3 weeks diving - what do you think?

[Jay_Remi]

Hello fellow divers!

I am planning a 3-weeks trip for late December to the Philippines with my wife, with lots of diving (but some exploring too) Please bear with me, I got quite a few questions here. Some background: we are well travelled and dived in many countries BUT it is our first time in the Philippines. We don’t want to change locations every couple of days, preferring not to pack/unpack all the time. So, we would aim around 4 different locations (5 max) during this trip. We are keen on threshers, sardine “run”, beautiful reefs, frogfish, critters, critters - and critters. And muck diving would be awesome. (2 or 3 full days if possible)

We plan to stay around 7 days in Malapascual. (thresher twice, Apo island twice, Capitacillo, and some reef and night dives). We are quite keen on Evolution (accommodation and diving). I am looking at Ocean Vida too that seems to have a bit better accommodation, but not sure about their dive centre (Sea explorer). Any views on this?

Ok, now the tough parts where I am a bit unclear and would need your expert views:

Bohol seems highly regarded for diving. Where is the best place to stay to be quite close the best dive sites? Would that be in Panglao? Or Anda? Or best to do both? Any recommendations for dive centre/accommodation in this area?

Another big-ticket item would be Dumaguete / Dauin. Best to stay at the latter? I understand Mikes beach resort would be good. I am thinking of 5 full days of diving in that area. Would that work? (The aim is not to rush it, but we don’t want to always go to the same dive sites either)

Then another place we’d like to consider is Moalbal. I am a bit torn on this one. Very excited to see the sardines, but how to avoid the circus? Are there interesting dive sites except this? Or just doing this for one day and then move on?

When it comes to whale sharks, we could fit that in, but we don’t want snorkelling, and we don’t want a diving circus either. Feasible or unrealistic? If the former, what would the best place be?

And finally: logistics! What’s the best way to travel from Malapascual/Maya to Dauin without flying? Can private transfer be arranged? What’s your experience or tips to make it smooth (I don’t mind paying for the convenience). Would it be best to go to Mohol first? If so, how to transfer from Mohol to Dauin smoothly?

I realise there is a lot of questions here; so I appreciate your time and help.

Thanks!

PS: Forgot to say: we would land and depart from Cebu.

 

[Mike1967]

Can whole heartedly recommend both Panglao and Moalboal.

Magic Island can take you to the sardine run plus other awesome dive sites, and also to Oslob. FYI we did both scuba and snorkeling with the whalesharks and if I had to pick only one to do again it would be snorkeling.

Magic Island Dive Resort - MAGIC ISLAND RESORT

Magic Island Dive Resort: is located on the quiet south part of the Moalboal peninsula. From the resort we overview the mountains of Cebu

magicisland.online

Loved Alona beach and these guys...

Scuba Diving Bohol Philippines – Piratas Alona Dive Center – Welcome to Piratas! The best dive center in Bohol!

piratasdivecenter.com

I did my first trip to the Philippines in 2022, I loved it that much I've done 4 trips since. I even married a Filipina lol

Enjoy your adventure, cheers!

 

[Luko]

Bohol seems highly regarded for diving. Where is the best place to stay to be quite close the best dive sites? Would that be in Panglao? Or Anda? Or best to do both? Any recommendations for dive centre/accommodation in this area?

Another big-ticket item would be Dumaguete / Dauin. Best to stay at the latter? I understand Mikes beach resort would be good. I am thinking of 5 full days of diving in that area. Would that work? (The aim is not to rush it, but we don’t want to always go to the same dive sites either)

Then another place we’d like to consider is Moalbal. I am a bit torn on this one. Very excited to see the sardines, but how to avoid the circus? Are there interesting dive sites except this? Or just doing this for one day and then move on?

I'll reply for these 3.
You can also have a look at some of my reports and VIsayas photo gallery (images are always better to prove my words than just personal opinions or rants) :

UW Visayas 2010/23

Images from the Visayas including : Cabilao, Moalboal, Sogod Bay, Alona, Balicasag, Anda, Sipalay, Dauin and Apo island

www.flickr.com

Thread 'Visayas trip report : Cabilao-Alona-Dauin-Moalboal April 18'

May 2, 2018

Just came back monday from a two weeks Visayas diving trip including the areas mentioned in the title of the thread. Happy to share the highlghts -and lower lights- of my trip.

Disclaimer : I am quite hard to satisfy as a regular visitor of the area (probably my 7th dive trip in the Phils), my last trip was two years ago, yet not a long time I found in some aspects some places have really changed for good or for bad.

First part : Cabilao - Sanctuary Beach and Dive Resort.

I planned the first stop in Cabilao arriving from Paris/HKG/overnight in Manila then a domestic flight to...

• Luko
• Replies: 40
• Forum: Philippine Paradise Divers

• 

Trip Report Thread 'Dumaguete -Atlantis Resort stay May 2022'

Jan 23, 2023

Intro :
Skip to next chapter if you don't like reading or you're not interested with context.
It’s been 3 years I haven’t written a dive report the start of the year might be an opportunity to catch up with 2022 dive trips : Dauin and a few places in Indonesia. Due to different locations, I’ll have to split it in two different parts Phils and Indo.

I was worried I was given enough dry time to rust my diving and UW photo skills during the 2020-21 pandemic when the EU lock down offered quite limited options for traveling, almost none with diving opportunities. In the meantime I...

• Luko
• apo island atlantis dumaguete dauin oslob
• Replies: 19
• Forum: Philippine Paradise Divers

• 

Trip Report Thread 'Sogod Bay and Panglao first weeks of May 2023'

May 29, 2023

First part Sogod Bay.

