Traveling while Sending Kids to School through Isla Culion Hotel Maya, Palawan

How would you like to travel to Palawan while you're sending children to school at the same time? 

Well with Isla Culion Hotel Maya, you can explore Palawan while helping the locals attain a college education. 

After almost two days in Coron, we decided to spend our last Palawan night in Culion with Hotel Maya. 

Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by the Hotel Maya staff with drinks and individual lei flowers. Awww, this is the nicest welcome I've ever received from any hotel. It really made us feel special. :) Thank you! 


Hotel Maya is a Loyola College of Culion and an Ateneo-Loyola joint Hostel project. It serves as the "teaching hotel" for college and vocational tourism related courses offered in Loyola College of Culion. 

Hotel Maya Hotel Front and Porch Hammock

Loyola College of Culion is a Jesuit school that serves the poor by offering high school and college education. With the blossoming tourism in the island, the school started offering courses relevant to the tourism industry. However, 70% of its operational budget was taken away when their grant funding from the Spanish NGO Fundacion ANESVAD suddenly came to an end. The school then was in danger of closing down.

In order for the school to survive, they reoriented its training to responsible eco-tourism and created a "teaching Hotel" for the study of Eco-Tourism and Livelihood. They converted the former dormitory beside the Parish Church and renovated it to what we know today as Hotel Maya. 

Hotel Maya's Dining Area

Through Hotel Maya, teaching tourism in Culion would be up to par with standards of the Commission of Higher Eduction (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) of the Philippines. 

So whenever you stay in Hotel Maya, you are not only traveling, you are also funding and helping the training of their local college for the poor. :) 

Culion Parish Church

Aside from helping people from Culion go to school, the island is also a home to beautiful islands and mainland sites. Sadly, the Culion Museum was closed that day so we weren't given an opportunity to gain a deeper knowledge of their rich history:

"For nearly a century, the island of Culion served as the world’s largest leper colony. The American colonial authorities’ decision to choose this island as the dumping ground of Philippine lepers became a mark on Culion’s face that continues to hunt its residents even up to this day. Now, with the declaration of the World Health Organization (WHO) that leprosy has been totally eradicated, and the establishment of its own local government unit, Culion begins a new chapter in its colorful history and legacy." - taken from the Hotel Maya website

Culion has far moved on from its "dark" history and is slowly developing into a future tourist spot. :) I'm not sure if this is a wise conclusion to make but I think that because of their history, people from Culion have a deeper spiritual thirst for life. I felt that they somehow have a richer perspective of what it means to live. :)

View from Culion Parish Church

We first visited the nearby Parish Church which is located on one of the highest points in Culion. Thus, from the Church, you can enjoy a beautiful aerial view of the island. 

The Agila Climb

After reading our friend, Cheenee's blog, we decided to also climb up the Agila (the Eagle) despite having sore legs from two days of snorkeling. We climbed a total of 364 (if I remember correctly) steep steps. We were all screaming for our lives on our way up since we were so tired but it was worth it. The view of Coron from the top was simply spectacular!


I would, however, say that the view midway up the trail is even more beautiful since there's less wild grass blocking the view. But if you really want to touch the statue of Jesus, then you have to climb an additional 30-40 steps. 

With Fr. Javy

Behind this group picture is another view of the Agila from the Parish Church. Take note that the Church is located on a high ground as well so you can only imagine how much effort it took to reach the top. But if we were able to do it despite having sore legs, I'm sure others can as well. :)


We spent the rest of the evening singing karaoke with our Jesuit priest friend, Fr. Javy. He kept calling me Ms. Bon Jovi after that night since I surprisingly sang "Always." Haha, he never would have guessed that I was a Bon Jovi fan until that evening. :P


Fr. Javy later told us that we should have stayed longer in Culion since they have a breathtaking marine life as well. He shared to us that you can see the butanding or the whale shark in one of the islands there on certain months. 


Plus, they have a hidden turtle island where you can watch the turtles lay their eggs and later swim back to the ocean. Awwww! Too bad we had so little time to spare in Culion. :( Btw, you can have your trip to these hidden islands arranged with Hotel Maya. 

Hotel Maya Porch

The following day, Carla and I woke up really early to watch the sunrise. With barely open eyes, we stayed in their porch and waited for the sun to rise. Here are my sunrise shots:

So yes, aside from having great nearby mainland sites and hidden islands, Hotel Maya also offers a great view of the sea all day especially during sunset and sunrise. 

Plus, you don't have to worry about cooking your own food since Hotel Maya's own kitchen whips up great dishes. This is what we had for breakfast. YUM!

Overall, we had an amazing time in Culion even though it was very brief. They took care of everything for us and all we had to do was enjoy Culion. It was also a great feeling that we were helping their tourism education through our trip. 

We'll definitely come back to Culion and explore their marine life next time. In fact, Kiwee and I are already planning to come back have our whole trip arranged with Hotel Maya. :) 

So go explore Palawan while promoting education at the same time!

More Info on Isla Culion Hotel Maya:
Address: Hotel Maya, Upper Libis, Culion, Palawan 5315 Philippines
Map: Click Me
Traveling Instructions: 

• Take a plane to Busuanga either through Pal Express, Cebu Pacific Air or Zest Air.
• Take a van to Coron or arrange with Hotel Maya van to pick you up from the airport to Coron. 
• Then from Coron, take a tricycle ride to the port for a boat ride to Culion. The commuter boat leaves at 12 nn daily. Or coordinate with Hotel Maya to arrange a boat trip & tricycle ride for you. :)

Budget: Php550-650/head/night
Room Rates: Click Here
Contact Number: stay@islaculionhotelmaya.com, (+63) 939-254-2744


Other Palawan Related Posts:

• Lusong Wreck, Coron, Palawan: Snorkeling and Feeling Like Little Mermaid
• Swimming in the Cleanest Lake in the Philippines

~It's the little sweet notes everyday that matter. :)~