Boat Stops

Have you ever been to a paradise? I mean, to a place with deserted islands, white sand beaches, clear blue waters, nipa huts and untouched coral reefs? The tropical paradise of Palawan in the Philippines was once again voted the “world’s best island” by readers of Travel + Leisure magazine. Palawan ranked first in Travel + Leisure’s World Best Island list for 2017, which is based on readers’ ratings, getting a score of 93.15. It grabbed the No. 1 spot in 2016 and in 2013.

However, despite of being the world’s best island for several years, Palawan went down to the second spot this 2019 next to Sri Lanka. According to Travel+Leisure’s “The World’s Best Awards 2019.” The list, based on the travel website’s reader’s picks, considers “activities and sights, natural attractions and beaches, food, friendliness, and overall value.”, Rappler.

I think one of the reasons is the uncontrollable increasing number of tourists visiting Palawan each year. This plummeting of statistics of visitors made Palawan government more conscious now about protecting the coral reefs and lagoons. In El Nido, you can only visit one lagoon  each day unlike few years ago when I first went there, we visited the Small and Big Lagoon on the same island hopping boat tour.

There is tons to see between El Nido and Coron, around a thousand islands in this area, mostly pristine paradise beaches and undeveloped. if you are the kind of person who gets tired of being with the crowds when doing island hopping boat tour, our affordable customized private multi-day island hopping boat tour between El Nido (Sibaltan) and Coron is perfect for you!

You can check out this itinerary suggestion https://www.islandhoppinginthephilippines.com/palawan/various/suggested-itinerary/for off the beaten track ideas between Puerto Princesa and Manila, an increasingly popular tourist route and which includes El Nido and Coron.

When you book our island hopping boat expedition between El Nido (Sibaltan) and Coron, you can customize it. You can either start in Coron or in Sibaltan. Sibaltan is an hour away by van from El Nido town – do not worry about getting there. We can arrange a private van transfer for you at around 2,500 pesos good for nine people.

With our El Nido to Coron multi-day island hopping boat tour, you can choose from having private, open, joiner and even party boat tour.

This multi-day island hopping boat tour includes basic accommodation for 500 pesos/night/person where you can sleep in a tent with mattress  or in nipa huts. If you want a fancier accommodation, that is also possible as long as you book it yourself.

When it comes to food, our usual price is 250 pesos/person/meal. It is a basic meal, with some rice and fresh-caught fish. But if you want a fancy meal, you may inform your boatman about this and just pay extra.

Philippines is composed of thousands of islands and surrounded by the ocean, hence, it is rich in seafood. I have traveled in few countries and nothing could compare to how delicious and inexpensive seafood are in the Philippines.

Fishing is one of the main livelihoods of locals in Palawan. Buying seafood directly from these local fishermen could save you a lot of money. Just ask your boatman about it. They said food is comforting, isn’t it? From crabs, oyters, green shells, small and big fishes to squids, it will make your boat tour extra special. Please, also DO NOT FORGET to ask one of our boat crews to climb a coconut tree for you and get you a fresh coconut juice. Furthermore, if you have any food preferences, do not hesitate to tell your assigned boatman.

As a tropical country, we are also known to have the sweetest mangoes in the world. Guimaras is a place where you can find the sweetest mangoes but Palawan is also known for it. Mangoes in Palawan can be bought in much lower price during its season especially during April to May.

So, while you are visiting our country, Philippines, do not hesitate so treat and splurge yourself with our fresh and affordable seafood. Most importantly, explore pristine paradise beaches away from crowds with our multi-day island hopping boat tour. As a result, you cannot stop yourself from telling your friends how amazing your vacation was in Palawan, Philippines. Book your unforgettable boat tour with us by clicking the photo below!

Coron has been considered as one of the best spots in the World for Wreck diving! On the 24th of September 1944, 24 Japanese Ships were sunk by an Americain Air raid. There were 12 wrecks that have been discovered up to now. The shipwrecks are very well preserved and are all located in quite shallow water, perfect for recreational diving. However it is best to be at least Open Water Advanced to fully enjoy the wrecks as some dives can be quite challenging.

Most of the wrecks are really big (up to 160m!) and require more than one dive if you want to explore the entire ship. There are also boundless possibilities of penetration and even very deep penetration (especially on the Taiei Maru and the Akitsushima ) for the most experienced divers!

The wrecks lay either upright or on the side. Their depth is ranging from 12m to 30m. Only the Irako wreck is deeper, at 43m.

However, the visibility is often low (from 5m to 15m) and the marine life around the shipwrecks is poor with mostly Scorpionfishes, Crocodilefishes, Nudibranchs are the usual reef fishes like the Triggerfish or Clownfish. Groupers and Barracudas can also sometimes be spotted. So if you come to Coron it is definitely because you are passionate about Wreck Diving, not just to see the fish! This place is really beautiful and divers coming there are usually delighted!

Best time to dive in Coron, Palawan

Diving Season

It is possible to dive around Coron all year round. However they can experience some bad weather during the wet season (June to September / October) that can sometimes prevent any diving from happening. The best weather is usually from December to March and it is also at that time that the visibility is at its best.

