First time to the Philippines and need help

[WOODMAN]

I have to chip in and mention that fantastic free buffet breakfast which usually comes with a night's stay at the Remington. They serve it in "Hawker's Market", which is basically on the main floor and just around a corner from the reception desk, so you can't miss it. It had the biggest selection of breakfast menu items I have EVER seen. Hot, cold, American, Asian, custom cooked, soups, fruits of all types, breads, desserts, lions and tigers and bears-oh my! They literally had dozens of entrees. If you can't find something to your taste here, then you really have issues. Just remember to get a breakfast pass (one for each diner!) at the reception desk when you check in.

I guess I had to update this post, as the free breakfast at Hawker's Market is no more. Actually. Hawker's Market is no more! I am told that they removed it and used the space to install a McDonalds! There is a limited free breakfast available, but you have to go outside and cross the street to the Casino, where it is located. And I hope there are no underage members of your party, as the casino won't let them in, even for the free breakfast. Oh well, nothing lasts forever, I guess.

 

[SlowSBC]

I've only been to Sogod Bay once and it wasn't the optimum time of year to see whale sharks, although one was spotted at around 30 meters during one of our dives there. It wasn't a whale shark trip though, just a sighting incidental to a dive. Apparently this isn't that uncommon, although of course luck always plays a role

As a photographer I have pretty much zero interest in fighting a crowd of people to get a photograph. I'd rather be in a small group which in my experience has minimal impact on the marine environment or the creatures in it. In Sogod Bay interaction is limited by local ordinance and at least on the surface seems much more controlled than what we're hearing about Oslob. Like other places in the Philippines, a trip specifically for whale sharks restricts divers to snorkeling gear only. It's in the best interest of everyone that the whale sharks are minimally impacted. I'm not sure conditioning them to associate people with food is in their best interest, but as you said, we can agree on the Philippines and disagree on how some things are being done there

Don't think that I'm necessarily discouraging people from Oslob, I just think Sogod Bay in Southern Leyte sounds like a better choice for me based on the report I heard here. I think that promoting tourism, especially dive tourism is good thing.

I couldn't agree more with your post. My wife and I are the same way. Our first warning signs were in Moalboal when the dive shop there said they do not do the whale shark trip due to the issues that were mentioned. In Dauin we spoke with someone at Liquid and they said they are also against going. We went with Mikes based on a couple divers we talked to and they said the trip was worth going too. I never imagined it would be that crowded.

Tip to those going to Oslob to snorkel with the whale shark.. Leave the crowd as the boats are feeding and search for whale shark swimming around the area. This avoids the big crowd and gives you a more personal experience. You will have to go under as they are not be on the surface feeding.. but rather 3-4 meters down.. or deeper.. no crowd, clearer water, more gentle interaction ... I wish I discovered this from the start but rather only had 10-15 minutes on my own and seen 2 different whale shark within short touching distance.. Hopefully this helps someone planning to go on this trip

 

[FyshEye]

Thank you for this thread. I really appreciate SlowSBC following up on their trip. My wife (non-diver) and I have just recently wanted to go to the Philippines. We planed a trip to Belize and that fell through. I don't know if we can pull it all together at this late notice for a week, but we are going to sure try.


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[critterdiver]

For the things you're planning to see i'd recommend to stay in the Visayas area.

1. Malapascua to see the thresher sharks
2. Dumaguete-Negros for great macro diving - from dumaguete you can also visit the whalesharks in oslob (take note they're being fed by the locals, but you can see quite a lot of them). Apo Island with beautiful coral landscapes is only half an hour away. Land based tours to lakes, waterfalls, and markets are also available in Dumaguete.
3. Cabilao-Bohol - small isolated island with great macro life and drop offs (different than in Dumaguete) Sea Explorers does also boat transfers with dives in between Cabilao and Dumaguete. From Cabilao you can also do land based tours around Bohol.

Cheers