone ring from Amazon for $10, and maybe eventually will get a real one, so he can lose it again (kidding).

It sounds too gloom and doom, but it really wasn’t. We were, in fact, very lucky when you think about it. With that many flights, drives and ferries – it all worked out and we didn’t lose a single day of our trip. We were super fortunate with the weather, too. I thought December was a dry season in the Philippines, but at least in Boracay, it rained for days before we arrived. And it rained when we were leaving. Yet the only day we had there, it was sunny and perfect. We didn’t see seaweed anywhere; all the tour operators and drivers showed up. All in all, it was a wonderful trip, and as always, we are grateful for the experience! We have one more stop to make before returning to cold Boston: a long layover in Doha, Qatar!