People looking for a dive resort may run accross Evergreen Diving Resort on Popototan Island in Palawan, Philippines.
Evergreen Diving Resort Palawan Philippines - Best discount hotel rates
Evergreen Diving Philippins
The photos on the websites are quite inviting and we knew people who had stayed there 5 years ago so we contacted the owner/operator directly and made arrangements to stay 7 nights.
On arrival we discovered a few run down cabins and a bunch of unhappy customers. Our bathroom had a centimeter of water standing on the floor. Water leaked continuously from the toilet in spite of almost no water pressure in the sink and shower. The bamboo floors had dangerous holes and weak spots. Other guests reported similar conditions. At least one guest was injured seriously when she her foot fell through the flooring.
The resort dive boat had broken down and small general purpose boat was pressed into service in its place. It was operated by men in their teens who had no scuba related experience.
No proper pier existed for loading the boat. Instead, a rickety rope ferry was used to get people and supplies out to the boats during low tide. On at least one occasion guest luggage was dumped into the water.
The entire staff had been recently replaced and were untrained and confused about their responsibilities. Workers lacked confidence and seemed to be operating in a state of fear.
When we arrived, a large group of German customers had been suffering for a while under bad conditions. They were disgusted and furious because most had paid a lot to a travel agency, expecting a good dive resort.
On the up side, the new chef prepared excellent meals for the kitchen and for the dive trips.
The owner/operator was also the divemaster on all dives. He succeeded in taking the fun out of diving at every opportunity. Above and below water his manners were rude. Apparently to distract us from the uncomfortable conditions he tried to constantly entertain the guests with stories from his past. We wanted to interact with him as little as possible.
Dive equipment available for rental was very old and in bad repair. Divers that did not bring their own equipment quickly decided that snorkelling from the beach was more fun than diving.
In every case customers left angry and disappointed. We made other arrangements and left after 3 nights. Unfortunately, the anger and fear stayed with us for the rest of our vacation.
In my opinion, I would not book diving at Evergreen unless you have specific knowledge that things have improved there.
Evergreen Diving Resort Palawan Philippines - Best discount hotel rates
Evergreen Diving Philippins
The photos on the websites are quite inviting and we knew people who had stayed there 5 years ago so we contacted the owner/operator directly and made arrangements to stay 7 nights.
On arrival we discovered a few run down cabins and a bunch of unhappy customers. Our bathroom had a centimeter of water standing on the floor. Water leaked continuously from the toilet in spite of almost no water pressure in the sink and shower. The bamboo floors had dangerous holes and weak spots. Other guests reported similar conditions. At least one guest was injured seriously when she her foot fell through the flooring.
The resort dive boat had broken down and small general purpose boat was pressed into service in its place. It was operated by men in their teens who had no scuba related experience.
No proper pier existed for loading the boat. Instead, a rickety rope ferry was used to get people and supplies out to the boats during low tide. On at least one occasion guest luggage was dumped into the water.
The entire staff had been recently replaced and were untrained and confused about their responsibilities. Workers lacked confidence and seemed to be operating in a state of fear.
When we arrived, a large group of German customers had been suffering for a while under bad conditions. They were disgusted and furious because most had paid a lot to a travel agency, expecting a good dive resort.
On the up side, the new chef prepared excellent meals for the kitchen and for the dive trips.
The owner/operator was also the divemaster on all dives. He succeeded in taking the fun out of diving at every opportunity. Above and below water his manners were rude. Apparently to distract us from the uncomfortable conditions he tried to constantly entertain the guests with stories from his past. We wanted to interact with him as little as possible.
Dive equipment available for rental was very old and in bad repair. Divers that did not bring their own equipment quickly decided that snorkelling from the beach was more fun than diving.
In every case customers left angry and disappointed. We made other arrangements and left after 3 nights. Unfortunately, the anger and fear stayed with us for the rest of our vacation.
In my opinion, I would not book diving at Evergreen unless you have specific knowledge that things have improved there.
+ 5 € rentalfee for the Diveequipment. In Total: Up to 30 € per Dive. In Coron you three(!) Dives for just 50 €. Also his roomrates are completely overprized: 34 and 39 € per Person – all inclusive - by the standards described above far too much.
