3-4 weeks December/January - suggestions please?
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Interesting to read some comments on Easy Diving in TripAdvisor! I can understand no outside food but not even a bottle of water!!!!! Didn't have such issue at Artistic.
There are some local stores on the beach between the two resorts.
There are some local stores on the beach between the two resorts.
Ok an update and a further question:
As pointed out by Tippytoes, using ferries only between Duma and Leyte doesn't really work, but using a combination of flights and ferries I can make it work starting Dauin/ Apo then going to Sogod (for anyone interested: a morning flight from Dumaguete to Cebu, followed by ferry from Cebu to Leyte).
HOWEVER, I've noticed some posts/websites that talk about December being "hammer-time" in Bohol, and since Bohol is in the middle, it occurs to me I could just as well add Bohol to the mix?
Is is really worthwhile? And a suggestion of a decent but budget place to stay and dive?
Thanks..
As pointed out by Tippytoes, using ferries only between Duma and Leyte doesn't really work, but using a combination of flights and ferries I can make it work starting Dauin/ Apo then going to Sogod (for anyone interested: a morning flight from Dumaguete to Cebu, followed by ferry from Cebu to Leyte).
HOWEVER, I've noticed some posts/websites that talk about December being "hammer-time" in Bohol, and since Bohol is in the middle, it occurs to me I could just as well add Bohol to the mix?
Is is really worthwhile? And a suggestion of a decent but budget place to stay and dive?
Thanks..
bshort4
Contributor
The logistics to get to Bohol are much easier for sure. This past December I had a week in Dauin (flew from Manila to Dumaguete) then took the ferry from Dumaguete to Bohol for a week of diving--mostly at Balicasag Island. I stayed at Manni's Garden apartments--I think we paid like $35 a night with a small kitchen--it's about a 10 or 12 minute walk to the beach and the dive shops. I used Island Adventure divers--a really small hole in the wall place--it was fine and cheap. They gave me a deal if I'd do at least six dives with them (1,350 pesos a dive plus 300 pesos for nitrox)--I did ten. Then we flew from Bohol back to Manila. There are plenty of fast ferries each day from Cebu to Bohol (I've used them on several trips). The diving at Balicasag is ok--no "OMG" moments but I enjoyed my dives there very much as well as my dives at Apo Island. I'll be doing the Sipalay trip this November then moving down to Dauin after that. I haven't made the trip to Southern Leyte yet but hope to one year--this will be my sixth trip to PI in the last five years--can't get enough it seems--good luck in your journeys and diving!
dirtfarmer
Contributor
I've been to Sipalay a few times. The diving there is good. The reefs are in good condition. It has good diversity but most sites don't have large schools of fish but it's better than some other highly popular areas in the PI.
I stay at Takatuka Dive Resort, also swiss-german run. The resort is a feast for the eyes, with themed rooms and interesting art all around. The big draw for me and my wife is the food, it's the best I've found in the PI, a menu of foods from around the world and all tasty. The wife and I will finish up a trip there and in 2 weeks not tire of the food.I have a review here on SB I posted a few years back. It's located on on Sugar Beach an outstanding beach for swimming and just lounging.
Hi folks.
Work has thrown a set of spanners in my previously meticulously planned trip.
Instead of arriving around 15 December I can now only leave much later and flights-wise it looks like I might arrive in PI ON Christmas day, either late at night in Manila, after spending Christmas Day on a long layover in Hong Kong, or late morning in Cebu.
First question - am I NUTS to even contemplate travelling (alone) ON Christmas Day in PI?
Second question - I have just tried to book ferry tickets (to check if they are operating normally on this day) and neither the Supergo nor Oceanjet websites will allow be to book around for then (Supergp shows no December dates (but does show a date in January?? and Oceanjet lets me enter 25 December as a travel day but then the search gives no results).
Is this likely (a) because the ferries will not be running, (b) because it is still too early to book online, or (c) could they be fully booked already?
And lastly, my accommodation plans are a mess - it looks like I will have to skip the planned Dauin leg altogether. I can still make a few days of my Bohol booking - enough to do 3 days diving, but is it worth the extra travelling for 3 days of diving, or should I just skip Bohol and spend longer in Sogod Bay - is 18 days of Sogod too long?
Thanks for your input.
Diane
Work has thrown a set of spanners in my previously meticulously planned trip.
Instead of arriving around 15 December I can now only leave much later and flights-wise it looks like I might arrive in PI ON Christmas day, either late at night in Manila, after spending Christmas Day on a long layover in Hong Kong, or late morning in Cebu.
First question - am I NUTS to even contemplate travelling (alone) ON Christmas Day in PI?
