Dive Safari - Sipalay?

[Bearkeley]

Hi all.... Thinking of doing the Moalboal to Sipalay Safari but question if it's worth going to Sipalay. Seems like a long ways to get a couple of dives in unless you plan to stay in Sipalay. We already plan to do extra dives in Malapascua and Moalboal....is it worth staying in Sipalay? Thanks!


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[dirtfarmer]

Actually I think it is worth diving there. Last Jan I did a trip starting in Anilao which was excellent then went to Malapascua then on to Sipalay. I've been to Sipalay 3x and love it there.
We go at the end of a trip and just chill and I dive. The reefs in the area are healthy and have not been dynamited which I can't say that about Malapascua, which disappointed me a bit.
Malapascua had good diversity but not good fish mass. Of the three spots Anilao had the best diversity and size of fish schools, Sipalay has been tragically overfished like most areas of the Philippines but not to the extent of Malapscua, and the corals are in excellent shape. ( It's been quite a few years sine I've done Dauin and Alona so I won't comment on amounts of fish in those areas).
Sipalay is very quiet, has an excellent beach, we stay at Takatuka which is quite the resort in decoration, actually quite mind blowing and they have excellent food and a great big menu which we don't tire of even when we stay for 2 weeks. In fact we won't even eat anywhere else on Sugar Beach as Takatuka's food is really good. That's always the hardest thing for my wife when we travel as we love good tasty food and are spoiled at home as we're farmers and get to eat some of the best. ( On Malapascua the best food is at the Italian place and the Craic house)
Sipalay is quite out of the way and like most destinations in the Philippines are quite a journey to get to but I think it's the most underrated or at least under traveled destinations in the Philippines.

 

[Centrals]

The corals in Sipalay are surprisingly very healthy but not much of fish.
Getting there is very time consuming given the road distance from either Bacolod or Dumaguete by public bus. The bus will pick and drop passengers along the route and very few of them have AC. 6hrs for a 160km journey from Bacolod is normal.
There is a good but relatively deep wreck(SS Panay) at 40m. It still has some artifact(gas mask) from WWII.
There are two dive resorts, Artistic and Easy Diving, on Punta Ballo just outside the City. There are few more in other areas as well.
The place is certainly underrated and undertravelled. Give it a try if you have the time and inclination and you won't be disappointed.

 

[dirtfarmer]

Getting there is very time consuming given the road distance from either Bacolod or Dumaguete by public bus. The bus will pick and drop passengers along the route and very few of them have AC. 6hrs for a 160km journey from Bacolod is normal.

It is a long journey, this last time we took a car service from Bacolod which turned out to be a great decision as we were extending our visa's and the driver was instrumental in taking us around Bacolod to get copies-photos for the visa extension, it took two hours with all the stops and line and he didn't even ask us for more $. The car trip took about 4.5 hrs but still arrived with sore butts as the seats in those cheap cars are so thin.
Our first trip to Sipalay we took the coastal route from Dumagette on a no a/c bus it was scenic, but loooong probably more than 8 hrs. Our next time were smarter and went over the mountains from Dumagette on an a/c express.

 

[Dive-Boarder2]

I posted a trip report on this safari some time ago.. Under my original user name Dive-Boarder... A worthwhile way to cover a lot of ground...

 

[billt4sf]

It is a long journey, this last time we took a car service from Bacolod which turned out to be a great decision as we were extending our visa's and the driver was instrumental in taking us around Bacolod to get copies-photos for the visa extension, it took two hours with all the stops and line and he didn't even ask us for more $. The car trip took about 4.5 hrs but still arrived with sore butts as the seats in those cheap cars are so thin.
Our first trip to Sipalay we took the coastal route from Dumagette on a no a/c bus it was scenic, but loooong probably more than 8 hrs. Our next time were smarter and went over the mountains from Dumagette on an a/c express.

You were able to get your dive gear transported safely? I guess it's no worse than the airlines.

Also would be interested to know how you booked the bus.

- Bill & Emily

 

[dirtfarmer]

It was a car from the airport in Bacolod.
Set a agreed price.He was instrumental in getting us around Bacolod doing our visa renewal. Renewals are a pain in the ass there, you need photos and copies and if you can believe it they didn't do both at one place.
Thank god when we got back to imigration we didn't have to start over in line, as the line had grown considerably. Next time we go back for over 30 days we'll probably get 60 day visas ahead of time to save the hassle.
We have taken the bus from Dummagette twice, easy peasy, you can book at the bus station. Make sure you take the Inland route as the costal route is much more time. If your gear is safe being thrown around by baggage monkeys with the airlines ( I can call them that as my brother was one) it's good for the bus.
Sipalay is one of the most underrated spots for diving in the PI, but we'll worth the trip. Uncrowded, healthy reefs, and as I said Takatuka is a great resort with the only food we can stand for two weeks on end.

 

[Centrals]

"Getting there is half the fun". On my first journey from Bacolod the bus conductor insisted one of the passenger to leave his pet fighting cock in the storage compartment. My bag didn't get foul!!!!! The remaining half is the diving itself.
I dived with Artistic Divers and don't recall ever hassled by any hawkers on the clean beach(Punta Ballo Beach). There is another operator(Easy Divers) down the beach. The trike from Sipalay town centre to the resort was P150.00. But I have to pay double on my out bound journey because the trike came in without passenger.

Enjoy.

 

[dirtfarmer]

Bill, here's the # of a car service...I can't remember if it is the driver we took from Bacolod to Sipalay or vice versa
Ruel Telebrico
Cell# 0919-3097201

 

[Bearkeley]

Hi there - we had an amazing trip! Service was great, people (crew and divers) were wonderful! I would definitely recommend staying at Sipalay a few extra nites to dive the area....staying at Artistic Divers (few doors down) definitely was a better option for us than Easy Diving's Resort (more value for your money).

I also agree that getting there is half the fun. We used the private driver option to get to Malapascua from Cebu, but later decided that the public transportation allowed us to experience the culture a lot more. Just depends on what you like and amount of time you have.