Scuba Diving conditions

Water Temperature: ranging from 25°C to 31°C depending on the season.

Currents: From gentle to strong depending on the tide and location.

Visibility: You can expect a visibility of 5m to 15m. The best visibility is usually during the dry season (November to May).

Lusong Gunboat

Palawan is a beautiful place to start your travels when visiting Philippines. It has a lot to offer! From Puerto Princessa, Sabang, Port Barton and to the famous destinations like El Nido and Coron, two weeks in the Philippines will never be enough. There are thousands of islands to explore as well as lagoons and ship wrecks. But do not worry, we will help you island hop to these exquisite beaches and crystal blue water lagoons without missing them while moving from one place to another and most importantly, away from crowds.

My husband, Karel, used to live in a beautiful island with powdery white sand and pristine waters for two years. This island is infamous that most people who are taking the fast ferry from either Coron to El Nido or El Nido to Coron have been missing it out. Not only this island that they have missed out but many more. As a result, he came up with an idea which you still can do island hopping from Coron to El Nido or vice versa without missing these stunning and off the beaten islands.

With our multiday tours, you can island hop from Coron to Sibaltan or the other way. Sibaltan is an hour away by van from El Nido town which is not that much. There is no fixed schedule of vans going to Sibaltan from El Nido town but we can arrange a private transfer for you for only 2,500pesos.

There are 82 islands along the way and you can see as many as you want. Comfortably, we recommend visiting three to four islands to really have the most of your experience in each island without rushing. There are many things to do during this multiday tour. The most common one is snorkeling. If you are looking for some adventure, you can do cliff diving on a natural big stone formation along the way. If you want to experience how to catch your own fresh fish, we have spear guns for rent.

 
Spear gun

For some sporty people, our wakesurf board and wakeboard are perfect for you. Might be hard to be able to stand up while the boat is moving when it is your first time so this is quite challenging. Also, this is quite exhausting because you are using your whole body especially your arms and your abdomen but it is DEFINITELY FUN! Something different to do other than snorkeling.

To those who would want to explore some mangroves or the surrounding island in a relaxing way, we have kayaks available for you.

At the end of the day, if you are tired from doing all these activities in the water, you can just lie on the beach, getting some sun tan while drinking some fresh coconut juice.

TIP: You can request to your boatman to get you some fresh coconuts directly from a coconut tree. Yes! It is possible and in some islands it is for FREE but some may charge you around 20-30pesos each which is still cheaper than buying it in a restaurant.

Barakuda Lake, Coron, Palawan

If you are staying for few days in El Nido, we also have private and joiner island hopping boat tours. In our private boat tour, it is possible to combine some spots from tour A with tour B or tour A with tour C. In our page, just click the route that you want and the tours. For El Nido day trips and multiday tour, please click Combination El Nido and multiday tour and submit route.

Twin Lagoon, Coron, Palawan

Snake Island, El Nido, Palawan – Tour B

TAKE NOTE: Our boats start and stop in Sibaltan, not El Nido, because there are many islands to visit on the east side of the peninsula, the waves can get rough in the open ocean on the west side of the peninsula, and El Nido is much farther than Sibaltan by boat, so your tour would have to be much more expensive. From Sibaltan it is an easy one hour van ride to or from El Nido and you will find some contact information to vans on the Sibaltan page:
https://www.islandhoppinginthephilippines.com/palawan/island-hopping-launching-pad-east-palawan/
If you have the time, this archaeological village is also well worth visiting or very nice to stay at for at least one night.

Do you want to stay away from the crowds and enjoy the pristine islands for yourselves?

If you prefer a private tour only for your group, just fill in this form, choose “Coron only” for your boat tour and we will arrange a boat for you. Your own boat, your own time and your own islands. Or you can join one of our multi-day tours to El Nido (Sibaltan), hitting the most popular Coron spots on the way. We can also organise group or private tours in El Nido.

TAKE NOTE: Prices may change especially during peak and high season.

The top row (Coron Island) in the table above applies to 5-6 of the destinations in the top two rows of the picture below. Note that lunch, snorkeling gears and the entrance fee/pax for each destination is not included in the above price. Entrance fees may change without prior notice.

This Tripadvisor page shows the most popular destinations around Coron, our favourite suggestions being Kayangan Lake and Twin Lagoons, quite close to one another.

At some of the places, like Twin Lagoons, the local caretaker grills fresh fish and rice. Or the boat crew can cook you up the same for 200p/meal. If instead you buy vegetables from the public market (the loading area for most of the boats), the crew can probably cook that for you for free, but a little tip would be nice.

If you are staying at a hotel with a pier, the boatman can pick you up and drop you off straight from there. Or they can arrange a tricycle taxi to take you to their boat.

Other links regarding Coron tours

Kayangan Lake
Twin Lagoons
Malcapuya Island
Banana Island
Bulog Dos
Tips on choosing tours around Coron
Rural Coron
Obra Bar