scottydawg
Contributor
Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are on which what resort would be the preferred choice if I could go to one or the other in November?
Dumaguete or Puerto Galera
- Thread starter scottydawg
- 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
Kilili
Contributor
Depends what you like, how you dive, disposable income, etc. No one place is overall "best". Try scanning for reviews and such.
OP
scottydawg
Contributor
Ken I have read the reviews and cost is the same so I just wondered if anyone had a favorite between the two and why.
Kilili
Contributor
I shoot macro, so were I to pick, I'd stay at Apo Island Resort, across from Dumaguette. Pristine corals, few divers, lots to see. Nov may not be good time though, check with them. Next would be Bohol [Oasis Resort], a ferry trip from Dumaguette, or direct flight from Manila. Not impressed by Dauin, outside Dumaguette.
I find Anilao diving superior to Puerto Galera. Left Anilao 3 weeks ago and have been in PG ever since. PG has night life, but too many divers and rules as well. I'm diving with Sea Rider, which is low key,relaxed, and allow 80 min dives. They can suggest places in different price ranges. So many places to stay here and dive ops that you can mix and match as you choose. Don't like a place, switch.
In Anilao, Club Ocellaris beats all others. Best, and most experienced, knowledgeable guides. Long dive times. Their web site not so good, but don't be mislead by that. Most all are return customers, many for years, or word of mouth.
OP
scottydawg
Contributor
Hey Ken thank you for the input, this was just the kind of info I was looking for. I am glad to hear you are over there having fun! 
PG is great for tek diving or anywhere(Fish Bowl, Horse Head etc) deeper than 30m.
For some reasons Anilao get better vis than PG. In Anilao most dive operators would arrange two dives in the morning and you have to sit on a small banc boat during the surface interval. Not very nice if the weather is foul. In PG, you just return to base after every dive. It is more flexible in PG than anywhere else.
As far as I can remember the diving at Dumaguette was very ordinary. I was staying El DoRado and dived with Sea-Explorer yrs ago. Apo Island is different story but the resorts might not up to certain expectation.
If you have couple of weeks to spend then I would suggest a round trip to Malapascua, Bohol and Moalboal. Save Moalboal at the end because you would prefer fresh water for cleaning/washing!!!
Nov. is probably too early for whale shark in Southern Leyte.
For some reasons Anilao get better vis than PG. In Anilao most dive operators would arrange two dives in the morning and you have to sit on a small banc boat during the surface interval. Not very nice if the weather is foul. In PG, you just return to base after every dive. It is more flexible in PG than anywhere else.
As far as I can remember the diving at Dumaguette was very ordinary. I was staying El DoRado and dived with Sea-Explorer yrs ago. Apo Island is different story but the resorts might not up to certain expectation.
If you have couple of weeks to spend then I would suggest a round trip to Malapascua, Bohol and Moalboal. Save Moalboal at the end because you would prefer fresh water for cleaning/washing!!!
Nov. is probably too early for whale shark in Southern Leyte.
I just did 9 days in PG and I can't imagine anything being better. I did a week in Palau before PG and was worried that I was going to be disappointed after being spoiled by Palau. I was way wrong. I have never seen so many and diverse types of fish ANYWHERE. Verde Island wall/drop off is a must do dive site for everyone.
Massive amounts of fish. You won't believe your eyes. Just amazing.
I dove and stayed with Mermaid Hotel and Dive Center. Great hotel and very friendly staff. A little pricey for the area, but the hotel is above the town and stays pretty quiet at night. They also offer a great breakfast which is included in most packages
The only downside, as previously mentioned, it can get crowded. Basically you can't swim or snorkel at Sabang beach because of all of the boat traffic. And I don't understand why they force you to dive from a boat, literally 50 meters from the dive shops. It took longer to gear up then it took us to get to the dive site with the boat. During low tide you can almost walk to the Sabang wrecks, but again they make you hop on a boat, push you out to the site and then do your dive. Seems a bit silly to me.
Good luck and have a great time where ever you decided to dive.
Massive amounts of fish. You won't believe your eyes. Just amazing.
I dove and stayed with Mermaid Hotel and Dive Center. Great hotel and very friendly staff. A little pricey for the area, but the hotel is above the town and stays pretty quiet at night. They also offer a great breakfast which is included in most packages
The only downside, as previously mentioned, it can get crowded. Basically you can't swim or snorkel at Sabang beach because of all of the boat traffic. And I don't understand why they force you to dive from a boat, literally 50 meters from the dive shops. It took longer to gear up then it took us to get to the dive site with the boat. During low tide you can almost walk to the Sabang wrecks, but again they make you hop on a boat, push you out to the site and then do your dive. Seems a bit silly to me.
