Philippines

Club Paradise

Club Paradise is a resort established in 1989 on Dimakya Island located in the Northern Isles of Palawan, Philippines. Owned and operated by Euro-Pacific Resorts, Inc. a German-Filipino corporation which aims to provide a select clientele an accesible holiday retreat and for the corporate man, a conductive meeting venue closest to nature.

Club Paradise, accredited by the Philippines' Department of Tourism, is a 2-time winner of the Kalakbay Awards Resort of the Year in the 'AA' Category. Realizing that nature is it's greatest asset, much effort has been committed by EPRI towards maintaining balance between the island's ecological integrity and tourism operation and development.

Palawan is a narrow archipelago of 1,780 islands on the western border of the Philippines, with the greatest concentration of islands and the lowest density population in the country. Geographically, it is more remote from the other provinces in the country - in fact, some of its southern islands are closer to Malaysia than to the rest of the Philippines. It is bounded by the South China Sea on the west and the Sulu Sea on the east. With a land area of nearly 1.5 million hectares, Palawan is the country's largest province. It has an irregular coastline of almost 2,000 kilometers, indented by numerous coves and bays. Highlands and rolling terrain covered with lush forests create a cool and scenic landscape. Except for the northern towns, which are occasionally visited by storms. Palawan is generally typhoon-free. Warm weather prevails from March to May while the coolest months are from December to February. Heavy rainfall is experienced in July and August accompanied by the southwest monsoon.

A melting pot of migrants from various parts of the Philippines and other countries, Palawan has a relatively high population growth rate of 3.64% annually due mainly to the high influx of settlers. Based on the latest official census, Palawan has a population of 755,412.

The Calamianes group of Islands is perhaps one of the world's best-kept secrets among travel destinations. This pristine island world is an unspoilt haven for visitors, who can indulge in any numbers of activities or enjoy the unmatched scenery of Palawan's northernmost region. The Calamianes have the highest concentration o islands in the Philippine archipelago, while remaining the most thinly populated. Busuanga, Coron, Culion, and Linapacan Islands are the main islands of the region, serving as a quietly efficient gateway between Luzon and the rest of Palawan. Each of these islands has its own charm, its own character and history, and its own set of offerings for the traveler.

How to Get There

FROM MANILA, you can take a one-hour flight from Manila to Busuanga (YKR) via SEAIR, Asian Spirit, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific, or a 12 hour-cruise from Manila to Coron

FROM CORON PIER, upon reaching Coron Pier, there will be a 1-hour jeepney ride from Coron Pier to YKR Airport (Busuanga).

FROM BUSUANGA AIRPORT (YKR), upon reaching Busuanga Island, there will be a 30-minute jeepney ride followed by a scenic 30-minutes boat ride.

Web Reference: club paradise palawan http://www.clubparadisepalawan.com/cprofile.php

Dive photos of the Coron Wrecks
PALAWAN Islands Philippines.

Palawan is one of the Philippines' last frontiers - still relatively undeveloped, it offers spectacular landscapes, world-class diving and a wildlife that has more in common with nearby Borneo than that of the other Philippine islands. Borneo and Palawan would have been connected by a land bridge during the last Ice Age.

The Coron Wrecks

Busuanga is the largest island in the Calamian Group, covering some 900 square miles. The island is home to a game reserve and wildlife sanctuary, as well as being the pathway to some truly outstanding dive sites. Fishing, farming and cottage industries are the main activ¬ities of the islanders although the improvement of travel links to the island is now showing results and Busuanga is gradually receiving tourists.

The World War II wrecks around Busuanga Island, particularly in Coron Bay, have been one of Philippine diving's best-kept secrets. Here is a condensed version of Truk Lagoon in the Caroline Islands, Micronesia - a legendary (and, unfortunately, expensive) destination among divers for its large concentration of World War II Japanese wrecks. Admittedly the Coron sites are not easy to get to and accommodation is limited, but the area is rewarding to visit and prices are reasonable. The visibility is not brilliant, but the wrecks are not that deep and the currents not that strong, though it is always best to choose neap tides and, if possible, slack water.

Twelve wrecks have so far been located in diveable depths, though those nearest to the Busuanga mainland suffer from poor visibility due to water runoff and plankton bloom. Most of the wrecks are long day trips from Coron Town, and some are best treated as an overnight trip, so you are not likely to dive here in really bad weather, though you can dive quite happily in heavy rain. The deeper wrecks have many fishing nets caught on them, so approach these with care.

Early research on some of these vessels was done by wreck expert Brian Homan. More recently, in 1993-4, Peter Heimstaedt and Mike Rohringer from Germany did exten­sive research both on the wrecks themselves and in Japan, through the Military History Department of the Japanese National Institute for Defence Studies in Tokyo. Heimstaedt, a former officer in the Federal German Navy, is currently writing up this research.

The scenery of Coron Island's limestone cliffs and tiny isolated beach coves is spectacular, as is that around its freshwater lakes. The diving is not confined exclusively to the wrecks, though these are the reason most divers would come here. Due mainly to typhoon damage, the coral is not that spectacular, but there is some perfect snorkelling to be had where it is good. Areas near to seven pearl farms, a fish farm and lobster farm are patrolled by armed security guards against illegal fishing.

One of the freshwater lakes contains a hot spring and is only a short climb over limestone pinnacles from the sea. In it you find creatures of both salt and fresh water, plus a lone habituated barracuda nearly 1m (40in) long; as you go deep­er, the water gets hotter. There is also a delightful hidden cavern to explore, with an underwater entrance to the sea.

The diving is best from October to May. All access details given in the following site descriptions are from Coron Town.

ORIGIN OF THE CORON WRECKS

In 1944 US Admiral'Bull' Halsey had the task of checking out the Japanese fire power in preparation for the US landing on Leyte. To find safe passage for an air­craft carrier, he sent reconnaissance aircraft to photograph the Linapacan Strait and the Calamian group of islands. This resulted in a mapping officer noticing that some of the islands were moving about - a camouflaged Japanese fleet had been found. At 0900 hours on 24 September 1944 Task Force 45 carrier-based bombers attacked and sank 24 vessels around Busuanga and Coren Islands.