This will be my second time to visit Coron. With all the flight promos offered by local air carriers, it turns out that taking a plane is faster and cheaper than taking a 12-hour ferry ride. Our group from church booked a flight to Coron via Zest Air and took Cebu Pacific Air flight going back to Manila last March 2009. After numerous meetings and email exchanges, we finally arrived to our much-awaited moment to visit Coron in the province of Palawan. Day 1: Anticipating the traffic and weather conditions, we arrived at the Manila Domestic Airport to check in at the Zest Air counter just to find out that they require passengers to present the credit card I used to book my e-ticket. "What a great day to start a vacation!" I said to myself. I normally don't bring the whole content of my leather wallet whenever I go out of town. I bring another rugged wallet, enough cash and a credit card for emergency and security purposes. It turns out I don't have the other credit card I used to book my e-ticket. Such a great timing! Arggh! Although it was written in the e-ticket, it was unusual. I still have to call my brother at home to send a fax of my other card or email a photo of it. If I can't present the card, the ground crew will have to return the previous payment I made and book me with the current price. That almost ruined my day. Stress was definitely emanating. After awhile, I'm glad my brother was able to send an email with the photographed credit card. While waiting at the boarding area, I just couldn't get rid of the idea that Zest Air has a bad reputation of overshooting the runway in Caticlan (Boracay) twice this year. Ouch! That's a bad record. As it was my first time, the ride was bumpy because of the rain verging to become a storm. We thought that the plane will eventually fall apart while flying. Honestly, I didn't really trust the pilot and the crew. Ma
ybe they should change Zest Air to Thrill Air; definitely, it wasn't a boring plane ride. Thankfully, we arrived safely. It took an hour to finally land at Francisco Reyes Airport in Busuanga Island. A pre-arranged van was waiting for us to bring us to Coron town. ("Coron" is usually referred to the eastern town located in Busuanga Island while Coron Island is located separately to its east side. These major islands including Culion Island are part of the Calamian Island Group, the northern area of the province of Palawan, Luzon in the Philippines.) After a 45-minute ride, it was almost lunch time when we arrived at Sea Dive Resort. This is one of the most popular diving resorts in Coron. Rooms are basic, decent and practical. TVs don't exist in this resort but you get to enjoy and feel the island experience while you relax and lavish a meal overlooking the sea. After having lunch, we visited the must-see sights of Coron.
Cayangan Lake: Recognized to be the cleanest lake in the country located in Coron Island. The water is brackish, a combination of salt and fresh water.
Barracuda Lake: Also in Coron Island where you can snorkel and dive in the deep brackish waters.
Siete Pecados: An area of 7 islets where a garden of corals and fishes thrive.
Twin Lagoon: two lagoons converge together during low tide.
By the way, you have to prepare your wallets to pay the entrance fees for each location that ranges from P100 to P200. After swimming and snorkeling the whole afternoon, we met a pastor friend and gave us a dinner treat. They served humongous fish dishes & grilled chicken (lechon manok) experiencing authentic local meals. What a day to start this vacation!
Quick travel tips:
1. Bring your credit card that was used to book your e-ticket.
2. Prepare smaller denominations when travelling for boarding pass payments, tips, snacks, etc.
3. Always travel light. Prepare a checklist to help you determine what you NEED to bring and not what you WANT to bring. Evaluating your luggage after every trip will also help you prepare for your next trip.
Thanks for this blog Ross!
ReplyDeleteI like the monicker "Thrill Air." I personally have no objections, however, to flying Zest Air - you're getting what you pay for as they say... :)
Relative to presenting a copy of the credit card used (for ticket purchase) upon check-in, what I do is I normally note the card I used on the e-ticket. That way, I will know which card to bring when I travel. Alternately, if I'm not bringing the card or if someone else booked it for me, I make a photocopy of the same or snap-up a shot of it with my phone's camera. That is acceptable at the check-in counter. Pls take note, however, to copy only the front-side of the credit card, since the back-side reflects sensitive information that may jeopardize security.
Tip #3 is very sound. Bring only what is essential... reduce, reduce, reduce - that's correct! Normally, I also note on the e-ticket what the check-in & hand-carry weight limits are (even which airport terminal it flies from actually). Sometimes, I weigh my baggage to ensure that it's within limit. Now, if I MUST really bring the whole house, then I simply prepare to PAY for the excess - that works for me as well! :)