Can anyone beat Atmosphere Resort, Dumaguete...or even equal it...?

[Wiggsy]

I don't know Atlantis...but I know that Atmosphere is absolutely wonderful...luxurious and so professional all the way. But you will pay for it I guess. I thought it was well worth the difference.

 

[Heg]

How many dives a day do Atmosphere offer? Can't seem to find it on their website...

 

[musi]

Hi everybody!

I am sorry for hijacking this thread but I guess you people know more about these places than I do and there doesn't seem to be a better place than Atmosphere resort? My non-diving wife and myself have been to Bali several times and also all over North-Sulawesi. Gangga, Siladen, Kungkungan and recently Kalinaun resort. I can highly recommend Kalinaun but it won't be able to cater for such a large group. Anyhow... my wife wants to see something else so we are planning to go to the Philippines for our next trip. Ocean Vida is already set. The white beaches you know.... But I can't make up my mind for our second destination. Moalboal (maybe Dolphin House) or Atmosphere. Which would you recommend? My wife likes snorkeling a lot so I am leaning towards Moalboal because the wall is close by. But Atmosphere looks also really nice. Muck diving (which I love!) etc. Just a pain to get to from Malapascua. Anyhow I would be happy for any feedback!
Thank's and greetings from Germany!

 

[Centrals]

Hi everybody!

I am sorry for hijacking this thread ...Moalboal (maybe Dolphin House) or Atmosphere. Which would you recommend? My wife likes snorkeling a lot so I am leaning towards Moalboal because the wall is close by. But Atmosphere looks also really nice. Muck diving (which I love!) etc. Just a pain to get to from Malapascua. Anyhow I would be happy for any feedback!
Thank's and greetings from Germany!

Moalboal is a lot better for snorkeller. The wall is right on the door step.

 

[gaudencio]

For the last two years we have traveled to Atmosphere Resort, Dumaguete and loved the diving and the resort. It is first class in all respects and simply the best dive op. I have seen. We loved the mixture of muck and coral diving around Dumaguete along the Dauin coast and really enjoyed Apo Island which is more blue water, corals, fish and turtles (a lot of them) But time to find somewhere new. Keep in mind this is a group of 35 -45 (probably half experienced divers/half newbies and snorkellers)...So we're looking for somewhere fairly isolated (as in not a strip of resorts with girlie bars nearby)...with great diving..superb meals and accommodation. I guess we've been spoilt and are looking for somewhere high end that can offer a lot. Considering Kasai Village Resort on Moalboal....I was wondering if anywhere in Anilao might suit...? I'd just value some opinions from the forum.

Hi, if you are considering Anilao, you can try out the Pier Uno Resort in Anilao Batangas. They can certainly accomodate your group. The food is superb and accomodations are very nice. You can see their website. I always stay there when i'm diving Anilao with my friends( once or 2x a month). They have a great dive center and complete equipments. If you like I can help you bargain for a good price. The boss is my friend. The diving at Anilao is very good , all around diving. And it's near Manila and is also a jump off point for Puerto Galera , Verde Island . Hope this helps.

 

[Wiggsy]

Sorry for late reply...Atmosphere will dive as often as you want to. They will take out a boat for the 500 metre trek down to Bahura at sunset for the Mandarin Fish with just one diver. It is all about when and where you want to dive at Atmosphere. I did 4 dives most days I was there.

---------- Post added October 12th, 2013 at 04:54 PM ----------

Hi everybody!

I am sorry for hijacking this thread but I guess you people know more about these places than I do and there doesn't seem to be a better place than Atmosphere resort? My non-diving wife and myself have been to Bali several times and also all over North-Sulawesi. Gangga, Siladen, Kungkungan and recently Kalinaun resort. I can highly recommend Kalinaun but it won't be able to cater for such a large group. Anyhow... my wife wants to see something else so we are planning to go to the Philippines for our next trip. Ocean Vida is already set. The white beaches you know.... But I can't make up my mind for our second destination. Moalboal (maybe Dolphin House) or Atmosphere. Which would you recommend? My wife likes snorkeling a lot so I am leaning towards Moalboal because the wall is close by. But Atmosphere looks also really nice. Muck diving (which I love!) etc. Just a pain to get to from Malapascua. Anyhow I would be happy for any feedback!
Thank's and greetings from Germany!

