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Skipping the usual popular island hotspots of Philippines like Cebu and Boracay, we took a little detour and went a little further out to a less known but equally beautiful part of the country – the pretty little island of Coron.

Welcome to Coron, a pristine little island made of turquoise clear waters and intricate limestone cliffs.

Jac and I flew over from Singapore to Coron via their local carrier Cebu Pacific Airlines, and arrived safely at Francisco B. Reyes Airport, the official Coron Airport, formerly known as Busuanga Airport.

The view of Coron from the window seat on our Cebu Pacific Airlines Propeller plane.

One can fly into Coron and transit via Cebu or Manila Airport, depending on whether you want to do a stopover and stay 1-2 days in those cities. If not, I would recommend to transit via Manila to avoid the longer layover at the airport. The domestic flight into Coron is quite a fun experience as we took a small propeller plane instead of the usual winged one. Despite some slight wind, the flight was a very stable one and the view when coming into Coron was quite breathtaking.

After the half day of rest in our hotel and exploring the town, we booked ourselves a full day island-hopping excursion/ tour the next day to visit some of the popular iconic parts of Coron. There were many to choose from, but excursions to the lakes of Coron are definitely the #1 must do. Here’s a little activity checklist of the best of Coron for your consideration:

1. Breathtaking limestone rocks of Coron Island

The pretty turquoise colour of the water right under the limestone rock of Coron, stunningly beautiful

Rich in flora and fauna, these pretty limestone rocks of Coron with crystal water just beneath it is a real marvel. As the boat turns into the narrow lagoon, you can see the glowing hues of turquoise the water, the sight of it looked so pristine and magical.

 2. Long Boat Cruises and Sun Tan

Our boat resting at the Kayangan lake docking point

If you are one of those who loves the sea breeze, then taking one of these excursions are a must-do. Get some much-needed sun, and whenever you get the chance, snap some beautiful images at the head of the boat and jump off it into the water after which.

 To read more about other destinations in Philippines like adventure sports in Bicol or mountain climbing in Grand Cordillera.

3. Lagoons, Lakes and more Luminous Lakes

Coron is made up of multiple stunning hidden lakes which we got to visit during our island-hopping excursion. The limestone rock in Coron with the turquoise waters just makes it so beautiful to behold.

The iconic Kayangan Lake lookout point at Coron

Island-hopping at these lakes consist of a lot of snorkeling, so one is recommended to bring your own snorkeling gear when you embark on these tours, as you would need to pay extra for snorkel and fins respectively as it is not included in the package.

Lakes you will visit:

• Twin Lagoons

The last pit stop of the excursions, this is one of my favourite as you get to do a little adventure. We were lined up in a row with our life jackets on and dragged gently through a narrow low hanging cave into the lagoon.

• Kayangan Lake

The most iconic lake of Coron, which is always featured in tourist magazine and all, this warm enclosed lake has a walkway surrounding it for guests to walkabout. It is also best admired from the high lookout point when you trek up to enter the lake at the other side.

Loving the lakes. Lake hopping all day long..each getting better than the next!

Snorkeling Spots:

• Siete Pecados Marine Park
• Malwawey Reef
• Skeleton Wreck
• Coral Garden

• Beach 91 ( local beach that does not have any charges to utilize)
• CYC Beach

All the boats will stop here for a sumptuous lunch with a roving guitarist serenading us with songs.

4. Explore underwater wrecks in Coron via snorkeling and diving

Breezing past stretches of cliffs of limestone rocks – beneath these waters one can do snorkeling and diving in Palawan

WRECKS..so many of them in this part of Philippines.

One of the most iconic one is the shipwreck of Lusong gunboat, situated nearby Coral Garden. It was one of the pit stops during the island hopping. Most of the other underwater wrecks in Coron require you to have a dive license as they are much deeper and cannot be so visible from the water surface.

Snorkeling and diving in Palawan is something all outdoor and diving enthusiasts shouldn’t miss. Other wreck spots that I didn’t have time to check out:

• 35 metres length Tangat Gunboat or U-Boat Hunter

5. Hot Springs in the Philippines??

Come here and indulge in the lovely Maquinit Hot Springs in Coron

Long day of island-hopping or aching from too much snorkeling? Visit the Maquinit Hot Springs and relieve all the stress in your muscles and shoulders. The temperature of the water isn’t too warm and the smell is still quite tolerable compared to some of the other hot springs I have visited.

