Coron Photo Diary: B- Floating House & Banol Beach



I met Nemo and Dory!

Hi everyone,

I was initially going to release this post and the last post of my Coron Photo Diary last week, but I had to put it on hold because I had to pack a bag to backpack across another island (those stories will be written later this week so watch out for them). This is #3 of my Coron Photo Diary. Let me tell you what happened after Kayangan Lake (read about #2 of my Coron Photo Diary here).

After visiting my Kayangan Lake, we hopped back on the boat and sailed through the ocean. We stopped in the middle of the ocean, at a place called the B-Floating House, to snorkel once more. Under the house, I saw so many fishes I didn't want to come up for air. I now understand why people love scuba diving. You don't have to come up for air with an oxygen tank behind your back (but scuba diving is one activity I have yet to cross off my bucket list). At the B-Floating house, my uncles, aunts, and mom opted out of snorkeling. The tour guide led me around the coral reef. It was just me, the tour guide, and the deep blue sea. It was then and there I met Nemo and Dory. Pretty cool seeing things in real life that I once watched in a movie. "Fish are friends, not..."

After snorkeling, we headed towards Banol Beach. I had no idea how Banol Beach looked liked prior to coming here, but let me be one to tell you that there are places that have white beaches and crystal clear blue water, and Banol beach is one of them. With a growling stomach, I had to put my hunger on a really quick hold so I could stand in the water and take it all in. Words can't even describe how gorgeous this place is and pictures definitely don't do it justice, so I'll let you see it for yourself.


 
 

Banol Beach


I know I've been posting a lot of underwater photos. Are you tired of them yet? Ha. I have so many photos and you're only getting a handful of them. Banol Beach is a sight for sore eyes. I couldn't stop looking around. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to stay there very long. It was only a pit stop for lunch so people aren't allowed to wander off for very long.

What I appreciate most about this tour is how cautious all the tour guides were. They want to preserve Coron's culture so you see everything in it's natural habitat and the indigenous people who live there in their true setting. Untouched. Natural. Beautiful.

"Every time I stand before a beautiful beach, its waves seem to whisper to me: If you choose the simple things and find joy in nature's simple treasures, life and living need not be so hard."

 

Coron Photo Diary: Kayangan Lake


Hello there!

#1 of Coron Photo Diary was for Siete Picados (read it here). This is #2 of my Coron Photo Diary, and today, I'm writing about my paradise dreams coming true at Kayangan Lake. You ever have the weird feeling when you go somewhere you never thought you'd ever see in real life? This was it for me.

When my family and I were planning Coron, the one thing I requested was to go to Kayangan Lake. I saw it all over Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, so it was only right that it was on our itinerary.

Kayangan Lake is just as beautiful as you see it online. The boat ride to the lake itself is gorgeous. I saw the water change from deep blue to turquoise. When the boat docked, my excitement increased ten folds and I couldn't wait to get off. Once you see the "Welcome to Kayangan Lake" sign, the adrenaline kicks in and you just want to run up the steps to see the lake itself. But you have to wait because you have to walk through a set of stairs to get there. 150 steps up. 150 steps down.


Halfway through, you'll see the signs to point you to the infamous observation deck or if you'd like, you can continue straight to the lake. If you don't take the photo at the view deck, did you really go? Of course, we waited in line and took photos. HA!
Once we finally made our way down the other set of 150 steps, we entered the actual dock of the Kayangan Lake. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. Stunning. Breathtaking. You get so overwhelmed by the true beauty of it all, you really have to just stop and take a look around. (If you ever find your way there, STOP AND TAKE IT ALL IN). Whether or not you believe in anything, things of such beauty astounds me at what the world holds. In my case, it always humbles me to see items listed on my bucket list in real life. The God I believe in paints such beautiful pictures for us to see so why not enjoy them while we can? And if I did believe in reincarnation, I was definitely a mermaid or a fish in another life. ha! There's something about swimming in water that calms me (or maybe it is because I grew up swimming most of my life). We weren't allowed to swim in the lake without life vests on, but our tour guide helped me take photos underwater without getting caught. Then, I got my family to do it too. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the photos just as much as we had fun taking them.






Thanks for reading my post! If you have visited Kayangan Lake, let me know how your experience was and share your photos with me. I'd love to hear about your experience.

“I address you all tonight for who you truly are: wizards, mermaids, travelers, adventurers, and magicians. You are the true dreamers.” ― Brian Selznick

Coron Photo Diary: Siete Picados


Hello everyone!

Just last year, my family and I booked a last minute trip to the Philippines, after a long awaited 15 years return, only to say goodbye to my grandmother. After meeting the cousins I only ever spoke to on the phone, I made it a promise to come back as soon as possible. So when I had the opportunity to book a trip to the Philippines in November? I jumped at the chance of a lifetime… and then convinced my mother to come along with me.
This past weekend I was able to go island hopping at Coron. I have never been more humbled by the true beauty of mother-nature. I witnessed first-hand how gentle yet powerful the deep blue sea can be. I met Nemo and Dory, swam so deep into the ocean even I got scared on how deep she can be, and hovered over coral that were possibly dangerous. I watched as the ocean transformed into a sea of shining diamonds as we sailed through a motor boat. I visited places that were listed as “Top Destinations to Visit,” knowing that most people don’t even leave their hometown, while here I was crossing out items on my bucket list.

We stayed in a quaint little house that was built right on top of the ocean. It had a dock that extended further out which was decorated with a table, built in benches, and a hammock (which I used every single day). The dock had a ladder that went down to the ocean, so of course I put on my swimsuit and took photos on it before having breakfast the next morning.

With an itinerary full of activities, rented boat of our own, and our own personal tour guides- Saturday was an adventurous, jam-packed day. From snorkeling in Siete Picados, to eating at an all-white island, to floating around Twin Lagoon,  Coron is definitely a place to visit. I have never seen my mother (and her sisters) take on more confidence than being with me and their family this weekend. My mom and aunts (who can’t swim) went snorkeling in the ocean, my mom had the confidence to jump off the boat when it was on shore thinking it wasn’t that deep and fell right into the water, and they took off their life vest to take the cutest photos underwater. Shout out to my uncles, Tito Juhn and Tito Rod, for being great sports and enjoying in on the fun!

I'm going to admit that I had no intention of taking underwater photos because I didn't even have an underwater camera to begin with. However, my uncle and aunt let us borrow their camera for the weekend so we can take these photos (thanks Tito Eric and Tita Beng). So it only felt right for me to share it with everyone. For this photo diary, I'm showing photos from the first activity on our itinerary- Snorkeling at Siete Picados.  Here you go!















 

If you ever decide to go to Coron, I recommend adding snorkeling at Siete Picados as one of the activities on your to-do list. Snorkeling at Siete Picados was such a fun experience for me and my aunts. You get to see all the corals and swim with the fishes, but halfway through... you realize that where the corals end, you meet the deep blue sea- just as Nemo did when he went to touch the "butt."

"Everyone loves to fly, and flying underwater is even better than flying in air because there are things around you." - Graham Hawkes
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