Apo Island

[cmneus]

The whalesharks at Oslob is more or less a whole year affair. Whether you like the presentation is entirely up to you. It is your holiday afterall.

The ball of sardines at Moalboal is not to be missed if they are around.

Anilao and PG are good but Visayas is so much better.

I read some reviews about Oslob and it's presentation...and it turned me off some...so did the comment someone else made on this thread.

Moalboal is on the very top of my list for the sardines.....just not sure how to know when they are there! Certain times of year or just hit or miss???? Looking into that more too.

Anilao sounds amazing but the places around Cebu and Dumaguete are all close together so like you say, without doing back tracking I should maybe just focus on that area...and that gives me more than enough variety and places for the time (and money) that I will have. thank you!!!

I've read that the trip to Malapascua is long and rough....so I was sort of reluctantly taking that off my list...

I have time to do a lot of planning and research so I'm sure my plan will change a few times yet!

 

[Kevrumbo]

Here's one big whirlwind Visayas Tour Itinerary that I'm considering on going (only one dive day at Apo Island though):

Option 1: Golden Triangle Combo
Sept 1-16, 2014 $4300
40 DIVES POSSIBLE
15 Nights (5 nights Atmosphere Resort, 5 nights Sea Explorers, 5 Nights Amun Ini)
September 1-6, 2014

- 5 nights/ 6 days accommodation double or twin share in a suite room

- Manila airport meet and greet, domestic terminal transfer (excluding domestic flights )

- Dumaguete Airport to Atmosphere round trip transfer
- Full board (breakfast, 2 course lunch, 3 course dinner)

- Complementary unlimited filtered water
- Complementary tea and coffee in rooms

- One amazing beach BBQ night 
- Free Wi-Fi internet 
- All government taxes (excluding airport taxes) 

Diving: One free check out shore dive on day of arrival

- 3 days unlimited day diving (incl tanks weights, marine park fees, 4 scheduled day boat dives 

- 1 day diving at Apo Island (incl tanks weights, marine park fees) 

- Additional charges for dusk or night dives after 5pm 
- Complementary Nitrox fills for the entire stay


September 6-11, 2014
- 5 nights/ 6 days accommodation double or twin share deluxe room 

- Atmosphere via Balicasac including 2 dives transfer to Cabilao

- Cabilao to Mocboc port Bohol one way transfer

- Full board (breakfast, 2 course lunch, 3 course dinner)

- Complementary unlimited filtered water
- Complementary tea and coffee 

- Free Wi-Fi internet

- All government taxes (excluding airport taxes) 

Diving: 2 dives on transfer from Dauin via Balicasac to Cabilao (incl tanks weights, marine park fees)

- 4 days unlimited day diving (incl tanks weights, marine park fees, 4 scheduled day boat dives

- Additional charges dusk or night dives after 5pm


September 11-16, 2014
- 5 nights/ 6 days accommodation double or twin share in a deluxe ocean/ garden view room 

- Mocboc pier to Amun Ini Resort transfer

- Amun Ini Resort to Tagbilaran airport one way transfer

- Full board (breakfast, 2 course lunch, 3 course dinner)

- Complementary unlimited filtered water, – Complementary tea and coffee in rooms 

- One amazing beach BBQ night 

- Free Wi-Fi internet

- All government taxes (excluding airport taxes)
Diving: One free check out shore dive on day of arrival 

- 10 day dives (incl tanks weights, marine park fees).
- Additional charges for dusk or night dives after 5pm

Philippines Dive Trip 2014 | © Hollywood Divers

 

[cmneus]

Found this....pretty cool. My top 10 dive sites of my trip to Philippines 2011 - YouTube

 

[humuhumunukunuku]

i was in apo several years ago. stayed on apo at apo island beach resort. very beautiful picturesqu setting, nice bar/restaurant at the top of the beach. rooms were basic i that you shower by pouring pails of water over your head, etc... but it was amazing there. i would definately stay on apo and not in dumaguette. you can walk through the little village and see how basic life is there. all the kids will run up to you and want their picture taken. can wlk to the sanctuary for some amazing snorkeling. diving was great, not much big stuff except turtles, but loads of nice coral, nudis, fish, garden eels, blue ribnon eel, ghost pipefish, nudis, and i think we saw 3 different types of frogfish on the first dive alone. that beach resort is small so need to book in advance, and there are only two resorts to stay on the island. not sure about prices now, but when i was there, rooms were about $40 per night, dives $20 each, and beer was cheaper than water!

