Palawan resorts??

[olyvtx]

So, i lied. Iloilo was going to be my next PI destination but i decided to visit again earlier. thinking of coming there this march, after the cny and before easter. i knw, the water is a little chilly for you ppd divers but my extra layer of taba allows me to be comfortable.

i've been to pg and anilao 3 times already. i want to see something different so i'm looking at resorts in palawan after reading some of your recommendations in a previous thread. el nidon(?) and club paradise both seem very expensive to me from their website's published rates for both accommdations and diving. I saw discovery diver's site and they seem more reasonable for me.

anybody have experience with discovery divers? or other recommendations for diving in palawan at similar rates to anilao??

thanks in advance.
Paul

 

[chip104]

nothing but good things to say about DD and diving around Coron. A couple of us stayed with them 3 years ago.

Be prepared for wreck diving and some adventurous diving. The viz isn't as great as other places in the PI (anilao or pg) but the wrecks and the scenery make up for that.

 

[clgsamson]

something new for you? Padre Burgos in Southern Leyte, though.

 

[olyvtx]

nothing but good things to say about DD and diving around Coron. A couple of us stayed with them 3 years ago.

Be prepared for wreck diving and some adventurous diving. The viz isn't as great as other places in the PI (anilao or pg) but the wrecks and the scenery make up for that.

I thought getting out and away from Manila would produce better vis? yes? no? Where would the best, clear water be in the Philippines?

 

[gravity]

I would recommend Dolarog Beach resort in El Nido for one of the most beautiful topside settings in the world. It is a great value as far as resorts go. Overall the diving isn't quite up to Anilao or PG in my opinion, but the setting can't be beat; and the snorkeling is terrific. The corals there are really beautiful with lots of fish but there are enough corals in shallow water that diving doesn't add as much to the free snorkeling as it does in other locations.
I also stayed at DD in Coron, and to me it was so-so. Obviously if you are a wreck enthusiast it is the place to go; but I had several small complaints about the resort. I suspect it is much better then anything else affordable in the area and would still recommend it if you want to see the wrecks, but for me I would go to El Nido every time. Coron is not nearly as beautiful as El Nido topside in my opinion.

 

[gravity]

I thought getting out and away from Manila would produce better vis? yes? no? Where would the best, clear water be in the Philippines?

Most dive destinations in the PH have good viz, but the wrecks of Coron are in Coron Bay, often the Bay viz isn't quite poor. Not sure if there is a place that has the 'best' viz consistently. We experienced the best viz at Verde Island and Apo Island. Some days at Malapascua were crystal clear and other days were horrible. El Nido was pretty good. Almost everywhere in ph is pretty good with a few exceptions.

 

[shugar]

a good compromise between club paradise and discovery divers is divelink

i've stayed there - nice place decent food

Jag

 

[chip104]

I thought getting out and away from Manila would produce better vis? yes? no? Where would the best, clear water be in the Philippines?

hmm....hard to say where the best clear viz would be...

The clearest I've ever seen is a toss up between Gilutugan marine sanctuary in Mactan, Cebu and Verde Island.

I should say that in Coron Bay (where the wrecks are) the viz is decreased. When we went out to Gunther's Cathedral the viz was beautiful. I can't recall the viz in feet, but I posted a thread way back and I mentioned it in there.


edit: Oh and I should have mentioned that I liked DD in terms of value for money. I paid ~200USD for a weekend - breakfast, lunch, dinner, 8 dives, DM, nitrox, a bunch of san migs, and overnight accomodations.

 

[olyvtx]

from what i've seen in pictures, it appears that Coron bay where the wrecks are has much better clarity then Subic? I've dove Subic and the clarity was only slighty better then what we have here in the Puget Sound (on a good day that is!)

 

[chip104]

I've only snorkeled around in subic, and if that's a similar indication to diving there, then yeah, Coron has better viz.

I wouldn't worry about it - I remember once you're inside the wrecks the viz became better (olympia maru specifically). Plus Barracuda lake is amazing - like diving in middle earth.