Non-Diving Activities

Most resorts will offer a day trip safari to the Calauit Wildlife Reserve on Calauit Island (northwest corner of Busuanga Island). If, like me, you object to being discriminated against on racial grounds ,for not being a Filipino, then don't make this trip: the kind people at Calauit see fit to charge non-nationals Php 300.00 for entry to the reserve, whereas they only charge Filipinos Php 100.00. They even advertise the fact in their promotional brochure. A day filming is a little better value: Filipinos film for Php 5,000.00 whereas "Foreigners" are only charged Php 10,000.000 for the privilege.

In the reserve you can see African wildlife like Zebras, Giraffes, Antelopes, etc. as well as endangered Philippine wildlife native to Palawan. This is a two day catered package done up in style. You will be taken on an open-topped truck for a tour around the reserve and can sometimes help in feeding the animals. After eating, the animals go off to hide in the brush to avoid the sun. Travel by boat is required to reach the island.

To relax you can hire a boat for a day of island and beach hopping, swimming, sunbathing, even reef and wreck snorkeling (we have three small wrecks, 30 to 40 meters long, that are visible from the surface), or visit Barracuda Lake. The boat skipper or crew will barbecue lunch on the beach.

If it's high tide you can finish off the day with a soak in Makinit hot springs about 15 minutes away from Coron. If you don't visit by boat Makinit Hot Springs is about ten minutes from Coron Town by trike. This is a salt water hot spring with very hot 40 degree Celsius water and is extremely relaxing and therapeutic at a hard day diving.

The energetic can climb to the top of Mt. Malapas behind Coron town and photograph the sunrise or sunset over Busuanga and Uson Islands.

You can take the day boat over to Culion Island and tour the former leper colony and visit the hospital, old church and Spanish Fort.

You can rent mountain bicycles and motorcycles and tour the dirt roads around Coron Island. Please have a motorcycle endorsement on your driver's license and make sure your health insurance is paid up.