Banana Island Coron is a great spot to stop and relax during a busy day of island hopping. During our last trip to Coron, we were able to visit Banana Island as part of an island hopping tour.
Banana Island Coron is part of a group of three islands south of Busuanga that made up our island-hopping tour from the town of Coron. It has more facilities for an overnight stay. It also has huts and tables where we had our lunch for the day.
Banana Island Coron
Hammocks positioned under the coconut palms trees beckoned us to take a nap – something many in our boat group were soon doing right after a hearty lunch prepared by our boatmen as part of the island-hopping package.
The beach was calm, the atmosphere relaxing… There was only one shop to be seen on the island so you were limited in what you could buy if you didn’t bring food or snacks.
But there was plenty of shade and hammocks set up and the beach was just a stone’s throw away.
Banana Island Coron features a narrow strip of white sandy beach set against the backdrop of forested, hilly terrain. I love swinging lazily in the hammock sheltered by the shade of tall palm trees while Gary was busy getting the drone footage.
Our Banana Island Coron Experience
We arrived at Coron Town center’s wharf near Lualhati Park bright and early for our tour. After a bit of a walk along the dirt road, we reach where our boat was moored. Our boat was actually tied three boats out from the dock so we were required to climb from boat to boat before finally reaching ours.
This starts to get the heart pumping, especially when you are carrying a camera and a drone and seeing how easy it would be to put a foot wrong and end up swimming.
Finally, we were underway… The sun was bright and the day was still young. We were told by our tour guides that the trip to the island would take a little over an hour…
Well, believe me, it felt more like 2 hours. After the initial excitement of sightseeing, it was easy to settle back and let the sound of the boat lull you to sleep. I dozed off a few times. LOL
But once we reached Banana Island, it was well worth the wait. Banana Island was the second stop on our island hopping tour and it was good to get off the boat and stretch our legs again after 30 minutes trip from Malcapuya Island.
Compared to Malcapuya Island, Banana’s beach was shorter and the waters, though also as clear, were deeper.
Banana Island Coron
Clear, Clear Water….
For those of you who have been to Bulog Dos Island, the water in front of the northern beach on Banana Island Coron is just as clear but deeper than that of Bulog Dos. There’s a coral reef lying just off this beach for those who love to snorkel or dive.
We only had 45 minutes here so we were a little pressed for time. I have pictures of Gary flying the drone while I was exploring the farther reaches of the small island. Then I went for a swim (Gary was still playing with the drone). Finally, Gary took a dip, 10 minutes before we were to leave…
Why Banana Island Coron?
But why the name banana? Hmm, there are plenty of palm trees but certainly, no banana trees on the island that we came across. The explanation we were given was that the name came from the island’s shape. This seemed a feasible explanation at the time… But, a quick check on Google maps dispelled that notion. And so, the puzzle continues.
There’s also a treehouse, hammocks, and a store. You can go swimming and snorkel in the blue waters or just lie on the beach to have your perfect tan. You can also use the hammocks to relax or to have a quick nap – just like what I did. This is a nice island to visit.
Banana Island is part of a three-island tour package being offered by tour operators in Coron town (Bulog Dos and Malcapuya Island are the other destinations).
During the time of our second Coron visit tour packages being offered included the Coron Island Loop Tour and the 3 Islands Tour featuring Bulog Dos, Banana, and Malcapuya Islands.
The package included entrance fees for all 3 islands and a hearty lunch that included vegetable salad, grilled fish, pork, chicken, and crabs.
If you are traveling alone or in a group of five or less the tour operators will include you with others to fill out a boat, saving you and your group a significant amount in the process.
Boats traveling to these distant places have to be large enough to withstand strong waves in the open seas and therefore will require a lot more fuel than smaller boats.
Most of them can accommodate 10-12 passengers so the operators will pair you off with other groups to fill up the boats. As part of our Coron Island Hopping tour, we were able to spend some time at Banana Island Coron. We find out what Banana Island has to make it worth visiting and what it doesn’t have.
Banana Island Coron
Things to Remember:
- Beach camping on the island is no longer allowed
- Day-tour entrance fee is ₱200 ($5)
- The overnight fee is ₱850 – ₱1,000 ($18-$21)
- Most of the cottages have lights and electric fans run through an electric generator
- No fishing, but you can ask them to fish for you
- They have a small store that sells a few items like soft drinks, beer, alcoholic drinks, cigarettes, and chips
- Waterproof your bags, phones, and gadgets
- DO NOT use non-coral-friendly sunblock
- Garbage In, Garbage Out. No garbage should stay on the island
Things to bring:
- Camera
- Waterproof Travel Bags
- Snorkeling Gears
- Aqua Shoes
- Coral Reef Friendly Sunblock
- Battery Pack for your Gadgets, solar or crank usb chargers
- Garbage Bag
- Food and Water
- Bread for fish feeding
- Cooking Stove, Cook Set and Fuel (optional)
- Eating Utensils (optional)
Banana Island Coron – This island was the next one we went to after BULOG DOS. It was truly a magical island as well. We were tempted to stay here overnight since they had cottages. It’s one of those islands where you wanna be stranded on. LOL!!
But seriously, this island had lots of beautiful creatures underwater as well. My husband and I got to go snorkeling after having lunch. The sun was out and so are we to explore the island’s beauty. We did not really have enough time to explore this island. But I would love to watch through the entire island to see the other side of it as well. Would love to go back here.
What travelers are saying? Have you been to Banana island in Coron? Let us know your experience in the comment below…
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