Coron was my love at first sight even before I can fully see the whole place. So I thought I will never be more in love with the place than I was before until I finally stepped my foot at the bay of Kayangan. Kayangan Lakewhich dubbed as the cleanest lake in Asia is located at Coron Island and has one of the most picturesque view at Coron. That is the reason why it is one of the most photographed site in the Island. Though the misconception is that the picturesque photo that tagged with Kayangan Lake is the lake itself when in fact it was a view of Kayangan Bay from the view deck going to Kayangan Lake. Oh, is it confusing?! Ha ha! I am too. But let me clear it in a while.
Even on the docking area, water was crystal clear. And the view is already amazing.
Kayangan Bay is the docking area of the boats as there is no direct access on the side of Kayangan Lake. A floating and wooden path walk is made for an easy crossing. From the wooden platform, you will walk for another 15 meters in a sanded area before reaching the start of the climb. The climb is around 150 steps in a man made and uneven stairs. The steps upward may be slippery at times that adds to the difficulty of the climb since it is wet most of the time due to the water drops came from those who swam at the lake. After the hike, you will come to the view deck which you can get the shot of the famous landmark. That landmark which you will see below is the one that is use to identify the Kayangan Lake.
At times, you need to wait for the others to finish their photo shoots as the deck will be small for a large group. Unless you prefer photo-bombers with your photos.
The famous landmark of Kayangan Lake.
2015 vs 2016 photo. If you will look closely, there was no wooden path walk yet on our 1st visit. That was why most of the boat docked on the front of the bay.
You need that famous backdrop as a proof that you had been in Coron. So we got it! :)
From the view deck, you need to keep moving again. This time, it will be a descend on another slippery, narrow and unpaved path. They said it was another 150 steps making the total of 300 steps for Kayangan Lake. Didn't made the actual counting though so I cannot confirm but the walk was around 10 mins.
After the walk in a deserted-like forest, this stunning view will be your welcoming sight. The lake is surrounded by walls of large limestone and cliffs. Attached to those rocks are another wooden path that made moving around easy. The water was clear but deep. If you are not a swimmer, better not take off your floater or life jackets.
Obligatory shot at Kayangan Lake. :)
Shot from above. Fishes partying around at the shallow part of the Lake.
If you're not there for the swim, it's fine. You can sit anywhere and just enjoy the surrounding.
Seeing it personally, it was no doubt one of the wonders of Coron and definitely worth its title as the cleanest lake in Asia. The place was magical. Swimming in the mixture of salted and fresh water was refreshing after the whole day sea water adventures.
Kayangan Lake is good for swimming and snorkeling though you cannot find those colorful fishes you had seen on the other part of the island as there were limited fishes that can only live on the brackish water. It was also full of large stone below so never dare to jump on the area near the platforms. There was a bamboo raft that you can use for free if you just wanted to roam around or go on the far end of the lake.
We spent around 40 mins at the lake then went back. Same path will be crossed going back to the bay.
This was the front view of the famous landmark. Though the top shot was obviously the best view, this view is also a winner. The water around was calm and clean and the reflection of this cliff in the water was magical that gives you the feeling of peace and contentment.
This was 2016, my second visit. The path walk was already built going to the far end where boat docked but there was still on-going development in the area.
The water along the pathway. Still crystal clear.
Kayangan Lake tour is part of every island-hopping of Coron. Mostly, the lake will come second to the last location of the tour. Each location has a 30 to 40 minutes time allotment. If you intend to stay longer at the lake, better arrange it in advance with your guides though if you came with other group in the boat, everyone needs to agree on it. Longer time in Kayangan means cutting the time for other activities. After experiencing it myself, I prefer to make Kayangan last on the tour with a longer time. Why? Because after a good and tiring diving and snorkeling, the lake will be relaxing and a good way to end the tour. Although the trekking going to the lake was quite hard, the lake was such a good reminder of how Coron will put you in a lot of awe and surprises. But I don't think that we can do anything with the order or sequence on what to be first or last location of the tour since it is all based on the distance, time, condition of the sea and all. Unless you are on the special or private tour. When you are in a group with other tourists, the only possible thing that you can arrange will be the time allotment on each activities. So better make the best out of it.
Enjoy!
For other tours at Coron, you can check these blogs:
You can also check these hotels for your comfortable stay at the Island of Busuanga:
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Faith