Coron island-hopping: Doggies on the beach and other highlights

I've always been fond of dogs even if I was bitten in the face by one when I was eight. And I especially love it when I see them on the beach, this little pup included.

As mentioned in a previous post, My Bibe and I went on an island-hopping tour on our second day in Coron. After a brief moment of enjoying Kayangan Lake without other people around, we snorkeled a bit at Twin Peaks. Had it not been for the numerous jellyfish that stung us, we would have stayed a bit longer. But everything was still fine, much so when I saw our boatman cooking our rice (and later our fish) on the boat! 'Twas quite a sight to behold, amusing even.

We proceeded to Atwayan Beach for lunch. And it felt good again to get there when there weren't still so many people around. As with most other beaches in the area, Atwayan is just a small pocket of sandy beach nestled between karst formations. There were several huts around and we staked our claim on one under the shade of a tree.

I booked our tour with Calamianes Expeditions Ecotours, operated by good-looking couple Al and Mae Linsangan. One good thing about them is that it's a community-based operation where the boat owner, the boatman, guide, food preparer, etc. all get a share from the Php 3,000 that we paid. There were cheaper alternatives for Php 650 or Php 750 per head with packed lunch but we weren't keen on joining a group. My choice allowed us to have some control over our time, a semi-buffet lunch, and exclusivity for me and My Bibe. And this was what they served for just the two of us:

I finished off the whole fish. Okay, My Bibe had a small piece but that was it. While eating, there was this dog who possessed a charming way of begging for food. I couldn't resist the look on his eyes as he repeatedly rested his snout on my lap. He won me over. Here are a couple of shots of some of those adorable dogs on the beach:

This was the puppy from the first photo above. I love the funny look of his eyes in this photo. Isn't he so adorable?

French-kissing dogs on the beach. Nah, they were just playing rough.

Yipee! I had a puppy of my own! See him licking my thumb? Yes, he also got some food from me.

I enjoyed snorkeling at Coral Garden. Thank heavens there were no jellyfish there. The fish and corals there were vibrantly colorful. I was especially enamored by this purple coral that I kept on swimming back to it. CYC Beach was so-so but the Twin Lagoons were breathtaking except that there were a lot of noisy and impolite homo sapiens when we arrived. But it was breathtaking nonetheless; reminded me of the limestone cliffs of Ko Phi-Phi in Thailand, only that this was much better.

Part of the scenery after exiting the Twin Lagoons. It drizzled earlier so the rain darkened the rocks a bit, which made for better pictures in my opinion.

My Bibe and I at Atwayan Beach.

My Bibe and I definitely had a good time. I don't know of anyone who wouldn't with such scenery. There were still a lot of spots to visit but maybe next time.


For more information about Calamianes Expeditions Ecotours, check their website at http://corongaleri.com.ph/. You won't just be helping one but several families.