 

[cmneus]

AWESOME. That sounds amazing....that's the sort of thing I want to see too. Along with the sardines at Moalboal and the threshers and mantas at Malapascua that sounds like a great variety!
Thank you!

i was in apo several years ago. stayed on apo at apo island beach resort. very beautiful picturesqu setting, nice bar/restaurant at the top of the beach. rooms were basic i that you shower by pouring pails of water over your head, etc... but it was amazing there. i would definately stay on apo and not in dumaguette. you can walk through the little village and see how basic life is there. all the kids will run up to you and want their picture taken. can wlk to the sanctuary for some amazing snorkeling. diving was great, not much big stuff except turtles, but loads of nice coral, nudis, fish, garden eels, blue ribnon eel, ghost pipefish, nudis, and i think we saw 3 different types of frogfish on the first dive alone. that beach resort is small so need to book in advance, and there are only two resorts to stay on the island. not sure about prices now, but when i was there, rooms were about $40 per night, dives $20 each, and beer was cheaper than water!

 

[Smudger]

Hi my wife and I have just booked a week in Dauin and a week in Puerto Gallera for May.
It is our first time in the Philippines but the chap we booked with speaks very highly of both areas.
Have a look at these couple of videos. They are not from the person we booked with but are very good. And hopefully give an idea of what to expect.

Ian

http://vimeo.com/78957681
http://vimeo.com/78870444


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[cmneus]

I've been watching them on You Tube! Here, they have several videos featuring above and below water destinations and activities!!! This is just Part 1 but go on to watch the rest....quite good. 20 : 15 : 2012 : Philippines : Part 1 - YouTube

Hi my wife and I have just booked a week in Dauin and a week in Puerto Gallera for May.
It is our first time in the Philippines but the chap we booked with speaks very highly of both areas.
Have a look at these couple of videos. They are not from the person we booked with but are very good. And hopefully give an idea of what to expect.

Ian

Philippine Dive Holidays - Diving Apo Island on Vimeo
Philippine Dive Holidays - Diving Dumaguete on Vimeo


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Centrals]

I really do not understand the reason for diving at PG and Dauin in a same trip. The transfer is tedious and time consuming and you might have to sit out any diving the afternoon before the domestic flight to Dumaguete on the following day.
Getting from PG to Anilao take no more than 3hrs. In another words, by the time you arrive at Manila airport you could well be diving at Anilao already. BTW, the macro in Anilao is probably better than those in Dauin.
As I had already said Anilao + PG is good but Visayas is better. The problem is how to do it with minimum of fuss.

 

[cmneus]

I have my plan down to this: Fly in to Cebu City instead of Manila. Public transfer to Malapascua (private transport is only offered with dive packages for 2+ people and I am single). Spend 3-4 days in Malapascua. Public transport back to Cebu City. Then, either fast ferry from Cebu City to Dumaguete and spend several days diving Dumaguete/Dauin and then Apo or from Cebu City take transport to either Oslob for the whalesharks (haven't decided for or against it yet....) or to Moalboal (if the sardines are there) and then from either place public transport/ferry to Dumaguete/Dauin for a few days diving and the rest of the time I have (hopefully 2-3 days) in Apo and back to Cebu City and home.
Skipping any domestic flights=no lost time diving but more tranportation time....it gets to be a lot of hopping around with the time in Oslob/Moalboal, but it's not like it's finalized yet. I'm planning on making my booking in Malapascua and from there sort of winging it with names of places to stay and names of places to dive with in each place so that if I am liking a place I can stay an extra day or two.

I'm trying to stay in the region right around Cebu since I don't want to fly...

Any suggestions about this plan? I will have about three weeks.

I really do not understand the reason for diving at PG and Dauin in a same trip. The transfer is tedious and time consuming and you might have to sit out any diving the afternoon before the domestic flight to Dumaguete on the following day.
Getting from PG to Anilao take no more than 3hrs. In another words, by the time you arrive at Manila airport you could well be diving at Anilao already. BTW, the macro in Anilao is probably better than those in Dauin.
As I had already said Anilao + PG is good but Visayas is better. The problem is how to do it with minimum of fuss.

 

[Centrals]

1. As far as I know the private transfer is available to anyone who is willing to pay. The van usually takes 6 passengers + luggages. Bloody expensive(US$200.00+) though if you are the only paying customer!!!
2. If you do decide to use public bus(Northern Buys Terminal) then make sure you start very early in the morning. Otherwise you might need to charter the whole boat from Maya to Malapascua in the afternoon.
3. A full day journey from Malapascua to Dumaguete or Moalboal(slightly shorter).
4. Fast craft from Cebu to Dumaguete is NOT that frequent(Ocean Jet) but you can take the direct or indirect bus from the Southern Bus Terminal(bus for Moalboal also departs from there) in Cebu to Dumaguete via couple of ports.
5. Moalboal is a inland town and Panagsama Beach is where you need to go. A short tricycle ride from Moalboal.
6. Shared van is quicker but you need to buy two seats if you have luggage. A Toyota Hi-Ace or similar is designed for six passengers but it will take upward of 18 in this case!!!!!! Pack like sardines!!!!