Coron, my last stop in the Philippines

I didn’t stay long in Coron. First, I needed a day to recover from the packed adventure I had just lived with Buhay Isla. Then, I took one of the many tours to visit the lagoons and other snorkelling spots around the area. The amount of natural beauty in the Philippines is incredible.

In Coron itself, not much to do. There isn’t a beach where you can put your feet up to relax, and the town is also ugly and disorganised. I woke up on my first morning in need to purchase a few things – a new bikini top, as mine had finally given away after so much wear. A new cable to charge my phone, as mine had inexplicably stopped working. And finally, a new phone case, as mine had gone through a lot and it was damaging my phone instead of protecting it.

Coron was definitely not the best place to do this, but I did find all of these goods. In terms of tours, I booked the Coron Super Ultimate Tour with Klook which was quite good, with a very friendly guide who also happened to be a great photographer. It just saddened me to see some destroyed corals in some of the places where we stopped. I have to say always take extra cash with you on these tours – often additional costs would come up – if you need to rent a snorkelling mask, a canoe, or even wet shoes. And I have to say the costs in Coron were pretty high, so make sure you get this information beforehand.

In Coron itself, my favourite thing to do was climb Mount Tapyas for an amazing view of the ocean and the surrounding islands. Take water with you and try to go later in the day, you have to climb 724 steps! Either way, it’s definitely best to go for sunset – it’s absolutely majestic. But go early so you can get a nice spot, as everyone of course wants to be there for the closing of another day.

It was finally time to leave the Philippines, and I’m not going to lie, I was glad. I saw some of the most beautiful beaches, and natural landmarks, the best sunsets of my life, snorkelled in magnificent waters, with a privileged view to the most colourful corals. But I also saw poverty close to me. The unfairness that comes with privilege – some have it, some don’t. My mindset changed so much – I am so much more appreciative of my “basics” – running, clean, tap water, hot, high-pressure showers, electricity, internet. Paved roads. Sidewalks. Clean beaches. And yet, the Filipinos were some of the kindest, most joyful people I have ever met. Their optimism is contagious. They burst out singing at every opportunity without any embarrassment, or shame. I so much respect them for that. At every place I stayed, I was only met with kind smiles and generous offers to help. 

The stray dogs were a reality difficult to swallow for me too. I wanted to save them all. It was hard to see starving, sick dogs roaming around with sad eyes. 

How can I truly call such destinations of heaven without thinking about all of this? I can’t. I wish I could. I wish I could truly close my eyes to it, and forget about it. Forget about the little girl with rotten teeth and perfect English. Forget about the kids walking to school whilst breathing dust from the roads. Forget about the pharmacy with the expensive meds, and sharing a counter with a grocery. Forget about the issues with water supply – how water was scarce and often yellowish, and dirty. Forget about the power outages, and how can people live in a modern world like this. And next to such natural beauty!

And of course, I knew about how unequal the world is. I don’t think any of us are ignorant of it. It is very different though to see it with your own eyes, to be made to experience it in your own skin. 

So in the end, I was glad to leave. And at the airport, I was once again the recipient of the Filipino kindness – when checking in for my flight, it was flagged I was over the weight limit. She could have charged me. I would have paid. Upon seeing my nervousness, she only made me move things from my big backpack to my smaller one, and in hushed tones told me to just move on. I will never forget it. It was off with another act of kindness by a complete stranger who could have charged me, it was in her rights, and yet I was given a pass. 

I only had now three weeks left of my travels in Southeast Asia. Next, Bali.

Love, Nic