Recommendation: Come earlier at 5+ so that you can avoid the crazy crowds and catch the beautiful sunset just over the lake.

The view of the lake and sunset at the hot springs

Other outdoor adventure tours one can do in Coron:

1. Trek to Mt Tapyas
2. Dig your feet into the white sandy beaches of  Malcapuya Island/ Banana Island
3. Culion – a previously known leper colony ( wish I had the chance to go there to learn about the history of what happened in the past)

Hence concluding the outdoor adventure tours on the magical island of Coron with its enchanting lakes, wrecks, and the sunshine. I hope to be back one day to explore all the mysterious wrecks and learn about the history.

Old school wooden bridge with the best view of the sunset from Maquinit Hot Springs

To read more about other destinations in Philippines like adventure sports in Bicol or mountain climbing in Grand Corderilla.

This Coron destination trip is in partnership with Cebu Pacific Airlines. For deals and flight timings to Coron Busuanga Airport, click here.

Sunsets and sunrises never fail to leave one awestruck. Whether is it a ‘rainbow’ effect sunset on a clear sky, a blazing sunset with rays bursting through the heavy clouds or a sky crimson red from after the rain, all these sunsets never fail to leave me awestruck. If you were to know me personally, you would have known that I have a perpetual obsession with sunsets in every country I visit.

However, there are a few that had left a burning distinct memory and leave you wanting to fly back there just to witness it again. Here it goes.

Presenting the Top 8 Destinations in the World with the Best Sunrises and Sunsets

1. Yukon, Canada

Yukon is situated right at the top most hemisphere of Canada and its a popular place to catch the aurora in certain times of the year. Given the unique geographic location of the place, it is also a great place to catch the Midnight Sun phenomenon when you head over in summer.

I was there at the start of the winter period, but still managed to enjoy the blazing sunset while we had our Yukon wildlife tour to see the mooses, reindeers and fascinating winter animals of Yukon.

2. Maldives

This is my 3rd time on this island paradise, but boy, the sunsets here are absolutely am-blazing, especially so after the passing heavy showers. The sky roars ablaze either fiery orange or crimson pink, with the cloud lining lighted up so distinctly. My greatest memory is to seeing the stunning sunset on a dolphin cruise and seeing the silhouettes of the dolphins as they burst out of the water.

Golden skies everyday? Definitely Dubai. Read more here

3. Capetown, South Africa

Acres and acres of land, safaris with wild animals as we go on long drives in our manual car, just makes this country absolutely picturesque. If you want quantity, this place gives the highest concentration of brilliant golden sunsets all year round, and because there is hardly any mountains, trees or buildings, you get 360 view of the sunset as it hits the barren stretches of plains and land. Brilliant.

4. Meteora, Greece

Monastery of the Holy Trinity. The trail to the left leads to the Monastery, but also splits to the right to lead down to Kastraki.

The sunsets here are absolutely amazing, given the way the sunlight bounces off these huge monolithic pillars and rock formations. These monasteries perched on the top of these rocks really have the most stunning view to remind them daily of creation and how breathtaking it is.

5. Mount Pulag, Philippines

Philippines twin peaks of Mount Cordillera

For those who enjoy mountain trekking/ hiking immensely, this mountain in Philippines has one of the most stunning sunrises I have ever seen witness. At the crack of dawn, the sky lights up all golden and following it is long stretches of cloud slowly ‘crawling’ over the mountain edges, as though a spell is cast over it. It feels almost like a surreal sci-fi movie. For photographers, this sunrise is definitely a must capture.

6. Dubai

Sunsets at the sand dunes in Dubai

Dubai, the magical glittering city that emerged out of sheer desert. This country have the most amazing sunsets when you enjoy it from the sand dunes, where the whole dunes lights up in gold, and looks like fields and fields of golden dust. Magical.