Musi...sorry for the late reply...For snorkelling...that all depends.. I was at Atmosphere in 2012 with a broken arm so was stuck with snorkelling. It was fabulous, both on the house reef (but watch out for the really mean big Trigger-Fish offshore) and the boat dives such as Dauin south etc. And Apo Island is great snorkelling - lots of turtles, sea snakes and fish. Do you want to snorkel with the Whale Sharks at Oslob? If so, then Dolphin House can't be your choice as they wont let you do it. They are violently opposed to the whole Whale Shark snorkel/feed as is their right. But I have done it and saw few management problems at all. Atmosphere do it as a day trip with Van-Ferry-Van transfers each way. It is not a tough day at all and we really loved it. We have been to a lot of similar places. AT the risk of hijacking my own thread, how did Gangga compare to Siladen..? Did you stay at Gangga Island Resort and Siladen Island Resort and Spa? How did the diving compare? I did Siladen last July (3rd trip) and still love the place.

 

[musi]

Sorry for late reply...Atmosphere will dive as often as you want to. They will take out a boat for the 500 metre trek down to Bahura at sunset for the Mandarin Fish with just one diver. It is all about when and where you want to dive at Atmosphere. I did 4 dives most days I was there.

---------- Post added October 12th, 2013 at 04:54 PM ----------



Musi...sorry for the late reply...For snorkelling...that all depends.. I was at Atmosphere in 2012 with a broken arm so was stuck with snorkelling. It was fabulous, both on the house reef (but watch out for the really mean big Trigger-Fish offshore) and the boat dives such as Dauin south etc. And Apo Island is great snorkelling - lots of turtles, sea snakes and fish. Do you want to snorkel with the Whale Sharks at Oslob? If so, then Dolphin House can't be your choice as they wont let you do it. They are violently opposed to the whole Whale Shark snorkel/feed as is their right. But I have done it and saw few management problems at all. Atmosphere do it as a day trip with Van-Ferry-Van transfers each way. It is not a tough day at all and we really loved it. We have been to a lot of similar places. AT the risk of hijacking my own thread, how did Gangga compare to Siladen..? Did you stay at Gangga Island Resort and Siladen Island Resort and Spa? How did the diving compare? I did Siladen last July (3rd trip) and still love the place.

Hi Wiggsy, thank's for your reply. Yes I stayed at Gangga Island Resort and Siladen Island Resort and Spa but that was in 2009. This summer I stayed at Kalinaun and at a resort right on Bunaken. Anyhow I would rate Gangga and Siladen as equal. Siladen has the nicest bungalows (the seaview ones) and Gangga for my taste the nicer dive sites.(Although I think they have renovated their bungalows since 2009. You can dive before Bangka Island and the mainland and if you wish you can take a trip to Lembeh when the wheather is slightly overcast. Also few dive boats around. I dove the area again this summer starting from Kalinaun and really loved it. What I don't like about Gangga is how they have raised their rates since 2009. I would have returned to Gangga island instantly if the rates would have gone up more reasonably.
At Bunaken this summer we arrived after after a storm had come through and our part of the island was completely covered with trash. Such a shame that they don't seem to get a grip on that problem in the area. So sadly that was the last time I went there. It also was a little too crowded for my taste. Siladen of course must still be better concerning those problems. On the other hand I saw and was able to take pictures of hippocampus pontohi in Bunaken - not the other area... As always it depends on the right time and place. So sometimes you are lucky and sometimes not.
Anyhow... back to the Philippines. Do you by the way happen to know Magic Island Resort and how it would compare to Dolphin house? Still debating over Moalboal (Dolphin or Magic) or Atmosphere. The whalesharks aren't necessarily a must for me. I have been very lucky twice before so I am a little more interested in the thresher sharks on Malapascua and of course lot's of macro photography dives. For the macro part I am also unsure whether Moalboal or the area around Dauin ist more interesting. I still have some critters on my bucket list that have eluded me so far. Would you see Atmosphere on par with Siladen? My wife prefers white sand ... but the resort looks really nice. At least I am happy about all the different options. Maybe we will just flip a coin for two places and if we like it in the area we will return for the remaining places on our subsequent vacations.
Greetings from Germany!

