Philippines: The Coron Zone

We returned to Manila for the second leg of our adventure where we were joined by friends from the US - Leslie, Kathy, & Maddie. 

From Manila we flew about 45 minutes to Busuanga island in the municipality of Palawan and based ourselves near Coron Town. This entire area is known as Coron, which is actually just one of the several various islands in the Calamianes group, a tropical and extraordinary watery-wonderland. 

The big attraction to this region is the diving and snorkeling, especially around the ship wrecks and colorful reefs.

There's amazing scenery, beautiful jungled islands surrounded by turquoise lagoons, impressive black limestone cliffs, and phenomenal coral reefs. 

Dramatic both above and below the sea.

Busuanga is considered the main island and we stayed just outside of Coron Town at the very fine and accommodating Asia Grand View Hotel - and what a grand view it was. From our hotel rooftop deck we enjoyed our evening cocktails whilst gazing on spectacular sunsets.

The daily plan revolved around ocean activities, all-day boat trips out to the surrounding islands - with the exception of one rather rainy day when we opted to explore the nearby town on foot. 

The primary pursuit however was snorkeling with the vibrant sea life, with a bit of kayaking and island exploration mixed in. 

Basically we had relaxed adventure experiences in paradise - exactly what we'd hoped for!