February 4, Sunday – Coron, Palawan

On our third day, we continued our land tour around the area. We woke up early to prepare for our trip to the Maquinit hot spring. Getting there was an adventure in itself. We had rented a Wigo car, which was a snug fit for our group of five. The route was a rough, hilly road, so whenever our driver, Asis, thought the car couldn’t handle a particular stretch, we would get out, walk a bit, and then rejoin him once the road was more manageable. Thank goodness, there were trees around the area that gave us some shade.

The Maquinit hot spring was beautiful. Everyone took a dip, but I didn’t stay long because the water temperature was around 40 degrees Celsius and the sun was getting harsh. We returned to our Airbnb around 1 pm to freshen up and rest, and took a nap before hitting the road again at 4 pm.

We arrived at the Mt. Talapay view deck after a 20-30 minute drive. We enjoyed the long, winding road leading there, and Asis particularly enjoyed the drive. The place was beautiful, and there was likely an entrance fee of 25 pesos. The area was well-maintained, and every spot was perfect for Instagram-worthy photos. We didn’t stay there too long because we didn’t want to get caught in the dark on the road. We noticed that there were few to no street lights present, and most roads had sharp curves.

We ended our day at El Kuvo, a highly-rated restaurant (according to Google) we stumbled upon. The place was pleasant. We were seated in the al fresco area, and the interiors felt very homey. As for the food, prices were a bit expensive, but most of the servings were good for two. The food was okay, but we all found it to be forgettable. Overall, we gave it a rating of 3-3.5 stars.

Oh, we also stopped by the cashew store where you could observe the preparation and cooking of their cashew products. We also bought some keychain souvenirs before finally calling it a day.