Our 3rd day thankfully started a little later in the morning (I think we made it till about 5 this time haha) otherwise much the same. We killed time in the room until coffee shops opened at 7 and we headed out in search for sustenance. This time we tried a place called Tea & Shake which we liked much better as far as cost/ service/ and atmosphere.
Then it was back to our room this time getting picked up shortly after 8 for the short trike ride back to the tour shack to pay and then onto our boat.
This time we were on the boat for like 30 minutes with just one couple so at least we weren't crammed in waiting... but we still didn't leave until almost 10. (*eye roll) It takes forever.
We were 3 boats back this time meaning we had to cross over 2 boats in order to get to ours.
About the Tour
So today we picked the Island Escapade tour which would take us to 3 amazing beaches/ islands. (one of which I'd read was the best beach in the entire Coron area) Ordinarily the tour cost 1500 pisos (even with other tour companies) but since we booked both tours with the same company they discounted it to 1300 pisos or $25. The one thing none of the tour companies pointed out... was that these islands were 90 minutes by boat away. That was a pretty long, hot ride I'm not gonna lie but when you see the amazing beaches... you'll probably agree with me that it was worth it. It included entry to all of the sites (3 island beaches), a full lunch at one stop with coke to drink, a snack after the last stop, and water all day aboard. For this tour, the first stop was 90 minutes away but then all of the stops after that were only 4-10 minutes apart so there is plenty of time to enjoy the scenery on the boat. Group numbers range from 15-20 but we easily had 20 people on both our tours. You have one tour guide and several boat men that operate the boat to accompany you. For a great price, this was a great tour! But know you have private options that started around 2700 pesos for 2-4 people for a full day. This cost however did NOT cover lunch OR your entry fees to all of the sites (which are around 100-200 pisos)
Shows how far the Islands are from Coron town
Zoomed in on the area we got to explore
Traveling the 90 minutes to our first destination
Up first:
Bulog Island
Famous for it's sand bar and next door to the most expensive resort in Coron (a couple thousand dollars a night... quite the change from our $25 a night rooms haha) The views were amazing and the color of the water.. perfection. You can snorkel, play in the shallow water, swim out a little deeper, or wander the small island. We had a little over an hour in this haven with the last 20 minutes being the only boat there.
Day 3 Costs:
Banana Bread and drink for breakfast $4.75
Island Escapade Tour- $25
Dinner- $3.60
Lodging
Luis Bay Lodge - $12.50 pp
Day 3 Total Costs: $45.85
Up next: Part 2 of the Island Escapade Tour and the conclusion of our time in Coron