{"id":1805,"date":"2019-03-26T12:42:15","date_gmt":"2019-03-26T04:42:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.getwet-asia.com\/philippines\/?p=1805"},"modified":"2019-03-26T12:51:38","modified_gmt":"2019-03-26T04:51:38","slug":"sailing-in-paradise-busuanga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.getwet-asia.com\/philippines\/sailing-in-paradise-busuanga\/","title":{"rendered":"Sailing In Paradise: Busuanga"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.imgdivl{float:left;}.topimg{width:100%;max-width:300px;border:none;margin-right:5px;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"imgdivl\"><a href=\"\/philippines\/img\/1903\/busuanga_7747a.jpg\"><img class=\"topimg\" src=\"\/philippines\/img\/1903\/busuanga_7747c.jpg\" alt=\"South Cay Busuanga\"><\/a><\/div>\n<p>In March 2019 we undertook a sailing  adventure to the southwest corner of Busuanga Island to explore the  developing yachting destination known as Busuanga Bay &#8211; an experiment  in tourism development pioneered by the former Puerto del Sol Resort &nbsp; Discovery Dive Center  . . . now Marina del Sol Resort.<br \/>\n<!--cut here--><br \/>\nThe \u201csailing adventure\u201d was  embodied in the Punta Fuego To Busuanga Race, organized by the Punta  Fuego Yacht Club during the month of March each year. Not so much a  \u201crace\u201d as a rally, in so much as yachts are permitted to use  their engines in order to reach the finish line, off South Cay,  before the awards party \u2013 for purist racing sailors the use of an  engine is anathema. But, as in each preceding year, engines were  considered a necessity by almost all of the participants, due to  little or no wind along stretches of the 140 nautical mile course.  This year organizers enthusiastically announced 17 registered race  entries, but only 11 completed the prescribed course.<\/p>\n<p>Destination: a bay in Busuanga. Some  time in the latter part of last century, an enterprising developer  wondered what could be achieved if he could motivate the owners of  land surrounding the entirety of a picturesque bay to allow only  international-standard resorts and facilities to be offered. The  still-developing project, known as \u201cBusuanga Bay\u201d, has certainly  exceeded its aim, in terms of quality, when compared to the haphazard  and frequently ugly tourism development in the adjacent municipality  of Coron (or indeed, the much acclaimed Boracay) \u2013 Coron&#8217;s  development has drawn ire and, in some cases, retribution from the  national government for its apparent disrespect of building codes and  environmental laws.<\/p>\n<p>The municipality of Busuanga  encompasses the western half of Busuanga Island (the largest island  in the Kalamian (sometimes: <em>Calamian<\/em>) Group of 124 islands and  islets); the municipality of Coron occupies the eastern half of the  island. The waters of Busuanga and Coron together host a selection of  thirteen ships; mostly of the Imperial Japanese Navy, sunk by U.S.  aircraft on 24th September, 1944, an event that would  later catapult the area to become a World-renowned destination for  wreck divers. The wrecks are collectively known as the \u201cCoron  Wrecks\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>However, scuba diving is just one of a  number of attractions for visitors to Busuanga Island. Other  attractions include: snorkeling, over some exceptional coral reefs;  visiting hundreds of soft, white-sand beaches; exploring the ancient  tidal lakes of Coron Island (part of Coron municipality but  administered by the indigenous Tagbanua (sometimes: <em>Tagbanwa<\/em>)  people of northern Palawan); kayaking, through mangrove forests or  from beach-to-beach; visiting one of the few wildlife parks outside  of Africa, featuring free-roaming African animals; slipping into hot  springs, and tidal pools with hot spring vents below; and, of course,  sailing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"imgdivl\"><a href=\"\/philippines\/img\/1903\/busuanga_7762a.jpg\"><img class=\"topimg\" src=\"\/philippines\/img\/1903\/busuanga_7762c.jpg\" alt=\"Busuanga Bay\"><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Today, Busuanga Bay offers four  resorts, featuring a choice of experiences and matching a range of  budgets from mid- to high-price; accommodations and facilities match  their room rates. Also for visiting yachts there are a choice of anchorages, moorings or pontoon marinas. However, it seems to matter not your budget, everyone is welcome to enjoy the beauty of the bay without question.<\/p>\n<p>For visiting yachts there is access to  fresh water and fuel from at least two sources within the expanse of  the Bay. Plus, an almost complete (as at March 2019) catamaran  haul-out facility, if work below the waterline is required.  Provisioning for food is best accomplished in Coron town, where there  are deli outlets and wet-markets supplying both imported and local  products. N.B. Busuanga has a number of organic-produce farms to  satisfy most vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian devotees.<\/p>\n<p>Within Busuanga Bay itself are a number  of coves and inlets such that in the event of a typhoon passing  close, safe anchorage or mooring for a yacht is available \u2013 size of  yacht is no impediment.<\/p>\n<p>Within a couple of miles of the Bay are  two of the most popular of the Coron Wrecks (the <em>Okikawa Maru<\/em> and the <em>Akitsushima<\/em>). Scuba diving on the wrecks can be  arranged from Marina del Sol Resort or from a seemingly,  ever-increasing number of dive shops located in Coron town. To the  South and West of the Bay are myriad large &amp; small islands and  sandbars, most with sandy areas for safe and responsible anchorage,  ideal for snorkeling and discovering some fascinating macro marine  life. To the northwest is the visually impressive Black Island (also: <em>Malajon Island<\/em>) with its own wrecks and two, easily  accessible, walk-in caves, the largest of which features a small lake  complete with a mysterious underwater passage to nowhere(?).