Report on Diving in Palawan - Coron and El Nido

[chip104]

Hey,
great reports... really intresting...
Did anyone go to Apo reef from coron i get the feeling its loads more expensive than doing it from Mindoro...also is it worth doing a live aboard or just as good to do day trips?
where else is top diving in the philippines at the mo we ve got apo island pangaloa for balicasag and cabilao ear marked and donsol for snorkelling with whale sharks... let us know... cant wait!
xx julia

Those are good choices. Really depends on what you're looking for. Is there anything in particular you're interested in seeing? (corals, inverts, big fish, etc)

 

[kwhkg]

Hotel Michaelangelo is a new one, now under Novotel group, its in "town" and dive shop operator I think is Discovery Divers. Just as an aside, Dive Link resort getting some bad reviews

 

[kwhkg]

coron to Apo reef is not an option, Its too far to travel in open water, as caloy said, Apo reef is better from San Jose Mindoro

 

[lifesabeach]

Hi...any nightlife in El Nido...bars, gogos, etc.?....30,000 people there according to my guide

 

[kwhkg]

zero, no way there are 30,000 people in el nido , maybe 300. Its a small island upscale resort. If you are looking for above, you better go to Puerta galera ,sabang

 

[Hank49]

Did anyone go to Apo reef from coron i get the feeling its loads more expensive than doing it from Mindoro...also is it worth doing a live aboard or just as good to do day trips?

You can do Apo Reef from Boracay with Fisheye Divers. They have an 85 foot bangka. Nice boat. We did Coron from Bora on that boat Nov 08.

 

[kwhkg]

of course its your choice but i do NOT recommend any long travel in phil waters in a banca, especialy in open sea between visayas and coron, boracay to apo reef mindoro is realtivly close but you are still travelling 6-8 hours in open seas. if you want to dive apo reef i suggest you fly from manila into san jose mindoro

 

[jale]

coron to Apo reef is not an option, Its too far to travel in open water, as caloy said, Apo reef is better from San Jose Mindoro

Yes Apo might be better from Mindoro but by going from Busuanga you can stop at the wreck in the North (forgot the name) which is really nice.
I agree that traveling in a banka in open sea is hum hum but Gunther from DD Diver in Coron used a "modern boat" to do this trip. You might want to contact him.

 

[ithacles]

Hotel Michaelangelo is a new one, now under Novotel group, its in "town" and dive shop operator I think is Discovery Divers. Just as an aside, Dive Link resort getting some bad reviews

Mate, Im not sure where you get your info but, Michaelangelo opened around three years ago and has not performed very well primarily because of its rather surly italian co-owner. Ownership status is still the subject of ongoing litigation and there are loads of politics and drama surrounding this. The real "Novotel" group is NOT involved.

The hotel is near the main pier and not the town center.

It is possible to do Apo Reef from Coron for less money than from Mindoro. The best known operator from Mindoro, Pandan Island Resort is often booked up and has been known to add charges if there are not a minimum number of divers.

I agree with KWHKG that one should think long and hard before doing any long voyage in a bangka but, Apo Reef is actually only about 2.5 hours from the coast of Busuanga and it falls in the straight between Mindoro and Busuanga. The key is to watch the weather reports and to use your brain. No matter how eager you are, DO NOT make the trip if there are any threats of strong wind or weather.

The longer travel times given by KWHKG to Apo Reef is from Coron town on the south side of Busuanga Island. Most of the travel time is spent simply rounding the island. It is not like you are spending that time crossing in REAL open ocean like you would from the Philippines to Vietnam. Coastline is always within sight so, I think KWHKG is just fear mongering to a certain extent.

As for Coron operators going to Apo Reef, I would avoid Dive Calamianes. Seadive with their 100 foot long bangka is a good option for larger groups. For smaller groups, there is an american named Mel that does trips via his sailboat and Discovery that can do small groups by the fiberglass, Sea Lion. It is also possible to go by daytrip with Dugong Dive Center in Mericaban, Busuanga.

 

[Hank49]

of course its your choice but i do NOT recommend any long travel in phil waters in a banca, especialy in open sea between visayas and coron, boracay to apo reef mindoro is realtivly close but you are still travelling 6-8 hours in open seas. if you want to dive apo reef i suggest you fly from manila into san jose mindoro

Just curious as to why you say this. I mean, Filipino fishermen have been doing this for a long time. I've traveled from Boracay to Coron (and Panagatan along the way) with medium strong NE winds coming back, Iloilo to Boracay, Boracay to Maniguin numerous times (exposed to NE and SW winds), Apo Island (Negros) area to Cagayan Cillo, etc etc. and in stong Amihan winds (NE)

The key out there is how well the boat is maintained. Fishermen make their living at it so you can pretty much trust their boats, although by Western standards they may LOOK a bit unconventional. And if there is a problem, it seems there is always someone to help out.

You DO need to check weather before making trips though. But ANY boat won't go in certain conditions. Which is why Tubattaha is seasonal.