People ain't kidding when they say it's a long way to Sogod Bay, at least from Europe.
That was first a long but comfortable trip to Singapore on AF, upgraded to Business class, overnight in S'pore hawkers dinner and dim sum breakfast, the SIN-Manila flight with Scoot wasn't scheduled the day after, then overnight in Manila (I still love the Manila Hotel after many stays, upgraded to a suite), Couldn't complain with jetlag then.

Morning after the domestic transfer began : 1hr flight to Tacloban with PR.
Then almost 4 hrs van drive across Leyte to Peter's Dive...

• Luko
• Replies: 14
• Forum: Philippine Paradise Divers

• 

On Bohol, I consider Alona/Balicasag vastly superior to Anda, you will find schools of jacks and cudas in Balicasag while Anda doesn't offer much than bland colored corals and not so much fish. On the dive center selection in Panglao I like Philippines Fun divers which is reliable, offers all the flexibility you want plus a senior diveguide I really like, having been diving with him for a long time.

Dauin is good for macro, of the 4 different dive operations I dived with Azure offered the best guiding and dive conditions. I consider their local dive guides (Ricky and Bogart, without even mentioning the owner Glenn) were far better than Mike's .

From the serious divers place it was 20 years ago, Moalboal has evolved into a backpacker or daytrippers mess. Good dive centers that would take you diving early morning to Pescador are now history (In my rating Pescador at 7:30AM is a 10/10 dive), they prefer to wait for groups or lazy backpackers and start diving at 9-10AM. The billions of sardines school is something to see however you need to get there (it can be dived from shore just in front of Savedra) early as well before the herds of Korean/Chinese groups and before the the water ends into a sardine poo soup.
I would suggest you spent at least 2 nights in order to go to Pescador and shoredive the Sardines early. But not much more.

 

[Centrals]

@Jay_Remi
Late Dec ie. Christmas, better book everything well in advance of your proposed trip.
Diving area around Cebu City: Bohol( Anda and Panglao), Camotes Islands, Dauin(Apo Island and Siquijor), Mactan Island, Malapascua, Moalboal, Oslob(very limited) and Southern Leyte(the best).

Travelling is never easy and Christmas will make it even more frustrating.
Malapascua - Moalboal(2 days max) - Dauin(Apo Island) - Bohol[Anda + Alona Beach(this place is history for me)].
It is never easy to fit in Southern Leyte on multi stops itinerary because of its isolation. Late Dec is the whaleshark watching season albeit snorkelling only.

 

[Jay_Remi]

I would suggest you spent at least 2 nights in order to go to Pescador and shoredive the Sardines early. But not much more.

Thanks Luko. I would like that. But are there dive centres in the area that do that? You seem to say in your same message that there are none to leave early. I gotta admit a circus with tons of snorkelers or lazy divers is not my thing. No serious dive centre in this area?

 

[Jay_Remi]

Late Dec ie. Christmas, better book everything well in advance of your proposed trip.
Diving area around Cebu City: Bohol( Anda and Panglao), Camotes Islands, Dauin(Apo Island and Siquijor), Mactan Island, Malapascua, Moalboal, Oslob(very limited) and Southern Leyte(the best).

Travelling is never easy and Christmas will make it even more frustrating.
Malapascua - Moalboal(2 days max) - Dauin(Apo Island) - Bohol[Anda + Alona Beach(this place is history for me)].
It is never easy to fit in Southern Leyte on multi stops itinerary because of its isolation. Late Dec is the whaleshark watching season albeit snorkelling only.

Thanks @Centrals I figured it would be busy, so I already booked Malapascua and I am putting the final touch on my itinerary and see what fits. I reckon I will spend at least a week in Dauin (diving looks good to me, and there seems to be good land excursions around). Now, for Dauin, expensive resorts are out. It's just not my thing. I am leaning towards either Mike's or Liquid. Any major difference between the two in your opinion (as far as quality of dive guides is concerned and accommodation)?

 

[Jay_Remi]

@Luko your trip reports and pics truly are impressive. Chapeau bas !
Even after diving one week in Dauin and Malapascua each, Panglao would be worth the trip in your opinion and bring what the other two places wouldn't? Trying to gauge if it's worth the effort to get there.

 

[Luko]

Panglao would be worth the trip in your opinion and bring what the other two places wouldn't?

Three weeks is a lot, it's quite easy to get from one place to another.
Malapascua is good for the threshers;wasn't impressed that much with the rest though, Dauin is the best place n the Visayas for muck/macro (even though I think Anilao and a bunch of places in Indonesia are superior), none of those two places has fish schools or coral walls like Balicasag.
Panglao to Dauin (or the reverse) is a very easy ferry transfer.

 

[Jay_Remi]

Three weeks is a lot, it's quite easy to get from one place to another.
Malapascua is good for the threshers;wasn't impressed that much with the rest though, Dauin is the best place n the Visayas for muck/macro (even though I think Anilao and a bunch of places in Indonesia are superior), none of those two places has fish schools or coral walls like Balicasag.
Panglao to Dauin (or the reverse) is a very easy ferry transfer.

Great, thanks. Will start looking at good dive centers there then.

 

[Centrals]

Thanks @Centrals I figured it would be busy, so I already booked Malapascua and I am putting the final touch on my itinerary and see what fits. I reckon I will spend at least a week in Dauin (diving looks good to me, and there seems to be good land excursions around). Now, for Dauin, expensive resorts are out. It's just not my thing. I am leaning towards either Mike's or Liquid. Any major difference between the two in your opinion (as far as quality of dive guides is concerned and accommodation)?

I had stayed at Liquid once and that was long time ago. Zoe will respond to your enquiry in no time at all.