My Day on the Water: A Real Look at Coron’s Private Tour A for 2025

Okay, so the air in Coron Town has this very specific mix of salty sea and morning cooking smells, you know? That’s pretty much the first thing you feel when you get up before the sun is really up, right. And you’re just sitting there, maybe with some coffee, and you can kind of feel this little hum of excitement, basically. It’s the feeling of a big day ahead, like something good is on its way. Anyway, we decided to book the famous Tour A, but we went with a private boat, which, to be honest, made all the difference in the world. This is basically my account of what that whole experience was actually like, going to all the classic spots but, sort of, on our own schedule for our 2025 trip. Honestly, you get to see and do a lot. It’s a very full day, so get ready.

What a “Private” Boat Tour Even Means Out Here

So, a lot of people wonder about doing a private tour instead of a group one. Basically, the biggest thing is freedom, you know? You literally get to call the shots, more or less. Like, with a group tour, you’re on a very strict timeline, which is totally fine for some people, of course. But with your own boat, if you really love a spot, you can just tell your boat captain, “Hey, can we, like, hang out here for another thirty minutes?” and they’ll almost always say yes. At the end of the day, it’s your trip. You can also, sort of, decide what time you want to leave in the morning, which can be a huge advantage. We left a little bit earlier than most of the big group tours, and that, right there, meant our first stop was almost empty. It was pretty magical, to be honest.

Our boat was a traditional Filipino bangka, you know, the wooden ones with the bamboo outriggers for balance. It felt really authentic, actually. It was just for us, so we had tons of space to stretch out and put our stuff. Our crew, a captain and one guide, were honestly the best part. They were super friendly guys from the local community. Our guide, his name was John, was telling us stories about growing up here and pointed out things we definitely would have missed on our own. It’s just a different kind of feeling, you know, when it’s just you and a small crew who seem genuinely happy to show you their home. You kind of get to ask all the silly questions you want without feeling embarrassed. Like, I asked what that weird-looking fish was and he told me its local name and that his grandma makes a great soup with it. That’s the stuff you don’t really get on a bigger, more anonymous trip, right?

And let’s talk about the food, seriously. This alone might be worth the price difference, I mean it. Around midday, the crew finds a calm spot to drop anchor. While you’re swimming or snorkeling, they are actually on the back of the boat grilling a huge meal. The smell of charcoal and garlic just starts wafting over the water, and you get so hungry. They set up this amazing spread for us on a little table on the boat: freshly grilled fish, some chicken adobo, grilled squid, a big pile of rice, and a platter of fresh mangoes and bananas. Honestly, eating a delicious, hot meal that was cooked just for you, while you’re floating on turquoise water surrounded by limestone cliffs… it’s a pretty amazing moment. It’s not just a quick sandwich from a cooler; it’s a whole event, sort of.

The Climb to Kayangan Lake’s Famous View

Alright, so Kayangan Lake is the star of Tour A, basically. It’s on all the postcards for a reason. First, your boat parks in this beautiful, dramatic-looking bay surrounded by towering black cliffs. Then, there’s a bit of a walk, you know? You have to climb up this slightly steep but well-maintained set of wooden stairs. It’s about 150 steps or so. It’s a little sweaty, honestly, but you’re so excited to see the view that you pretty much don’t even notice. Halfway up the climb is the famous spot, that picture-perfect viewpoint. Your guide will absolutely know where it is and will offer to take your photo, which is pretty nice of them.

As a matter of fact, that view is one of the most photographed spots in the entire Philippines. It’s this stunning picture of the blue cove where the boats park, framed perfectly by the jagged limestone karsts. It’s pretty much breathtaking, you know? You see it online a million times, but standing there yourself is just a whole other feeling, seriously.

After you get your photos, you then climb down the other side of the hill, right. And that’s where you find the lake itself. The water in Kayangan Lake is known for being incredibly clear. It’s also brackish, which is a weird word, but it just means it’s a mix of freshwater from the underground caves and saltwater from the sea. The feeling of jumping into that water is, I mean, so refreshing after the hot climb. It’s cool and silky. You have to wear a life vest, which is a rule there for safety, but it’s actually kind of nice because you can just float effortlessly on your back and stare up at the cliffs around you. Because we got there early with our private tour, for a solid twenty minutes it was just us and another couple in the entire lake. We could hear the birds and the sound of the water, and that’s it. That kind of peace is really what we were looking for, to be honest.

