The hubs and I recently made a quick trip to Club Paradise, an exclusive island resort in Coron, Palawan. And by exclusive I mean, it is located on it’s own private island, called Dimakya, in the Northern area of Palawan.
Getting ThereIt was a quick 1 hour and 20 minute Philippine Airlines flight to Busuanga Airport (MNL-USU). Complimentary round-trip airport transfers are included when you stay in Club Paradise. We were greeted right away by our driver as soon as we walked out of the airport. It was about a 15-20 minute drive to the pier where a private boat was waiting for us, took us through the mangrove forest, and into the open sea.
Arrival
As we stepped off the boat, we were warmly welcomed by the resort’s band and staff. They served us delicious cucumber calamansi drinks and gave us wet towels to freshen up while we made our way to the reception area.
Once everything was arranged, we were whisked off to our home for the next couple of days.
Our Sunset VillaThe Sunset Villa offers a spectacular view of the sunset from our balcony (hence, the name). It’s beachfront and it’s the perfect size for couples.
When we got to our villa, there was a complete “foot spa” set up outside our room! The complimentary exfoliating rub and foot massage was indeed a nice touch.
Safari TourThe day we arrived, we made arrangements to visit the Calauit Safari Park. THIS was the highlight of our trip. The last time we were in Coron, we chose island-hopping as our activity. This time, we wanted to see and feed the giraffes!
They are so beautiful and we were told that they all have their personalities. Noli de Castro was the sweet one and KC was the one with the “attitude”. One safari guide told us that whenever a caretaker would pass KC with some leaves in hand, he had to drop some in front of her or she would kick him! Haha! Kind of like paying toll, I guess. Hilarious!
There are other animals there too like zebras and deers that roam freely in the 3,700 hectare wildlife sanctuary. They also have monkeys, snakes, a porcupine, civets, turtles, and alligators. They actually had more species before like gazelles but the poachers got to them. I asked what the leading cause of death was for the giraffes and we were told that it was poaching. Not some sickness or disease, but POACHING. I expressed my thoughts about this on one of my Instagram posts so please check it out if you’re interested.
Anyway, it was a huge sanctuary and it took us about 2 hours to tour the whole place. It was very interesting and I learned so much about this beautiful park that is home to many different species. If you’re ever in Coron, the Calauit Safari Park should definitely be on your list of places to visit — especially if you have kids!
After our Calauit Safari Trip, we asked the staff at Club Paradise to prepare a nice Seafood Boodle Fight for two on the other side of the island. Yum!
Other Island ActivitiesClub Paradise offers a variety of activities for families to enjoy together like island-hopping, a trip and meal at another private island. All of which can be arranged prior to your trip. There are superb snorkelling opportunities around the island too. The waters surround Club Paradise are teeming with tropical fish! If you’re lucky, you might spot a sea turtle.
Around 5PM everyday, Michael and I would settle by the area where we could watch the sunset and the hundreds of bats that fly out to forage.
Club Paradise truly lives up to its name. It really is a tiny piece of heaven on earth. Sure it needs a little update here and there but overall, we really enjoyed our stay in this beautiful and peaceful resort. Jeog, the resort manager, and the whole staff were amazing. We will be back for sure when we want a little peace and quiet…and maybe get my giraffe fix.
Have you been to Club Paradise or to The Calauit Safari? Planning a trip soon and have questions? Let me know in the comments and share your photos with me by using #julieeigenmann
