Hi, we are macro muck lovers. We have been diving in places like Puerto Galera, Anilao, and Romblon in the past, and now we are heading to Dauin in April. How many dive days are recommended? We are looking for a nice accommodation on the beach, preferably a small one with great dive spots nearby. Which dive sites are the best? Is it worth adding Malapascua to our itinerary (excluding the thresher shark)? We are also considering adding Busuanga because of the dugong center nearby. Has anybody done it? Thanks for the reply.
Dauin + Malapaskcua + Busugana
- Thread starter Jordan23
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
JonnieB
Contributor
There is macro at Malapascue but it's not known for it. It is also at the other end of the Visayas from Dauin so adds complexity to your trip's logistics. How much time...as much as you can I'd think...7-14 days would be a good start. Liquid, Pura Vida, and Atmosphere are luxe accommodations. If you want superb macro dives, get in touch with Justin of Critter Republic, which is located at Sierra Resort (mid-market).
Dauin is NOT as good as Anilao. It is your holiday so you have to decide on the duration.
Bongo bongo divers.
Malaspascua is more than just thresher shark eg. mandarin fish near the light house.
Busuanga is better known for the wrecks.
Dauin, Apo Island, Siquijor and Sipalay will save you a lot of time and money on transfer(Malapascua + Busuanga). Exit Sipalay from Bacolod to Manila. There is no need to backtrack back to Dumaguete.
I had stayed at El Dorado and Liquid previously and none of them can be described as luxury. However, I have no problem with either one of them and will not suggest anything else without first hand experiences.
Anyone can suggest anything simple based on what is published on internet without any experience/knowledge whatsoever.
If you have money to spend then Atlantis or Mike should fit the bill. No experience on both of them. But they have been around quite a while.
Anyone can suggest anything simple based on what is published on internet without any experience/knowledge whatsoever.
If you have money to spend then Atlantis or Mike should fit the bill. No experience on both of them. But they have been around quite a while.
My wife and I spent 10 days in Dauin at Atmosphere Resort. We dived 30 some dives and had a great time. 6 of those dives were at Apo Island. This was our first time muck diving and we had a great time.
Attachments
eagleray180
Registered
As with @Centrals I've stayed at El Dorado and Liquid. Both are moderately priced ₱₱. El Dorado was always my go-to resort on multiple trips (I really loved that place) but unfortunately it closed during the covid lockdown and never reopened.
I stayed at Liquid last September and really enjoyed it. I think it was around ₱2500 (with breakfast) a night for a seaview cottage. I would (will!) easily stay there again. It is not "posh" but very comfortable, well run and in a beautiful setting right on the water. Two awesome pools, bar and restaurant prices are fair, great service and it is very chill. The owner couple are divers (British & American) and very cool people. You can find a lot of info on the web and on their site. I would recommend if you decide to book there to email and book (paying cash)...you may get a better rate then the booking sites. The owner is very responsive on email. With that said, it is a bit more remote and on the north side of Dauin. It is not on the main beach and there is no really any shore diving right out front as it is quite rocky. The dive shop shuttles you to the shore diving (muck) locations and also have a couple of boats for reefs and Apo runs. To explore Dauin more, you can just take a walk up the jungle road (20 min) to the main highway and hail a trike or the hotel will call one for you. There are a couple of very good and unique restaurants in town. Lokal Food and Beer Garden and Finbar are on the main highway and Frontemare Pizza (wood fired) right on the main beach.
If you want to be on the main beach and right off the shore diving areas, then you can check out Atlantis₱₱₱₱ , Pura Vida₱₱₱, Atmosphere ₱₱₱₱ or Mikes Resort₱₱. If you stay at any of these you are within walking distance to any of the above mentioned restaurants for a change of scenery from the resort.
I stayed at Liquid last September and really enjoyed it. I think it was around ₱2500 (with breakfast) a night for a seaview cottage. I would (will!) easily stay there again. It is not "posh" but very comfortable, well run and in a beautiful setting right on the water. Two awesome pools, bar and restaurant prices are fair, great service and it is very chill. The owner couple are divers (British & American) and very cool people. You can find a lot of info on the web and on their site. I would recommend if you decide to book there to email and book (paying cash)...you may get a better rate then the booking sites. The owner is very responsive on email. With that said, it is a bit more remote and on the north side of Dauin. It is not on the main beach and there is no really any shore diving right out front as it is quite rocky. The dive shop shuttles you to the shore diving (muck) locations and also have a couple of boats for reefs and Apo runs. To explore Dauin more, you can just take a walk up the jungle road (20 min) to the main highway and hail a trike or the hotel will call one for you. There are a couple of very good and unique restaurants in town. Lokal Food and Beer Garden and Finbar are on the main highway and Frontemare Pizza (wood fired) right on the main beach.
If you want to be on the main beach and right off the shore diving areas, then you can check out Atlantis₱₱₱₱ , Pura Vida₱₱₱, Atmosphere ₱₱₱₱ or Mikes Resort₱₱. If you stay at any of these you are within walking distance to any of the above mentioned restaurants for a change of scenery from the resort.
thx for your replay. i didnt understand when u say that there are better dive sites for macro on the shore or ? is azure resort is on the beach ?
eagleray180
Registered
I'll borrow Liquid's map (below) - All of the dive sites in Dauin run along the shore line. A series of moorings. Some can be accessed from shore and all by boat. Azure is on a beach south of the Dauin city proper. I am not familiar with it so I really can't comment. It is however located a 5 min walk to U-Ride Bike Rental if you want to rent a scooter to roam around the area a bit. Bob the owner of U-Bike is an American expat, a super nice guy and a wealth of information. If you do stay at Azure, please report back on your thoughts.
Similar threads
