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Banana Island, Coron, Palawan, Philippines

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Banana Island is a fish and coral sanctuary in the southern part of Coron, Palawan, Philippines.  Preserved and privately-owned by Gallego Family, they allow visitors to swim and see the clams, corals and lots of fishes just few meters from the shoreline of the island.

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To visit the Island from Metro Manila, I made a sample 2-nights travel itinerary for you to begin with:


MONDAY (Day 0)

  • 05:00am ~ 06:00am : Breakfast
  • 06:00am ~ 07:00am : travel to Manila Airport
  • 07:00am ~ 08:00am : Check-in
  • 08:00am ~ 09:00am : Boarding
  • 09:00am ~ 10:00am : Manila > Coron Airport (SkyjetAir 9am flight)
  • 10:00am ~ 11:00am : Coron Airport -> Coron Town
  • 11:00am ~ 01:00pm : Lunch and restock in Coron Town
  • 01:00pm ~ 02:00pm : Shopping in Pantalan
  • 02:00pm ~ 04:00pm : Coron Town to Banana Island Passenger Boat
  • 04:00pm ~ 05:00pm : HAYAHAY
  • 07:00pm ~ 08:00pm : Dinner

TUESDAY (Day 1)

  • HAYAHAY, snorkeling one to sawa, sunburn
  • Eat, Sleep, Repeat

WEDNESDAY (Day 2)

  • 06:00am ~ 07:00am : Breakfast
  • 07:00am ~ 08:00am : Pack-up
  • 08:00am ~ 09:00am : Catch-up Bulalacao -> Coron Town Passenger Boat
  • 09:00am ~ 10:00am : Van Transfer Coron Town to Coron Airport
  • 10:00am ~ 11:00am : Check-in
  • 11:00am ~ 12:00nn : Boarding
  • 12:00nn ~ 01:00pm : Coron to Manila Airport (CebuPac 12nn flight)
  • 01:00pm ~ 02:00pm : Home Sweet Home, Lunch
  • 02:00pm ~ 03:00pm : UPLOAD! UPLOAD!

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Things to bring:

  • Camera
  • Waterproof Travel Bags
  • Snorkeling Gears
  • Aqua Shoes
  • Coral Reef Friendly Sunblock
  • Battery Pack for your Gadgets, solar or crank usb chargers
  • Garbage Bag
  • Food and Water
  • Bread for fish feeding
  • Cooking Stove, Cook Set and Fuel (optional)
  • Eating Utensils (optional)
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Me (left) with Mr Gallego (right)

 

Things to Remember:

  • Beach camping on the island is no longer allowed
  • Day-tour entrance fee is PhP 200
  • Overnight fee is PhP 850 ~ PhP 1000 per night
  • Most of the cottages have lights and electric fans run through electric generator
  • Some
  • They can cook for you, but bring your own food to cook
  • No fishing, but you can ask them to fish for you
  • They have a small store that sell few items like softdrinks, beer, alcohol drinks, cigarets, and chips
  • Waterproof your bags, phones and gadgets
  • DO NOT use non-coral-friendly sunblock
  • Garbage In, Garbage Out. No garbage should stay on the island
  • The Coron-Bulalacao Passenger Boat operates Monday, Wednesday and Saturdays only.   Bulalacao-to-Coron-Town: leaves at 8am~9am, while Coron-town-to-Bulalacao between 2pm-4pm in Pantalan.
  • Contact their Facebook page for guidance : https://www.facebook.com/banana-island-coron-palawan-120622397968261/

 

How about you? How’s your Banana Island experience?

 

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Photo of the Day: Isla de Capon Grande, San Antonio, Zambales, Philippines

Isla de Capon Grande, San Antonio, Zambales, Philippines
Isla de Capon Grande, San Antonio, Zambales, Philippines

Capones Island, also known as Grand Capon or Capon Grande Island (Spanish: Isla de Capon Grande) is a small island approximately 1.9 kilometers (1.2 mi) long by 0.4 kilometers (0.25 mi) wide, at its widest point, lying some 3.8 kilometers (2.4 mi) off the coast of the province of Zambales on western Luzon island in the Philippines. It is the largest of the Capones Islands (Islotes de los Capones), a group of three small islands which also includes nearby Camara Island and another islet connected to it by a sand bar.[1] The island is administratively part of barangay Pundaquit of the Zambales municipality of San Antonio. (wikipedia)

The island is characterized by huge rock formations and steep cliffs surrounded by white sand and coral beaches. The Capones Island Lighthouse is located on the hillside near the western end of the island. (wikipedia)