What would be a good trip from Bali to the Philippines?

[opalobsidian]

Hello Paradise divers!

I was just giving the board a quick look over and saw how people were saying that diving in the Philippines was every bit as good as diving in Indonesia. Does that include Northern Sulawesi as well?

We spend the month of June in Bali on business and like to take at least a week off for a diving trip. We've been to N Sulawesi twice already, so shall we try the Philippines in 2008? Is there a dive location that is a fairly short flight from Denpasar? What price should we expect to pay for a flight?

Thanks so much everyone!
Happy bubble trails
Pamela

 

[Scuba_Si]

To get from Bali to PI you have to make a transit somewhere, i went through Singapore last time. You can get a cheap Jetstar flight from DPS-SIN for as little as $10 plus taxes, then from there you'd need to overnight and take Singapore Air or Philippine Air to Manilla (maybe Cebu?) that flight was not cheap and they were much stricter on baggage.

June/July is the busy season so book early to get the deals.

For the diving what did you like best about Sulawesi? I don't think one is better than the other, they're just slightly different.

 

[Mike Veitch]

You can also go from Manado to Davao direct if you are in Sulawesi

 

[Live_in_Sin]

You can get a cheap Jetstar flight from DPS-SIN for as little as $10 plus taxes, then from there you'd need to overnight and take Singapore Air or Philippine Air to Manilla (maybe Cebu?) that flight was not cheap and they were much stricter on baggage..

Cebu Pacific is also flying from Sin to Mnl or to ceb for cheap tix. but SQ/MI GV2 fare can be better deal.

 

[Scuba_Si]

You can also go from Manado to Davao direct if you are in Sulawesi

Sulawesi is in Bali?! :no

:mooner:

 

[Mike Veitch]

bali, manado, davao...

 

[shugar]

Sulawesi is in Bali?! :no

:mooner:

aren't those two poofters sweet? helping each other with their geography...

Jag

 

[Kupu]

Going from Bali to Davao most likely will take two days, Sriwijaya is the carrier flying Manado-Davao and only on Monday morning. You have to fly from Denpasar the day before to make the early flight from Manado. Looks like going thru Manila could take the same time. Which is not really a short flight...(so just take a few extra days away from work to make it worth the efforthone2

Southern Mindanao (Davao/GenSan) has good diving and some of the same muck critters as North Sulawesi, as well as a few new ones. But I don't think it can be expected to find the weird variety of Lembeh. Regardless, one of my favorite places in the Philippines, has a bit of everything and worth the trip.

If looking for somewhere like Bunaken's walls, you might enjoy Bohol (Balicasag and Cabilao). Or for something completely different check out the wrecks from Coron, a unique area for being able to dive a group of wrecks at recreational depths and one of my favorites.

 

[highdesert]

For the diving what did you like best about Sulawesi? I don't think one is better than the other, they're just slightly different.

I would be curious to know how they are "just slightly different", in your opinion, since we are considering trips to both, possibly as two legs of the same trip. If we use the All Asia Pass on Cathay Pacific, we would use Hong Kong as the shuttle point between legs of the trip. Thanks!

 

[Nemo]

I've just come to the Philippines from Indonesia, the flight Manado to Davao is no longer available (as of Dec. 17th, 2007). I ended up flying Jakarta to Manila direct on Cebu Pacific, leaves at 12:30 A.M., arriving Manila at 5:30 A.M., about $100 including taxes, can only be bought direct from arilines on the internet. Philippines has some good shore based diving: Cabilao, walls and macro; Dumagette, access to Apo and Siquijor and good critter diving. However, Indonesia has better liveaboard diving, if that is what you prefer (Komodo, Irian Jaya). You won't find a spot like Lembeh in the Phil's. Philippines has easy access to different places in the Visayas, but also has more divers at some of these spots. I was also in Gorontalo recently, very good wall diving, not to far from Manado. Philippines can be busy mid Feb to April, be sure to book ahead.