KAYANGAN LAKE

Also known as the cleanest and clearest lake in the Philippines and in Asia, Kayangan is continuing to draw more tourists and locals alike to visit Coron, Palawan.

(Kayangan's reception area)

Truly one of the greatest prides of Coron and Palawan is this magnificent lake  in the Coron Islands.

(View deck, Kayangan 2015)

This island is part of the ancestral domain of the indigenous people in Palawan called "Tagbanua". Some of them reside in this island and they are claiming the said area and for that reason, they collect entrance fees of P200 per person. Let me give you a little background regarding that matter. During the year 1998 the Tagbanuas of Coron Islands were given a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) for over 22,000 hectares of land and sea in Coron. The CADT gave them the right to manage the area under its territory and to preserve its marine and land resources. The area where Kayangan Lake is situated at belongs to the ancestral domain claimed by the group. That explains why most of the islands of Coron have entrance fees.

The term "Tagbanua" came from the word "Taga-Banua". They're one of the oldest ethnic groups in the Philippines. And they are actually classified into two major groups based on their geographical locations. One of them is found at the southern part of Palawan mainly in Aborlan, Quezon and Puerto Princesa, the other group is located at the northern part of Palawan specifically at Baras Coast, Busuanga and Coron Islands and in some parts of El Nido they are also known as the Calamian Tagbanua. The two sub-groups have different languages or dialects and they also have different practices.

(A hundred and fifty steps going up)

If you have already been there, you'll notice that at the reception area of the island are some huts where the Tagbanuas actually resides in.

To be able to get to the lake you need to climb a hundred and fifty steps going up and another hundred and fifty steps going down. The trek is quite tiring but i assure you that your price will be worth the physical exhaustion. If you had already climbed to the summit of Coron's Mount Tapyas, then the trek going to the lake will be easier for you.

(A small cave at the view deck)

So after climbing the 150 steps going up, you may have a stopover at the view deck to take photos with the most popular view of Coron and maybe to rest a bit.

At the view deck you will also see this small cave. Visitors are not allowed to go inside the cave, so we just took a photo at its entrance.

(At the entrance of the cave)

During the time when we reached the view deck, there were still a lot of tourists who are having their photos taken in there, so we just patiently waited for our turn and just took some photos on the other side of the view deck.

(While waiting for our turn at the view deck)

So, when our turn finally came, we finally had a photo with the most popular view of Coron as our background. The view was truly spectacular. Before, I actually thought that the lake is the one that's in the background, but i was wrong. The true lake was much more beautiful than that.

(Our group pic at the view deck)

This is the breath-taking view from Kayangan's view deck. It was so pretty!

(The most popular view of Coron!)

After having our photos taken at the deck, it's now time to see the real star of the show! Off to the real lake! hehe.

One hundred and fifty step more going down. Let's see how the real Kayangan Lake looks like.

As we were trekking to the lake, we saw a lot of different type of insects and plants, it was really entertaining.

(150 steps more going down)

After a total of three hundred steps, this will be your welcoming view!

(Finally reached our destination!)

Nature's beauty at its finest! WELCOME TO KAYANGAN LAKE!

(Welcoming view of the lake)

The lake was indeed super clean and clear! Not once did I saw a piece of trash! Good job, Coron!

(The left side of the U-Shaped platform)

The water is so clear that you will be able to see from the surface what's underneath the lake.

(That's how clear the water is!)

Although only rock formations surrounding the lake are what you can see under the water, bringing your snorkeling gears will still be a good idea as the beautiful rock formations under the water is worth looking at.

(She's so excited to go in the water)

See how clear the water is??

(My uncle, ready to explore the lake)

My aunt and her family went ahead of me to the water. I stayed behind the platform for a few more minutes just to take some photos and to absorb the beauty of the place. It was really beautiful.

(Bamboo raft in the middle of Kayangan Lake)

The place is really very peaceful and nice. If you're looking for serenity and peace, you will find it here.

(Thanks to our kuya boatman who took my photo)

I am starting to develop a love for lakes because of this place! If I haven't told you guys before in my old posts, I'm actually scared of lakes! I feel like they're the habitat of huge lake monsters and stuff. haha. My imagination really do freaks me out sometimes. Thanks to Kayangan, I now developed my interest for lakes.

(The view of Kayangan from where I was seated)

The following photos are just some of the sneak peeks for you guys on how the underwater scenery in Kayangan looks like, the rest of it you will just have to see it for yourself.

(Underwater scenery in Kayangan)

That's my aunt while she's snorkeling at Kayangan. The lake was actually one of her favorite spots in Coron.

(The underwater view of the rock formations in Kayangan)

After snorkeling, we rested on the bamboo raft at the middle of the lake.

Lying there on the bamboo raft while enjoying the 360-degree view of the towering lime stones was my favorite moment in Kayangan. I was just at peace while enjoying God's wonderful creations!

(Me, Henrielle and Mama Lyds on the raft)

After the epic adventure at Kayangan we headed back to the docking area to board our boat and proceed to our next destination. Another 300-step trek going back. When we reached the reception area once more, our boatmen were calling us from afar because they wanted to show us something. I mentioned to them that i wanted to see a sea turtle. So they were so excited to tell us that there's a huge sea turtle swimming beside our boat!

(A huge sea turtle!!)

I was super duper excited because i love sea turtles! I was just not able to swim with it because we're already preparing to go to our next destination. There it was (look at the photo above)! It looks small on the photo but it's actually a super huge sea turtle. I would've been happier if I had a picture with it. Bucket list entry still not checked (swim with the sea turtle/s). :( But it's alright, there's always a next time.

Here's a short video from the lake:
(Enjoy watching!)

If you haven't visited Kayangan Lake yet, you're missing a lot! If you're planning to visit it though, don't forget the golden rule for nature, "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time." :)


ADIOS!!



-The Palaweña Explorer ;)