7. Kuta Beach, Bali Indonesia

Sunset Yoga in Bali

After a whole day of surfing, diving and other exciting things to do in Bali, sneak over to Kuta Beach and enjoy the amazing sunset at one of their amazing bars. My favourite would be Potato Head Beach Club, which has some really great ambiance, food and a stunning infinity pool.

What type of Bali traveler are you – Adventurous, cafe hunter, relax junkie? Find out here

8. Shiga Kogen, Japan

Sunset at the top of the ski slope in Shiga Kogen

Last but not least would be the beautiful mountain top view at Shiga Kogen, Nagano Japan. This view can only be seen when you take 2 chairlifts up to the highest point, before we start skiing down a very long route. Absolutely stunning sea of clouds that puts a smile on your face before you dash down the slopes at high speed.

So here concludes the Top 8 Destinations in the World with the Best Sunrises and Sunsets. Have you visited any of them yet?

Beyond the stunning beaches of Cebu/ Palawan and Boracay, lies a region in Philippines made up of lush rainforest, waterfalls, lakes and a perfectly symmetrical volcano – Welcome to the Land of Bicol.

Welcome to Bicol, the land of the Pili Nut

Bicol is a good 45 -60 minutes flight away from the city of Manila. We arrived in the cosy little airport of Legazpi and were comfortably packed  into our minivan to get a little tour around the city of Legazpi.

A photo posted by ~ Lydiascapes.com ~ (@lydiascapes) on Oct 25, 2016 at 6:41am PDT

5 Outdoor Adventure in Bicol Region

1. Quad Bike Ride up to the Mayon Volcano [Best ATV Experience ever !]

We embarked on a 3 hours adventure ride towards the Mayon summit, even though it was a cloudy day and the weather seemed dangerously threatening. All equipped with our helmets, powerful ATVs and action cameras, we were ready to go on our adventure atv tour.

Group Shot before we speed off towards the Mayon Volcano. Ready to start our Adventure ATV Tour!

On board our adventure powersports vehicles, going through swamps, lakes, long grass, mud and more…The wind is coming and our excitement rose.

The Mayon Volcano is 8,189 foot tall, and we  rode along the lava trail. I could do with more such adrenaline atv tours in my holidays.

Read more about trekking in Philippines – The Grand Corderilla Twin Peaks

2. The Spanish Influence and Church Ruins

The city of Bicol is rich in Spanish heritage and influence. We took a walkabout some of the most iconic churches here in Bicol, with some of these churches still conducting services every Sunday. Our guide himself attends the Daraga Church.

Cagsawa Church Ruins

The Cagsawa Church was inspired by Greek architecture during its construction stage. It used to be one of the most iconic catholic church in Bicol but was unfortunately destroyed during the volcanic eruption. The building was uniquely constructed with egg white, limestone and volcanic rock.

The Cagsawa Church Ruins overseeing the beautiful Mayon Volcano. Its a pity its a cloudy day that day hence the volcano is hidden

Daraga Church

Daraga Church still in service up till this date

Old Barcelona Church

A photo posted by ~ Lydiascapes.com ~ (@lydiascapes) on Oct 18, 2016 at 2:56am PDT

Moving on from exploring these beautiful ruins and churches, we moved on to some mother nature immersion.

3. Hiking and Kayaking around Bulusan Lake

At the foot of Mount Bulusan sits a lovely surreal lake surrounded by lush greenery, some may even call it the ‘Switzerland of the Orient’. Bulusan attracts many volunteers and researchers to its grounds to experience and understand the unique rich eco-system of a volcano/ rainforest lake and waterfalls all in one premise. No wonder this place is deemed one of the top eco-tourism destination in Philippines.

Rainbow colour kayaks calling out to us to start our adventure

The Bulusan Volcano Natural Park  houses the top 5 active volcanoes in the Philippines. When we were there, it was at Alert 1, so we couldn’t go within 5 km radius of it. There is a nice 2.8 km walking trail around the lake and you can spot the wide variety of wildlife here, from kingfishers to other extinct bird species. Apparently 26%  of the bird species here in Luzon are on the extinction list in the world.

