5 days - Where would you go?

[horn34]

We have 5 days to spend in the Philippines and are kinda swamped with all the info here. We really just want someplace relaxed where we could do some good diving. We're not travelling on a set budget, so price is less important than finding a great spot.

 

[Centrals]

Anilao, no extra flight to catch and is only about 3hrs from Manila Airport by car. Take the public transport if you have inclination and time.

 

[bvbellomo]

I'd choose Puerto Galera over Anilao unless you want muck diving, although I enjoyed both locations.

Asia divers had faster boats and closer dive sites, which would be a big factor for me with only 5 days.

Typical day at Asia divers:

• 8am dive
• 1 hour to relax at the resort
• 10:30am dive
• 90 minutes to relax at the resort
• 1:30pm dive
• 1 hour to relax at the resort
• 4:00pm dive
• Decide I am too tired for the night dive and go to happy hour

Typical day at Blue Ribbon:

• 9am 2 morning dives with the rest interval on the boat
• 90 minutes to relax at the resort
• 3pm 1 tank dive
• dinner
• night dive

So I spent a lot more time on the boat at Blue Ribbon. Is this a fair comparison? Different resorts are going to have different boats, but go to the same dive sites. So you could even things out a little with slower boats in Sabang or faster boats in Anilao, but the dive locations will be in the same place they were for me.

Most resorts in either place can arrange a private driver to get you there fast at substantial cost. Anilao is a little closer, but travel time should be the same.

 

[jale]

I'd choose Puerto Galera over Anilao unless you want muck diving, although I enjoyed both locations.

Never understood why Anilao is described as "muck diving"...

 

[bvbellomo]

Never understood why Anilao is described as "muck diving"...

It is because people go there and scuba dive in the muck looking for small critters.

Anilao has nice reefs too, but I thought the reefs in Sabang were nicer.

 

[jale]

Well, I go to Anilao quite often and I can tell you that it is more than looking for small stuff.
The problem is that most of the divers going there want to bring back pictures of critters and most of the bancas are at the same spots.

 

[bmag78]

El Galeon/Asia Divers in PG would be my most fervent recommendation. No flights.. Easy access.. Lots of restaurants and other things there. You won't be stuck on an anilao hillside for five days
Plenty of recent info.
Anilao is beloved by some (photographers mainly) but I'ts not for everybody

 

[chillyinCanada]

I'd choose Puerto Galera over Anilao unless you want muck diving, although I enjoyed both locations.

Asia divers had faster boats and closer dive sites, which would be a big factor for me with only 5 days.

Typical day at Asia divers:

• 8am dive
• 1 hour to relax at the resort
• 10:30am dive
• 90 minutes to relax at the resort
• 1:30pm dive
• 1 hour to relax at the resort
• 4:00pm dive
• Decide I am too tired for the night dive and go to happy hour

Typical day at Blue Ribbon:

• 9am 2 morning dives with the rest interval on the boat
• 90 minutes to relax at the resort
• 3pm 1 tank dive
• dinner
• night dive

So I spent a lot more time on the boat at Blue Ribbon. Is this a fair comparison? Different resorts are going to have different boats, but go to the same dive sites. So you could even things out a little with slower boats in Sabang or faster boats in Anilao, but the dive locations will be in the same place they were for me.

Most resorts in either place can arrange a private driver to get you there fast at substantial cost. Anilao is a little closer, but travel time should be the same.

What $ amount is "substantial cost", please?

 

[bvbellomo]

What $ amount is "substantial cost", please?

Obviously that depends on your resort, how many people in your group, and it might change in the future. 6500php for either resort on my trip, but I've heard people talk about much higher numbers. So for me, not a huge part of the trip budget, but the si-kat was less than half this cost.

 

[chillyinCanada]

All I want to know is how much it would cost me, assuming I was alone and there are no other passengers.