there is a small hill at el rio named as hunter’s peak, it took me and tonton (my friendly guest activity officer) about twenty minutes going uphill to catch a breath-taking aerial view of maricaban bay and its neighboring islands.

it is surely worth the trek, and along the way you will be passing by some wild grasses and pitcher plants.  i advise you wear rubber shoes though, and some parts of the rugged path are a little steep.  being an inexperienced hiker, i had to stop and catch my breath for a while when we were on our way up.  also be careful when going downhill, for you don’t want to end up with a bad fall and spraining your ankle.

use of snorkeling equipment is free of charge at el rio, they even offer water sports equipment such as water ski, rowing boat and hobiecat.  i tried the sit-on kayak (@750 pesos/hour) and tonton and i paddled through the mangroves on the other side of el rio and he showed me a small fishing village too.

i was also able to visit for a few hours el rio’s sister resort, club paradise.  you just have to inform the staff that you want to see the resort and there will be a boat to pick you up the next morning and send you back again at el rio by lunchtime on the same day.

to sum it up even though i was there alone, my stay at el rio was in fact all worth it.

when i was on days off, i went to coron palawan by myself.  none of my friends were available to join me for all were busy with work.  so i thought, it really doesn’t matter if i go alone, i have visited other places before as a lone traveller anyway.

i have been fascinated by palawan from the first time i was there nearly a year ago.  i visited puerto princesa then, and when i left the place i told myself that i will be back.  coron is just one of the islands in palawan that exudes the beauty of nature.  it offers a lot of tourist attractions, but my purpose on being at coron was simple: i want to laze and unwind.

i chose to stay at el rio y mar, a beachfront resort in san jose. 

i was welcomed by the uber-friendly staff of el rio.  most of them had asked me the same question while i was staying at the resort which was – why was i alone?  imagine being in a place made perfect for lovers and honeymooners then here i am going solo?  i really cannot blame them of their curiosity!  lol!

i stayed in one of their native beachfront cabanas. 

since there were only a few of us guests (a group of three couples from the states, and a german with his filipina wife and their kid) in the resort, meals were served ala carte, a choice of meat, poultry and seafood as a main dish was available and being a pescetarian, i chose the seafood that they served.  the dining area i think can occupy about fifty guests or more. 

i also took a dip on their infinity pool that offers a great view of maricaban bay, even at dusk.

a view of the sunset from the veranda left me a moment of thanking god for the blessings he has given me, for my parents and my siblings that i cherish, for my few good friends who has been with me through the years and for keeping me and my co-workers safe at work.

.. next post: things to do at el rio!