A photo posted by ~ Lydiascapes.com ~ (@lydiascapes) on Oct 20, 2016 at 2:04am PDT

Bulusan means ‘Where water flows’‘, which is the perfect name for it given it houses a wide mix of volcanoes/ lakes/ waterfalls/ limestone formations, rivers and more.

A house on the Bulusan lake that collapsed the day before our arrival due to the typhoon that came. We were suppose to be in there having a massage treatment

4. Indulge in some of the amazing delicacies of Bicol

One would have thought that Philippines food consists of mostly a heavy meat diet and rice, but Bicol presents itself having a rich variety of food – from the creamy coconut milk and spicy Bicol express, to the mussles and shellfish soup unique to Bicol.

One of my favourite most appetizing dishes has to be the Sinigang, where it consists of a lot of tamarind to give the sour kick. Very much like the thai tomyam soup, but without chilli padi and lemongrass.

The infamous Sili Ice-cream from Bicol – Chili flavour ice-cream anyone?

For those with a sweeter tooth, the Sili Ice-Cream is a must-try in this region. The rich creamy taste with the use of coconut milk and the lingering aftertaste spiciness of the ice-cream is really something interesting to experience.

5. Relax and indulge in some of the Luxury Resorts of Bicol

Bicol has some really beautiful and relaxing villas to chill and unwind in, and comes with great restaurants, and facilities. I visited the Siama Hotel, The Oriental Lagazpi and Misibis Bay Resort in my 1 week in Bicol.

Find out more about each of them below:

360 shot of the pool at Siama Hotel

Check out the rates of Siama Hotel on: Agoda

Click here for a 360 view of the Misibis Bay Resort room I stayed in – with a full pool view

A photo posted by ~ Lydiascapes.com ~ (@lydiascapes) on Oct 26, 2016 at 9:43pm PDT

Check out the rates of The Oriental Legazpi at : Agoda

360 view at the pool of Siama Resort. Stunning blue sky that day!

Hence concludes my post about my outdoor adventure in bicol region. This trip was done in October, which was just at the tail end of the monsoon season. Do drop by in the  months of Feb – May to stand a chance to see the whalesharks.

To read more about my hiking adventure in Philippines Mount Ugo and Mount Pulag, click here

”A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions” – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

MANILA PHILIPPINES – We, a group of 22 people, step foot onto this country with great eagerness, looking forward to the great Philippines outdoors and get some good trekking done. For many of us, joining a ‘Trek for Hope” expedition is our 1st time, and though we are aware of the community service segment of the trip, most of us do not really know exactly what we will be experiencing, other than trekking through the mountains, staying in some villages along the way and being involve in some community event.

Camping under the stars in the village at Philippines

So lets start with the TREK segment: We started with our 4DAYS 3NIGHTS trek to conquer the The Twin Peaks of Grand Corderilla, which consist of Mount Pulag (Difficulty 3/9) and Mount Ugo (2,150+ metres, Difficulty 5/9) , located in the province of Benguet, which requires an overnight public bus over from Manila City.

View from the top of Mount Pulag at sunrise, hence concluding our 4 days hike

Despite lack of the soundest sleep/ or any sleep for that matter through the night, our team was all ciced and ready to start our trek on DAY2. Glad for an entourage of guides and porters to lead the way and help us with some of our craziest load, we started our ascend shortly after a hearty breakfast. Though the weather is sunny and breezy in the day in Philippines in this season of March, it can get quite chilly at night depending on which point/ altitude we were, so everyone had to bring a couple more load of warm layers to get through the night.

All packed and geared up for the 4 days hike ahead. Mother Earth Tag – remembering the importance of being aware/ conscious  of our natural environment and protect it

So here begins what makes this TREK for hope expedition something worth experiencing. I will share the HOPE aspect following which.

Trek for Hope

The Physical Test : Endurance and Consistency

Keeping the balance between pressing on and relaxing along our 4 days grueling trek

The 1st 2 days on the way to Mount Ugo peak was a gradual but tiring hike. Perhaps factors like – body was just warming up to the heavy backpack load ( which mine was 15-20% of my body weight) and lack of sufficient stairs training before the trip, everyone was moving at a slightly different pace. Eventually we moved in staggered speeds and groups slightly apart, with the faster ones leading the pack.