Good luck and have a great time where ever you decided to dive.
Two years ago we were in Dumaguete and last year in Puerto Galera at the end of November and early December both times. On the whole we preferred Dumaguete - especially Apo Island. Better visiblity and an incredible amount and variety of underwater life. Better beaches too for any non divers.
OP
scottydawg
Contributor
Thanks Abu, our local dive shop also said we would probably enjoy Dumaguete a bit more then PG.
Wantonmien
Contributor
scottydawg
Last year (March I think) we went to PG, then 2 months later in May to Dumaguete, staying 5 nights at both.
At both places we tried to get in as much diving as we could, to all the dive sites we were told 'had to be dived', and really enjoyed both locations.
PG, we stayed at La Laguna Beach Club and Dive Centre - Puerto Galera, Philippines - No probs with hotel, stayed in room at front looking onto ocean, food good, bar good, very good dive op they run. It's away from the busier part of Sabang, but of course we wandered into Sabang every night, where we found plenty of places to eat/drink/hang out. Diving wise, good, varied - Verde I could have dived over and over, and at some point we'll head back to PG as no qualms with the place.
Dumaguete we stayed at Diving Philippines - Private Residence VIP Resort - Diving Dauin Negros Oriental, Philippines - Diving resort and hotel - Apo Island - Diving Dumaguete City - hotel - which was booked for us by the dive op we used Diveworx - Dive Apo Island. Hotel itself nice, food fine, nice big pool, but outside the hotel very very little, and a fair distance (about 20 km) to get into town and restaurants. Diving from there though - great muck diving on the beach (Dauin), boat over to Apo, boat over to Siquijor - both of which were excellent (especially Apo), particularly as I was getting a bit bored with the muck diving others there were keen to do over and over.
Given choice now between the two, difficult, but I'd say Apo/Siquijor were the best dive sites of all dives I did in the two locations, so Dumaguete better diving, but dive sites not quite so easy to access as PG, and for sure PG was better for 'out of water' life ! ... go to both, I would !
If you're undecided and not set on either, you might find links below additional thought on location - we landed in Cebu and did a Moalboal & Mactan trip - rushed it with a couple of days diving in each, but actually found the combination of those two locations better than PG or Dumaguete !!
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ph...alboal-december-2-4-2010-some-pics-words.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ph...n-cebu-december-4-7-2010-some-words-pics.html
Hope that's of use, though maybe just adds to the 'which to go to' decision !!!
cheers.
Last year (March I think) we went to PG, then 2 months later in May to Dumaguete, staying 5 nights at both.
At both places we tried to get in as much diving as we could, to all the dive sites we were told 'had to be dived', and really enjoyed both locations.
PG, we stayed at La Laguna Beach Club and Dive Centre - Puerto Galera, Philippines - No probs with hotel, stayed in room at front looking onto ocean, food good, bar good, very good dive op they run. It's away from the busier part of Sabang, but of course we wandered into Sabang every night, where we found plenty of places to eat/drink/hang out. Diving wise, good, varied - Verde I could have dived over and over, and at some point we'll head back to PG as no qualms with the place.
Dumaguete we stayed at Diving Philippines - Private Residence VIP Resort - Diving Dauin Negros Oriental, Philippines - Diving resort and hotel - Apo Island - Diving Dumaguete City - hotel - which was booked for us by the dive op we used Diveworx - Dive Apo Island. Hotel itself nice, food fine, nice big pool, but outside the hotel very very little, and a fair distance (about 20 km) to get into town and restaurants. Diving from there though - great muck diving on the beach (Dauin), boat over to Apo, boat over to Siquijor - both of which were excellent (especially Apo), particularly as I was getting a bit bored with the muck diving others there were keen to do over and over.
Given choice now between the two, difficult, but I'd say Apo/Siquijor were the best dive sites of all dives I did in the two locations, so Dumaguete better diving, but dive sites not quite so easy to access as PG, and for sure PG was better for 'out of water' life ! ... go to both, I would !
If you're undecided and not set on either, you might find links below additional thought on location - we landed in Cebu and did a Moalboal & Mactan trip - rushed it with a couple of days diving in each, but actually found the combination of those two locations better than PG or Dumaguete !!
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ph...alboal-december-2-4-2010-some-pics-words.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ph...n-cebu-december-4-7-2010-some-words-pics.html
Hope that's of use, though maybe just adds to the 'which to go to' decision !!!
cheers.
Similar threads
- Question
