donsol whalesharks

[pughio83]

I am a regular in the philippines ut was wondering if anyone has advice regarding donsol and seeing the whalesharks in march/april

1) stay in donsol or legaspi? if so any recommendations?
2)best way to get there
3)can you get on the trips or excursions without booking ie turn up?
4) How many days you ideally need from point of arriving in manila to being finished in donsol if a days trip with the whale sharks was enough?

Any info appreciated

 

[Propatriamori]

1. Stay in Donsol. Went I went I found the ride from Legaspi to be longer than expected.
2. Cebu Pac from Manila to Legaspi, 45 minutes. Van from Legaspi to Donsol, the Donsol tourism office can help with the arrangements.
3. Probably should call the Tourism office in Donsol, you will need to show up there anyway. They will have all the info and can probably hook you up.
4. I did it in a weekend, Fly down Saturday morning, in the water by Saturday afternoon. Overnight in Donsol then another trip on the boat Sunday morning, a ride back to Legaspi, then back in Manila by Sunday evening. Saw 15-20 Whale sharks that weekend, it was mid April

There's a nice little resto on the beach there, can't seem to recall then name though.

 

[pughio83]

Cheers that's great help. Will def try n get there next mar-April time.

 

[Kevster]

I was in Donsol in Feb. See link for some info.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ph...rip-report-part-3-donsol-boracay-summary.html

I would recommend.
Stay in donsol.
Fly from Manila then get cheap transport from airport to Donsol. Normally there is a mini bus at the airport that will take you to donsol.
3 days will be ok. 2 days in the water.

 

[broadreach]

Some good replies so far. Here are some additional suggestions:

1) stay in donsol or legaspi? if so any recommendations?

-> As mentioned above, definitely stay in Donsol for the whale shark interaction. It will be extremely difficult to travel back and forth. I stayed at the Amor Beach Farm and can recommend it. It is only a 15 minutes walk from Amor to the Whaleshark interaction center (or a 2 minute trike ride). I communicated with Rasyl (rasyl_r_amor at yahoo) but ultimately just showed up and got a room on the spot (the last one they had available). Other people like the Vitton Resort,adjacent to the whale shark interaction center. It is a little more expensive.
If you want to check out the volcano, you might consider spending one night in Legazpi City.

2)best way to get there

-> As mentioned above - Cebu Pacific flight from Manila to Legazpi. Once in Legazpi you can either share a van with other tourists straight from the airport, or walk outside grab a tricycle to Terminal and take the public van to Donsol (leaves when full, so you might need to wait 20 minutes) - a bit more hassle but cheaper.

3)can you get on the trips or excursions without booking ie turn up?

->Just turn up. No need to book whale shark interactions in advance. But you will need to be there early enough to make the morning interaction or sign-in in the afternoon and go out the next day. Things can be a bit chaotic there in the morning, and you are required to watch a short video. They will match you up with a boat so you can share the cost, or you can just ask around and find a group to join.

4) How many days you ideally need from point of arriving in manila to being finished in donsol if a days trip with the whale sharks was enough?

->When I was there in mid March they only had morning excursions, so I couldn't have made it out the first day. Two additional days of interactions were good enough for me. I also did a third day of diving in the manta bowl but failed to see mantas.

Other things to consider:
-Check the calendar and avoid traveling during Holly Week (around Easter).
-Allocate some time to check out Mt. Mayon (see photo on Kevster's trip report above). This is better done from Legazpi City itself and not from Donsol.
-Internet access was only available in Donsol village
-If you're sick of the resort food go into Donsol village for a meal

Enjoy your trip.

 

[pughio83]

thanks everyone great advice and look forward to the visit next yr.! nice picture!

 

[Izel]

Hi there!

The whale shark sightings can start as early as December up until May. But it will peak in March. So, your timing is just about right.

I took two trips to Bicol this year, one in Feb and the other in May 2010. Both times I stayed in Vitton resort which is just besides the Whale Shark Interaction Center. They are a bit pricey if you decide to stay longer. There are other accomodation options like Home Stay that is less expensive. We will be going back there in December soon as the first sightings starts. Please see the link below for accomodation choices.

Procedure Upon Arrival in Donsol

It's best if you're sleeping in Donsol the day before your target whale watching date. You can already sign up and watch the whale watching video in the afternoon or evening so you wouldn't have to do this in the morning.

You might want to check out and include in your itinerary other scenic places in the area such as:
1. fire fly watching on the river cruise in Donsol
2. Mayon Volcano in Albay
3. Wake boarding at CWC in Pili, Cam Sur
4. Caramoan island hopping in Cam Sur

Enjoy the Philippines!!!

Regards,
Gi

 

[pughio83]

Great advice Izel, shall definately look at vitton, other ppl have advised this as close to interaction centre. Look forward to my visit.

 

[joebubbles]

Since you are a diver, why don't you go to Sogod Bay, Southern Leyte, where you can have good viz of the whalesharks and some of the best diving that the Phils have to offer. Problem with Donsol is that the viz is lousy because of the plankton. The upside of Donsol is that you will have about 100% chance of an interaction.
The link below is of my whaleshark interaction at Limasawa Island. It was taken April 2010.
Majestic Whalesharks and Dancing Sardines HD on Vimeo

 

[Izel]

Since you are a diver, why don't you go to Sogod Bay, Southern Leyte, where you can have good viz of the whalesharks and some of the best diving that the Phils have to offer.

Hi Joe,

What's the best time to dive in Sogod Bay for a 100% whale shark sighting?

Regards,
Gi