{"id":47702,"date":"2026-01-04T13:26:35","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T13:26:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alananna.co.uk\/blog\/?p=47702"},"modified":"2026-01-04T09:33:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T09:33:35","slug":"island-hopping-in-the-phillpines-days-8-9-coron","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alananna.co.uk\/blog\/2026\/01\/island-hopping-in-the-phillpines-days-8-9-coron\/","title":{"rendered":"Island Hopping in the Phillpines – Days 8 & 9 – Coron"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Christmas Days and Karst Adventures in Coron<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Merry Christmas!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was Christmas Day, and we were in the Philippines, staying at the very plush Bacau Bay Hotel in Coron, on the island of Busuanga. The staff wore Santa hats, Christmas carols played softly in the background, and the grounds and restaurants were strung with festive lights. Everyone we met smiled and wished us \u201cMerry Christmas.\u201d I\u2019d even brought a couple of secret little gifts for Anna to unwrap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet\u2026 it didn\u2019t feel like Christmas at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was 30\u00b0C, sunny, and very humid. I was still feeling a little ropey, so I kept breakfast small and we spent the day doing very little \u2014 exactly what was needed after a week of constant travelling. We sat in the shade around the hotel grounds, sipping mocktails and relaxing. It was calm, quiet, and restorative. I skipped lunch entirely as my digestive system still wasn\u2019t playing ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mocktails<\/a><\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>
\"Chilling<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Later, we strolled along the dock where we spotted crabs, fish, and a heron of some description. Anna also picked out a monitor lizard in the undergrowth, and we both enjoyed watching a brilliantly colourful oriole flitting through the trees. Otherwise, we kept ourselves to ourselves and embraced the slow pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mount Tapyas at Sunset<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

That evening, I met up with the rest of the group for a ride into Coron town and a walk up the 720-odd steps of Mount Tapyas to watch the sunset \u2014 along with what felt like a million other people. The steps were packed: some people struggling, most taking it steady, and one or two (myself included) quietly putting in a bit of effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Coron<\/a><\/figure><\/div>
\"Views<\/a><\/figure>
\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
\"Selfie<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I reached the top first from our group, though the sunset itself turned out to be a little underwhelming. As I hadn\u2019t really socialised much during the trip \u2014 illness had put paid to that \u2014 I found a quieter spot just below the summit and watched the world go by alone for a while before heading back down and returning to the hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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