 

[Wiggsy]

Hi Wiggsy, thank's for your reply. Yes I stayed at Gangga Island Resort and Siladen Island Resort and Spa but that was in 2009. This summer I stayed at Kalinaun and at a resort right on Bunaken. Anyhow I would rate Gangga and Siladen as equal. Siladen has the nicest bungalows (the seaview ones) and Gangga for my taste the nicer dive sites.(Although I think they have renovated their bungalows since 2009. You can dive before Bangka Island and the mainland and if you wish you can take a trip to Lembeh when the wheather is slightly overcast. Also few dive boats around. I dove the area again this summer starting from Kalinaun and really loved it. What I don't like about Gangga is how they have raised their rates since 2009. I would have returned to Gangga island instantly if the rates would have gone up more reasonably.
At Bunaken this summer we arrived after after a storm had come through and our part of the island was completely covered with trash. Such a shame that they don't seem to get a grip on that problem in the area. So sadly that was the last time I went there. It also was a little too crowded for my taste. Siladen of course must still be better concerning those problems. On the other hand I saw and was able to take pictures of hippocampus pontohi in Bunaken - not the other area... As always it depends on the right time and place. So sometimes you are lucky and sometimes not.
Anyhow... back to the Philippines. Do you by the way happen to know Magic Island Resort and how it would compare to Dolphin house? Still debating over Moalboal (Dolphin or Magic) or Atmosphere. The whalesharks aren't necessarily a must for me. I have been very lucky twice before so I am a little more interested in the thresher sharks on Malapascua and of course lot's of macro photography dives. For the macro part I am also unsure whether Moalboal or the area around Dauin ist more interesting. I still have some critters on my bucket list that have eluded me so far. Would you see Atmosphere on par with Siladen? My wife prefers white sand ... but the resort looks really nice. At least I am happy about all the different options. Maybe we will just flip a coin for two places and if we like it in the area we will return for the remaining places on our subsequent vacations.
Greetings from Germany!

Sorry for late reply....I would regard Atmosphere as a 5 star dive resort in a 4 star location whereas Siladen is a 4 star dive resort in a 5 star location. Atmosphere does really edge out Siladen a bit as regards the rooms and the restaurant, more because it is new and neat as a pin - a really well designed and planned resort. And the service both for diving and everything else is second to none. The beach is ordinary (grey sand and pebbles) but if it were white sand they'd be resorts lined up and down the beach for miles! I know of Magic Island Resort and it looks nice too, but is too small for my group of 40 plus. Another place that I have heard really good things about though is Kasai Village Resort - it has a great dive set up and would be the choice of several of my buddies who have visited all three. Regards critters, Dauin is pretty impressive I must say....but like anything it depends on the day and time of year. Ginsuaan 1 and 2 are amongst the best critter dives I've done, but the critter grey sand areas are broken up with healthy bommies and great fish life. It is not full on muck diving as there is so much else to see.

 

[pughio83]

There is a new resort which I have just seen in detail at a uk dive show called Amun ini, in Bohol which are linked somehow to atmosphere. It looks like another high end dive op and the diving was described as siquijor on steroids. I wondered if anyone has been to this very lovely looking secluded resort with what looks like a great beach.