Phillipines : What do you think of my planned trip?

[erik.p]

Ok, I changed my travel plan to do Tubbataha first.
This however means I'll be trying to see the whale sharks in June, perhaps a fruitless attemt. In that case I might go to Bicol anyway and dive with the mantas close to Ticao, if everyone there tells me the Whale Shark season is over.

Might be worth a try to spend a day on a banca with a good book just in case you get lucky?

not to good. i suggest you make your tubattaha trip first as May is just about the closing of Tubattaha . and if you are unlucky the rains may come in sooner.

Whale sharks sightings are more during the time of January

 

[paolov]

Ok, I changed my travel plan to do Tubbataha first.
This however means I'll be trying to see the whale sharks in June, perhaps a fruitless attemt. In that case I might go to Bicol anyway and dive with the mantas close to Ticao, if everyone there tells me the Whale Shark season is over.

Might be worth a try to spend a day on a banca with a good book just in case you get lucky?

BICOL in june ... hmmmmmmm thats like tornado hunting.

check out this site and review the typhoons www.typhoon2000.ph

this is basically what we use here to determine dive weather conditions.

Panglao would be ok in terms of weather , moalboal maybe but not recommended. you're better off in Malapascua .

 

[paolov]

Hi,


2) Is it safe to travel my mini-buss from Cagayan de Oro to Davao (don't want to take the 12 hour regular buss)?

Erik - Sweden

You sure want to do this? this is a bit masochist especially if you carry your dive gear...

 

[erik.p]

Hmm...tornados you say? Well, I've never seen one of those...
I've been to the places you mention, and although they are nice I'd like to see some of the places I haven't been to earlier. Bicol seems nice from what I can tell...(http:///www.wowbicol.com/)

Regarding the trip "Cagayan De Oro - Davao" I was just thinking of taking the mini-buss rather than the plane because;

a) It would be cheaper
b) I'd get to see the central parts of Mindanao, should be nice jungle and so.

As long as it's safe that is.

Regarding the dive gear I think I'll leave it at home (Sweden) and rent as I go along. Bring my fins and mask for snorkeling.

 

[Little Brown Monkey]

Hi,

I'm new to this board, so please treat me gently...

I've been to the Philippines twice (1998 and 2003) and really enjoy vacationing there. So much I want to go back next year, 2005.

My first trip went to Bohol and then Apo Island (Negros). The second trip went to Coron and then Apo (again) and finally Malapascua.

This time I finally want to do Tubbataha.

Any comments on my planned trip?

Arrive last week of May 2005.

1:st week - Snorkel with Whale Sharks in Donsol. Dive with Mantas at Ticao.

2:nd week - Go to Camiguin, dive a bit and do tourist stuff (sight-seeing etc.)

3:rd week - Go to Cagayan de Oro, do tourist stuff. Head to Davao, do tourist stuff.

4:th week - Go to Tubattaha. Dive.


Personally I have the following concerns,

1) Will I see any whale sharks last week of May?

2) Is it safe to travel my mini-buss from Cagayan de Oro to Davao (don't want to take the 12 hour regular buss)?

3) Tubattaha trip will be their final before the season ends. Does this mean really high seas? Any advantages on going on the last trip of the year?

Any comments welcome.

Regards,

Erik - Sweden

Hi Erik,

My you've been around the Philippines!! Well done!! It's nice to know there are people like you who appreciate our beautiful country !

Yes you might want to move your Tubataha trip to the 1st or 2nd week of May, because if the rainy season comes early.. the seas can get rough. My Tubataha trip was a transition trip, meaning the boat returned to batangas passing through Coron, Apo Reef and Puerto Galera, and it was already raining..well there was actually a typhoon in the northern part of manila so the waters were ROUGH! I just thank the Good Lord our boat (the Island Explorer .. sniff sniff now resting in the bottom of the apo reef) made it through those HUGE waves.

Then you can do Donsol whaleshark also either 1st or 2nd week of May.. I did the Donsol snorkel twice (Mar 2000 and Feb 2004) and I have swam with a total of 21 whalesharks now!! This is truly my country's gem!! I'm not sure about May sightings but my friend who lives there says May whaleshark sightings should still be okay...if you're lucky

I also dove Ticao Island, currents are fierce!! When you see the other divers jump from the boat and hit the water, its like watching parachuters jump from an airplane because the current is so fierce it moves you so fast. You have to descend quite fast to about just about 60 feet (Ticao is a huge plateau much like Monad shoal) and hook your trusty reef hook to an immovable rock and wait !! I only saw 1 manta that time but it was the largest I've seen.

Hmm, regarding the South, I cant really comment because I havent been there, although from what I hear, Cagayan de Oro and Camiguin are nice places to visit.

hope this helps.

Little Brown Monkey

 

[scubagun]

Hi erik,

i'm a diver based in cagayan de oro. the road from cagayan de oro to davao is very good and very safe. there is no mini-bus but the usual BIG aircon bus and it will take you about 6 hours from CDO to DVO. buses leave every hour. but you have other choices on transport too, you can also take either a Van or a car rental. if you take the van, you will share the cost of the rent of the entire van with eight other passengers (this is cheaper/faster and more comfortable, however, the van never leaves if it's not full except if you volunteer to pay for the whole package). you can rent a car, but it is more expensive. i suggest you take the van, and there are lots of them here. all these, take the Cdo-bukidnon-Dvo route which is shorter and faster with well paved roads.

this side of mindanao is safe for everyone and people here are very friendly.

rico

 

[erik.p]

Hi,

Thanks for clearing that up.

