I recently returned from a trip to the beautiful islands of the Philippines on a tour with ActiVentures tours.
ActiVentures (ActiVentures : Mabuhay!), based in San Francisco and Manila, provides Philippine dive tours, either pre-set or fully customized, that are unrivaled in service and attention to detail. From the moment you step off the plane to the moment you board your return flight, and everywhere in between, ActiVentures (ActiVentures : Mabuhay!) dedicated and enthusiastic staff is with you. Their philosophy is simple: we are divers and travelers that want to be treated to the best diving, the best service, and the best tropical vacation experience.
The staff at Acacia Resort and ActiVentures (ActiVentures : Mabuhay!) was amazing and the service was phenomenal. I never had to touch my scuba gear the whole trip. Everything was taken care of for you! They provided great hospitality in a very relaxing atmosphere. Nothing was ever rushed. The ActiVentures (www.activetnrerspi.com) staff went out of their way numerous times to provide us with the true Philippine experience. They took us to street side vendors, a parade, got us local foods such as Barat (hard boiled chicky), and a soy drink with Tapioca. They took us to the mall, and took us to karaoke. They even threw a going away pig roast party. The diving in the Philippines is so colorful. The boats are easy to get in and out of, and the DMÃÔ even take your fins off for you in the water. I highly recommend the Philippines as a dive destination and one that even non divers would enjoy.
1st Day Sunday- we arrived to Manila from San Francisco at 3:30am. The service at the airport from the staff at ActiVentures and Acacia Resort was impeccable. They handled our luggage, took pictures, and directed us to the bus we would be traveling in. We proceed to drive to the lake inside the volcano with a lake around the volcano named Taal. We had breakfast buffet with the magnificent view of the volcano and lakes. Many fish farms on the lake, we counted 5 that we could see just from the panoramic view we had. After breakfast we drive an hour and fifteen minutes to Acacia Resort. On the way we stop at a few of the shops and street side vendors on the side of the road. We tried some of the local fruit, and food. When we arrived we were greeted with delicious iced tea. We got a briefing and room assignments. The rooms are very spacious and modern. The resort is directly on the water with waterfalls and a pool with lounge chairs in the water. We had some free time and then lunch. We proceeded to our check out dive at 2:30pm. The checkout dive site: the Cathedral very impressive. The coral life was very diverse and expansive. The rainbow of colors of the sea life was so eye catching. I saw many anemones, clown fish, stag horn coral, pipe fish, and sea cucumbers; someone even saw a pigmy seahorse.
2nd Day: 1st dive Secret Bay. This was described to us as a muck dive with no coral we would dive in sand looking for little critters. But that was far from it. I saw Octopus, Cuddle fish, Ghost Pipe fish, Pygmy Sea Horses, Sea Horses, Gobies, and took a ton of macro shots, there were little critters everywhere! I thought this was better than any of the brochures or information explained. The view under and above water was breathtaking to say the least. Color everywhere. I had the impression by what I was told, and heard, that the Philippines is the macro capital of the world. I have to say I can agree with that, but it is so much more. The friendliness of the people of the Philippines is so welcoming. Their attention to service above and below the water is some of the best I have encountered.
2nd dive: Twin Rocks. I saw many anemones, hard and soft coral, and clown fish. For some it was the best dive of the day. There was just a huge abundance of anemones and clown fish! Gorgeous colors everywhere.
3rd dive: Mainit Pointe- Dive briefing started that current can be ripping, 4-5knots if not more. It definitely was, but way worth the effort and skill required for the dive. The colors of the hard and soft corals and the crinoids were so vibrant and strong.
After dinner we went into town to Batangas. Went to SM shopping mall. Great deals on lotions and potions.
3rd Day, 1st Dive: Christina our open water student was doing her first ocean boat dive and we dived Monkey Beach. The rest of our group dived Hole in the Wall. Both dives were in Puerta Galera. Great dives. Nice relief, abundant fish and coral. I got to film a huge cuddle fish sleeping under a coral head.
2nd dive I went back with the other group and we dived Hole in the Wall again so I could see it. What fun. Huge drop-offs. Nice current. And the hole in the wall is fun to swim through.
4th Day- 1st dive: Sombrero Island- Red anemones with 2 strawberry clown fish. It was a gorgeous reef!
