This isn't a dream. You can find yourself in the exotic Philippines this October!
UPDATE: Full payment is due the first week in August. Go ahead and pull the trigger. You're not gonna find a comparable trip for less money simply because we're making NO PROFIT.
Sign up here: PI Signup Page at Power Scuba
Free Nitrox and/or Refresher course stateside for all attendees (if desired)!
Two Resorts for less than most places charge for one! Puerto Galera & Dumaguete offer some of the best diving the "PI" has to offer.
I've been to Dumaguete, as a young Navy lad, and thought it was the most beautiful place I had yet seen in my short scuba career. I've also dove multiple times off the main island of Luzon and can't wait to get back to that area. This will be a real treat for us all!
The two resorts are well-appointed (see links at bottom of this page), but this is not a cosmopolitan trip. We're in for an adventure here. Jump aboard!
WHAT: No-profit overseas dive trip w/ Power Scuba... TO TWO RESORTS!
WHERE: Atlantis Resorts in Puerto Galera & Dumaguete
WHEN: Oct 12-25 (13 days)
COST: $2,400 (international airfare not included)
BALANCE: Your balance is due NO LATER THAN AUGUST 7.
AIRFARE: International airfare is not included. Will be ~ $1,000. (Or you can use your miles.) (Liz Tuttle, San Diego-area travel specialist, says she can get you a better deal than you doing it by yourself. Contact her at the Dive Shack in El Cajon.) Inter-island airfare is included in the price quoted above.
Sign up here: PI Signup Page at Power Scuba
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IMPORTANT TRANSPORTATION INFO: You MUST arrive Manila on Oct 12 before 12:30 pm. A day early is fine, but you're responsible for your own hotel. Transport to Puerto Galera is 2 1/2 hour bus ride and 1 hour ferry ride. We'll leave from Manilla as one group. Pickup at 2 or 3 hotels (plus the airport) is ok, for those arriving one day early. (If anyone finds themselves outside a group transport time, it will be a major cost upper.)
Must leave for home from Manila AFTER 1:30 pm on Oct 25.
Everyone send me your itinerary when you buy tix.
--------------------------------------------------------------
ITINERARY:
A map of our first destination may be found here: Manila to Puerto Galera map
Conversations and member-asked questions about our trip can be found here: Philippines Forum Thread
ACCOMMODATIONS & DIVING:
PERKS:
DETAILS:
Dumaguete Resort
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:
Dumaguete Resort
Atlantis Puerto Galera & Dumaguete Resort Website: Click here
Full Disclosure:
UPDATE: Full payment is due the first week in August. Go ahead and pull the trigger. You're not gonna find a comparable trip for less money simply because we're making NO PROFIT.
Sign up here: PI Signup Page at Power Scuba
Free Nitrox and/or Refresher course stateside for all attendees (if desired)!
Two Resorts for less than most places charge for one! Puerto Galera & Dumaguete offer some of the best diving the "PI" has to offer.
I've been to Dumaguete, as a young Navy lad, and thought it was the most beautiful place I had yet seen in my short scuba career. I've also dove multiple times off the main island of Luzon and can't wait to get back to that area. This will be a real treat for us all!
The two resorts are well-appointed (see links at bottom of this page), but this is not a cosmopolitan trip. We're in for an adventure here. Jump aboard!
WHAT: No-profit overseas dive trip w/ Power Scuba... TO TWO RESORTS!
WHERE: Atlantis Resorts in Puerto Galera & Dumaguete
WHEN: Oct 12-25 (13 days)
COST: $2,400 (international airfare not included)
BALANCE: Your balance is due NO LATER THAN AUGUST 7.
AIRFARE: International airfare is not included. Will be ~ $1,000. (Or you can use your miles.) (Liz Tuttle, San Diego-area travel specialist, says she can get you a better deal than you doing it by yourself. Contact her at the Dive Shack in El Cajon.) Inter-island airfare is included in the price quoted above.
Sign up here: PI Signup Page at Power Scuba
--------------------------------------------------------------
IMPORTANT TRANSPORTATION INFO: You MUST arrive Manila on Oct 12 before 12:30 pm. A day early is fine, but you're responsible for your own hotel. Transport to Puerto Galera is 2 1/2 hour bus ride and 1 hour ferry ride. We'll leave from Manilla as one group. Pickup at 2 or 3 hotels (plus the airport) is ok, for those arriving one day early. (If anyone finds themselves outside a group transport time, it will be a major cost upper.)
Must leave for home from Manila AFTER 1:30 pm on Oct 25.
Everyone send me your itinerary when you buy tix.
