Paddling Hot Spot: Coron Island, Palawan

Now this place should be more familiar to divers than last issue?s hot spot in the

Mountain Province. Coron is already renowned for it?s superb wreck diving and

ample marine life, but has, in recent years, begun to attract visitors of the

paddling kind, drawn by the surreal beauty of the mangrove forests, rare animals

such as the Palawan Eagle, monkeys and deer, and limestone cliffs rising hundreds

of meters out of the turquoise blue waters.

The island is a protected area, and development and land usage are strictly

controlled, leaving the inland lakes, waterfalls and forests in a pristine state.

Visitors may have the chance to see how the Tagbanua people catch fish and

utilise the complex mangrove ecosystem. The Tagbanua are the only people (apart

from a few Visayan migrants) allowed to live on Coron Island.

In the last year, Coron has received a new wave of visitors, fuelled by the kind of

stories that gets sea kayakers booking international flights. EcoTouism giants

Sobek-Mountain Travel have begun operating sea-kayaking tours in Coron, which

can extend over 1 to 2 weeks. For the more casual, weekend warrior type of

traveller, one can sample the pleasures of Coron and the nearby smaller islands on

a weekend excursion, made possible by the regular Manila-Coron ferry service

offered by WG&A, which leaves on Fridays around 4:00 PM, and returns Monday

about lunchtime. All-inclusive packages (transport, accommodation, guides, meals

and kayaking) are available from Tribal Adventure Tours. Several operators (such

as Andy at Sangat Island Reserve) rent kayaks for more casual jaunts. A guide is

recommended for optimal enjoyment of this awe-inspiring destination, which is sure

to become a household name (if that house belongs to sea kayakers!).