I got a couple of days off from work and decided to dive in Antique, PI and stayed at Phaidon Beach Resort. I flew into Caticlan from Manila (had to pay extra for baggage since max in 10kg) and was picked up at the airport by the resort owner. The resort is a little over an hour from the airport via some paved and some dirt road through a beautiful area. Checking in was a breeze as the resort is small and family run. The room was large and very nice with 2 beds and a great view of the ocean from the front and lanai (patio). There was a TV room but I never turned it on and there was no phone, net and intermittent cell phone coverage in the room.
Shortly after arriving I was off and on my first dives. Did 2 fun dives to some reefs just offshore and not far from the resort. The reefs were great, lots of life and lots to see and explore. It was just myself, the DM, resort employee and resort owner diving from the dive boat. Lots of starfish, Angelfish, Damsel Fish, hard and soft coral, fans, anenomes, clown fish nudi brancs and numerous other aquatic life. Vis was great around 70 feet and was great for taking pictures. Max depth was 61 feet for the first dive and 47 feet on the second dive. Bottom times were unhurried and averaged around an hour. After these dives it was back to the resort where I had dinner and a couple of beers and then off to sleep as I was wiped out.
Woke up early the next morning and my dive gear was packed away in a van and off we were into town. After about an hour drive into town the dive gear was packed away on the dive boat and I went with the owner to get lunch, freshly caught fish. The weather was perfect and the boat ride to a small offshore island was beautiful. The island is beautiful but the small village there was devastated from the typhoon in June. The first dive was a deep dive to a reef. Today it was myself, the DM, resort owner, resort employee, and the OIC from the local Coast Guard Station. This dive was great lots of fish of too numerous to describe varieties. Lots of nooks and crannies to explore. The Coast Guard new the site very well and pointed out several Lionfish, numerous nudibrancs, and a couple Morray Eels. The dive was great with vis over 100 feet and was great for taking pics. After this we headed back to a small beach on the island where the fish was cooked up and we ate. After that we headed just offshore of the small island. This site was fairly deep and laced with canyons. The views here were great and there was not nearly enough time to explore it all. I could spend weeks at this site alone exploring all the canyons, swim throughs, nooks and crannies. The Coast Guard guy again knew this site very well and pointed out lots of aquatic life and with 100 plus feet of vis there was lots to take pictures of. After this dive we cruised around to the other side of the island and hung out for a bit before making our third dive. This was a shallow dive of about 35 feet max to a shallow reef. This dive was fantastic. Vis was around 80 feet and there was tons to see. Several types of eels, nudi brancs, several Lionfish, Stingrays, and Eels of several types. The reef was in good shape and I got lots of pictures here. This was a great dive! Bottom times were around 50 minutes. After I got back to the resort after a full day I was beat tired, got some dinner a couple of beers and swapped diving stories with the resort owner. After that is was off to bed where I was asleep before hitting my pillow. Great day of diving.
The third day of diving we headed off to town once again. We headed off to what was the deep Clam Farm. This site was devastated from the typhoon. The reef was very damaged and there little to see. The clam farm was gone. Depth here was 120 feet and vis 50 feet at best. It might have just been a bad day to dive here but I called the dive and we surfaced. After this we again headed to the island and cooked up some fresh fish. There was some question as to permits with the Coast Guard. The resort got the permit to dive off the island as the area is protected but there is a wreck that was sunk during the typhoon that is being salvaged and guarded by the Coast Guard and a second permit was needed. Rather comical as the second permit simply stated they have permission to dive. The second dive was a new spot that was everyone's first time diving as this site is simply a fisherman's spot with a reef. The dive was good and was a huge circular reef. There was lots of aquatic life but the reef was damaged typhoon and dynamite fishing. Max depth was 55 feet and vis was around 60 feet. We stopped at another spot on the island where fresh water stream on the island flows into the ocean on the island, it is a beautiful spot on the island. The third dive of the day was again back to the same last dive spot. We overshot the reef and since I was already in the water I just hung on to the outrigger as we cruised back to the right spot (thank goodness I attempt to stay in shape). The dive here to this spot was again outstanding. Vis was excellent at 100 feet plus and there was tons of aquatic life to see once again. Bottom dive here was well over an hour. It was great diving here again as I saw several Stingrays, Lionfish, Scorpionfish, Eels of several types, nudibrancs, too much to see and do in a single dive. Regretfully I came up after over an hour under and we headed back to town.