2nd Dive: Coral Garden - Frog fish, Cuddle fish, Mantis Shrimp, Huge beds of soft corals. Huge relief with deep drop offs.
3rd dive: Bahura - Christina got OW certified. Saw a lot of Nubibranchs, lionfish, snappers, and Jacks.
5th day
1st dive: Beatrice- ripping current up to 7 knots! Well worth it though, and proved to me the reason everyone should carry a safety sausage. The amount of fish and the array of colors were incredible. It was a very advanced dive. One of our divers got swept off the wall and the boat got him and redropped him in a calm area. He did not have a safety sausage, but if he had the boat would have seen him immediately instead of 10 minutes after we dropped in. Even though it was hard to stay in one place with the current running around the island like it does it attracts gorgeous reef and amazingly abundant and huge varieties of fish. It was definitely worth the work.
2nd dive: Sepok wall- Much like the other walls. It was beautiful and very diverse coral, tons of anemones and clown fish.
3rd dive: Bahura- huge Hawksbill turtle eating, small turtle eating under a coral head stayed with them most of the dive. Nice slanting wall with huge fans and nice relief of the coral.
6th Day
1st dive: Secret Bay- Flamboyant Cuddle Fish, Hairy frogfish, frogfish, sea horses, octopus, sea urchins, mimic octopus, Lionfish, Stonefish
2nd dive: Mainit Lionfish w/a Nudi on it! Black tip shark, Trigger fish, Batfish, Moorish idol, 5 eels, banded eel nice variety of marine life.
Night activities- The staff put on a pig roast with entertainment, a live band. What a great time. Everyone was dancing and singing. The night was one of the best I have had on a dive trip. The staff really did a phenomenal job.
Bankas boats are actually very nice to dive in. The water was fairly flat everyday and the boats are very stable.
Overall this trip fully exceeded my expectations. Not only with the diving, but the friendliness, cleanliness, and the beauty of the Philippines, it is truly an amazing place. Every night the sunset was gorgeous. The sky was lit up with hues of oranges, yellows, peaches, and blues. The staff of ActiVentures (www.activentruespi.com) and Acacia Resort took such good care of everyone. There service really is top notch. What a great trip!!!
ActiVentures (ActiVentures : Mabuhay!), based in San Francisco and Manila, provides Philippine dive tours, either pre-set or fully customized, that are unrivaled in service and attention to detail. From the moment you step off the plane to the moment you board your return flight, and everywhere in between, ActiVentures (ActiVentures : Mabuhay!) dedicated and enthusiastic staff is with you. Their philosophy is simple: we are divers and travelers that want to be treated to the best diving, the best service, and the best tropical vacation experience.
The staff at Acacia Resort and ActiVentures (ActiVentures : Mabuhay!) was amazing and the service was phenomenal. I never had to touch my scuba gear the whole trip. Everything was taken care of for you! They provided great hospitality in a very relaxing atmosphere. Nothing was ever rushed. The ActiVentures (www.activetnrerspi.com) staff went out of their way numerous times to provide us with the true Philippine experience. They took us to street side vendors, a parade, got us local foods such as Barat (hard boiled chicky), and a soy drink with Tapioca. They took us to the mall, and took us to karaoke. They even threw a going away pig roast party. The diving in the Philippines is so colorful. The boats are easy to get in and out of, and the DMÃÔ even take your fins off for you in the water. I highly recommend the Philippines as a dive destination and one that even non divers would enjoy.
1st Day Sunday- we arrived to Manila from San Francisco at 3:30am. The service at the airport from the staff at ActiVentures and Acacia Resort was impeccable. They handled our luggage, took pictures, and directed us to the bus we would be traveling in. We proceed to drive to the lake inside the volcano with a lake around the volcano named Taal. We had breakfast buffet with the magnificent view of the volcano and lakes. Many fish farms on the lake, we counted 5 that we could see just from the panoramic view we had. After breakfast we drive an hour and fifteen minutes to Acacia Resort. On the way we stop at a few of the shops and street side vendors on the side of the road. We tried some of the local fruit, and food. When we arrived we were greeted with delicious iced tea. We got a briefing and room assignments. The rooms are very spacious and modern. The resort is directly on the water with waterfalls and a pool with lounge chairs in the water. We had some free time and then lunch. We proceeded to our check out dive at 2:30pm. The checkout dive site: the Cathedral very impressive. The coral life was very diverse and expansive. The rainbow of colors of the sea life was so eye catching. I saw many anemones, clown fish, stag horn coral, pipe fish, and sea cucumbers; someone even saw a pigmy seahorse.
