Busuanga – Coron
The KokusNuss Resort
After arriving on the Busuanga airport was the shuttle but from the KokosNuss Resort already waiting for me. The transfer to Coron was ca. 30 minutes on a in the beginning stoniness road. Busuanga is very green, what also means, that there is falling sufficient rain. The vegetation and climate reminds me a bit on Costa Rica.
From the first second on my arrival in the KokusNuss Resort, I felt like home by the “crazy girls all from Mindanao”.
It was a warm hello with a welcome-beer. The owner is Rudolf, a german guy, which you also can meet in the garden. I booked a standard room with shared bathroom for 600,- PHP and got an upgrade from the beginning to a nicer room for free! “We always doing that if possible” told me the girls – “Barami salamat”! So my room has the name “Cave no. 2” and it looked like a cave from outside and inside.
The garden is quiet big and planted with grass, Palm trees and many other nice plants. The whole Resort is located below the main road. After entrance is the open Restaurant area the first what you will see on the right side.
On the left is the owners house. There are some statuaries and a lot of fancy decoration staff, which you can find in the garden. In a circle outside are the different kinds of rooms. In the middle you can find a small shallow pool (no swimming) for cooling down or having a drink inside, just beside the Volleyball net. The shared restroom is good, with a little more service could have looked really nice. But the housekeeping work will start right now, with the beginning of the rain season.
The food and price is good some portions are really big like the “Wiener Schnitzel”. I can recommend also the sandwiches instead of having one of their breakfasts.
If you use the name of that Resort as description, don´t call it “coconut resort” cause no one will know it. Use the german word “KokosNuss”. The Resort is about 10 – 15 minutes by feet or 10.- PHP by tricycle away from the “town” Coron. You get money by the BPI Bank or the Allied Bank with ATM items outside, if they have enough money! That effect I got during my stay there.
„Barami salamat“ for a very nice first week on the Philippines, darlings. I hope we see us again.
Rocksteady Divecenter – http://www.rocksteadydivecenter.com :
If you go out to the left from KokusNuss and 5 minutes along the main road, you will find the Divecenter on the left side with big sign´s, you can´t miss.
As experienced Instructor I am very happy that I choosed Rocksteady. They are doing a very good professional work with an excellent organization and service. Comments like that you can find also by http://www.taucher.net . The tanks, air, equipment and safety are all good.
What I really honor is, that they are going out, even with one diver and keeping always their diving- groups quiet small. The whole atmosphere is familiar and always quiet funny. The diving-boats had a special service for me: Sufficient shade places and hammocks close over the water, which is a quiet cool amazing feeling. You just lay beside the boat, if you´re lucky even here in the shadow. Sometimes the boat has to go slowly over a quiet shallow reef part. There you get an “glasbottom-boat-effect” while watching down. The boats crews are always helpful and the lunch is excellent.
The wrecks of he II WW are quiet amazing and big. I prefer diving on nice coral reefs with many colorful fishes. That effect I got only on the last wreck “OKIKAWA MARU”. I dived with skinny Wizard – ask him for his entertainment (dancing and singing) you will love it. The advertising in the Internet, that Coron has also nice coral reefs is for me not true!
Instead of that I did my first dive in a “Volcano Lake names Barracuda Lake” which was quiet cool – oh no! I meant quiet warm! By around 37 degree you are getting really swatting under water. It was not much to see beside rocks and some small catfishes and other small staff but a very interesting experience. It´s a pity we missed the Barracuda. Even that lagoon by sunshine has wonderful colors and is perfect for taking pictures.
Swimming in the lake is of course also possible. Please use booties, if it was raining before the steps are quiet slippery afterwards.
Volcano Barracuda Lake Diving
muchas gracias „Rocksteady crew“ for taking me and good bye
The tarmac is sometimes a bit narrow for all the tricycle and motorbikes, which are quiet busy driving up and down to Coron. After rainfall you get some puddles on the road. If you need a ride, just wave with your hand and they will stop. There are a lot of small corner shops along the road side by side. Between them you can find restaurants, bakery and laundry service close by the market, coffees, pubs and other stores like clothes. In the evening you will see many little stores, which are selling different kind of food. You should try it, especially the egg called “balot”.
The marketplace is the meeting point for the young Philippinos. Usually they are at home in the evening and going early to bed around 09:00PM, because every next day starts early at least at 06:00AM.
It is not dangerous at all to walk in the night. I recommend carrying a torch in the darkness.
Viele schöne Bilder – wir würden das auch gerne live sehen.