All in all it was a good couple days of diving. This is not your typical diving though. This is more of adventure diving. The dive boats are very small and are usually local fishing boats. They are more like large canoes with outriggers and a small motor on the back. You backroll into the water with your masks, fins and weights on and your BCD is handed to you in the water and you put it on in the water as there is not enough room in the dive boats to put the gear on in the boat. When you surface you take off your gear hand it up and pull yourself up into the boat. The dive sites are very easy to dive sites the entry and exits make this diving more challenging and advanced diving. As far as I could tell we were the only divers anywhere in the area and the sites were untouched by mass diving operations. While the diving was good it was a bit overpriced in my view.
The resort was great. The food was good and service was always excellent. The room was huge and comfortable. This is the place you want to go to get away from it all and I do mean get away from it all. There is a small village right outside the resort and then there is nothing but rice patties, but the surrounding area is beautiful, quiet and peaceful. The beach is beautiful and is the first time I have seen a white sand beach the is so beautiful, huge and for the most part untouched. The resort does not specifically cater to divers but also offers kayaking on nearby river, mountain hiking and other activities.
If you are thinking of coming here some things to think ahead about are: the resort accepts cash payment or wire transfer payment only (No Credit Cards, no ATMs anywhere in the area either), all airports charge 200 pesos for terminal tax for domestic flights inside PI and 750 pesos for international travel, transportation to/from the airport by the resort is about $35 and takes a little over an hour, Philippine Airlines max baggage is 1 bag and 10 Kg however the charge for going over was only about $10 for domestic flights to/from Caticlan.
All in all it was a good vacation. I tried to keep this as objective and honest as possible. Below are some pictures.
Shortly after arriving I was off and on my first dives. Did 2 fun dives to some reefs just offshore and not far from the resort. The reefs were great, lots of life and lots to see and explore. It was just myself, the DM, resort employee and resort owner diving from the dive boat. Lots of starfish, Angelfish, Damsel Fish, hard and soft coral, fans, anenomes, clown fish nudi brancs and numerous other aquatic life. Vis was great around 70 feet and was great for taking pictures. Max depth was 61 feet for the first dive and 47 feet on the second dive. Bottom times were unhurried and averaged around an hour. After these dives it was back to the resort where I had dinner and a couple of beers and then off to sleep as I was wiped out.
Woke up early the next morning and my dive gear was packed away in a van and off we were into town. After about an hour drive into town the dive gear was packed away on the dive boat and I went with the owner to get lunch, freshly caught fish. The weather was perfect and the boat ride to a small offshore island was beautiful. The island is beautiful but the small village there was devastated from the typhoon in June. The first dive was a deep dive to a reef. Today it was myself, the DM, resort owner, resort employee, and the OIC from the local Coast Guard Station. This dive was great lots of fish of too numerous to describe varieties. Lots of nooks and crannies to explore. The Coast Guard new the site very well and pointed out several Lionfish, numerous nudibrancs, and a couple Morray Eels. The dive was great with vis over 100 feet and was great for taking pics. After this we headed back to a small beach on the island where the fish was cooked up and we ate. After that we headed just offshore of the small island. This site was fairly deep and laced with canyons. The views here were great and there was not nearly enough time to explore it all. I could spend weeks at this site alone exploring all the canyons, swim throughs, nooks and crannies. The Coast Guard guy again knew this site very well and pointed out lots of aquatic life and with 100 plus feet of vis there was lots to take pictures of. After this dive we cruised around to the other side of the island and hung out for a bit before making our third dive. This was a shallow dive of about 35 feet max to a shallow reef. This dive was fantastic. Vis was around 80 feet and there was tons to see. Several types of eels, nudi brancs, several Lionfish, Stingrays, and Eels of several types. The reef was in good shape and I got lots of pictures here. This was a great dive! Bottom times were around 50 minutes. After I got back to the resort after a full day I was beat tired, got some dinner a couple of beers and swapped diving stories with the resort owner. After that is was off to bed where I was asleep before hitting my pillow. Great day of diving.
