Eating & sleeping tips in Coron, the Philippines
Yooooo! The Philippine quarter is being used again. We were recently spoiled with all the ins and outs Manila, we are now back at a new place: the wildly attractive Coron. And to be honest, Coron was high (highest) on the list because of the boat as part of it Big Dream Boatman. So we actually came shame on us, not so much in Coron for Coron but for the road to it. Something like 'participating is more important than winning'. Snappy? In the end, we only had one day of snacking at Coron, so we don't have a book of tips, but we recommend this:
When you say Coron, you say being on the water! Renting a private boat with a tailor-made tour is the perfect way to explore the island. You choose your own route, for example to the famous Kayangan Lake, the mysterious Twin Lagoon or the crystal clear Barracuda Lake. No groups, no rush, just nice and relaxed sailing and swimming where and when you want.
You can pick up fresh local ingredients at the Coron Public Market and have them prepared on board by the crew.
Spending the night in a hostel on Coron is a bit of two worlds. On one side it fills up with travelers in excitement and full of energy on their way to the famous boat trip and on the other side it is full of travelers who just got off that boat (and therefore did the boat trip from the other side). Wild, tired and absolutely not in the mood to party anymore. Until the staff of the Hop Hostel goes wild. Because hop is there for everyone who is looking for fun. And hop is there for everyone who wants a nice view from the rooftop. In the evening the best of both comes together during the parties.
The beds are wonderful and the menu is excellent. In the evening you can eat a small bite for free.
If you have two evenings to see the sunset, it would be nice to climb to the top of Mt. Tapyas one of those days.
Not had enough of the boat trip Coron – El Nido? Or are you not sailing with them? You can also join a day tour along the islands of Palawan. They offer tour A, B, C or D. All slightly different, but all beautiful. Where do you book that? Pretty much everywhere in the hotels or hostels. Do you want to make such a tour in peace? Then you would do well to book a private tour.
We already mentioned the climb up Mount Tapyas. It is tough, but fun and guaranteed to leave you hungry for a good bite. 500 meters from the famous viewing platform, is Manggis Restaurant, part of Vela Terraces Hotel. Filipino inspired dishes, but also an international menu.
A favorite is the 'boodle fight', a popular Filipino dish often eaten during parties. Served on banana leaves and then eaten with bare hands. Another favorite was - sorry not sorry - the taco pizza.
Bahay Kawayan Backpackers Inn, quite a mouthful and yet… you shouldn't expect too much from it. Because hey, we spent about 2000 euros per person including everything for more than two and a half weeks. Anyway, the huts of our friend Bahay are small but nice. The beds are fine and you share the clean showers/toilets. On to breakfast: simple, tasty but slow. And by slow we mean really slow. Now patience is not our best quality, so perhaps this is not so bad for someone else, you read. Small side note: make sure you wear earplugs during the night. There is a rooster who likes to hear himself crow at the most impossible times. But dude. Kneesear and that whole story. Fortunately, the rooster was a bit friendlier the second night (and no, we didn't eat a rooster for breakfast).
Do a little research and you will read everything you can about it Somewhere else eat the tastiest pizza. Still, we recommend the best people at Altrove to join us La Perla in De Jordaan. The pizza is real maintenance but you shouldn't expect La Perla practices. On the other hand, there is a line as if the pizza has been flown straight from Rome and is still fresh, so make sure you are on time, because Altrove does not take reservations. Now this may all sound a bit unkind, but let's go with it expectation management to call. What the hell. Yet you eat a fantastic pizza with a crispy cold beer here.
Epic Island Cafe Coron is your start-up cafe. Wake up here. Epic Island Cafe is located in Real Street in the upcoming district of Coron. They serve breakfast dishes all day long (ideal for those hungover mornings) combined with locally roasted coffee specials. The Tagbanua blend consists of robusta and arabica coffee beans roasted with organic Muscovado sugar. TOP.
Breakfast can be delicious with a fantastic lava cake or fried rice and eggs combined with marinated beef strips. Just the way you like it. The Epic Cafe's Rocky Road Cheesecake and banana bread are fantastic.
Also make a stop for a nice massage or mani/pedi before continuing with your plans. There are quite a few addresses Kalipay Spa recommended.