Second question - I have just tried to book ferry tickets (to check if they are operating normally on this day) and neither the Supergo nor Oceanjet websites will allow be to book around for then (Supergp shows no December dates (but does show a date in January?? and Oceanjet lets me enter 25 December as a travel day but then the search gives no results).
Is this likely (a) because the ferries will not be running, (b) because it is still too early to book online, or (c) could they be fully booked already?
And lastly, my accommodation plans are a mess - it looks like I will have to skip the planned Dauin leg altogether. I can still make a few days of my Bohol booking - enough to do 3 days diving, but is it worth the extra travelling for 3 days of diving, or should I just skip Bohol and spend longer in Sogod Bay - is 18 days of Sogod too long?
Thanks for your input.
Diane
xrcjdx
Contributor
i'm a little confused what you are trying to accomplish here.
i'm assuming that even without the change of plan you have a reservation in Leyte - is that correct? i'm not telling you anything you don't already know that that week is the peak of the peak season, and Filipinos - seemingly all of them - are on the move.
if that's the case - even though i personally think 18 vacation days is too long to stay in any one spot - there are people who come to south Leyte for 3+ weeks - camera in tow - and enjoy every dive of it, and others who have to leave but wish they didn't. you have to be happy with general peace and quiet.
if you are coming into Manila and going directly to Leyte - i wouldn't mess with the Cebu to Leyte ferries at all during that week in particular - make an onward flight reservation to Tacloban, and go overland from Tacloban. your dive op can make arrangements to fetch you in Tacloban for close to the same price you can negotiate on your own. expect to pay 3,000 pesos. arrive in Tacloban no later than early afternoon to make it to south Leyte during daylight - the trip will take about 3.5 hours, and a good bit of it is quite scenic. i would never voluntarily agree to be on most of the roads at night, and this one is no exception. if you were arriving in Cebu, the same applies - fly onward to Tacloban. this is the only week/10 days of the year i would ever give that travel advice. if your arrival time is inconvenient and you need to overnight in Manila or Cebu or Tacloban so be it - no big deal but you will want a reservation sooner rather than later. i can recommend a place or 2 to meet your requirements if it comes to that.
getting to Bohol/Alona from south Leyte isn't a big deal - ferry from Bato to Ubay, and then van (or bus) south from there takes you to Tagbilaran. transport is easy to arrange from there to Alona or anywhere else you decide to go (Cabilao?). transport is also easy from Tagbilaran to Dumaguete (and also back to Cebu), if you can pull that off. flying to Manila from Tagbilaran (and vice versa) is also a breeze.
i think all in all you have a good bit of flexibility in your travel plans in spite of your arrival date. just try to keep ferry travel to 0 that week if you are unable to make a prior reservation. about that - i would be very surprised if ocean jet or supercat or whatever is taking reservations this far in advance.
i'm assuming that even without the change of plan you have a reservation in Leyte - is that correct? i'm not telling you anything you don't already know that that week is the peak of the peak season, and Filipinos - seemingly all of them - are on the move.
if that's the case - even though i personally think 18 vacation days is too long to stay in any one spot - there are people who come to south Leyte for 3+ weeks - camera in tow - and enjoy every dive of it, and others who have to leave but wish they didn't. you have to be happy with general peace and quiet.
if you are coming into Manila and going directly to Leyte - i wouldn't mess with the Cebu to Leyte ferries at all during that week in particular - make an onward flight reservation to Tacloban, and go overland from Tacloban. your dive op can make arrangements to fetch you in Tacloban for close to the same price you can negotiate on your own. expect to pay 3,000 pesos. arrive in Tacloban no later than early afternoon to make it to south Leyte during daylight - the trip will take about 3.5 hours, and a good bit of it is quite scenic. i would never voluntarily agree to be on most of the roads at night, and this one is no exception. if you were arriving in Cebu, the same applies - fly onward to Tacloban. this is the only week/10 days of the year i would ever give that travel advice. if your arrival time is inconvenient and you need to overnight in Manila or Cebu or Tacloban so be it - no big deal but you will want a reservation sooner rather than later. i can recommend a place or 2 to meet your requirements if it comes to that.
getting to Bohol/Alona from south Leyte isn't a big deal - ferry from Bato to Ubay, and then van (or bus) south from there takes you to Tagbilaran. transport is easy to arrange from there to Alona or anywhere else you decide to go (Cabilao?). transport is also easy from Tagbilaran to Dumaguete (and also back to Cebu), if you can pull that off. flying to Manila from Tagbilaran (and vice versa) is also a breeze.
i think all in all you have a good bit of flexibility in your travel plans in spite of your arrival date. just try to keep ferry travel to 0 that week if you are unable to make a prior reservation. about that - i would be very surprised if ocean jet or supercat or whatever is taking reservations this far in advance.
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