The third day of diving we headed off to town once again. We headed off to what was the deep Clam Farm. This site was devastated from the typhoon. The reef was very damaged and there little to see. The clam farm was gone. Depth here was 120 feet and vis 50 feet at best. It might have just been a bad day to dive here but I called the dive and we surfaced. After this we again headed to the island and cooked up some fresh fish. There was some question as to permits with the Coast Guard. The resort got the permit to dive off the island as the area is protected but there is a wreck that was sunk during the typhoon that is being salvaged and guarded by the Coast Guard and a second permit was needed. Rather comical as the second permit simply stated they have permission to dive. The second dive was a new spot that was everyone's first time diving as this site is simply a fisherman's spot with a reef. The dive was good and was a huge circular reef. There was lots of aquatic life but the reef was damaged typhoon and dynamite fishing. Max depth was 55 feet and vis was around 60 feet. We stopped at another spot on the island where fresh water stream on the island flows into the ocean on the island, it is a beautiful spot on the island. The third dive of the day was again back to the same last dive spot. We overshot the reef and since I was already in the water I just hung on to the outrigger as we cruised back to the right spot (thank goodness I attempt to stay in shape). The dive here to this spot was again outstanding. Vis was excellent at 100 feet plus and there was tons of aquatic life to see once again. Bottom dive here was well over an hour. It was great diving here again as I saw several Stingrays, Lionfish, Scorpionfish, Eels of several types, nudibrancs, too much to see and do in a single dive. Regretfully I came up after over an hour under and we headed back to town.
All in all it was a good couple days of diving. This is not your typical diving though. This is more of adventure diving. The dive boats are very small and are usually local fishing boats. They are more like large canoes with outriggers and a small motor on the back. You backroll into the water with your masks, fins and weights on and your BCD is handed to you in the water and you put it on in the water as there is not enough room in the dive boats to put the gear on in the boat. When you surface you take off your gear hand it up and pull yourself up into the boat. The dive sites are very easy to dive sites the entry and exits make this diving more challenging and advanced diving. As far as I could tell we were the only divers anywhere in the area and the sites were untouched by mass diving operations. While the diving was good it was a bit overpriced in my view.
The resort was great. The food was good and service was always excellent. The room was huge and comfortable. This is the place you want to go to get away from it all and I do mean get away from it all. There is a small village right outside the resort and then there is nothing but rice patties, but the surrounding area is beautiful, quiet and peaceful. The beach is beautiful and is the first time I have seen a white sand beach the is so beautiful, huge and for the most part untouched. The resort does not specifically cater to divers but also offers kayaking on nearby river, mountain hiking and other activities.
If you are thinking of coming here some things to think ahead about are: the resort accepts cash payment or wire transfer payment only (No Credit Cards, no ATMs anywhere in the area either), all airports charge 200 pesos for terminal tax for domestic flights inside PI and 750 pesos for international travel, transportation to/from the airport by the resort is about $35 and takes a little over an hour, Philippine Airlines max baggage is 1 bag and 10 Kg however the charge for going over was only about $10 for domestic flights to/from Caticlan.
All in all it was a good vacation. I tried to keep this as objective and honest as possible. Below are some pictures.
