Arrival On Coron

At last! That’s how it should be! The sun rises just before we enter the harbour in Coron. “The rainy season lasted much longer this year,” says a local resident. Until a few days ago, it rained non-stop for weeks. The result: murderous humidity at 30 degrees at seven in the morning. We almost fall over before we take a trike to the coconut resort.

The Kokonuss Resort is fine: small nipa huts in a tropical garden. Indian statues and fountains, flowers, palm trees, Nepalese flags. Wonderful. The bamboo hut is simple and cheap, but a bit mouldy. You get wet in the water. Banana pancake, shower and finally spread out our clothes. We stay here for a few days. I’m looking forward to the peace and quiet.

There’s not much else to say. Everything is finally running smoothly and as planned. We organise Uli’s diving course and check out day trips to one of the more than 80 islands in the archipelago. The biggest problem: the crossing to El Nido on North Palawan in five days. There are some commercial providers who charge an astronomical 500 euros for the entire boat for one day. A new bangka of this size costs around 3000 euros here.

Instead, we want to hire a private bangka for a three-day trip over to El Nido. Robinson on some uninhabited islands, fishing and, of course, kiting. Between Coron and Palawan there are 160 kilometres of open sea and the dangerous Strait of Palawan. The waves can get quite high here. Tours are cancelled in bad weather. We are looking for a reliable captain with a relatively large bangka. Check a lot of safety: life jackets, flares. Nobody has a radio here, but mobile phones work everywhere on the route to El Nido.

If you are also looking for a cheap, safe and alternative crossing to El Nido: Go to Coral Bay Divers, near Coron marketplace. Ask for Grace. Her brother owns a large bangka. Daily hire is currently 1500 PHP, which is about 25 euros. He normally only does day trips around Coron, but he has also travelled to El Nido. It fits a maximum of four people with luggage. Double the price for the crossing to El Nido, as the return journey is usually an empty journey. Still the best price and good safety. I’ll report back as soon as we’ve completed the tour.

I shower four times today. It’s the only way to dry off briefly. It’s getting dark. There’s schnitzel and Oettinger wheat on the menu. German owner, no double names. The fountains splash, the palm trees rustle. The birds chirp under the roof and the geckos cackle on the veranda. The last roosters crow and somewhere a trike rattles comfortably. Peace.