--------------------------------------------------------------
ITINERARY:
- Arrive Manila 12 October. (Requires leaving States late on 10th or very early on 11th. We lose a day going over the international dateline.) Must be at Manila airport by 11 am.
- 2 1/2 hour bus ride to Batangas City & 40 minute boat ride to Puerto Galera. (Resort provides all transport and transfers.)
- Leave P. Galera on Oct 19 and hop a resort-arranged JET (Cebu Pacific Airlines) to Dumaguete.
- Depart Dumaguete by plane early on Oct 25. Arrive Manila local airport around 10 am, transfer to Manila International Airport, and depart for home. (Gain a day going back. For most of us that'll mean arriving on the same day we depart.)
- Local air trips are, of course, always subject to change. The take-way here is: Be flexible and don't book your international air travel with no/little time between transfers.
A map of our first destination may be found here: Manila to Puerto Galera map
Conversations and member-asked questions about our trip can be found here: Philippines Forum Thread
ACCOMMODATIONS & DIVING:
- Rooms, diving, and 3 meals a day are included. (See resort links at bottom of page for more info.) Owner states 4-5 boat dives a day are possible. Nice!
- Approximately 10 diving days at 4-5 boat dives per day. You do the math. Yeah, baby!
- Deluxe room (double occupancy/twin share)
- All meals at Toko's Restaurant (breakfast drinks, Italian and specialty coffees are included)
- Coffee, tea and filtered water are available from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm (Italian and specialty coffees are not included after breakfast)
- Unlimited internet access
PERKS:
- Free Nitrox and/or Refresher course for all attending members before we depart. Dates to be posted soon. (There will be 2 opportunities/dates for each course... stateside. You must attend one of these sessions if you want to participate.)
- Night dives are included in your package price. Owner states 4-5 boat dives per day are possible.
- One day trip to Apo Island or similar
- Possibly more to come!
DETAILS:
- You'll need your passport. (Have at least 6 months of validity left on it after your return date.)
- The Philippine currency is the (Philippine ) peso (though U.S. dollars are accepted in many places).
- Language is Tagalog (English is understood in many places).
- Electricity voltage is 220 volts, 60 cycles. You'll need a converter and surge protector for your electronics.
- Bring cash for spending, to settle up whatever hotel charges you incur (they add a % for credit cards), and for tips (cash-only accepted).
- You'll definitely want to bring a dive computer that does Nitrox.
- MUCH more information can (will) be had at our Questions and Answers page on the message board:Philippines Forum Thread
- ADVANCED: You should have an Advanced scuba certification to go on this trip... or ANY overseas trip. Some of the dives will be over 60' of depth. (Some overseas dive ops REQUIRE an Advanced cert to go to certain sites.) There is plenty of time between now and then to get your cert at a local shop.
- A 2/3 mm wetsuit will be a good thing to bring, but you may not need it.
- There is a decompression chamber and medical facilities at Batangas City (40 min boat ride from Puerto Galera) and in Cebu City (slightly longer trip from Dumaguete.
- Bring that sun block!
- If you're a single, we'll pair you up with another person in your room. (Same sex if at all possible.)
- Don't wait until just before the trip to buy your airline ticket. You'll regret it.
- Trip insurance is a good thing.
- DAN insurance is mandatory.
- Bring your Dramamine/Bonine. No use letting seasickness spoil your trip.
- Bring your Immodium/Anti-diarrheal. Just to be safe!
- The overall price quoted above includes round-trip domestic economy airfare between Manila and Dumaguete (aboard a Cebu Pacific Airlines jet), private air conditioned van between international terminal and domestic terminal in Manila, round trip private air conditioned transfers between Dumaguete Airport and resort, personal airport meet and greet, and luggage assistance. This assumes we will be traveling between Manila/Puerto Gallera and Manila/Dumagete as a group. Otherwise, an additional transfer rate could apply to you (and it's not cheap). Moral of the story: Pay strict attention to our transfer times.
Dumaguete Resort
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:
- Dumaguete marine park fee: $60
- Tourist tax: 110 pesos
- Nitrox: $200 for both resorts/entire stay
- Scuba gear (but available for rental).
Dumaguete Resort
Atlantis Puerto Galera & Dumaguete Resort Website: Click here
Full Disclosure:
- A free spot is provided to the trip organizer by the resort. This spot is ON TOP OF the free spots we garner because of our numbers.
- $25 is being added to each person's trip cost for administrative needs etc. No other outside costs or profit is added to your trip fee.
- The vendors give the organizer a commission. This is NOT taken by the organizer. Rather this savings is factored back into everyone's cost.
- The dive shop gives one free dive spot for every X paid divers. These spots will be factored back into everyone's cost.