2nd Day: 1st dive Secret Bay. This was described to us as a muck dive with no coral we would dive in sand looking for little critters. But that was far from it. I saw Octopus, Cuddle fish, Ghost Pipe fish, Pygmy Sea Horses, Sea Horses, Gobies, and took a ton of macro shots, there were little critters everywhere! I thought this was better than any of the brochures or information explained. The view under and above water was breathtaking to say the least. Color everywhere. I had the impression by what I was told, and heard, that the Philippines is the macro capital of the world. I have to say I can agree with that, but it is so much more. The friendliness of the people of the Philippines is so welcoming. Their attention to service above and below the water is some of the best I have encountered.
2nd dive: Twin Rocks. I saw many anemones, hard and soft coral, and clown fish. For some it was the best dive of the day. There was just a huge abundance of anemones and clown fish! Gorgeous colors everywhere.
3rd dive: Mainit Pointe- Dive briefing started that current can be ripping, 4-5knots if not more. It definitely was, but way worth the effort and skill required for the dive. The colors of the hard and soft corals and the crinoids were so vibrant and strong.
After dinner we went into town to Batangas. Went to SM shopping mall. Great deals on lotions and potions.
3rd Day, 1st Dive: Christina our open water student was doing her first ocean boat dive and we dived Monkey Beach. The rest of our group dived Hole in the Wall. Both dives were in Puerta Galera. Great dives. Nice relief, abundant fish and coral. I got to film a huge cuddle fish sleeping under a coral head.
2nd dive I went back with the other group and we dived Hole in the Wall again so I could see it. What fun. Huge drop-offs. Nice current. And the hole in the wall is fun to swim through.
4th Day- 1st dive: Sombrero Island- Red anemones with 2 strawberry clown fish. It was a gorgeous reef!
2nd Dive: Coral Garden - Frog fish, Cuddle fish, Mantis Shrimp, Huge beds of soft corals. Huge relief with deep drop offs.
3rd dive: Bahura - Christina got OW certified. Saw a lot of Nubibranchs, lionfish, snappers, and Jacks.
5th day
1st dive: Beatrice- ripping current up to 7 knots! Well worth it though, and proved to me the reason everyone should carry a safety sausage. The amount of fish and the array of colors were incredible. It was a very advanced dive. One of our divers got swept off the wall and the boat got him and redropped him in a calm area. He did not have a safety sausage, but if he had the boat would have seen him immediately instead of 10 minutes after we dropped in. Even though it was hard to stay in one place with the current running around the island like it does it attracts gorgeous reef and amazingly abundant and huge varieties of fish. It was definitely worth the work.
2nd dive: Sepok wall- Much like the other walls. It was beautiful and very diverse coral, tons of anemones and clown fish.
3rd dive: Bahura- huge Hawksbill turtle eating, small turtle eating under a coral head stayed with them most of the dive. Nice slanting wall with huge fans and nice relief of the coral.
6th Day
1st dive: Secret Bay- Flamboyant Cuddle Fish, Hairy frogfish, frogfish, sea horses, octopus, sea urchins, mimic octopus, Lionfish, Stonefish
2nd dive: Mainit Lionfish w/a Nudi on it! Black tip shark, Trigger fish, Batfish, Moorish idol, 5 eels, banded eel nice variety of marine life.
Night activities- The staff put on a pig roast with entertainment, a live band. What a great time. Everyone was dancing and singing. The night was one of the best I have had on a dive trip. The staff really did a phenomenal job.
Bankas boats are actually very nice to dive in. The water was fairly flat everyday and the boats are very stable.
Overall this trip fully exceeded my expectations. Not only with the diving, but the friendliness, cleanliness, and the beauty of the Philippines, it is truly an amazing place. Every night the sunset was gorgeous. The sky was lit up with hues of oranges, yellows, peaches, and blues. The staff of ActiVentures (www.activentruespi.com) and Acacia Resort took such good care of everyone. There service really is top notch. What a great trip!!!
