Palawan... Check!

I spent the last weekend in Coron, Palawan with my family.

Palawan is one of my local dream destinations. I'd pass on Boracay but definitely not Palawan. (Well, now that I've gone to Palawan I guess I can save up for Boracay now haha.)

A very typical view in Coron

We left last Friday and I was very disappointed with the 1.5-hour flight delay. Here's a confession: I've been to a few countries but I've never flown domestic and I haven't been to Visayas or Mindanao. Yes, I know, I'm such a stranger to my own country but I'm trying to change that now!

Fortunately, my dad has been to Palawan quite a lot for fieldwork so he knows the place and some locals from their office.

We stayed in Coron Village Lodge. We rested a little and then waited for the rain to stop before Dad's colleague drove us to Maquinit Hot Spring. It's a few minutes away by car (or by tricycle) from the town proper. The road leading to the hot spring is a private and unpaved road. Entrance fee is PhP150 per person.

The first thing to greet you would be these mangroves.

Since the rain just stopped and it was a little cold, the hot spring was very relaxing. I love hot baths.

The water is salty. It comes from the sea and is heated by something from the ground (most likely a volcano).

The place has restrooms but no place to shower. You'll have to go back to your lodging to take a shower.

We had dinner in Maquinit (dad and his colleagues bought food from the local market) and then we headed back to the lodge.

It was unfortunate that I wasn't able to scour the places around Coron Village Lodge. There seemed to be a number of interesting coffee shops around. Heh, that's the thing when I travel with family... I tend to be play-safe and become less adventurous (I can't let the parents worry too much).

And that's the first day (of three days) in Coron, Palawan.