Lone tree spotted along our hike up towards Mount Ugo. The whole stretch of the trek is filled with lush greenery, mountain ranches, pine trees and beautiful windy weather

One of our many rest points – I can sit here and watch the mountains all day. Backpack was such a hassle to remove that I just slouch back onto it.

Me perched on top of the tree feeling on top of the world. Situated at our lunch point along the trek

I was at the tail end of the pack, however those lagging behind aren’t actually lagging for the sake of it. We were really breathing in the moments, capturing lots of photos of the best views of the mountain and pine trees. The cloud movement was brilliant – constantly changing, with sunshine straight in our faces one moment, overcast skies the next and then before we know it, the grey clouds sailed away with the wind. White wildflowers line the pathways of our trek and really add to that natural woody forest element.

Capturing moments all along the way. Sunshine made for so many picturesque moments

The Cold Test : Braving the Chill and Ice

The days are warm, but the nights get cold.

We stayed at 3 different villages/ shelter throughout the hike –

1. Domolpos Village, Camp in Elementary School by Mt Ugo Baptist Church
2. Lusod Village
3. Ranger Station (Pulag) Home Stay

Rice padi fields as we near the entrance to the 2nd village

Each village/ shelter came with its own natural un-spoiled beauty, and we are greeted by a sky-ful of twinkling stars every night.

Milky way captured on Yi Xiang’s camera near Mount Pulag

The majority of us tried to shower before the sun sets at each village, but that doesn’t stop you from going crazy when the ice cold spring water touches your bare skin. Reminds me of my much younger days when I was in Thailand on a mission trip, the difference is – I feel much less adaptable now. But still, every shower leaves you feeling so snug clean after a long day of hiking in your muddy boots and sweaty gear.

Sunset singing session while everyone takes turn to wash up at the bathroom – let our voices ring and echo through the village and mountains

The Unison Test – United we fall

Sticking together as one unit throughout every  segment of the trek wasn’t easy. 22 people of varying speeds, varying goals and objectives did lead to some compromises made in the name of team spirit. But we learn, endure and at times and putting others before self. The group though different and imperfect as we are, have definitely prove to have great compassion and kindness for each other, even in periods of illness and fatigue of some of our team along the way.

Team spirit at the top of Mount Ugo

The sunshine in our faces, the joy in our hearts at the peak of Mount Pulag

The Fear Test – Feeding that Euphoria for speed

Other than foot, our next most common form of transport is the Jeepney – a colourfully painted vehicle that we squeeze into to navigate ourselves up and down the mountain top roads.

Going crazy on top the Jeepney on the way down the rolling hills

On our Jeepney trotting down the mountain road, not really knowing whats ahead

The Sweet Victory

Reaching the top of Mount Pulag at the end of our trek and witnessing that stunning sunrise with a sea of mysteriously moving cloud below it – is beautiful and definitely mind blowing.

Eagerly photographing down the moments as the sun rises

All snug in our windbreakers and posing for beautiful sun ray shots.

Adelene and I, one of my buddies-in-crime in the trip, share a ‘heart’ moment on top the mountain

Hence, concluding the sharing on the TREK portion and what we got out of it, but trekking with a purposeful intent to give back to the community was the next challenge we have. Having gain so much, what are we giving back in return to the people of Philippines?

Click here to read about the HOPE segment – Discovering Happyland – The Painful Irony

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PHILIPPINES PHOTO GALLERY

Where’s the Hope, in the mountain of neglect and despair?

Read more

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This trip is made possible in partnership with organizer Trek for Hope, which conducts trips to Philippines, Nepal, Chiang Mai, Japan and more yearly. Find out more how to join a Trek for Hope Expedition today.

A joint collaboration between Travelled Paths and Lydiascapes Travels

”A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr

Trek for Hope Part 2: Hope in Happyland

SMOKEY MOUNTAIN PHILIPPINES – Amidst the beautiful mountains of Philippines that we trekked and lived to remember , sits a mountain unique of its kind – a 2 million metric tons of waste ‘mountain’ in the heart of Tondo Manila that housed millions of people for over 40+ years.

