Diving in February - please recommend honeymoon spots!

[escher123]

My fiance is an advanced certified scuba diver while I'm just a beginner but love snorkelling. Can you please suggest a great destination in Phillipines or Indonesia for our honeymoon in February next year? If there is the possibility of spoting manta rays and whale sharks that would be awesome! Thanks in advance

 

[h2odragon1]

Philippines!!!
No other place to go for a dream Honeymoon!
Bohol would be a great choice. Particularly Panglao Is. Isis Bungalows - Welcome to Isis Bungalows Welcome to Flower Garden Resort http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ph...rs/249439-alona-beach-bohol-courtesy-map.html Welcome to Bohol, Philippines
You can off-gas with a trip to the chocolate hills, visit the tarsiers, or a lunch trip down the Loboc river. Lot's to do yet can be as quiet as you want. You'll want to dive Balicasag Is.

 

[pakman]

escher, first off congrats on your upcoming wedding.

To help us help you, how much time do you plan on spending and are you looking for budget accomodations or more fancy resorts?

whale sharks, I think you've got two options for near sure things. 1) snorkel with them in Donsol or 2) dive/snorkel with them in Sogod Bay. Resorts there are very basic. Not very honeymoon-ish. But if you like that kind of thing, both are very peaceful, off-the-beaten-track kind of places.

Mantas, I have only seen them consistently in Malapascua (north of Cebu).

edit: now if you're priority is a nice romantic 5 star resort with spa, then I think Bali might be a better choice. But I'm not 100% sure whether Feb is Manta season.

 

[Babydamulag]

Congrats on the wedding plans. If you are into super creature comforts then Cebu's Plantation Bay might fit your needs. You ocean diving will be limited (as it should be on a honeymoon).....
They are a good one-stop-shop for that kind of event.

 

[chip104]

Congrats on your wedding, escher. For a really great honeymoon spot, check out El Nido, Palawan. Diving isn't as well known as other places in the Philippines, but the scenery and honeymoon feel is definitely top notch.

 

[kathydee]

Congratulations! Lots of people honeymoon in Bali Indonesia because it's beautiful, affordable and safe.

You'll probably see manta rays at "manta point" - in nusa penida.

 

[eagerbeaver]

have to second chip on el nido as a top HM destination. Not sure about mantas etc though.

 

[shugar]

i 3rd chip and matt on el nido...

you'll definitely have the honeymoon of a lifetime...

btw: congrats!!!

Jag

 

[jigo]

check out also new upscale resorts in Panglao. google eskaya and amorita resorts. never been there but they look nice.

 

[flying fish]

I have to 4th chip on El Nido. Conde Nast recently chose it as one of the best "green" resorts in the world. Not sure about the diving there though. Bohol is also another nice choice. If you wanna splurge a bit, Alona Palm would be my choice. Better yet, go around a bunch of places. Cebu, Bohol, Palawan, Dumaguete. All of these places are accessible from Cebu. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding too.

Dennis