Where to honeymoon in PI?

[bennyscuba]

I have to say, spending the last few days reading through this board has been a riot! Definitely one of the more active and cohesive groups...I also have to say all of the activity has made me want to come to PI but made it very confusing where to go...

So here is the situation:
Getting married in China next new years (wife is Chinese) and we are just starting to talk about honeymoon ideas. Want to go somewhere nearby to take advantage of being in the region. It seems like weather wise the best options are Thailand, Pulau and PI. Pulau is out b/c she is a new diver, and we are leaning against Thailand b/c we can see ourselves doing a a longer trip through SE Asia in the future. So it looks like PI. We will be going for about 1 week after new years 2010 - i know far away!

From what I gathered there are about a half a dozen places one can go and we are having trouble sorting them out so some help would be great. We are looking for:
a) Romantic getaway - no places overrun with Tourists - though we'll probably do the resorty hotel thing (it is a honeymoon after all!) so I suppose that makes it easier to get away from tourists...

b) Good diving for a beginner - She will have about a dozen dives under her belt by time we go - so both easy, and something that will hook her. Sites with large schools of fish and great corals (I found muck dives harder to appreciate when I was new)...I personally would love to see big stuff!

c) Activities outside of diving - the option of doing some day trips to see nature and culture. Also ideally a place that had good food - we are both foodies...

I can see us spending a day or two in Manilla (if it is worthwhile to do so) and then 5 or so days on a beach. Therefore we are less concerned with a place that is difficult to get to b/c we will stay there for a bit anyway.

Any suggestions on how to narrow down the myriad of options would be great...

Thanks,

bg

 

[bennyscuba]

one more thing - as far as diving we'd prefer a locale where you don't have to take 1hr boat rides to get to the sites. i don't know what diving is like in PI, but we would like to do diving - but don't want it to be something that wipes out an entire day...

 

[clgsamson]

Palawan - Club Paradise, Club Noah and El Nido Miniloc or El Nido Lagen. Some of the best beaches in the PI are in there. Less people traffic.

Airline -SEAIR and Asian Spirit. I forget the airline for El Nido (privately run)
Flights - Manila to Busuanga for Club Paradise, Manila to Taytay for Club Noah and Manila to El Nido for the last two resorts.

 

[chip104]

congrats on getting married! And congrats for reading through 80% useless posts to get to 20% useful information...

my top choice for romantic honeymoon ambience is El Nido, Palawan or Club Noah, Palawan. They fit your description because a) romantic getaway and not a tourist trap, b) good diving for a beginner, and c) activities outside of diving in the sense that you can do other beachy and nature things around palawan.

However, it's quite a trek to get to (domestic flight to island group, then boat ride over to resort) so if you're not willing to travel then I wouldn't go. Besides, I question whether one week is enough for the travel there. A good friend of mine spent 3 weeks around there and wasn't satisfied.

Another place to consider is Anilao. That place is away from tourists, a great place to dive, and easily accessible by car from manila. There are lots of resorts that are PPD recommended, but for a nice honeymoon ambience, I recommend Solana Resort. I'm sure others can chime in with resort recommendations. You can try organize a trip to Batangas City 25 mins away) or even go around mabini town (15 mins) to check out the local ongoings. The thing about Anilao is that the shore line is pebble beach, not white sand. The closest white sand beaches are on Sombrero Island (entrance fee + outrigger ride) or Eagle Point II Beach (Part of Eagle Point Resort but on the island nearby) in case you just wanna enjoy the beach. But the dive sites are all in proximity of the resort.

You can also check out Shangri La, Mactan, Cebu or Plantation Bay, Mactan, as well, although I'd rather go to El Nido or Club Noah if I'll be dropping that much cash. Plus, Mactan is a tourist trap, but the exclusivity feeling when you're at those resorts is nice when you're on a honeymoon. And Cebu City is close by for you to check out.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Congrats again.

edit: nice one el koya kapitan for beating me to the punch.

 

[olyvtx]

well, here's my .02 cents before the real experts chime in.

First of all, congratulations! You've picked a beautiful place to honeymoon and dive.

If you are only going to be there for seven days take a couple to days to enjoy the culture of Manila. I highly recommend the aquarium, it will get you very excited to do some local diving. A great place to stay is the Manila Hotel. It's on the waterfront of Manila bay, right next to the aquarium and Intramuros. Much to see and do within walking distance.
Manila Hotel

Another fantastic hotel, if you really want to pamper yourselves, is the Shangri la in Makati (very spendy but....WOW!) I've stayed here every trip on my last day before my flight out and i highly recommend this if you can afford it. Across the street you'll find the Hardrock Cafe Manila.
Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Manila | A Luxury Hotel in Manila, Philippines

For diving, and relaxing, quiet honeymoon, I recommend chosing a resort in the Anilao area. Most the resorts are located along a quiet coastal road and are all inclusive. I've visited the area 3 times and have never seen any resort overly populated with tourist, which is what I really like. Additionally, the diving has literally been a one-one diving with myself and the divemaster. Like Puerto Galera, all the dive sites are within a 20 min. boat ride or less and the diving is world class.

I can only speak to two resorts in the Anilao area and i highly recommend either. Arthur's place has approx. 10 bungalows with very nice food and service. One drawback is they require cash only. The divemaster is a fantastic guy and guide. His name escapes me now.
Arthur's Place

The other recommendation is Eagle Point. A very nice place with multiply swimming pools, nice bar and restaurant, a great dive shop with good gear and a fantastic divemaster/guide, Rene. They do accept credit cards.
EPR Entry Page

I know there are a lot of other really fantastic places to stay with just as exceptional facilities and divemasters and i know you'll get some really fantastic suggestions here on this board.

Good luck and again, congratulations.

 

[Live_in_Sin]

You can also check out Shangri La, Mactan, Cebu or Plantation Bay, Mactan,

I would divorce him on the spot!!!!!

if you think it's gonna be "once" and the "last" in your life???????????????

Amanpulo - Luxury beach resort Philippines - home

 

[chip104]

haha, hey just giving him the options!

 

[paolov]

high end : Amanpulo and El Nido ,

in EL nido dive sites are just a couple of minutes away as they use speed boats. Easy relaxing dives

 

[bennyscuba]

Wow so many quick responses!

It sounds like most of the options are all inclusive style environments - is that the case? We've never been all inclusive fans but if that's the way to do it - so be it - and i guess i can see the appeal for the honeymoon!

the extra travel to palawan doesn't phase me, especially since we'll be coming from china so the flight to Manilla won't be as bad. The photos there look beautiful but how does the diving compare to Anilao? It seems like that is more of a dive spot. It does seem like both are comparable with "other" activities - basically nature hiking - is that so?

thanks again for all the tips - keep 'em coming

bg

 

[clgsamson]

will diving be so important to you when honeymooning?