After trekking for 4 days in the wilderness of Mount Ugo and Mount Pulag, it has brought us back to the Philippines capital with energy and desire to do something for the impoverish people of this beautiful country. This was done alongside partner non profit organization (NGO) – Oikos Helping Hand.

Overlooking the slum areas in Manila Philippines for the 1st time

In 1995, the removal of Smokey Mountain has lead to the creation of a new Smokey Mountain to ‘house’ the vacated – and nested in the heart of these new  temporary ‘refugee camps’ is the slums of ”Happyland” and ”Aroma”. The names till date, still causes my stomach to churn whenever I recall the twisted irony of it.

Getting ready to leave the comfort of the van into the slum areas

Entering Happyland

The slum areas in Happyland surrounded by waste, yet these are the home and dwelling place of thousands of scavengers

The name “Happyland” is derived from the Visayan dialect’s name for smelly garbage: Hapilan, a slum made up of many mini dumpsites put together. The most common type of trash seen here is from the large fast food chain in Philippines Jollibean, where the scavenger sort the different types of packaging and leftover food from cups to straws to spoons.The leftover food gets recooked into ‘pag pag’ and is actually re-consumed by the scavengers.

View of the river with slums build along it, each unit balancing on wooden stilts at astonishing wonder

A father and child paddling out in seek and hope to find for something valuable on the river

A mum with 3 young kids making their homes in these cement structures along the main road

Going past piles of rubbish at Happyland, the livelihood of these people

The team of 22 from the Trek for Hope expedition broke into groups of 5-6 to conducted food ration giveaways to some of the residents of these homes/ slums. We interacted and talked to them to understand their lives better/ and perhaps to just be a friend or listening ear. Some of these residents or scavengers we visited lived just to get by each day rummaging through rubbish to find something valuable. A lot of them really depend on Agapehome (supported by Oikos Helping Hand) to help them – be it house their children, provide them food or hopefully help them and their families break out of the poverty cycle.

Walking through the housing area of these people in Manila, bringing food rations to the residents

Kath, one of the volunteers at Oikos Helping Hand giving me the history of the slums along the river

The humble home of one of the villagers we visited, unprotected by the rain and storm

Young family with parents not more than 25 years old staying in a small shack

Other than the house visits, we also had a full day community event held at Agapehouse, (by Oikos Helping Hand) where all the scavengers from the slum areas are invited over to the premise to enjoy some singspiration/ games/ food/ activities and bring home some smiles and gifts to their respective homes.

Entrance into Agapehome for the residents of the slums

Such joy to have these 2 lovely girls in my arms

Interacting with some of the volunteers in the homes who some of them still have their family staying in the slums

Smiles while posing for the camera

GVING HOPE –  as a mere human, how can we claim that we truly understand what that means? Does going down 1 -2 times to visit these people and pulling out some money solve everything? What do we understand about the everyday battle of these residents as they worry about the survival of their newborn or the next disaster that will strike that will shaken their very survival.

Smokey mountain now emptier except for a few residents

In a place where there is too much need and cry for help, how can organizations dare to promise to make big changes overnight, and give a clear timeline what can be done by when, even if they are given a one off sum of donation.

However, through the few days we were there to help and be involved, what we realised mattered most was the human spirit/ spiritual love – a responsibility, compassion and continual persistence to want to help others that keeps us going and doing it. Nobody can guarantee to provide these people a pain free life, but perhaps through the little things, help them know there is something good and better that can get them through the day, and to the next.

What does it mean to bring hope?

Trek for hope wristband on community day

HOPE – It isn’t wishing for the best.  It isn’t waiting to see what happens and hope that it turns out well. Hope is not a feeling or an emotion.  Hope is the knowledge of facts.  If someone says to you that “I hope you have a good day,” there is no guarantee that the day will go well. But hope provides an anchor for the soul that there is something good beyond the current pain, and this anchor once fostered, cannot be destroyed.

Village in Philippines – The skies are filled with the singing of the night

Sky full of stars

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This amazing trip was made possible in partnership with Trek for Hope and Oikos Helping Hand. To find out more about how you can support their foundation, visit Oikos Helping Hand website today.

More footage from the Trek from Hope Philippines 

(Photos credited to Yi Xiang of Adventureexposures.com)