<\/p>\n<p>For decades at least, the Kalamian  island group has attracted cruising yachts from around the world. The  stunningly clear waters and abundant corals present an unspoiled  destination, where you can spend a week or, a month or, more,  discovering aspects of marine environment and culture that have  survived with little change for thousands of years. The island life  here has evolved only slowly; embracing only the aspects of the  Anthropocene that have been deemed essential to life and livelihood.<\/p>\n<p>On my first voyage here, during the  1990s, I spent a week dropping anchor at visibly remote sand bars and  inlets, enjoying the warm waters for snorkeling. Later, in the early  2000s, I spent two weeks cruising with friends, discovering secluded  anchorages, some of the history of the islands and meeting members of  the Tagbanua. And again, in the 2010s I was privileged to be guided  by Gunter Bernert, one of the original explorers and promoters of the  varied underwater worlds available here, who introduced my partner  and I to some of the most spectacular reefs and mysterious places  that expose aspects of Tagbanua culture so distant in time that only  imagination can divine their meaning or purpose.<\/p>\n<p>There is only one word of caution for  those who voyage here by yacht: it is recommended that you navigate  the islands along the southern fringe of Busuanga Island only in  daylight. No, there is no <em>kraken<\/em> here, but there are two  notable navigational hazards: first, both paper charts and electronic  navigation data have been proven to be incomplete and or inaccurate  on too many occasions, with many yachts discovering, to their cost,  uncharted reefs and sand bars with depths of barely a meter at low  tide; and, second, there is a definite risk of running into one of  the many pearl farms whose tentacles stretch from the shores of  numerous islands &#8211; cultivating pearls in Busuanga has been a  significant industry since the 1990s and the long, buoyed lines,  hosting pearl-bearing oysters, stretch a hundred metres or more out  from the shorelines and require careful navigation to avoid  entanglement. Best advice: position someone on the bow to keep watch  and be prepared to change course quickly.<\/p>\n<h3>How To Get To Busuanga<\/h3>\n<p>There are many different ways to escape  from Manila, to Busuanga: sail, fly or take a ferry . . . you can  even take a bus &amp; ferry combination from Metro Manila.<\/p>\n<p>To sail to Busuanga you can rent or  charter a yacht from Subic Bay or Puerto Galera. The voyage takes up  to 36 hours, depending on the wind.<\/p>\n<p>You can fly (daily) direct to Coron airport  from Manila with Cebu Pacific, SkyJet Airlines and Philippines  Airlines or, you can opt to use the seaplane services offered by  either, Air Juan or, Air Trav.<\/p>\n<p>To get to Busuanga by ferry you have  the choice of sailings from 2Go Travel (Fridays) or Atienza  Interisland Ferries (Saturdays), both to Coron town. The voyage will  take between 11 and 16 hours. If comfort is your highest priority  then choose 2Go Travel; if budget price is your highest priority then  choose Atienza Interisland Ferries \u2013 takes a little longer but  noticeably less expensive.<\/p>\n<p>The bus and ferry route can be  accomplished by combining a bus to San Jose, Occ. Mindoro, then the  Bunso ferry (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) to Coron town. The buses  may be RORO Bus or Ceres Bus (daily). The travel time is variable but  you can expect to be traveling for at least 24 hours \u2013 12 hours by  bus and 12 hours by ferry.<\/p>\n<p>Once you arrive in Coron town or Coron  airport then Busuanga Bay is about 45 minutes away by air-conditioned  passenger van.<\/p>\n<p>All travel information is accurate as  of March 2019. Check with service suppliers for the latest  information when planning your own Busuanga adventure.<\/p>\n<p>Finally: if you ever get bored with  enjoying the many experiences that Busuanga has to offer then you can  voyage South from Busuanga to El Nido, and start another chapter in  your escape from Manila.<\/p>\n<p>If you are interested to charter a sailing yacht in the Philippines then check out: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.philippineyachthcarter.com\">www.philippineyachthcarter.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Busuanga is famous as a sailing paradise and for the Coron Wrecks but there is mystery and culture plus hot springs white-sand beaches kayaking Coron Island for many the perfect escape from Manila<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[37,51,10],"tags":[717,98,714,715,719,716,718,275,720,96],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.getwet-asia.com\/philippines\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1805"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.getwet-asia.com\/philippines\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.getwet-asia.com\/philippines\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.getwet-asia.com\/philippines\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.getwet-asia.com\/philippines\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1805"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/www.getwet-asia.com\/philippines\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1805\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1818,"href":"http:\/\/www.getwet-asia.com\/philippines\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1805\/revisions\/1818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.getwet-asia.com\/philippines\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.getwet-asia.com\/philippines\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.getwet-asia.com\/philippines\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}