Dear readers,

back to October 2022 I stayed in Palawan as a digital nomad, it is a region of Philippines famous for the seaside, coral reefs and dive-snorkeling spots.

I decided to spend five days in Coron island which is part of Palawan but it is located two hops away from Palawan northward. This island is really authentic and far less touristy spoilt when compared to El Nido in the north side of Palawan.

My intention was to stay for three days, however as soon as I arrived in Coron by ferry from El Nido I immediately changed my mind and decided to stay for five days instead.

What is this island best for? Here below you have few answers:

1. Swimming and Kayaking
2. Diving and Snorkeling
3. Motorbike exploration
4. Lagoons and hot springs
5. Secluded beaches

One day during my 5-days stay I decided to rent a bike to ride far off the beaten area of Coron town to ride to Marcilla beach which is 23km away however it it takes almost an hour to get there because of the gravel road which starts half-way to the beach.

When you arrive at Marcilla beach, you’ll pass a house of a guardian who will ask you to pay 50Pesos (0.9€) as a fee and then you are good to go! The beach is very extended as length and you may happen to meet some fishermen with their kids who will be staring you with a smile 🙂

After swimming and walking through all the sandy way I discovered a shelter of a local family who were enjoying such a sunny weather although October falls typically in the rainy season.

As first, I introduced myself to them and they greeted me in a very warm friendly way! There were five kids, the grandmother and the mother of them. As they noticed that I ran out of water, they pulled down from a palm tree a coconut to offer me!

See the photos below:

I stayed with them for a bit and after some conversation with the mother of the children I take the chance of taking a tour around their houses. In order to get there, you need to cross a swampy water channel and you have two possibilities: either by walking through a precarious bamboo bridge or by navigating a small boat.

I went for the first choice however it was unsuccessful! One bamboo pipe collapsed and I had to reverse my walk, whereas the mother of them crossed it successfully.

As a result of that, the husband of her navigated me with the small boat shown above on the right-side picture to cross the swampy channel. Once I was on the other side, she took me for a short hike upward and she started describing to me what they cultivate and how they live, being a rural family they live in a very minimalistic style, they don’t have enough money to refurbish their wooden house, but still they smile and react with positive energy!

I even had the pleasure to interview the lady during the tour by asking some specific questions.

Here below I have embedded the video-interview with her:

In conclusion, filippino people from rural villages are very supportive with one another and extrovert in greeting the foreigners, besides that Coron island is not-so developed and they can enjoy their simple life, therefore it is always exciting to explore the off-beaten path besides any challenging outdoor sport activity!

Just grab your bike and ride far off to discover what happens!

Last but not least, there is no mobile coverage over their village therefore let’s talk offline to be mindfully connected to the real world!

Any remark and concern is welcomed!

Giuseppe