eSSentialS hOW TO GET ThERE SeAir hAS flightS to BuSuAngA DAily. Visit: www.flyseair.com or call: 02/ 849 0100 to book. Flight time is approximately 45 minutes to one hour. From Busuanga airport, trips to Kalipayan (Popototan Island) and Mangenguey Island (Treasure Island) begin by land from Busuanga airport to Concepcion town, where you hop on a boat at the town pier to get to the islands. to get to kAliPAyAn, hire an air-con van (about P5,000) from Buasuanga airport to Concepcion town, about one-and-a-half hours travel. Then hop on a boat to Popototan Island (P5,000 for roundtrip, five to eight persons). For complete information, visit www.kalipayan. com. Divelink also handles Kalipayan bookings. Call: 02/ 371 9928. for BoAt hire, call Paul Fernandez at 0929/ 421 2983; for VAn hire, call Rainier Lim at 0919/ 6583774 or Randy Yong at 0929/ 338 2860. MAngenguey iS A PriVAtely owneD iSlAnD AnD to get there iS By inVitAtion. Visit: www.mangenguey.com for more information for DitChAy’S PlACe (BoAyAn iSlAnD, SAn ViCente), SEAIR flies four times weekly
to Puerto Princesa from Manila. Arrangements with Ditchay are inclusive of transfers from Puerto Princesa to San Vicente on the China Sea coast by land then by boat to Boayan Island. Best to get a local recommendation before getting in touch with Ditchay to request for a booking . Visit: www.chinaseaisland.com.
(grouper) at a bargain P300 is also on offer (sells up to P2,000 in a Manila hotel). Steamed or deep fried, nothing beats fresh pitek, lapulapu, and other produce from the sea, on an island patio, al fresco. Freshly caught prawns also fetch P120 to P200 per kilo. Fruit in season tops off the healthy island dinner.
WhERE TO STAy kAliPAyAn iS within the CAlAMiAneS grouP which includes Busuanga and Coron. Besides Kalipayan (www.kalipayan.com), you can choose to have your visit homebase elsewhere along the Coron tour corridor, such as Dive link on uson island (www. divelink.com.ph) across Coron Town, or in Sangat island resort (www.sangat.com .ph) or Club Paradise (www.clubparadisepalawan. com) both in Coron as well. If you get stuck in Puerto Princesa pending your approval to visit Ditchay’s Place in San Vicente, stay at D’lucky garden inn and Suites along Peo Road, Rizal Avenue Extension, Puerto Princesa City. Call: 048/ 433 2719 and your luck might change. D’ Lucky Garden room rates starts at $17.
WhAT TO EAT PAlAwAn’S gAStronoMiC AttrACtionS inCluDe ABunDAnt CAShew AnD SeAfooD. Live “pitek” (boxer shrimp, lobster family) is offered by passing fishermen at P300 a kilo. A two-kilo lapu-lapu
pACKAGED TOURS For complete information on tour promos and packages of the Calamianes area, get in touch with Coron Tours & Travel. Call: 0928/ 503 9622 or the Manila office at 02/ 838 4992, e-mail: reservations@corontours.com or corontours@yahoo.com.ph. Staff Sharmaine Verano can also assist you (sharmaine@yahoo. com). Visit: www.corontours.com. Our thanks go to Cristina Matta for her generosity in helping us organize our editorial coverage, to Coron Tours president Juergen Warnke for helping us with logistics, and to the McGeochs, the Manders, and Girardeaus for sharing to us their stories. Our thanks also to Sharmaine Verano and Mila Gamboa for attending to the trip’s details, to Paul Fernandez for providing boat transfers, to Rainier Lim and Randy Yong for providing van transfers, and to Kuya Rick and Kuya Andrew for taking care of the team.