Location, location, location.
When it comes to choosing travel accommodation, it’s always important to consider location, both for safety purposes and to enhance your travel experience.
What’s a cheap lodging, for example, when you have to spend a lot every time you go to town? I’m a budget traveler, yes, but even I can see the advantage of choosing location over budget any day.
It was with this frame of mind that I chose Coron Paradise Bed and Breakfast when I was in Coron, Palawan, and it was a decision I didn’t regret. This newish bed and breakfast is nicely located, has friendly, helpful, and well-trained staff, and was affordable as well.
Lovely Coron.
Coron is a water lover’s haven. There are hidden lakes and lagoons, coral reefs for snorkeling, uninhabited islets to just laze around in, and of course, a lot of shipwrecks I had long dreamed to explore (alas, as an Open Water diver only, I’m not allowed to go wreck diving!).
There’s no airport in Coron; flights arrive in Busuanga (around 45 minutes away) and passenger vans take visitors to the town for P150 each. The van I’d taken dropped me off in front of Coron Paradise itself.
The facade of Coron Paradise.
Located around 10 minutes (by foot) from the town center, Coron Paradise is seemingly perched on a small hill by the highway. Within walking distance are souvenir shops, a spa, wet and dry market, bars, restaurants, drugstores, groceries, the baywalk, and the port. There’s a small store in front, and if ever you need to take the tricycle, you just cross the street and hail one.
In short, the location of Coron Paradise is perfect. It’s near enough to the center of town to walk, but far enough to avoid the noise.
This 14-room bed and breakfast is just a little over two years old, and the whole place did give off a newish ambiance. The rooms–ranging from single to family accommodation–are in two buildings. There’s a bar in between the two, while the dining area is in front of the hotel, overlooking the highway and the bay beyond.
Since Coron is far from being polluted like Manila and other metro cities, it’s enjoyable to eat meals there, without worrying about car exhaust and dust. If I were traveling with friends, it would be the perfect spot for just chilling.
The dining area is overlooking the highway…
…and beyond.
The room I’d gotten was a single, with a single bed, an ensuite bathroom, aircon, cable TV, and WiFi. It comes with free breakfast and toiletries at only P1,100 per night. The room is a bit small; it has just enough space for the bed and the bathroom, and you have to put your bags in the space behind the door.
However, it was more than enough for me. After all, when you’re in Coron, you’re usually out the whole day and just go back to your hotel to sleep or watch TV anyway.
Besides, the bed was firm and the pillow was soft and seemed new. There was also a hot shower, and the aircon was deliciously cool. If not for the early call time of the island hopping tours I’d booked, I would have been content to just stay inside my room and rest.
Breakfast at Coron Paradise comprise the usual Filipino favorites like daingsilog (dried fish with egg and fried rice), tapsilog (cured beef with egg and fried rice), and tosilog (pork with egg and fried rice), but there are non-rice dishes as well.
Service was quick, and their restaurant is open until late. I ordered coffee twice around 10pm and there was still someone at the reception to deliver it to me.
The best thing about Coron Paradise is that the property has a generator. A lot of smaller hotels and guesthouses don’t have one, and when power interruptions occur (as it usually does), they can’t do anything but just wait for it to come back. In Coron Paradise, I didn’t even notice the power go out.
So if you want a hassle-free time in Coron, with people who will help you find and book island hopping tours at no cost, stay at Coron Paradise.
Book here:
Coron Paradise Bed and Breakfast
Barangay Poblacion 5
Coron Town, Coron, Palawan
Facebook: Coron Paradise
Disclaimer: Coron Paradise sponsored my stay but they have had no control over this review. All opinions are mine alone.
5 Comments. Leave new
Will be heading to El Nido this weekend. I wonder if it is as beautiful as Coron.
Lovely post – it’s great to see another fan of Coron! I did a post about my trip you might like –
The value you get in Asia never fails to amaze me … gotta get my butt to Palawan next time I’m in Asia!
Oh no, I didn’t realize Coron is having pollution problems now. Is the govt trying to do something? Is this the downside to popularity?
Hope you are having a wonderful summer so far.
It’s not really that polluted. Just the usual noise from vehicles (esp tricycles), which can be expected given its popularity. Good thing its waters aren’t polluted yet (unlike El Nido). It’s not yet summer here, we still have a storm coming! The weather’s getting very weird nowadays.