Dropping Anchor for Lunch at CYC Beach

Okay, so after all that swimming, you’re pretty much starving. CYC Beach, which stands for Coron Youth Club Beach, is a really popular stop for lunch, you know. It’s one of the few completely public beaches on the tour circuit, so you don’t have to pay a separate entrance fee for this one. The beach itself is a stretch of pretty white sand, and the water is super shallow and clear for a long way out, so it’s a great spot for just wading around. There are some mangroves at one end, which is kind of cool to see up close. It’s a very picturesque little place, basically.

Now, this spot can get pretty busy, especially around lunchtime. You’ll see a lot of other bangkas pulled up on the sand. This is another moment where having a private boat felt really good, actually. While some groups were finding spots to eat on the beach, our crew just set up our amazing lunch right on the boat for us, like I mentioned before. So we had our own private dining room with, like, the best view ever. We were eating our grilled fish and looking out at the lively beach scene from our own peaceful little bubble. It was the best of both worlds, in a way. We got to see the fun atmosphere but could retreat to our own space whenever we wanted to. After we ate, we did a little snorkeling just off the boat and saw some small, colorful fish near some sea grass. It’s not the deepest snorkeling spot, but it’s a really chill place to float around and digest that big lunch, you know?

Floating Through a Real-Life Aquarium at the Coral Garden

For me, personally, the underwater part of the day was just as amazing as the views above water. Tour A almost always includes a stop at a spot called the Coral Garden or sometimes Siete Pecados Marine Park. Anyway, this is where you really want to have your snorkel and mask ready to go. The boat just stops in what looks like the middle of the open water, and your guide says, “Okay, you can jump in now!” And at first you’re like, “Into what?” but then you stick your face in the water and, well, it’s just a whole different universe down there, seriously.

The water is so clear that you can see all the way down to the sandy bottom, which is probably 20 or 30 feet below. And everywhere you look, there’s just so much life. There are massive table corals spread out like, you know, giant mushrooms. And brain corals that really do look like brains. The fish are just incredible. We saw swarms of tiny blue and yellow damselfish, these funny-looking parrotfish chomping on the coral, and even a couple of shy clownfish hiding in their anemones, just like in the movies, basically. Floating there, with just the sound of your own breathing in the snorkel, and watching this silent, colorful world go by is so calming. Our guide actually got in the water with us and pointed out stuff we might have missed, which was pretty great. He showed us a giant clam that was tucked away between some rocks. You really feel like you’re swimming inside a massive, perfectly-kept aquarium, I mean it.

Useful Little Tips for Your Coron Tour A Day

So, if you’re planning on doing this tour, there are a few little things to keep in mind, you know, to make your day smoother. Definitely, absolutely bring a dry bag. You’ll want one for your phone, your camera, and your wallet, because things on a boat just have a way of getting wet, obviously. Reef-safe sunscreen is a really good idea, too, to help protect the corals you’re there to see. And a hat and sunglasses are pretty much non-negotiable; that tropical sun is no joke, actually. Most private tours will include snorkel gear, but if you have your own mask that fits you perfectly, it might be worth bringing it along just for comfort, sort of.

You also need to be ready to pay the entrance fees at most of the stops. Your tour cost covers the boat and the food, but pretty much every destination like Kayangan Lake and other spots have their own separate environmental and entrance fee. Your guide will handle the payments for you, so just make sure you bring enough cash for that. They’ll tell you the total amount you need before you leave in the morning, which is very helpful. Honestly, listen to your boat crew. They’ve been doing this every single day for years, and they know these waters like the back of their hands. If they say a current is strong somewhere, they mean it. Their main goal is to give you a great day, but also a safe one, you know? At the end of the day, going with a private tour gave us a feeling of control and relaxation that really shaped our entire experience in Coron. It felt less like a tour and more like our own personal adventure.

Read our full review: [Coron Island Hopping Tour A Private Tour Full Review and Details]

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