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| Private cruiser owned by Club Paradise Palawan for our last leg of transfer |
Tip: For those that are sensitive to motion sickness, have a bonamine before the van ride because it might be a bit shaky. Roads are usually damaged (bumpy) during the rainy season. It’s a fun off road experience for me though!
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| What a view! |
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| My already half done non-alcoholic margarita (welcome drink) |
Tip: Get beach front cottages. First, it’s nearer the main clubhouse, the restaurant, and the rest of the possible activities in the island. Second, you’ll have AMAZING views of the seas and be just a few steps away from the beach! Cottages are numbered 1 to 20 (Not sure of the highest number) and the arrangement is 1 being the nearest to the main club house.
Walking to our room, we already started to enjoy the ambient tranquil nature sounds. Birds chirping, waves splashing, and it was just the beginning. As we arrive in our cabin, two more ladies greeted us as we enter. Or so I thought (again. see the pattern? They might as well call this “surprise island”). This was the first time, among many other high-end resorts, that we were given a welcome foot wash! I think this is standard extra mile service across all their (Discovery group) properties. It’s a simple gesture but it definitely left a lasting mark. And, again, it was just the beginning. Check out the inside of the room and let the photos tell the story:
Tastefully done, they really know how to make one feel comfortable and at home. That’s how I felt as soon as I entered our room. Surprises? I was actually expecting it already! From a photo frame with us in it, a "welcome home" printed banner, a bouquet of flowers, a plate of desserts, wow! I really thought the surprises would never end. They really know how to spoil their guests! And yes, the surprises didn’t end there.
Check out some of the sights we enjoyed on the island:
Activities available in Club Paradise Palawan
Coron Island Tour
Island Escapade
Bottom Fishing
Calauit Safari Tour
In-island activities / Amenities in Club Paradise Palawan
Bar (Dugong Bar)
KTV
Children’s Playroom
Billiards
Foosball
Table Tennis
Swimming Pool
Beach Area
Hiking Trail
Kayak
Snorkeling
Food tripping (@ Ocean Restaurant)
Bicycle/ Cycling
Believe me, you would first run out of time before you will run out of things to do. But if I were you, don’t stress yourself out too much on your vacation here. Palawan is known to be more for peaceful vacations rather while Boracay is known for activities and partying. I don’t mind both but this time, a peaceful vacation sounded perfect. The day we arrived, we did some snorkelling when the sun was not as intense already, around 430pm. We saw schools of fish and some nice corals just a few meters away from the shore. I highly recommend doing snorkelling near the area where you will dock on your arrival. It’s the area where you can see turtles, fishes, and other sea creatures common in Coron. I’ll upload a separate post containing videos I took so you know what to expect. During my second day there, I went island hopping. That will be detailed in another post as well.
We also tried the glass bottom kayak. It was enjoyable and a unique experience as I’ve only tried the normal kayak before. Still (not literally), my wife was a better “navigator” as my clumsy attempts to control the kayak ended us up floating in circles. It took around 10 minutes before I got the hang of it. It was around 7am when we started kayaking in front of the Ocean Restaurant area. There, we saw a schools of fish and a turtle and a HUGE turtle.
Tip: Reserve the glass bottom kayak the day you arrive. They only have 2 of those and the rest are normal kayaks.
Tip: Turtles sometimes surface. To spot where the turtles and where the schools of fish are, stop the kayak, be calm, and look around the surface of the sea. You’ll see bubbles and not the usual calm sea where these creatures are currently in. Highest chance to see these creatures are right in front of the Ocean Restaurant area (where you dock as you arrive or o go out of the island.)
Food tripping was one of our favorite activities as well. Check out my detailed post about it here (Ocean Restaurant @ Paradise review) but food tripping doesn’t stop outside the restaurant. Here, they have a turn down service where they will also bring snacks to you. One night, we got biko and another night, we got kuchinta. The first day, other than the usual turn down service, we received complimentary wine and cheese platter (with crackers) as a welcome gift from the management. Before I forget, the moment you arrive in your room, you’ll already have jars of snacks (nuts etc) and a platter of sweets as a welcome treat from Club Paradise! See? Who said you can only food trip in the metro?
I wanted to try the other activities but because of time constraints, I was forced to pick my favorite activities. If I stayed longer, I would have loved to try the hiking, cycling, foosball, and just lounging around the private hammock while reading a book outside our beach front patio. So setting priorities is important if you are only staying for a short period of time. So, I allocated time to try out Glow Spa.
Tip: It is HIGHLY recommended to stay in this island for at least 4d/3n.
During my second day, I went to the island hopping activity as I posted in another post. As soon as I arrived back in the island, the muscle strain and tiredness haven’t sinked in UNTIL after dinner. It was a good thing that I have made spa reservations prior because I was somewhat expecting it. No other perfect time to have a good massage. The package I got was the “Anti Stress massage”. If I could have that massage for the entire night, I would have loved it! The package was for 1 hour and it was already good enough. I don’t need to give you details on the massage itself but the next day, all my muscle pain were gone. As in literally gone like yesterday’s muscle strain was just a dream! Amazing! Worth every penny! Glow spa is open from 10am to 10pm.
Tip: Doing island hopping activities or any activities that might make you tired and get muscle strains? Book the “Anti Stress massage”! You’ll never regret it and you’ll leave all your muscle pain in the island and go home relaxed even though you had a tiring (but of course, fun) activity.
Before leaving the island, make sure to drop by their souvenir shop. It also acts as the in-island convenience store where you can buy basic stuff like snacks, napkins etc. Near the souvenir shop (outside it) is the clinic. Good to have a clinic in the island but of course, we don’t hope anyone to visit there. There’s also a KTV place, aquasports center where you can borrow water activity equipments (free), a pool, and inside the clubhouse, more of the usual activities like darts, billiards, foosball, some books, and dugong bar.
Here’s the thing with this vacation. As you arrive, you’ll be greeted “welcome home” by the staff. As you enter your cottage, you’ll see a welcome home banner with your names, a photo frame (in our case) by the bedside and more than what you can expect welcome surprises and more than the usual surprises one can expect. Add the usual greeting they do, which is the usual good morning, afternoon, or evening and touching their heart while doing that. You’ll really feel they are very sincere and at home. With all that, I’m telling you this. It’s not going to be a pleasant experience leaving all that behind in the island. If you can now paint a picture on what I am saying, you’ll know that if you need a vacation where you can rest, relax, and do some activities, there’s no better island AND resort to visit when in Coron, Palawan. As I have mentioned in my Trip Advisor review, I’ve been to a lot of places both locally and internationally — high end to ultra exclusive resorts. But for some reason, this is one of the best among a lot of them. An island with exquisite views, superb service, and wonderful overall experience, guests in this island will surely have a hard time leaving the island but I bet you, the memories it can leave you, usually priceless, will last more than the few days you have spent there. Worth every single penny spent. I can’t wait to be greeted, “welcome home” again.
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| Surprise until before leaving! |
Club Paradise Palawan
Website: http://www.clubparadisepalawan.com/
Telephone: (+632) 7196971 / 7196972 / 7196973 / 7196988
Email: cp.reservations@discovery.com.ph
Links to Club Paradise Palawan Social Media Accounts:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | TripAdvisor
*Videos will be uploaded to our Youtube account. Links will be placed here as well*
Cheftonio
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