Donsol Whale Sharks!

[Babydamulag]

VERDE is a "must see" before one leaves this earth.

BTW, we got a pod of spotted dolphins living off Lipata Point now....bizarre critters they are....hopefully they hang out permanently.

 

[Waterbaby09]

OK - Verde it is! Thanks guys.

 

[tarzana]

i guess that i found the right forum finally...

so from reading this i gather that donsol is a better place for snorkeling with a whale shark... Vitton Resort apparently is probably the better of the two... ouch!! 7 am is quite early!!

I will be taking a small group there so i will need to have some definite well laid out plans.

So the best thing is to go to the whale shark interaction visitor center to see these magnificent creatures? or has someone been there lately and can recommend a reliable contact that i can book with ahead of time?

getting there from manila.. we will arrive on a saturday about 3 or 4:
are there flights to Donsol or do you have to take a boat?

i think it would be best not to stay the whole week in Donsol.. any suggestions for a super dive area that we could get to in a day or half day in that area south of manila?

i have been to PG last april .. yes worth the trip but would like to see another excellent dive area, with great corals and good number of pelagics. diving in currents is good but not all the time for the divers that i will take-- photographers and a few less experienced. so would be good to have a place like PG where there are choices.

In PG the EL Galleon Resort and its dive op is a very good choice by the way-- out of the congestion of Sabong but when you want to get into the rhythm of the town it is only a 5 minute walk away.

thanks ahead of time for any comments anyone can offer.

 

[jigo]

you can fly from manila to legaspi which is about an hour away from donsol. check out cebupacificair.com for flight availability.
at donsol, the whale shark interaction center will hook you up with reliable guides.
for dives, anilao is very near manila and is a good place for macro photography. not much pelagics though except for some jacks and the rare shark encounter. if this is not good for you, maybe you can fly to cebu, bohol or dumaguete from manila.

 

[Waterbaby09]

Hi, OK... you need to be aware of the seasons with this region. We went last May - and they all promote Donsol as being great in May - and it was awful. We sat in the resort for days staring at wind and rain. The guides say the best/safest time to go is actually in/around March so be careful with your planning. The two main resorts Woodland and Vitton are both pretty sad and run down. Vitton is closest to the interaction centre, but the ambience/outlook is dull. Woodland has lovely gardens and the staff were very decent, but... this is not 3 star, not even one. Both resorts are owned by the same person.

If you want to dive as well, you can go to Ticao opposite. The small resort there is OK, staff are jaded but the rooms are nice enough. There is a dive centre on site.

Anilao is very good, try Crystal Blue Resort, we went a couple of years ago. Very nice. Coron is also interesting if you like wrecks and don't mind the extra flying time, but one of the best places for all round variety is Alona Beach. Dumaguete is good if you like macro stuff (atlantis are pricey but classy).

 

[pakman]

The two main resorts Woodland and Vitton are both pretty sad and run down. Vitton is closest to the interaction centre, but the ambience/outlook is dull. Woodland has lovely gardens and the staff were very decent, but... this is not 3 star, not even one. Both resorts are owned by the same person.

Yeah, these are pretty basic resorts... Actually my impression was the opposite of yours. We stayed at Woodland as Vitton was fully booked. I really wouldn't call it a "lovely garden", but at least they did some attempt at landscaping... Basic but clean rooms. Vitton at least has a bit livelier eating area with a little bar outside. The dining room at Woodland is depressing. Think elementary school cafeteria... with chickens and stray dogs outside...

 

[Waterbaby09]

Hey Pakman,

I do agree with you re these two resorts. They are a long way from being great but are OK for a night or two. Although I have to say our room wasn't even that clean, sheets were fresh though which is the main thing. I really liked the staff at Woodland so forgave them the cafeteria style dining room. It's a shame there isn't somewhere much nicer in this area.

 

[SgtSlaughter]

Amaizing pics of the sharks.

 

[tarzana]

BTW, if you end up doing any diving in Donsol, check out San Miguel Island. Kicking myself for having a macro lens and not a wide angle lens. Absolutely beautiful soft coral garden in the shallow and some pretty neat open swim thru's. There is also a muck dive site just up from the whale shark sanctuary where they claim to have hairy frogfish. Pretty silty site. We didn't find one... We also did 2 dives at Manta Bowl. 2hrs to get there, ripping currents, absolutely nothing to see if you don't get mantas or whale sharks...


Wow Wow Wow. such spectacular macro shots below, Pakman

thanks for the info : Jigo, pakman and waterbaby09...

so if iyou had a group and wanted to take them to a second place in PI after Donsol that had "all of it" macro, pelagics and pretty reefs which place would be your choice? and what dive OP and resort would you recommend?

 

[jigo]

i think you have a case of wanting everything in one site. i remember you posting that you dont want sites with strong currents. but, generally, that's where the pelagics are. i think best bet for you will be malapascua where there are sharnks, manta and very good macro.