What about flying? There are daily flights from CDO to DVO I presume?
How many hours would it take in a van to get to DVO?
I think I paid something like 3000 pesos for a van to drive
me from Cebu City to Maya (3 hours drive), which was ok as we were
splitting the cost 4 ways, but in this case we'd only be two people
so the cost would be the same as flying then...(unless we find some
else to split the cost)?

Btw. have you been to Camiguin? What is the diving like, compared to
say Bohol, Apo Island, Malapascau?

Hi erik,

i'm a diver based in cagayan de oro. the road from cagayan de oro to davao is very good and very safe. there is no mini-bus but the usual BIG aircon bus and it will take you about 6 hours from CDO to DVO. buses leave every hour. but you have other choices on transport too, you can also take either a Van or a car rental. if you take the van, you will share the cost of the rent of the entire van with eight other passengers (this is cheaper/faster and more comfortable, however, the van never leaves if it's not full except if you volunteer to pay for the whole package). you can rent a car, but it is more expensive. i suggest you take the van, and there are lots of them here. all these, take the Cdo-bukidnon-Dvo route which is shorter and faster with well paved roads.

this side of mindanao is safe for everyone and people here are very friendly.

rico

 

[bafinky]

Tubbattaha season closes at around the 1st or 2nd week of June. I was there end of May this year and the seas were starting to roll in our last couple of day. If this is your vacation date, I suggest you go to Tubbataha first, although it will spoil you for the rest of the other dives. You need to book your Tubba trip early. Operators normally start advertising and booking trips from Dec-Feb (Tubba season starts in late March). Be ready for endless walls and clear waters!!!

The Cagayan-Davao road is well-travelled by corporate salesmen (pharma sales, agro-chemicals, land and economic development folks) and is safe. Any mode of transportation is okay. If by mini-buses you mean the vans, they're fine. At least you control which stops you take, less people and less wait time at the stops.

I don't know how you plan to travel from island to island. If you plan to fly, note that in your itinerary, it looks like you'll have to fly to each city through Metro Manila though. (Except for the Cagayan-Camiguin-Cagayan-Davao boat-and-land trip.)

Lastly, the whale sharks are more guaranteed when it's still cold weather, nearer March. But there are still frequent sightings even in May. (Last year, Tubbataha had some whale shark sightings as well: a playful pair near the surface, and some solitary ones at about 40m.)

Have fun planning your trip!!

 

[erik.p]

Tubbattaha season closes at around the 1st or 2nd week of June. I was there end of May this year and the seas were starting to roll in our last couple of day. If this is your vacation date, I suggest you go to Tubbataha first, although it will spoil you for the rest of the other dives. You need to book your Tubba trip early. Operators normally start advertising and booking trips from Dec-Feb (Tubba season starts in late March). Be ready for endless walls and clear waters!!!

The Cagayan-Davao road is well-travelled by corporate salesmen (pharma sales, agro-chemicals, land and economic development folks) and is safe. Any mode of transportation is okay. If by mini-buses you mean the vans, they're fine. At least you control which stops you take, less people and less wait time at the stops.

I don't know how you plan to travel from island to island. If you plan to fly, note that in your itinerary, it looks like you'll have to fly to each city through Metro Manila though. (Except for the Cagayan-Camiguin-Cagayan-Davao boat-and-land trip.)

Lastly, the whale sharks are more guaranteed when it's still cold weather, nearer March. But there are still frequent sightings even in May. (Last year, Tubbataha had some whale shark sightings as well: a playful pair near the surface, and some solitary ones at about 40m.)

Have fun planning your trip!!

Due to popular demand, I've changed the schedule to something like this;


Arrive last week of May 2005.

1:st week (last week of May) - Go to Tubattaha. Dive.

2:nd week (first week of June) - Snorkel with Whale Sharks in Donsol. Dive with Mantas at Ticao.

3:rd week (second week of June) - Go to Camiguin, dive a bit and do tourist stuff (sight-seeing etc.)

4:th week (third week of June) - Go to Cagayan de Oro, do tourist stuff. Head to Davao, do tourist stuff.


Regarding the logistics I was planning something like this;

Flights;
Manila -> Princesa
Princesa -> Manila -> Legazpi
Legazpi -> Cebu -> Camiguin (only works on a Friday, if I recall)
Davao -> Manila

Boatrips;
Camiguin -> Cagayan

Road;
Cagayan -> Davao

Thanks or all the input,

Eirk

 

[scubagun]

your mindanao itinerary looks okey.

for CDO-DVO, there's no airline taking this route. so it's going to be by land, Van or Bus you will spend around of Php 400 only assuming the price will stay that way up to next year.

camiguin is our diving playground. like most divesites in mindanao, it has walls and very clear water. they have volcanic rock formations underwater in some sites, some with moderate currents, shoals, and mostly wall diving. very nice sites. compared to bohol, i have only been to cabilao and balicasag, the wall dives are similar, but in camiguin, you don't have the same diver traffic like you see in bohol.
mantigue island in camiguin is the best.