HELP with a short 4-night dive trip next month, should we stay in a dive resort in Puerto Galera, Palawan, or somewhere else?

[Volleyball]

Shoehorning in a 5-night trip into the Philippines, the 5th night will be in Manilla as we have a flight the next morning. Always see Puerto Galera and Palawan recommended for the Philippines yet we have to consider the logistics of travel time. The goal is therefore to stay in one dive resort the entire time yet my arm could be twisted to stay in different dive resorts if there's the possibility of something amazing to see. Absolutely cannot extend the stay, arrive at the Manilla airport at 650am and will head right to the dive destination

Puerto Galera is straightforward logistically, when we arrive at the Manila airport, just try to get to the P.G. fast ferry ASAP. Where to stay? Will pass on Atlantis because it's more than double than all other recommended resorts during that date range, I see the Blue Resort and La Lagana Villa recommended. Any recommendations?

Palawan is hard to research for a short trip as I can only find individual dive site reviews or a long trip itinerary where people have the time to travel all over the island or even other nearby islands. I see there are 3 Palawan airports with recommended dive sites near all of them. Where would you recommend flying into and diving?

Anywhere else you recommend?

 

[eagleray180]

That's a quick trip. You'll spend a good chunk of a day for travel to PG or Palawan (Coron or El Nido) You said five nights total, so two days of travel and last night in Manila would look like 2 days of diving.

You may want to consider diving Subic Bay. The diving there can be pretty good. Mostly wrecks, (and a lot of them) but also some reefs (and many of the wrecks are reefs too. Travel time is 3.5 hours by bus (Victory Liner) from MNL and is super easy to do. I can suggest diving with Mango's Dive Center. For a hotel you can just stay at Mango's Resort or 50m away from Mango's is a bit more posh hotel - Central Park Reef.

 

[Volleyball]

That's a quick trip. You'll spend a good chunk of a day for travel to PG or Palawan (Coron or El Nido) You said five nights total, so two days of travel and last night in Manila would look like 2 days of diving.

You may want to consider diving Subic Bay. The diving there can be pretty good. Mostly wrecks, (and a lot of them) but also some reefs (and many of the wrecks are reefs too. Travel time is 3.5 hours by bus (Victory Liner) from MNL and is super easy to do. I can suggest diving with Mango's Dive Center. For a hotel you can just stay at Mango's Resort or 50m away from Mango's is a bit more posh hotel - Central Park Reef.

Thanks. We land from the US in Manila at 650am, if we decide on Palawan, we wouldn't even leave the airport so we can fly there and get there before lunch; if PG, we should arrive at the dive resort by 4pm. There even plenty of time for even a few tanks if we really wanted. So the day we land we plus 3 full days of diving and in PG we could even get a morning two-tank in since we're taking the ferry. If Palawan we have to fly so wouldn't get a morning dive-in. We looked at Subic Bay and we determined we're more attracted to PG, and Palawan and various articles say those areas are the Philippines' best dive sites

 

[Centrals]

Which part of Palawan are you talking about?
Coron in Busuanga is very good for wreck diving. But time is NOT on your side.
Tubattaha Reef is for LoB from Mar to June and it is the best in the country.
Another option is Anilao.

 

[Volleyball]

Which part of Palawan are you talking about?
Coron in Busuanga is very good for wreck diving. But time is NOT on your side.
Tubattaha Reef is for LoB from Mar to June and it is the best in the country.
Another option is Anilao.

That's what I'm asking advice on; what do you think?

 

[Centrals]

Anilao, PG or Subic.
My suggestion is Anilao which requires no introduction for macro.

If you have more time then PG + Anilao should make a very enjoyable trip. PG first because it needs a ferry crossing.

 

[Franek]

We will not start a new thread, we will link to the current one
We have a similar concern regarding the stay of Anilao or Puerto Galera?
2024 beginning of January we have 4 full days to stay and dive, we analyzed many posts, most of them are terrible.
Maybe some recommendations of diving centers on an ongoing basis, this will be our first stay in the Philippines.
We haven't had contact with Makro and is there also a coral reef in Ailao?
We learn photography and video, preferably in a center where you can also improve your skills.

 

[Pearlman]

Thanks. We land from the US in Manila at 650am, if we decide on Palawan, we wouldn't even leave the airport so we can fly there and get there before lunch; if PG, we should arrive at the dive resort by 4pm. There even plenty of time for even a few tanks if we really wanted. That first day plus we would have 3 full days of diving and in PG we could even get a morning two-tank in since we're taking the ferry and not flying for 18 hours. We looked at Subic Bay, PG, and Palawan look more attractive to us various articles say those areas are the Philippines' best dive sites

I didn’t quite get the “not flying for 18h” if in Palawan but otherwise the answer is easy. PG is your best bet.

Edit : I stayed - right next to - LaLaguana once earlier… redacting the rest of the post as it does not pertain to LL…

 

[Volleyball]

I didn’t quite get the “not flying for 18h” if in Palawan but otherwise the answer is easy. PG is your best bet.

Edit : I stayed - right next to - LaLaguana once earlier… redacting the rest of the post as it does not pertain to LL…

To get back to Manila from Palawan we would need to fly so wouldn't dive at all on the last day which is Day 4. If PG, to get back to Manila we take a ferry so can dive that morning and then take the ferry

 

[Trailboss123]

If going to PG, then I would suggest staying at El Galleon and diving with the onsite dive op (Asia Divers):
Puerto Galera Dive Resort | El Galleon Resort & Asia Divers, Philippines

I will be back at El Galleon myself in 2 weeks. Here is a link to my trip report from my 2019 visit:

Trip Report - Trip Report-Philippines-Puerto Galera-El Galleon/Asia Divers-April 1-14, 2019

I thought I would try a somewhat different (for me) trip report. I usually wait until the trip is over and then attempt a comprehensive follow up report. Nothing that compares with the likes of @drrich2 though. So, I am going to try and give a blow by blow account of this trip along the way and...

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